I'm on facebook

God help me!
It's addictive.
But I did find this gem on Tiffany Traxlers page.
So I done stoled it!



That's right...don't worry....I FIX!!!!

The best news in a long time!

U of M agrees to stop using dogs for research. This will cripple R&R Research!

Read all about it:

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/02/university_of_michigan_agrees.html

Not sure what this means for the PCRM demonstration next week, but I'll keep you all posted!

Fabulous news!!!!!!!!

The day was already going well cuz Leonard Cohen is touring again after a 15 year hiatus, and I'm gonna get tickets!!!!

I haven't felt this good in a long time!
C

Latest Montcalm Update

http://www.thedailynews.cc/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubsectionID=2&ArticleID=25594&TM=53211.93

Thanks Doctor Wendy Swift (HSKC) for "telling it like it is" especially when it's this awful!
You Rock!
C

Come see us at the West Michigan Home Garden Show

Homeowners, Gardeners, Cat Lovers.....come to the West Michigan Home and Garden Show next weekend at DeVos Place, March 5-8.

So far, some of my adoptables and I will be set up at the Invisible Fence booth on Friday evening from around 6-9:30 pm.

If things go well, we will be invited back on Saturday. I guess it will depend on whether or not the cats and I behave ourselves.

You all remember Invisible Fence. They matched feral food donations last February at the Critter Cottage. My cats will help draw people into their booth and will hopefully get adopted into forever newly remodeled and landscaped homes!

Come by and see us!

Here are details:

http://www.showspan.com/WMH/Home.aspx

Monster IS HAVING SURGERY TODAY

Thanks to Dr. Bruce Langlois offering his surgery services for next to nothing, and some very generous people pulling together $250, Monster is having his dislocated hip fixed today!

I will gather up photos and send individual thank yous out soon. But for now, you can all rest knowing that Monster will no longer be painful!

Bless you all!
: ) Thanks on behalf of Ed McKeller and Monster!

The first kittens of the year

Hello Feral Friends,

I have a friend who goes to my church and also does cat rescue. It's amazing cuz not too many Greeks are big into RESCUE work. But she's only half Greek, so that explains it!

She was approached by a new rescue group that is an offshoot of some other group to foster a pregnant cat while till she weaned her kittens. Don't ask me what RESCUE thinks it's ok to let any animal have offspring while we are killing so many healthy adoptable pets in this world....but this one did.

And here are the results. Because for whatever reason this cat was allowed to give birth...a few days later she was bleeding profusely and beginning to crash. My friend took her to the Animal Emergency Hospital. 24 hours and $700 later, she passed a placenta.

Shelby is fine, but one kitten died at the emergency hospital. Another died practically in foster Mom's hand this afternoon. I was there and got to witness a very tiny kitten dying right in front of our eyes. This evening, another one was dead. Now there are only two left.

So, for anyone who argues that late term spay/aborts are cruel, you can tell them that spaying this mother would have circumvented her hospital visit, a $700 bill for a foster mom (who is NOT being repaid by the so called "RESCUE"), and the magical experience of watching kittens die one by one.

Is abortion savory? Not totally. But sometimes.....either is the alternative.

Mama Shelby who loves having her belly rubbed.
And would just as soon rather NOT HAVING
to nurse for the next 4 weeks.

Sorry Shelby, I wish it was my RESCUE that got to you first.
But I'll take care of you and your surviving babies, cuz now you are a Carol's Ferals kitty!

Monster Surgery Fund Update

Thanks so much. We're $15 closer. Now all we need is $160.
: ) Carol

Monster Surgery Fund Update

Thank you to some very generous friends, we've got another $50 for Monster's Surgery. All we need is $175 more. Anyone out there wanna throw some cash this little boy's way?

Please let me know soon. I'd like him to have his surgery by Thursday at the latest.

: ) Thanks for considering him!
C

For those of you who missed the details, here is a repeat of the blog request:

Hello Feral Friends-

Today, an appeal for money. What's new right?

Last week I received a call from a very nice man named Ed McKeller. The week prior he took in a male stray and was asking if I'd help get him fixed. Ed is the kind of guy who gushes about his babies. I could tell he was very attached to kitty and I love hearing people talk about how much they adore the new addition to their family.

So much nicer than the calls that go like this: Yeah, I got a bunch of cats peeing on my porch and I want them GONE, I live at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Will you come get them?

Ed is the kind of guy who says OKIE DOKIE, and speaks as if helping the poor outdoor kitties is his reason for being on this planet. God bless him.

So he brought the adorable gray tabby boy who he named MONSTER to me on Tuesday and picked him up the following day to rehab him at his own home. I noticed the cage card had a note on it. LUXATED R L HIP. I didn't know what that meant, so I texted Bruce who told me it would require surgery. He said he's do it for $250. This means it's probably an $800 surgery but Bruce gives me deals for the rescue kitties. Bless him too!

