But on a brighter note.....

Call me bi-polar if you like, but some good things did happen this week.

Of the UPS, Mary Eteo has started volunteering for me. I fixed some cats for her from her neighborhood. Not only is she helping me at Brooknelle two days a week, but she also is helping to pay the rent by donating a nice sum each month! And best of all, she is finding homes for the kittens she has had fixed AND helping to socialize Reed, a kitten who came out of the mess of cats in Ottawa County that may not be fixed now. So by her seeing something special in Reed, she and her husband offered to socialize him and he is going to be spared a life of hell in a 98% unaltered colony!

Tonight Heidi Andree came by to see Cookie the black and white kitty that she scooped up from her neighborhood. She had the slim Oreo colored girl fixed last week, but found her to have a string coming out of her backside a few days later. She brought Cookie to me and we gave her a day to see if the string would pass. If not, she would need surgery. Heidi and her husband were willing to pay. But thankfully Cookie left the complete string in a nice little piece of poop in her litter box the next day! Whew! That saved her and the Andree's a great deal! Heidi brought me a case of canned cat food and a Costco sized bundle of paper towels.

Thank you so much Mary & Heidi.

PS I sent a woman wishing to trap a neighborhood cat to my website to learn more about HOW TO TRAP A CAT. She learned about ear tips in my write up. Upon close inspection of the cat she was looking to capture, she realized that it was ear tipped. I think this is one of Gina's. The area is unfamiliar to me. So that's three cats in three weeks who have been spotted or trapped that have been previously fixed and tipped by someone else. Thank you to whoever came up with this idea!!!

The toughest week by far

A dear friend gave me this wisdom this week:

There will be ups and downs in this work that you do.
But there should not be torture and punishment.

I can't even remember what I was telling him when he said this to me. All I can say is that this has been a really, really tough week for me both physically and emotionally.

I blog because for me it's cathartic. I know I would just explode if I didn't write about it. I appreciate all of you who read my words and send me strength. Because I really need it.

I never understood how people in rescue could feel like quitting. The work is so unbelievably rewarding! The paramedic who pulled Baby Jessica out of the well in Midland, Texas in the late 80's committed suicide a few years ago. Why? He saved a lot of lives, helped a lot of people....isn't that reward enough?

Well, tonight as I sit in tears over my week, and the ones ahead I'm here to say, NO...it's not reward enough.

The words of wisdom of my friend don't do all that much. Not after all that I've dealt with this week. I probably shouldn't be writing at all right now. I'm pretty low and once I bum you all out, you will surely stop reading my blogs. Hopefully by the time I finish typing, I'll have that cathartic feeling...all the events of the week will be washed away and I will begin tomorrow anew. If you stop reading this blog because of what I wrote though, you will never know that I bounced back. I know I will. I have so much love and support for what I do. But sometimes gang...I feel like it's me against the world.

For instance. This week two people who I have helped both in the past and currently, did really wrong things with cats. They both trapped cats and took them to the animal shelters in their respective areas. Both cats were surely euthanized. One woman I was helping from the Holland area brought me her whole colony. All the cats were fixed. One gray boy died after surgery. M told me that the gray cat had been attacked by a white cat that was new in her area the night before she brought him to me. She blamed the white cat for his death and used my equipment to trap him. Rather than call me for advice, she hauled him off to his death. I would have suggested she fix him which would have curbed his territorial behavior. Or I may have offered to relocate him. Likely not the latter, but I would have liked to talk to her about it first. After fixing 7 cats for her, she did this horrible thing. She felt bad about it, but I was also devastated. What am I doing here?

Then today a woman I fixed a cat for early in the year called Gina telling her she had a cat in a trap. I was under the impression that L didn't want to trap anymore cats. The last time I called her to get her to trap the boy in her neighborhood, she told me to stop pestering her. But today she called Gina to say she had the cat in a trap. This woman is very difficult to talk to but Gina got the gist that she was worried that people in her trailer park were poisoning cats. So what does she do. Not call me! Not allow Gina to take the cat. She took it to the shelter! And we know what that means.

It's things like this. Actions of people who know what we do, have used us to help them...then they do this!!!

Tonight I had J call me. He has spent a lot of money trying to fix all the cats on his property. He's an amazing man. At 8:30 pm tonight he calls to tell me that lots of the cats that I fixed for him last month are really sick. Some have flies and maggots on them. He has used kerosene to keep the maggots off the cat. I arranged for Bruce to meet him at his practice at 10:30 pm to take care of the cats. I called J back elated. But then he told me that Lowell was too far. I offered for him to bring the cats to me in GR and I'd take them in for him. He declined my offer.

So why do these people even *&^%ing call me??? To torture me? To show me that no matter what I do, they will not do what's right for the cats? And these are people who I have hardcore solutions for. Who I have helped before. This is my repayment. Thanks a lot!

It's been a really bummer of a week. On the up side, I did manage to get 30 cats fixed. Of the unowned cats, 8 of them are going to be taken in by their kind rescuers or will at least be found homes. They have a chance at a good life. I feel that helping them get the cats fixed, tested and dewormed and flea treated helped get these cats into homes. That's a very good thing.

I have people clamoring for my three remaining ragdoll mix kittens. People are calling from New Hampshire, North Dakota, Illinois and SE Michigan. If only people wanted my orange tabbies and black kittens that badly. Wouldn't that be a nice thing? It's sad in a way. I'm being driven crazy by the calls and emails. I pulled them off Petfinder today because I think I have a big enough pool of perspective parents to choose from.

I now have a total of 19 kittens and 4 adults who I need to find homes for. Adoption is not the business I want to be in. I want to do straight TNR. The foster/adoption end of things is making me crazy, sapping my resources and draining me.

I truly don't know how much longer I'll be able to go at this pace. The Xanex helps when I have to go into Cedar Springs. The Lunesta helps me sleep at night. I'm medicating elsewhere with food and cigarettes. I'll be drug addicted, fat and have lung cancer soon enough.