I called Ed with the news but only after I called Bruce to see if Monster was in pain. He said he was. I know Ed doesn't have any money. I fixed the cat through VPC funds. But I told him that he'd have to start raising funds.

He said he'd sell his blood but can't due to some drugs he had to take. Can you belive that? THIS GUY IS WILLING TO SELL HIS BLOOD to help his cat. He made a bunch of calls to agencies that I know won't pan out cuz what agency is going to pour funds into the pocket of a man so he can fix a cats dislocated hip?

I KNOW OF ONE! Carol's Ferals. I realized that if we want to help Monster, it's going to be up to us. Which means, it's going to be up to you!

So, if you have an extra buck or two, please send it my way with a note saying it's for Monster.
I'd like to have him patched up in the next couple weeks. He's in some real discomfort though he remains gentle and loving.

All we need is $250.

If you see a man on the street begging money with a sign that reads "Will work for cat surgery", that's my Ed.

Thanks for considering helping Monster.
: ) Carol

Montcalm News

So much is being done by so many. With all the effort put forth by so many animal lovers, I have great hope that soon, we will see the heinous practice of "pound seizure" become a thing of the past.

Please keep up on the latest details by going to www.cccmontcalm.org. You can get the latest buzz here. And if you want to come to the weekly meetings, details are on this very important website. Bookmark it and check it often!!

Gina Moore of HSKC is working to gain support for her mission to have pound seizure outlawed in the state of Michigan. This would be good because getting Woudenberg out of Montcalm doesn't mean that there won't still be Class B Dealers taking pets from shelters in the three other counties in Michigan where it's also still being practiced. If you'd like to help Gina, contact her at: jesschar2@sbcglobal.net. We will be meeting monthly to discuss strategy to get this on the 2010 ballot.

I'm going to the PCRM Demonstration in Ann Arbor on March 5th. See details in previous blog entry.

Dr. Wendy Swift of HSKC is attending weekly meetings of the Blue Ribbon Committee and will be presenting her suggestions on how to make the Montcalm Animal Shelter better.

Several RESCUES are pulling cats and dogs from the shelter daily.

Sandy Carlton is working on creating an ad and running it in Montcalm papers. The ad will allert Montcalm area residents as to what is going on with their animals who are surrendered at the shelter. I'm taking donations for this ad. If you'd like to donate to this cause specifically, send a paypal payment to carolsferals@aol.com.

What can you do? If you're not able to take in animals, or travel to Montcalm for meetings, and if riding in my hearse isn't the way you'd want to travel to the Ann Arbor demonstration, donate to the fund above OR email Gina Moore and tell her you want to be involved!!!!

I stole the following quote from cccmontcalm.org.

"Never, never be afraid to do what's right especially if
the well being of a person or animal is at stake.
Society's punishments are small compared to the
wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."

-Martin Luther King Jr.

The following animals were rescued from The Montcalm Animal Shelter before Jim Woudenberg could get his hands on them. Lucky are they. Lucky are they.

Who's gonna join me?

Donate Now Join PCRM Renew Your Membership Ryan Merkley Manager of Humane Education Programs rmerkley@pcrm.org Join the SaveMichiganDogs.org Facebook Cause Read more about TraumaMan Subscribe to future PCRM e-mail communications Dear PCRM supporter, You can still help end the University of Michigan’s use of live dogs for trauma training. In recent weeks, supporters like you have sent more than 19,000 e-mails to university administrators asking them to end the use of live dogs in the school’s Advanced Trauma Life Support course. However, the decision-makers at the University of Michigan don’t seem to be getting the message that most of these courses are taught with advanced medical simulators—not with live animals. That’s why PCRM will lead a demonstration at the University of Michigan (U-M) on March 5, just two weeks before the school’s next scheduled Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. Please join us and bring your dogs! What: Physician-led peaceful demonstration at U-M When: Thursday, March 5, 11 a.m. Location: Southeast corner of S. State St. and N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI Parking: Please use nearby public parking. Signs will be provided. Please make sure to dress warmly. No RSVP is required Please forward this e-mail to your friends and family within driving distance of Ann Arbor and ask them to join you at the demonstration. Documents obtained by PCRM under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act reveal that U-M is using lost or surrendered pets from Michigan shelters for its ATLS course. At U-M, this course involves cutting open live, anesthetized dogs and practicing emergency medical procedures. After the training session, the animals are killed. All of this happens even though the school owns a validated nonanimal teaching method as part of its state-of-the-art medical simulation center. While a handful of institutions like U-M continue to use live animals, the American College of Surgeons, the ATLS oversight body, has approved nonanimal models like the TraumaMan System, Synman, and human cadavers for these courses. Across the United States and Canada more than 90 percent of ATLS courses are taught using only human-based simulators. Please visit SaveMichiganDogs.org to learn more. Thank you so much for your support. If you have any questions, please contact me at rmerkley@pcrm.org. Best regards, Ryan Merkley Manager of Humane Education Programs
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400 Washington, DC 20016	Phone: 202-686-2210 E-mail: info@pcrm.org

Forward this message to a friend Unsubscribe from PCRM e-mail communications View this message as HTML in your browser Change your e-mail preferences I have room for one rider who can sit upright. But there's room in the back of my hearse for a few lying down!

Ellen has a feral cat

http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&mode=entry&entry=9146A607-A9A3-0BCF-8A25C334A3C4E008

- Tune in to the Ellen Show - The Ellen Show’s Latest Installment of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Fans of the Ellen DeGeneres Show know that Ellen always has the most fascinating guests! Fans also know how much Ellen loves animals! Now most of the time when a fascinating guest on the show happens to be an animal, he or she would have gone through their handlers, agents and managers. However there’s been a recent guest that wasn’t invited with top billing, but sure has it now! The paparazzi couldn’t catch him or her, but the 24 hour live Ellen Web Cam did and now the cat’s out of the bag! Ellen has gone to the ferals! Tune in to see the exciting updates on the Ellen DeGeneres Show Cat as he or she prowls the set in search of the meaning of life (or is it bigger bowls of food?). Check out the 24 hour Ellen Web Cam to catch a glimpse of this elusive star! Click here to find out when Ellen airs in your area. Click here to check out the 24 hour live Ellen Web Cam. For all there is to know about the Ellen DeGeneres Show check out the website: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/ Will the kitty love his or her new cat tree or will there be special “green room” demands made from the budding diva? Will a monogrammed Gucci bowl be needed to accommodate the growing appetite (and ego) of a star on the rise? Does the kitty have a posse of unfixed groupies that will need a TNR SWAT Team? Stay tuned to the Ellen Show to find out! Sincerely, The Best Friends Network

Monster Surgery Fund Update

Thank you Marcia! We only need $225 more!!!!!

If everyone sends $5-10 we will have all the money we need to get this poor baby his very necessary hip surgery.

If you'd rather send a check, I will email you my address.

But paypal is fine too: dollmouse@aol.com

Thanks so much!
C

When doing your MI state taxes.....

DON'T FORGET AS YOU PREPARE YOUR MICHIGAN STATE
INCOME TAXES, THAT YOU (OR YOUR CPA) CAN NOW
DESIGNATE A PORTION OF YOUR STATE INCOME TAX
REFUND (IF ANY), OR, MAKE A DONATION TO THE NEW
"ANIMAL WELFARE FUND". THIS FUND CAN ONLY BE
USED TO HELP SHELTERS OR RESCUE GROUPS PROVIDE
PET SPAYING/NEUTERING, OR TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR
BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF ANTI-CRUELTY LAWS.

IT TOOK ME-MHS-ANIMAL ADVOCATES ALL ACROSS
OUR STATE, WORKING TOGETHER FOR A FEW YEARS
TO GET THIS NEW LAWS PASSED. IF THIS ANIMAL
WELFARE FUND DOES NOT GENERATE $100,000
WITHIN A FEW YEARS, IT WILL BE TERMINATED.
SO, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO DIRECT
MONEY INTO THIS FUND WHEN YOU DO YOUR
STATE TAXES.

FYI, THERE IS A BOOKLET, "MICHIGAN 2009
TAXPAYER'S GUIDE" THAT YOU CAN GET SENT TO
YOU FOR FREE BY YOUR STATE SENATOR IN
LANSING, AND ON PAGES 21-22, THE BOOKLET
DISCUSSES THIS ANIMAL WELFARE FUND, AS
WELL AS THE OTHER CHARITABLE FUNDS IN
OUR STATE TO WHICH YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE.

AND REMEMBER: MOST CPAs ROUTINELY FORGET
TO REMIND THEIR CLIENTS ABOUT THESE OPTIONAL
DONATION FUNDS. THEY EVEN FORGET TO REMIND
PEOPLE ABOUT CONTRIBUTIONS THEY CAN MAKE
FOR PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS (WHICH IS
CRUCIAL IF WE ARE TO WORK TOWARD GETTING
CORRUPT CORPORATE AND SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY
OUT OF OUR POLITICS). SO, YOU HAVE TO BE THE ONE
TO REMEMBER THIS!

*****Thank you Sandy Carlton!

Monster needs surgery

Hello Feral Friends-

Today, an appeal for money. What's new right?

Last week I received a call from a very nice man named Ed McKeller. The week prior he took in a male stray and was asking if I'd help get him fixed. Ed is the kind of guy who gushes about his babies. I could tell he was very attached to kitty and I love hearing people talk about how much they adore the new addition to their family.

So much nicer than the calls that go like this: Yeah, I got a bunch of cats peeing on my porch and I want them GONE, I live at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Will you come get them?

Ed is the kind of guy who says OKIE DOKIE, and speaks as if helping the poor outdoor kitties is his reason for being on this planet. God bless him.

So he brought the adorable gray tabby boy who he named MONSTER to me on Tuesday and picked him up the following day to rehab him at his own home. I noticed the cage card had a note on it. LUXATED R L HIP. I didn't know what that meant, so I texted Bruce who told me it would require surgery. He said he's do it for $250. This means it's probably an $800 surgery but Bruce gives me deals for the rescue kitties. Bless him too!