So, how are things with you????

Bobby Nevill's New Digs

Yesterday after picking up Murroni, I went to The Kentwood Cat Clinic to pick up Bobby Nevill. We were on route to his new forever home with Linda Price who runs the Kitty Koop in Lowell.

I had talked to Linda a few times on the phone and knew she was a kindred spirit! Her love for all God's creatures is immense and she's a pleasure to work with.

Catching a glimpse of her amazing Kitty Koop, I was elated to know that dear Bobby Nevill will be going to the best possible place ever. Her RESCUE is every bit as nice as the places at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

Bobby will be caged inside the Kitty Koop till he is done with his meds and has acclimated to the other cats. Then he will be free to roam the inside AND outside of this wonderful shelter! He is currently bunking in a huge cage under Cinder, Erica's cat that Gina rescued last summer from Mel Trotter downtown.



Here's a photo of his new home. The area to the right is covered by a tarp. Cats come in and out through a window. There is a ramp for cats who can't make a safe jump....like Bobby Nevill. Every thing is thought out. There is plenty of sunshine and breezes. And inside the window is a large room with lots more cubby holes and places for kitties to rest both up high and at ground level. In bitter cold winter, the cats are kept inside the heated area of The Kitty Koop. It's noting short of paradise!

Bless you Linda Price! Thank you all who donated to the "Help Bobby Nevill Fund". The money paid for all his meds and allowed me to make a nice donation to Linda who will care for him for the rest of his life. Keep posted to see how he does with his treatment for what might be toxoplasmosis!

: ) C

Sheryl O. Saves a Life

Yesterday, I came down to the "headquarters" (aka my computer desk) and started catching up on email etc. Noticed another message on my home answering machine. Held my breath and pressed PLAY.

It was a woman named Sheryl O. She works at a clothing store nearby an area eatery that has had enough of the cats eating out of their dumpsters. Boy, with all the things in the world to be concerned about....we have to let this get the better of us. Most people get worried when they see rats INSIDE their establishments.....now this place is all up in arms about cats at the dumpsters!

I can't reveal the name of the establishment but suffice it to say, I won't be eating there anymore, or any of its sister restaurants.....which are yummy but too pricey anyways!

The "solution" to the cat/dumpster problem was to call in a pest control service which was trapping up the cats and taking them to God only knows where. The animal shelter, I presume. Which would be the best of options. I shudder to think of the alternatives.

Sheryl called me to let me know that she has already rescued two kittens from these traps earlier this summer and has known at least one to have been taken before she could intervene.

But her message on my machine yesterday said that there was one in the trap right now and the restaurant has already called the pest control company and they were on route to pick up the cat.

I told her that I'd be there as soon as I could. Please don't let them take the cat, I begged! She offered to pay them if they showed up to just leave the cat in the trap till I got there.

As usual with these pest control people, the weren't in any hurry to get to the scared, trapped animal. No idea how long the cat would have been left out in the open..... in the hot sun to suffer till they arrived.

But when I got there, behind the restaurant, I found the trap covered with cardboard boxes and a sign that said "DON'T TAKE".

I knew that was my boy! I put on my gloves, put the trap in my mini-van, transfered the kitty to my own trap, put the other trap back, sprung the rest of them and talked to dear Sheryl who gave me a generous donation to make sure that Murroni (as I've named him) is taken to a safe place.

Not sure where he will be going, but as soon as I can, I will be posting a request on Craig's List for a special barn home for him. He's being neutered at Langlois' today!

Besides the Hell House Cats of Spring 2006, this is the first cat whose life I actually saved. I know that TNR saves a lot of lives, but this is different. Had I not gotten that call, Murroni would be dead right now. And why? Cuz a restaurant can't train their employees to keep their dumpsters shut!

Thank you Sheryl!

Outside Adoptions

Lately, there has been a wave of what I'm terming "Outside Adoptions". I swear, I've done at least 8 of these in the past month!

I'm calling them "Outside Adoptions" for lack of a better term. What happens is this: Some kind person borrows a trap from me, gets a cat inside and when bringing him/her to me, decide that they will give this cat a home. I get the kitty fixed and they pay me for testing and first shots. I get the work done at my rescue cost and they commit to keeping the cat for the rest of it's life, giving it an indoor home and all the love it will allow them to lavish on it. It's a win/win.

I often times fix friendly cats and always feel a little sad knowing that they will have to go back outside once they recover from surgery. The people who trap and these cats feel even worse about putting them back outside. Once the option for actually keeping the cat after being tested negative for FELV and FIV is presented, they many times say..."Sure, if it's safe to bring into my house.....and it won't cause harm to my other cats, sure....we'll take him in!"

This is relieving a lot of people! Crash's Landing should be getting less calls. People who care for these friendly strays don't have to worry about how the cat will deal with the upcoming cold weather. And I'm able to make another little victory notch in my "rescue" belt.

It's all good!

Bobby Nevill Update - Funds Raised!

Tomorrow I will pick up Bobby Nevill from The Kentwood Cat Clinic. We are unsure why he has the head tilt, but plan to treat him as if he has toxoplasmosis. Rather than do the very expensive test, we will just treat him for toxo and if he responds to the treatment, then we will know what caused his head tilt. If it doesn't make a difference, then we will assume the head tilt is from his injury and just keep him safe from the wild outdoors.

I will be taking Bobby Nevill to Linda Price who IS The Kitty Koop in Lowell. Linda has agreed to keep Bobby Nevill safe in her enclosed pole barn. There he can live as feral a life as he pleases but will be safe from cars, predators and other harms. There's an area that extends from the barn that allows the cats to see and feel the outdoors, lay in the sun and experience life on the "outside".

I am happy to say that with your generous donations, we were able to pull together nearly $200 to give Bobby Nevill his fresh start at a new life.