I called Ed with the news but only after I called Bruce to see if Monster was in pain. He said he was. I know Ed doesn't have any money. I fixed the cat through VPC funds. But I told him that he'd have to start raising funds.

He said he'd sell his blood but can't due to some drugs he had to take. Can you belive that? THIS GUY IS WILLING TO SELL HIS BLOOD to help his cat. He made a bunch of calls to agencies that I know won't pan out cuz what agency is going to pour funds into the pocket of a man so he can fix a cats dislocated hip?

I KNOW OF ONE! Carol's Ferals. I realized that if we want to help Monster, it's going to be up to us. Which means, it's going to be up to you!

So, if you have an extra buck or two, please send it my way with a note saying it's for Monster.
I'd like to have him patched up in the next couple weeks. He's in some real discomfort though he remains gentle and loving.

All we need is $250.

If you see a man on the street begging money with a sign that reads "Will work for cat surgery", that's my Ed.

Thanks for considering helping Monster.
: ) Carol

In loving memory of Trixie

Tonight I met Bruce at his office after his spay/neuter clinic closed. I was not bringing cats in to be fixed.

I was bringing him my 18 year old girl Trixie to be put to sleep. Because there was just plain no "fixing" HER.

Shortly after I moved to Grand Rapids to further my retail career as a District Manager for Express clothing stores (January 1994), my beloved cat Baby did not adjust well to her new surroundings, stopped eating, became anorexic, was diagnosed with hepatic lepadosis and died after trying everything to save her.

Shortly after I put her down, I was standing up in my good friend Shelly's wedding. I was her replacement Maid of Honor because her sister carelessly became pregnant during the planning and was unable to practically kill herself with the duties set forth by the Bride. It was me who got the job. So shopping for a new kitty wasn't possible at that time.

But a month later, the day after the wedding....ON MOTHER'S DAY, Gabby picked up a GR Press and found an ad for two cats needing a good home. I decided I'd never have just one cat ever again. I reasoned that I'd never want to come home to an empty house should I go through another loss like I did with Baby. So the "two" sounded perfect. Little did I know, I'd not be with less than a dozen cats in my home 15 years later!

Gabby and I called the woman and went to her house to meet Trixie (2 1/2 yrs) and Socks (1 1/2 yrs). The woman had three small children, two cats, a dog and a bird. Her husband and she were newly divorced and something had to go. It was the luckiest day of their little lives. I pulled Trixie, the horrified cat dangling from the arms of the 4 year old. I cradled her underside so that she wasn't swinging like a pendulum. I think Socks was hiding under a chair.

She wanted money, but I was like....HUH? Why should I be giving her any money??? Those are certainly days gone by for me. I don't think we gave her any money for the fixed, vaccinated and 4 paw declawed cats. I convinced her that I would be a great mommy to her cats and she let me just have them without charge. Good thing too cuz......These two came with every illness and malady under the sun. But every illness was well taken care of. And every malady tolerated. Even Sock's nearly daily projectile vomiting and horrible habit of pooping his IBD messes on my couches. He also liked to pee everywhere including on my kitchen counters. Socks lived to be 13 years old. Socks, I loved you buddy, but I don't miss your leakage.

Trixie tested me with anorexia just like Baby, but that time around, I knew what I was dealing with and caught it in time prolonging her life by 12 years. Just before leaving for our trip across the country to sell merchandise for Mama Mia, Trixie became diabetic. But we found vets for her in every state and managed to reverse her diabetes and kept it that way for over a year. The pesky blood sugar issues returned and T (what I like to call her), lived with it for the remainder of her life.

Recently, she stopped eating again. I thought she was just slowing down due to her age. We had extensive blood work done, but nothing showed up to cause concern. It was Christy who realized her teeth were bothering her. Bruce pulled two really bad ones and I brought her home with soft food and meds. Still, she wouldn't eat.

Feeling horribly guilty for not noticing her teeth were bothering her sooner, I decided to take one more step and have Bruce put in a feeding tube. I fed her that way for a week and then had it removed. Still she wouldn't eat.

Vic Cabot made her tuna fish soup (tuna mixed in a blender with lots of water) and I gave her a homopathic remedy but she didn't really show any desire to eat solid food till Christy fluffed a full can of very stinky Fancy Feast and she started to lick at it. She wanted it fluffed every 10 minutes or else she wouldn't go back to it. I guess the fluffing it with a fork made it smelly enough again to peak her interest.

For the past few weeks she was eating a little, but her weight kept going down. I was hysterical when I weighed her at the clinic this evening and she was only 3.8 lbs.

I wasn't going to put her down till she gave me a sign that she was uncomfortable. And though wobbly, on her feet, she still moved around and found different places to sit throughout the day.

But the past couple days I noticed that she was meowing when I touched her. I could feel every rib and vertebrae and I think it was causing her discomfort. So I made the decision all loving pet owners have to make one day or another.....and I put the calls in to Gabby, Bruce's office and Noah's Garden.

Trixie survived Socks and Spooky, my little black kitten I nearly ran over on a country road a week before Halloween 1999. I'm sure they were waiting for her when she crossed the rainbow bridge this evening.

As I'm sure they ALL WILL BE when I cross it when my time comes.

Rest peacefully my sweet angel. May your spirit be eternal.

I love you always,
Mama

Trixie was also known as Beans, Beanzie, T-Beanzie, T, and Trixie Wixagles. She lived in Kentwood, Grand Rapids, Warren, Washington DC, San Francisco, LA, Boston and one cold winter in an RV in Allendale. She liked to be spanked hard around the backside and enjoyed it when I'd say "I'm gonna get you TRIXIE" in a harsh and menacing voice. STRANGE! She especially liked it when I'd chase her around the living room on my hands and knees yelling at her in the "crazed voice" till I'd catch her, flop her on her side and rub her hips and hind quarters hard enough to make her lash out at me and pretend to bite me. Then if I stopped cuz I was exhausted, she'd become disappointed. She was nothing of a lap cat till her last couple weeks. Ever the consument teenager, she acted as if she really didn't want anything to do with me. I'd joke that she was the girl on Sound of Music who told Maria "I'm sixteen and I don't need a governess".

Trixie and Gabby had their own very special relationship. He would mess with her by touching her front paw with his finger, and she would hit him with the opposite lightning paw 6 times before he could retract his hand. Lucky for him she was declawed.

How 2 cats become 3. And it has nothing to do with mating and having kittens!

Most of you have been following the story for 1 1/2 years. If you are new to the blog, you need to be filled in fast! Gina and I knew that Mary Farris was a hoarder masquerading as a "RESCUE". While I'm certain she had good intentions in the beginning, her collecting of cats and refusal to fix certain ones allowing them to bring more kittens into this world wound up garnering her 68 cats. We both knew she was in WAY over her head. We tried to counsel her. We tried to get her to work with C-SNIP. But she was stubborn and the results were horrible.

Amy Pietras of Jandy's Home called Animal Control on her and she was forced to take all the cats that were not her own pets to The Humane Society of Kent County.

Knowing they would be overburdened, Gina and I offered to take some of the only slightly sickly ones to Brooknelle where we could segregate them in the extra garage space and medicate them so that they could be returned to HS to be adopted into forever homes. We figured we would have them for a month TOPS!

Right off the bat, even before we got there to choose the cats we were willing to take, more than half were euthanized for various illnesses. Mary was financially unable to take care of all these animals. It was ludicrous to continue taking in cats when good vet care and consistent spay/neuter wasn't part of the picture.

It was only a week that we had our 12 cats at Brooknelle treating them mostly for upper resp. infections when three started showing serious signs of illness. They were taken back to HS where they were humanely euthanized.

That left us with 9 cats to foster. We knew we would have to find a home for Nadia (the one and only feral - don't ask me why Mary took a feral cat into her "RESCUE". It's beyond me! But lucky for us Melissa and Dave Eastwood took her and gave her the most amazing outdoor life. She's still with them living in her backyard cat mansion along with Spooky and Pepper.

THEN WE GOT THE REALLY HORRIBLE NEWS!!! One of the cats from Mary's "RESCUE" had FIP (feline infectious peritinitis). And that cat and every other cat that was at HS was euthanized.

WHY??? Cuz if one had FIP, then there was a good chance that most of the others had been exposed to the coronavirus. What is the coronavirus? It's a virus that in and of itself it not harmful. But some cats have a predisposition to FIP and all they need is exposure to the otherwise harmless coronavirus to mutate to deadly FIP.

So......that meant one thing. Either Gina and I released the remaining 8 cats back to HS for them to be euthanized as well, OR......we'd keep them and find them forever homes.

Of course....we chose the latter. Nearly a whole year went by with the cats being tended by numerous very dedicated and loving volunteers. Three volunteers pitched in and remodeled the garage unit and made it a kitty palace. Cat trees and soft comfy beds were added as well as soft flooring.

And then the volunteers took an interest in the cats and started to make it their mission to find them forever homes. Michelle and Cyndi lead the charge.

So as we were closing in on the very last weeks of the one year anniversary of getting the cats from HS, a miracle happened. The two remaining cats, Pearl and Midget were adopted into a loving multi-animal, multi-kid household. We were elated.

Gina relinquished the garage stall to me, I upped my rent to Dr. Langlois and now I'm running my intake, storage and cleaning out of that garage stall.

All was good. But then, Pearl was spotted at the Chowhound on 28th and Eastern by longtime caregiver of the cats, Kim Grant. And I went crazy!

This is how two cats became three: Had the woman who adopted these cats contacted either Gina or I which is stipulated in our adoption contract, we would have taken back Pearl in a heartbeat. But the adoptive mother didn't do that. She took Pearl to the Humane Society.