Since the last report, your all flocked to your checkbooks and paypal and donated funds that nearly doubled my original $100 request.

RC Kula who is Grand Daddy to the FIP cats at Brooknelle donated $80 in honor of his brother Donny who passed away a few years ago. RC said that Bobby Nevill reminded him of his brother who had special challenges as well. Thank you RC for the very generous donation, and for celebrating your brother's life in doing so.

Laura Wertenberger who is to blame for my getting into TNR, (I say this with love Laura) donated $10 to the Help Bobby Nevill Fund! Laura is the person who turned me on to the plight of the Burger King cats and got this whole fur ball rolling for me! Recently Laura learned that there was no longer a feral caregiver at BK, so she has taken it upon herself to fill food and water bowls once again every day behind the fast food eatery! Seems like old times...huh Laura?

My darling Marcia Bloemers who took in Cheyenne and reads my blog faithfully and donates even more faithfully, sent a paypal payment of $60 to help cover costs for Bobby Nevill.

So, the total funds for Bobby Nevill are at $190....which will help me help Linda Price help him! And it will cover his meds, which will hopefully help his head tilt!

Bless you all for extending yourself to this special boy in need!
On behalf of Bobby Nevill, I thank you!

: ) C

"Help Bobby Nevill" Fund

I'm always amazed when people that I've never even met make donations to help me continue my rescue work.

I've been talking to Sara Kuberski via email about a stray cat that attached herself to her(Sara's) brother and was in need of fixing.

Then today, I get a donation to the "Help Bobby Nevill" Fund from her via paypal.

Thanks so much Sara. Now, we just have $60 left to raise!!!

: ) Carol

"Help Bobby Nevill" Fund

Thank you Sue Carl for donating to the
"Help Bobby Nevill" Fund!
We only need $80 more!!!!

The universe has a way of wroking things out!

Saturday was the big spay/neuter clinic in Ionia. Sponsored by Safe Haven Humane Society and directed by Dr. Bruce Langlois and Remote Area Medical, 115 cats and dogs were fixed. A great day for sure. Look for an article in the upcoming Cats and Dogs Magazine detailing the event!

So, I spend all day at a spay/neuter clinic to arrive at Brooknelle and find a cat that Heidi Andree trapped on Friday afternoon who was awaiting Monday morning surgery.....had kittens overnight!

So there I am, with three newborns. Mom is hissy and a little feral, but not really bad. After cursing a bit about "missing" this one, I remembered that I had two orphans rescued by Elida Medley who has a colony on the SW side of GR. She had been bottle feeding the two (now 10 day olds) for a week now. When she found them, their umbilical cords were still attached.

PERFECT! Elida's kittens are still needing a mom and I actually have one. And she has spare nipples since she only had three in her litter! Wonderful!

So, the question....will she take them?

I picked up Elida's callico girl and orange tabby boy and took them to Brooknelle where Mama is with her kits. I pulled the towel on which she gave birth from the laundry basket and put it in with the orphaned kittens for about an hour. It was Elida's suggestion to get mom's scent onto the kittens. Would have been rough had I not had the towel handy. Just try getting feral cat scent onto something without getting bloody!!!

This seemed to do the trick! When I introduced babies to mama, she hissed (AT ME) but accepted both kittens right away. Currently Mama, who Heidi has named Crystal is nursing her two orange, one black tabby and two adopted babies. This litter will all get G names.

The C litter will all be adopted as of this coming weekend. The D's went really fast (those were the suckling kittens from Muskegon). The E's are at Langlois' office today getting fixed and will be listed on Petfinder later this week. Stephanie has the F's who will be coming to me as soon as they are old enough to find homes. So this will be G! Maybe if there's a feisty girl, I'll name her Gina! And if there's a laid back boy, I'll name him after my Gabby!

So now I have a mama for the orphaned kittens. The universe has a way of working things out. I must remember this!

Bobby Nevill Update

Hello Feral Friends-

The Kentwood Cat Clinic has been absolutely wonderful in caring for Bobby Nevill after his accident. I'm so thankful that someone cared enough to pick him up from the parking lot in Cuttlerville and take him there.

However, now comes the time for Bobby Nevill to move on. He has been checked out, tested and is fine to leave the clinic. But he can't go back to the outdoors because he has neurological issues that would surely put him in harm's way if he had to run or defend himself. So he needs a place where he can be allowed to live his life on his own terms....one that allows him to remain semi-feral.

Enter Linda Price from the Kitty Coop. I have only spoke to Linda on the phone, but she sounds like an amazing woman. Gina took a neurologically compromised feral cat to her last month and said that the digs were fantastic!

All I had to do last night was start telling Linda the story of Bobby Nevill and before I could even ask, she was offering to take him into her pole barn with the outside enclosure to live with Cinder. I nearly started to cry. This sweet woman is going to give Bobby Nevill a chance at the safe life he needs and deserves.

He will go to his new home at Linda's place next week.

I have learned that neurological problems can occur from a cat having toxoplasmosis. This is the same parasite (or whatever) that pregnant women are warned about getting from scooping kitty litter. But cats usually get it from hunting. People get it from mis-handling raw meat. Kitties get it from EATING raw meat. I suppose there are some people who eat raw meat and get it that way....I think I saw someone on Wife Swap that ate raw meat once...ICK! I'm a "well done" kinda girl. Anyways....I digress....

Bobby Nevill has not yet been tested for toxoplasmosis. The test costs about $125. But after giving it some thought, Linda and I have decided that we would just treat Bobby Nevill for toxoplasmosis (which would be much less expensive than the test itself). If he has it, we will see improvement. This line of thinking goes along with the idea that he may have had the head tilt and the unstable walking and THAT may have been the cause of his being hit by the car. Or the injuries sustained from the accident may have caused the head tilt.....not sure which. It's like what came first....the chicken or the egg argument.