And then I learned that she also surrendered two of her other cats, Bubbles and Squeak! WHY? Cuz she has a mentally challenged child and one of the cats scratched the kid and she panicked, and carted them right straight to the Humane Society. I'm not sure where she got Bubbles and Squeak, but I'm sure there is another RESCUE that would be really peeved if they knew she didn't honor her contract with them either.

I digress. Had I been a little less nutty in the head after my recent break-up, and had I talked to Gina first, I'd probably have just kept my mouth shut and went along happy as normal.

But I WAS nutty in the head and I hadn't called Gina and I skipped over to Chow Hound, saw Pearl in one of those WAY TOO SMALL cages they have at that particular location and I just had to spring her from her prison.

So I did. And I took her to Brooknelle and put her in a bigger prison for a week until Gina found her a foster home with Lynn and her brood. Thank you Jesus for Lynn!

Midget wasn't turned in to HS because she was shy and never approached the kids, so she was able to stay.

Now I'm sure you can see this one coming down Main Street! When I went to pick up Pearl, I mentioned that she was one of the Mary Farris cats. This prompted a closer look at Bubbles and Squeak who were Pearl's housemates for 7 months. Since the coronavirus is transmitted through fecal contact, any cats that share litter boxes are likely to share the virus. It's very likely that any cat that lives in a multi-cat household will test positive for the coronavirus. Nobody tests for the coronavirus because 1) it's expensive to do so and 2) it really doesn't tell us anything except the cat is carrying a harmless virus that won't do any harm unless it's spread to a cat with a pre-dispositon to FIP.

So, OF COURSE, HS had to go and test Bubbles and Squeak for the coronavirus. And IG SHOCKER....both tested positive though low on the coronavirus titer. This OF COURSE meant that they can't be adopted out through HS and would be euthanized. UNLESS OF COURSE...I took them!

Which I did. This is how two cats, Pearl and Midget became three. Pearl, Bubbles and Squeak.

So, now what the hell am I supposed to do? Pearl is in a foster home, but Bubbles and Squeak are hanging out at Brooknelle in a cage waiting for me to figure out where I'm going to go with them. JUST WHAT I NEEDED AS I HEAD STRAIGHT INTO KITTEN SEASON......three wonderful cats who have been exposed to coronavirus that few understand and most would fear if not fully informed.

Tell you what I'm gonna do! I'm going to take three of my own cats and adoptables to HS tomorrow and have them tested for coronavirus. If my own cats and adoptables have it, then I will just take Bubbles and Squeak into my home and find them forever homes and put this fear of coronavirus to rest. After-all, if there is a multi-cat household in West Michigan, I'M IT!

I will keep you informed of the results. Sorry in advance Monkey, Toby and Pistachio who will have to take a ride tomorrow to get blood drawn.

That's all for now.
C

Dogs killing cats in Cedar Springs

Hate to burden you people with this stuff, but my dear darling Lisa Barnette who has brought over 30 cats to me during the past two years is watching her feral cats be murdered by a couple of free-roaming dogs.

She has since rounded them up and is keeping them hostage indoors till the dogs are captured.

She lives in Cedar Springs but not at the trailer park. She has a beautiful piece of property and she takes care of several ferals.

Lisa is very distressed about this situation. I would love for you to post support on my blog so that I can call her and let her know that she has folks in her corner. Just add a comment!

Here's the article online: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=105607

Carol's Ferals 3 Year Anniversary

I can hardly believe that three years have gone by. I started trapping at the Burger King in Cuttlerville on February 20, 2006. I remember our first cat. His name was Riley. I have been looking at old blog entries reminiscing about rescue efforts past. Like Burger King, Hell House, Cedar Springs, Agnes' Farm and the Great 8!

Three years....at least 1,900 cats spayed/neutered and either returned, found barn homes or forever homes. I can go on and on about all the wonderful people I've worked with. I have so many to thank.

But instead, I'm having a THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SALE! Cuz I'm long on thanks but short on cash.

At my sale, you can buy things in multiples of THREE! For the rescue kitties!

The biggest sellers are:
Three bags of food for the ferals: $36
Three distemper vaccines: $15
Three tubs of scoopable kitty litter: $45
Three good quality traps delivered: $225
Three gallons of gas: $6
Three felv/fiv combo tests and blood draws: $60
Three bottles of Frontline flea spray: $150
Three spays: $120
Three neuters: $75
Three courses of antibiotics $36
Three bags of horse bedding (used for litter at the rehab) $18
Three jumbo margaritas: $18.50 (for me, not the cats)
Three coronavirus tests: $135 ... to determine if my owned cats show positive for what Pearl and the Great 8 were exposed to. Once I determine that my own cats test positive for this, I will blow the lid off the fear of FIP and put to rest the debate whether or not we should segregate or euthanize cats that test positive!!!! Research shows that most multi-cat households and catteries have coronavirus present. But nobody tests for it because, ONE the tests are very expensive and TWO, it really doesn't mean anything anyway!!!!! ***If this is all new to you, read the blog entry from July, 30 2007 titled "FIP: Fretting In Paranoia".