Whatever the case, I'm looking for 10 people to donate $10 each to cover the meds for treatment of the possible toxoplasmosis and donation to Linda for taking him into her program. Whenever another rescue takes a cat that I can't "home" myself, I give them a donation.

I'd like to give her $50 because she will be caring for Bobby for the rest of his life and he will no doubt need medical care down the road.

If you would like to help by making a donation, you can send it via paypal.com. Payment can be made to me at dollmouse@aol.com. If you prefer to mail a check, let me know and I'll furnish you with an address.

Thanks for keeping up on Bobby Nevill. He is sure a lucky cat. First he fell into the hands of a kind passer-by who took him to the Kentwood Cat Clinic. Those kind and caring vets and staff gave him excellent care for at least 6 weeks. Now he is going to live at the Kitty Koop with Linda!

And I know he will have lots of fine feral friends pulling for his recovery and wishing him a happy and safe life!

: ) Carol

KISMET

Feeling a little punk this morning, I just putzed around the house. Checked my adoptable kitty medical records and saw that it was time for distemper boosters for John Riley and Mike. It was also the day that they both needed their last doses of wormer. Hit them up with that and putzed around upstairs a bit more.

Started my "running around" part of the day a little later than usual. Still wasn't feeling so hot so took a 2 hour break and watched a horror movie in the middle of the day because I can't watch them at night alone and it's due back at Blockbuster and I know Gina won't ever be able to make it over to watch it with me....so.....I watched it this afternoon on the couch and snoozed a bit.

I've got the mini-van all stocked with the days necessities. Cage to return to the wildlife rehabber who helped me with a downed finch that I found on Fulton on route to Langlois yesterday, carriers for kitties coming to Brooknelle after surgery today, towels for Brooknelle and the clinic, misc paperwork, bottle of water and can of diet coke. Ready to roll, but first a bite to eat. Just as I'm sitting down to eat, I get a phone call.

Another unidentified number. A CAT CALL. I pick up. A cheerful voice on the other end asks me if I'd tell her more about some of my lovely cats that are up for adoption. I love when people say CATS cuz they aren't just thinking KITTENS! The cheerful voice belongs to Louise who is interested in Sox, one of the FIP kitties, Mike and Clyde. I'm elated!!!

But, after talking a bit more though, we decide the perfect fit for their family who wants a laid back cat is none other than my dear sweet John Riley! They want to come over to see him in the evening. I'm about to start my usual 5-7 hour run so I suggest that they come over right away. They live only a few miles away so it's not long before they arrive.

Louise and her wonderful hubby and son all come into the cat room and meet John Riley. Mom and Dad fall for John Riley immediately but I leave them alone for a bit to make the family decision. I come back into the room and find them asking questions about my two-for-one deal going on right now (since it's kitten season...there's a deal....right!) Seems Peter, their son is very interested in Mike another Cedar Springs rescue boy!

I explain the benefit of having an older laid back cat to balance the kitten and they are starting to show the signs that I love to see. Looking at each other, smiling, and getting all googley eyed!

I get a call and leave the room. When I return, they say that they want them both! KISMET! I ask them if they believe in fate. They say yes! I bring in my medical record cards and show them how I had just given both boys their final wormer and distemper boosters this morning. A sign of confirmation that they have made the right decision.

I start to get a little weepy however. I love my John Riley. It's hard to see him go, even though I know he is going to an excellent home! I really like this family and connected to them right off the bat! I take a moment with John Riley near the window and am crying and telling him I love him and know he will be happy. And then my gentle little boy who has always given me kisses hissed at me and snapped at my nose. This kinda upset me a bit but after talking to Erica, I think it was him telling me to snap out of it, that he was going to be fine in his new home. Which is all I want for him after all.

Within 7 days I found homes for all three of my Cedar Springs babies. Precious went to a wonderful home in Detroit on Saturday, a gift for a woman who recently lost her beloved cat. Got word that she just adores Precious and that Miss P loves the family dog and they play together!

It's been a crazy week! After promising Kathy at the clinic that I'd go easy on her with Cinnamon on vacation, I have my biggest volume week ever!! My previous record was 39 cats in 5 days. This week, after tomorrow's surgeries, I will have helped get 44 cats fixed! I actually thought I was under, but after looking at my report to VPC, I realized that I had beat my previous best week by 5 cats! Wow! No wonder I'm pooped!

Last night (Wednesday) Heidi Andree who is trapping in the Riverside Area brought me a trapped cat. I pulled back the cage cover and noticed something very special about him. He had an EAR TIP! Yeah, just like Mary Eteo's from the night prior! ***Please note this is the correct spelling of her name which I flubbed in the last blog entry.

Yeah! Two nights in a row, I get ear tipped cats in traps set by people who had not trapped them in the first place. This boy that Heidi brought me was trapped at the home of Linda Wemple and her mother who feed neighborhood strays. He was fixed on July 11th. WILD!!

It's been a very busy and chaotic week. I need to get my dream rehab/trap loan/cat drop off dream going. The logistics at this rate are about to make me crazy! But it's a good kind of crazy at least!

: ) C

PS KISMET continued:
44 cats fixed this week and tonights Taco Bell order was $4.44. Someone play the number and give me a cut of the money when you win it!!!

The Merits of Ear Tipping

I'm driving home tonight from Langlois' office. It's about 11pm. I am happy to report that I'm taking in 8 cats bringing this week's total so far to 29. My top week so far was 39 spay/neuters so I might very well beat my record if all you crazy trappers keep it up. Of course, it will be poetic that my top volume week happens on the week that Cinnamon is on vacation and Kathy asked me to please go easy on surgeries. Sorry Kathy!

I digress....

On route home, Mary Eto calls me. Mary is trapping cats in her backyard. She brought me a mama cat last night who was fixed today. This evening she came with two kittens. Both were too young to be fixed and one has an eye infection, so she's keeping them in a cage in her garage till they are 2 lbs. This sweet woman will be applying eye ointment twice daily to the kitten with the bad eyes too. Bless you Mary.

So Mary calls telling me she has caught another cat. She was trying to get the third and final kitten to put in the "fattening up" cage. But instead, she got a black and white adult.

I was like...well....I'm really tired after the past three days and don't want to make another run out to Lowell....maybe you can just give it food and water in the trap and bring it to me tomorrow and we will fix it on Thursday. We talk about the ins and outs of that then we decide, better check to make sure that we don't have a nursing mama. So Mary takes the trapped cat into the garage to check for nipples or testicles and finds that the cat has a clipped left ear!

When she relays this to me, I say "SHUT UP!!!" I actually hate when people say that and it came out of me so fast that I apologized...cuz Mary is a super sweet lady. She wasn't offended and when I think of it now, it was probably one of the least offensive things I could have said cuz any of you who know me know that I swear like a sailor. So SHUT UP wasn't so bad. Anyway...I digress...

I ask her to remind me where she lives and I remember trapping nearby at an adult group home for mentally challenged individuals in that area. Mary confirms that the place is 1/4 mile from her house. I tell her I'll check my records to see if there is a black and white cat from that trapping mission in my records.

Sure enough...of the 5 cats trapped that day, one was a black and white 7.5 lb female. She had the cat in the trap! Wow! Amazing! Bobby Nevill just a bit back, and now this one!

Had we not ear tipped that cat, she would have spent a day and a half in a trap just to be anesthetized AGAIN to be shaved down and found to have an old spay scar! What a saving grace for that kitty, NOT TO MENTION the time and resources wasted at the vet clinic!

So chalk another one up for ear tipping and good record keeping!

An update from yesterday and then a thank you.

Yesterday Elida brought those two kittens home. Today she went to the house and realized that the mom cat was not owned but feral. She baited a trap and set the kittens in a carrier "train car" style to lure the mom but to no avail. No mama showed up. It was worth a shot. But at least the kittens are safe and sound with Elida who will not be sleeping three hours straight for the next 4 weeks.

Now for the thank you that actually deserves it's own blog entry but I'm getting weary and have to get to bed. Tonight when I got home, I checked the tote on my porch that I use to leave food and supplies in for people to pick up at their will. Inside was a box of chocolates and a card. Who would leave me candy and a card? My dear darling kitten foster, Stephanie...that's who!
The card pictured a white Persian cat on top of a clothes dryer with a red sock clinging to it. Inside it said "and how was your day?" The card was perfect cuz that's kinda how I felt all day....tossed bone dry!

Inside the card she wrote some very loving and encouraging words and also a check for an extremely generous amount. Last time I got this much money from one person at one time, I had to eat an anchovy at my Pizza Hut fund raiser! Thanks Stephanie for giving me chocolate instead of an anchovy! I adore you! Thank you for the chunk of change, for being an exceptional kitten foster and for taking in kittens with ringworm of all things!!!! You are amazing!

: )
C

C-SNIP Now Open Some Saturdays! Spread the word!!!

If you are putting off having your dog or cat fixed because you can’t afford it...

Call C-SNIP now to make an appointment.

(616) 455-8220

We have added the following Saturdays to our normal Monday thru Friday schedule:

September 22

October 20

November 17

C-SNIP is West Michigan’s only full time, non-profit, reduced cost spay/neuter clinic.

1675 Viewpond, SE • Kentwood, MI 49508

(one block south of 44^th, east off Kalamazoo next to Sam’s Joint)

When you make an appointment with C-SNIP for your pet to be sterilized, for only $10 we will microchip your pet at the same time.

This service is only available for clients who are able to pay C-SNIP’s surgery fee in full.

Two 11 hour days....and you wonder why I don't have a job anymore?

Two 11 hour days doing nothing but running cats. Well, take out 1.5 hours today for an unexpected visit from a friend, but that's how it has been for the last 48 hours. I guess working for pay IS out of the question unless I want to live like Gina Marvin and are able to miraculously function on 3-4 hours of sleep....which I can't!!!

Yesterday though, I was able to take 14 cats in to be fixed and today another 7. So I'm averaging about one cat per hour worked.

Did pick up an adorable gray/white kitten today from Char from C-SNIP. Doogie wandered up to Char and her husband in a parking lot at the tender age of 4 weeks. She bottle fed him till he was ready to eat on his own and now he's mine! Or yours perhaps??

Photos will soon be on Petfinder.

Today I ran out of the house without washing my face or putting on underthings! I had time to give Trixie (my 16 year old tabby daughter) her insulin shot and that was about it. Didn't even make tea or eat breakfast! Had to meet a really cool couple (Pat and HanK Walczak) who were coming in from Holland to pick up traps. But I didn't have any at the house so the running began.

From there it was Brooknelle to loan the traps, do chores etc. Then I got my oil changed. Wait...that was 45 minutes that I wasn't totally devoting to cats, but I was on the phone much of the time doing cat calls.

From there to Elida's house to get the last of her 5 feral kittens that was trapped this morning! Then to Char's to pick up Doogie. Then home to drop Elida's kitten and set Doogie up in his new digs. Then a visit from my friend.

Then drive like a crazed maniac to the clinic in Lowell before closing, to take treats to the girls who I overloaded on a non-surgery day with 14 cats when they asked me specifically to go easy this week cuz Cinnamon (one of the techs) was on vacation. Hope the brownies at 5:59 were enjoyed!

At that time I picked up the 14 cats from yesterday and went to Brooknelle to set them up in rehab cages. THEN....Elida calls. Elida is a very kind woman who has a really nicely maintained colony on the SW side of town. I thought she was calling to find out the sexes of the 4 kittens that were fixed this morning. Unfortunately that wasn't the case!