So, if you're looking to take advantage of a hot sale, if you have money burning a hole in your pocket or you just feel like having some retail therapy......You have come to the right place! I'm once again, shamelessly asking for donations!

Happy Anniversary!
Thank you!
C

PS I've also shamelessly added an ADSENSE link to the top of the blog. So if you are short on cash, but not short on mouse clicks....hit the link and help add to my adsense payment! : )

Nan's Cats

Last summer, I fixed a handful of cats for Nan, a feral cat caregiver. Since then, Nan and I have become friends and she has been spending her free time sewing cushy cat carrier beds for the kitties recovering from spay/neuter surgery. She just sent me this photo today. How wonderful to see these cats outdoors, in their own environment....knowing that they won't be having kittens this spring.




Spread the word. Fix the cats NOW! Kittens are just around the corner. Like less than a month away!!!!

Cuz this is the last thing we need:

Peal update

Hello Feral Friends!

Great News!

Pearl's story reached one of Gina's foster homes. Amazing and wonderful Lynn who has 7 cats of her own and two other fosters of Gina, opened her loving home to Pearl too.

I took her there yesterday. All the other cats came to the door to greet me. It was really sweet. As soon as I opened the carrier, Pearl darted straight downstairs. But after about 10 minutes surfaced to explore the main level.

Lynn is kind and gracious and there is no doubt that Pearl will have a great place to hang out till she finds her forever home.

Please continue to work on finding that special person that will give Pearl the love she deserves.
But till then, rest happy that she's no longer in a cage at Chow Hound!

: ) Carol

THIS FROM LYNN THIS MORNING:

Pearl has been sitting on my lap this morning. She is still hissing at the herd. I think it's for show and to show me because we didn't hear a peep last night. Wren is very interested in her but doesn't get to close. I didn't know a cat could purr, hiss and growl all at the same time. Under our bed is her safe place but don't think she slept there last night.

I will keep you updated on how she is doing so you will know and can pass on to volunteers.

Lynn

Dirty Computer Screen?

My computer screen was filthy till I was sent this very cool internal computer cleaning device.

It actually cleaned my screen quite nicely!

Thanks Nancy Sonke for sending this on to me!

(http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf)

February Feral Food Drive

Will you pay for a stray buffet? In addition to fixing 905 cats and kittens last year, Carol's Ferals provided food for hundreds of free roaming cats due to the generosity of our supporters. We would like to stock up on food for the remainder of this year by hosting a feral food drive. Just $12 will buy a 25 lb bag of food which can feed a feral colony for 1-3 weeks.

If you would like to support Carol's Ferals in this endeavor, you can donate money for the purchase of food to Carol's Ferals via Paypal. Make payments to dollmouse@aol.com. If you wish to mail a check, contact Carol at 616 560-0555 to obtain mailing address.

Thank you for your continuing support which helps the cats of West Michigan!

Crash's Benefit - Saturday Feb 14th

I'm planning on going since I'm valentineless
for the first time in 15.5 years!!

Help me show Nancy some love!

OK Feral Friends,

I need you to help me make Nancy's birthday special. You all know Nancy. She's the cat half of Vicky's Pet Connection. She's the one I communicate with regarding funding for strays and ferals in Kent County. It's she and Vicky that makes my work possible.

Nancy is turning 60 on February 27th. Her volunteers have been doing special stuff to honor her during their Saturdays at Petsmart. If you have time this coming Saturday, Feb 13th, stop by in the afternoon at Petsmart on 28th Street and give her a big hug and tell her how much you appreciate all that she does for the animals of Kent County.

If you can't make it to give her personal props......it would be swell to send her a birthday card.

Send cards to Nancy Mogle, c/o Vicky's Pet Connection, PO Box 624, Ada, MI 49301.



OR, email a message to me directly at dollmouse@aol.com and I'll print it up on nice paper and present it to her. Nancy doesn't have email. Well, Nancy refuses to have email. Not that she can't. I don't blame her actually....it would just give people one more way to pester her about taking cats.

If you don't know all about Nancy, know this: Each and every Monday morning she goes to the Kent County Animal Shelter and picks the most adoptable cats, takes them into her adoption program and finds them good, loving, forever homes. On those Mondays when she is picking the cats to come in to Vicky's Pet Connection, she has the most god-awful miserable task of NOT PICKING CATS TO COME INTO VICKY'S PET CONNECTION.....thereby pretty much damning them to death.

Can you imagine going into the shelter every week and putting yourself through all that heartache. Every Monday she has to go and play God. She gets to look at the cats and decide who lives or very likely dies.

I'd never be able to do it. She has tried to get me to come with her to see the reality of shelter work and I flat out refuse. I can't take it. But she does. And she helps a lot of cats.

So, when you have a moment, show her some love and respect and send my dear friend Nancy some good birthday wishes.