Instead, she told me that her neighbor's grandson found 4 one week old kittens crying on the floor of a friend's garage. He scooped them up and brought them to her. She and her neighbor brought them home and started feeding them. She told me that she wanted some advice. I went crazy! Like usual, when you catch me in the midst of transferring cats, I don't do well with bad news. And this kinda news isn't good at any time!

After setting up the cats, I went home, shoveled some left over Chinese food in my mouth and was on route to take Elida some KMR (kitten milk replacer). I got on my soapbox about "taking kittens without trying to see if mom was around and if she was caring for them" and after going on and on, made suggestions to try to have the people who actually owned mama cat to either take her in or give her to Elida to put with the two kittens she was going to be bottle feeding and expressing for the next 4 weeks. The other two kittens were taken by some other woman who I don't know anything about. So now, mama cat is searching for kittens...kittens are counting on two humans to do her exhausting work (bottle feeding every two hours) and nobody is going to get any rest...least of all me who finds herself in the middle of the whole thing and will stress about it all night long despite my new Lunesta prescription.

I'm praying these people give Elida the mom and they find the woman who took the other two kittens and get them all together. Kittens will be much better with mama's care.

What really turns my crank is that now that the kittens have disappeared, the jackass people who keep their cat outdoors and let her have litter after litter will not do anything about it because there are no more kittens to contend with. The cycle will continue for years to come.
PEOPLE!!!

So, hopefully some of this will be resolved tomorrow!

After that, I met Pat and Hank at Broknelle with 3 trapped cats! (Remember them...the couple from Holland who got traps this morning) Yeah!! Guess it wasn't raining in Holland tonight. With all the rain here, nobody in GR was able to trap...that's for sure! But I had some friendlies to take in that I was sitting on so that worked out OK.

I didn't mention that I was running cats till 1am this morning (Sunday into Monday) and I was trying to sleep in when I get Laura W. bringing me a cat at 9am that she finally scooped up. I'm not a morning person and wasn't really appreciating the early morning call. But alas, she got a boy with testicles and that's a good thing.

Good God, I'm just a bitch on wheels tonight!!! I'm only typing to get this all off my chest so I can watch a little TV and unwind and get to bed!

RC Kula said that he'd like to run around with me for a day as kinda "a day in the life" sorta thing. I would love that! RC, bring your roller skates!!!

: ) C
PS Thank you RC for picking up 200 lbs of scoopable kitty litter for me from Costco today! You Rock! You may have sore muscles, but YOU ROCK!

Props to Cindi Morris

As I think back on how it all started, I have to give major props to Cindi Morris. Back in the fall of 2004, when Gabby and I just came off the road from Mama Mia, we stayed at an RV Park in Allendale for 6 months or so. We weren't quite ready to move back into the condo with Dad and we were unsure how our cat families would mesh.

We noticed a few cats in the park that were unowned. Having no clue as to what "feral" was at that time, I decided that I needed to somehow capture this cat and have it fixed at least. I googled low cost spay/neuter and found C-SNIP. I called and had to leave a message. The next day I got a call from Cindi Morris. Cindi was the perfect person to answer my call. She not only understood feral cats, but knew what to do with them! I remember her using the words. "You have to catch the boys as well as the girls. We don't want them spreading the LOVE around." I was amazed by this woman!

Because we were living in our RV (which was spacious but not able to accommodate a cage), Cindi offered to rehab the cat after surgery. She explained how to trap the cat, gave me instructions on how to bring it to C-SNIP and then had me pick it up after she rehabbed it.

We let the cat go back into the park and soon found another one that was in need of neutering. We trapped that one as well, took it to C-SNIP, Cindi rehabbed him and actually had to keep him for 10 days in quarantine because he had bitten one of the C-SNIP techs. When the 10 days were over, she met up with us and gave us back the surly boy. We released him back into the park as well.

Cindi was my first introduction to TNR. I had never heard of it before. From that moment, I knew I wanted to spend my time doing things that would help the spay/neuter movement. Soon I volunteered at C-SNIP and learned a lot!

From there, I got involved in TNR and the rest is history.

But props really need to go out to Cindi Morris. She was the one who walked me through the trapping procedure every step of the way. She helped me help the cats of the RV park. If not for her, there would be hundreds of cats in that park. And I know there aren't because I'm still in touch with people who stay there!

Cindi Morris is no longer doing rescue work. She gave it several very dedicated years!! She deserves her time back to herself. But what she did do before she left, was to train, motivate and inspire ME to follow in her footsteps and take over what she began. It is with the mentoring of Cindi Morris that I am able to do what I do today.....help people who want to help cats!

And it's not just my cats that benefited. Recently I found out that Gina used to rehab her ferals in the trap (ala Alley Cat Allies directive). But when she learned that I rehabbed my cats in large cages with carriers as beds, and litter boxes, she changed her operation. Because of Cindi Morris, all my ferals AND all of Gina's ferals rehab more comfortably.

Cindi, I haven't talked to you for a while and I hope you are well!

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for giving me the knowledge to do the work I do.

Blessings to you always!!!!
Carol

C-SNIP Dog Walk & Open House

C-SNIP
Invites you to its 4th Annual
Canine Capers
Charity Dog Walk
& Open House

At the clinic located at 1675 Viewpond SE, Kentwood, MI
One block South of 44th St , east off Kalamazoo Ave.

Saturday, September 29th, 2007
9am - 1pm
Check-in 9:00 - 9:45 am

At 10 am, C-SNIP's mascot, Snippy will lead the Dog Walk down the
Paul Henry Trail behind the clinic.

The event will feature:
$10 microchipping
Pet Portraiture
Clinic Tours
Pet Psychic
Door Prizes & Other Awards
Many other vendors and activities

Call C-SNIP at 616 455-8220 or email through its
website at www.csnip.org to register.

Amazing People

You all hear me bitch a lot about humans. Like Moonflower and the Moron, and the careless people in Cedar Springs etc. But today I'm going to tell you about just a few of the exceptional people I have met since doing my cat rescue work. This is not an all inclusive list. These are just a few people who I've been in contact with over the past few days that have moved me to type!

First of all, there is Lisa Barnette. Lisa is really Gina's TNR contact. But one day, when I was on route to Cedar Springs, Gina asked me to drop some traps off to her as a favor. I said sure. I met Lisa Barnette and knew immediately that I had met a kindred spirit! Since early June, Lisa has TNR'd 20 cats and kittens. She knows every single cat that visits her homestead (a ways outside of the trailer park). She has list and keeps me posted as to who has been spotted and who has yet to show their kittens and every detail like that. She has nursed sick cats back to health and found responsible homes for the kittens. She has purchased her own traps and has talked to her neighbors and is helping them get their cats fixed. She has brought each cat to me and picked it up after rehab. Lisa works at home, but tends to spend most of her time crawling under pine trees looking for litters of kittens. One day I asked her to rush to the trailer park to bring me a sickly kitten. In her haste to get to me in time with the near death baby, she ran her truck into her barn and did thousands of dollars in damage to her vehicle. I still needed the kitten by a certain time, so she bungee corded her back door shut and brought me the kitten. I'm happy to say that the kitten pulled through and is in fine health and soon to be listed on petfinder. Lisa, Eva owes her life to you!!! You are the best!

Another wonderful person is John Koreja. I can't even tell you how many cats this guy has brought me. My records are still at Brooknelle. He called me about a month ago from his home in Ottawa County. He had about 30 cats in his yard and wanted to know what he could do. I told him that I'd help him but because he wasn't in Kent County, that he would have to foot the bill for the surgeries. As you know VPC concentrates in Kent County for the time being.....which I totally understand and support! Gotta make your dent in the immediate population before branching out into the world!

So John said he'd throw $500 at the project. Five weeks later, he's given me a total of $850. All of the cats were sick with URIs and they went through 25 bottles of clavamox! Some of the cats were medicated by me at Brooknelle, some he did himself at home. He has driven to me at all hours of the day and night and never grumbled! When I keep presenting him with bills for surgeries and meds he just says...."Well, there are a lot less important things I could be spending my money on". I love John Koreja! I was able to keep one of his ultra friendly kittens. Because John is Polish, I named the cat Stosh, which I have learned from John is the Polish equivalent of Stan. So Stosh is now up for adoption on Petfinder. This kind man still has a half dozen kittens that need fixing and I'm sure he'll be up to a grand once the project is finished, but he won't quibble. John, you are a prince among men!

Today I got a call from Lois Brock. She's a groovy gal who brought me a tom cat a few days back. I fixed the boy and now he's ready to be returned. But today when I heard her on the other end of the phone line, I learned that she was in a car accident yesterday. She basically got hit and her car is totaled. She has some minor injuries and will have to spend a few days with her sister. But before she went to her sister's house to recuperate, she insisted on stopping by her house and closing the trap that she had set on her back deck. Lois didn't want a cat to be caught up in a trap all weekend, so she hobbled over and closed the trap! What a trooper! Lois, you are awesome!

I must also comment a moment on RC Kula. Willing to do anything for cats, this man comes to Brooknelle every single day and spends time in either/both Gina's adoption center and our FIP Room. He and his wife Jan donate money and time to both Carol's Ferals and Focus on Ferals. He's so nuts over cats and our causes that he's had his license plate replaced to one that reads "FERALS". So if you see a sweet man driving a blue Buick Century with a FERALS plate, stop and tell him what a groovy guy he is! RC met Gina on her mail route and since that time has been devoted to her rescue work....and now....by association....mine! I used to tease Gina that she owes me "big time" for my turning her onto VPC and Bruce. Now I just get "Well, I turned you on to RC". And she's right....we're even! RC, you are a darlin! And thank you for my daily fruit snacks which I've started eating right away when I get to Brooknelle. I have learned that eating treats while cleaning cages can lead to an unpleasant surprise!

All of you who help me in my rescue work are loved and appreciated. Without people like Pat Baxter, Stephanie Meaney and my neighbor Arlene Gryga, I wouldn't be able to do adoption. These three women give so much love and care to my kitties, I will be forever indebted to them. Truly....without you....I would have to cease doing adoption! Thank you for opening your hearts and homes to these special babies!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
C

To my friends who knew me BEFORE I did cat rescue!

Last night I got a call from an old friend. Beckie lives in the Detroit area. We have been friends for years. She doesn't expect me to ever answer my phone. She left the following message: "Hi Carol, this is Beckie, your friend who you used to talk to before you started doing cat rescue".

I know Beckie and she knows me and respects what I do. She calls me her hero. I call her my understanding, loving friend who GETS ME!

Unsure of how many of my "normal life" friends even read this blog, I will shout out just in case they can hear me. If all that read this are my feral friends, that's OK too!

Dear Friends who I used to have time for, who I used to call and email jokes to. Who I have loved and depended on my whole life.

I still love you. And I'm not like breaking up with you or anything.....but I have new loves now. They are cats! And I've joked about it before BUT IT IS PRETTY MUCH TRUE! If you aren't a cat with a uterus or testicles, then you are going to have to wait a while to hear from me!

Most all calls to my cell go to voicemail unless I DON'T recognize the number. Those are the ones I rush to answer. Those are the ones I know are a "cat call". Those are the people who need me most....because they have cats that need my help.

And one day, if you are patient with me, understanding that I'm doing the best, most rewarding work of my 41 years on this planet, then you will be happy for me and know that I will be in touch one day...some day...when I catch my breath.

All of you who have known me before I began my cat rescue work know that I'm an "all or nothing girl". You saw it when I was working at Express. I exhibited similar "workaholic" tendencies when I was dealing vintage dolls and toys. And true, this is bigger.....I'm even more into it....and it consumes me even more....as if you could do more than just consume something. Cat Rescue kinda consumes me, coughs me up like a hairball and then re-consumes me!

But while I'm often tired, stressed out, and running like a crazy person, I'm more fulfilled than I've ever been in my whole life. With the exception of taking care of Mom in her final 16 months, there has not been anything else like this for me.

I know I have found my "calling".

It calls to me day and night. In my waking hours and in my sleep. It's my passion.

I know some of you are concerned for my financial future. I am not. I know what I'm doing is GOOD WORK. I know there will come a day when most of the work doesn't come out of my pocket. Until that time, I will spend my savings. When I run out of money, I will find more people like those I already have that believe in TNR and what I'm doing and they will help me continue.

I have spent my entire life looking at consequences. I've always been a "by the book" sort of girl. I followed rules and did things right. Now, I'm doing THE RIGHT THING!

If you love me and are concerned about me, rest assured, the rewards come to me differently than they do for most. I don't have a paycheck at the end of the week to show for all my hard work. I have the eyes of a cat looking at me who I'm finding a home for. Or I'm seeing a all-be-it unknowingly grateful female cat who will never have to risk her life again trying to tend to her newborn kittens all the wile having to hunt for food to nourish herself to sustain them. I can look at that old beat up Tom Cat and feel pretty much assured that he has fought his last cat fight trying to gain access to all the females in heat within a 5 mile radius.

I'm good! I'm better than I've ever been!
And I still love you!

: ) C

Small Victories

Gina Marvin and I survive by small victory. Our missions are huge. Our work is tiring. It's the small victories that keep us going!

Two such victories came to me last night and this morning.

I'd been talking to Iantha about her sister's cat and kittens. Iantha is a really cool girl who along with her sweet husband Paul and adorable daughter Celia adopted Weston, a kitten from Jandy's Home last summer. We have been in contact ever since.

Seems her sister isn't as cat savvy and allowed her cat to have kittens. Iantha convinced her to get Mama Circe fixed as well as her litter. We were all set to roll and Iantha informed me that her sister had given one of the white kittens away already. "No problem, we can fix that one too...just get it from the adoptive parents", I said. Turns out it was a BIG PROBLEM! The people who took the kitten wanted to breed it with their existing cat. They thought the white mixed with Himmalyn would be pretty. Of course you know what I think the mix would look like.....More dead kittens at the shelter!

Iantha asked her sister to talk to the people and to no avail. They said no way would they give the kitten back. Then, Iantha talked to them, promptly pissed them off and was left with the same response.

Last night Iantha came to my house with Mama Circe who nearly tore my face off acting more feral than even Bitchy from Roger's Farm Colony! But that's besides the point! Circe came along with 3 kittens. There were only supposed to be two coming with her. Iantha was beaming! I'm like thinking to myself....Why are you smiling?.....Didja win the lottery or something? ALMOST!

She doesn't know why, but the backwards thinking people who had the white kitten took it back to her sister. So we had them ALL! Whew. Today , Circe, her sister's THREE KITTENS and Ashton the white boy Iantha decided to keep herself are all being fixed by Dr. Langlois. A victory indeed!

NOW, this morning, I awoke after having a fretful night's sleep despite my new Lunesta sleep aid! "Spinning" on horrible stuff once again, I had a crappy night's sleep. Gabby suggests I not drink 32 ounces of water before going to bed. But it's the only time I have to drink water....I'm always pumping the diet coke and tea other times of the day!

I was spinning because of a call I got last week. A man named Fred who lives in Grand Haven has a neighbor whose cats are OUT OF CONTROL. Seems that Jack has allowed his colony to grow to 40. Fred wanted to know what he could do about it. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem, but because the cats are in Ottawa County and not Kent, I can't use VPC funding for the spay/neuters. PROBLEM!

But Fred said he would pay. NO PROBLEM! So all is well. He already had 4 cats captured and was docking them at The Harbor Humane Society till he decided what to do with them. I told him to get the cats to me as soon as he could and we would fix them all. SUPER!

Then a few days later, I called to find out what his plans were for bringing the cats and he said that the feral cat problem has been ongoing for 25 years and he and some others decided to just let things be! LET THINGS BE! God help us!

So I asked him if I could maybe send him some Alley Cat Allies information about the merits of TNR and if he might read them over, share them with his friends and maybe reconsider. He said, yes...send it on. I mailed off the envelope and said a little prayer.

On Monday, I'm laying in the sun at Gina's pool and she takes a cat call. I decided to check on Fred and find out what happened to the cats he had at the Humane Society. He said he'd call the following day and see what was done to them. I asked for him to at least bring me those 4 cats since they were already captive.

Tuesday came and went and I didn't hear from Fred....hence the horrible night's sleep! Then this morning, I got a call. It was Fred! I was elated! He asked when he could bring the 4 cats to me! I was like.....NOW....IN AN HOUR.....OR ANY TIME YOU LIKE!

He agreed to bring them to me tonight! HS vaccinated them, it's just up to me to get them fixed! YEAH!

So what about the payment for this? What about the rest of the cats? Fred said that he and a group of locals are going to take up a collection at the neighborhood watering hole to raise money for Jack's Cats! So the colony of 40 will be getting fixed! Another victory to be sure!!!

Help Needed with Dr. Langlois' Spay/Neuter Clinic

Hello Feral Friends-

Several of you turned out to help at the Spay/Neuter Clinic run by Dr. Langlois in Grand Rapids back in July. He's doing another one in conjunction with Safe Haven Humane Society in Ionia. If you are interested in helping with anything from intake to recuperation, contact him via email at brucelangloisdvm@yahoo.com.

There are many jobs to be done and the more people we have, the more individual attention the animals can get when coming out of anesthesia, etc.

He already has 120 cats and dogs pre-registered.

Come and join in and make a difference!

Details:

September 15th
Knights of Columbus Hall
115 S. Steele Street
Ionia, MI