Thanks so much!
Carol

PS If you know anyone who might like to send her a birthday wish, send them a link to this blog entry. They've adopted out thousands of animals. I bet you have a friend or neighbor who has adopted through VPC!

PSS If you'd like to contribute to VPC in honor of Nancy's Birthday, pay for a spay $40 or a neuter $25 by making a donation via paypal by going to their website and clicking on the DONATION button.

http://www.vickyspetconnection.com/page/page/2682942.htm

Warm weather....not such a good thing!

With the recent warm weather, which while enjoyable, is not a good thing for us in cat rescue.

Every cat was having sex this weekend so we will be seeing kittens in 63 days.

But likely sooner. I've had several pg girls already this year.

I heard of a litter born on Christmas Eve. Can't imagine how that happened. Well I can...but you know.

I'm just saying this NOW. If you know anyone feeding stray or feral cats, they had better call me before the kittens come! They will be here in mere weeks!

: ) C

The greatest peace sign in the world!

Thank you Joanie for sending this on to me!
Love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D85yrIgA4Nk

Captain Hook's Story

Dear Feral Friends-

You have seen the link on the blog for Animals Lebanon. My friend Maggie sent me this story which touched me deeply. It is a testament to what an animal lover will do to help just one cat. In the sharpest contrast to what is going on in Montcalm County where monsters like Jim Woundenberg profit from the sale of animals for research, here chronicles the days of one woman spent worrying about the welfare of a single feral cat named Captain Hook.

Are animal welfare people passionate about their work? This says it all. God bless you Joelle Kanaan.

From Maggie:

Dear all,

I know we all love animals just equally and i thought to share with you what happened last weekend with one of the AL girls when we were taking some of our cats to be adopted in holland...it is just like a movie! to add a face to the story the cats picture is attached..

Please read below:

---

… and the nightmare is over.

I had written to my dear and amazing friend in Holland, Agnes, to help me find homes for the cats at the shelter because in Lebanon adoption just sucks. As usual, Agnes was there to help our me and our cats for which she cared as much as I did, without even knowing them closely.

I was receiving emails from her everyday asking about specific cats and informing me about who is getting adopted and my smile was the biggest when I saw the name of ‘Captain Hook’ in one of her emails.

I will continue writing my story addressing it straight to Captain Hook…

When I saw your name in the email I was so happy someone wanted you but at the same time so scared of them changing their mind in adopting you when I would tell them you’re a feral cat. Since you came to us, you never trusted humans and I fully understand you! You were mistreated, tested on in laboratories, and handicapped in one of your front leg from an unknown accident, most probably another way of abuse…

You’ve been with us for almost 2 years now and it always intrigued me to touch you and cuddling you and to make you know that not all people are bad, but it was just too hard and I don’t blame you for staying away from our ‘specie’. But, in the last couple of months, I started reaching you when you would run to eat your wet food, your preferred one; I scratched your back more than once while you were busy eating and you would just let go until the moment you felt it was my hand, looked at me with a big surprise on your eyes, and got away. I used to feel I was tricking you but I was happy doing it :)

I replied to Agne’s email, telling her that you were feral which might push away your potential adopters but my happiness was the biggest when she told me that Carla, the lady adopting you, wanted you whatsoever, regardless of you being feral or handicapped. She wanted to help you and give you a great home.

Of course I was happy for all your other friends going with you to amazing homes in Holland but I was the happiest for you as I knew how hard it was to place you in a home.

The time had come when I had to fly you and your 4 other friends to Amsterdam. It was around 4 in the morning when Maggie and I went to the shelter to crate you and drive with you to the airport. I was worried about catching you the most because I knew you will not make it an easy task for us.

We caught all your other friends and it was now your time. You were fighting so hard to stay, to be left in peace and not to be caught by the net, which I had to use to get you, a thing I hate to do but unfortunately have to sometimes! You were fighting hard, running from one corner of the room to another but at the end you were trapped in the net and it broke my heart seeing you turning around in all ways, trying to escape the net and run towards your friends. But knowing that I was doing it to ensure a happier permanent life, I was tough about it and just crated you.

I arrived to the airport, and I could see on your eyes that you were simply terrified, but I was assuring you that in a few hours all will be fine and you will get to a great loving home where you could be happy and relax for the rest of your life…

Before checking you in, I made sure all your cages were well closed, yours and your friends’ and I wrote on yours a warning “Feral Cat! Do not open cage!”

And I let you go to be loaded on the plane… and went my way…

Few minutes later, I was informed that there was a one hour and a half delay on the flight. If I was alone, I wouldn’t care that much, but having you and the other cats with me just made me worry for some reason. I knew for a fact that we would arrive to Larnaca and rush you and your friends out of one plane quickly to load you in the other, the one flying to Amsterdam. I asked one of Cyprus Airways employee, if the delay would cause a problem to the connection in Larnaca and if offloading/loading you would be a hassle for them. They assure me that all will be fine; I sat back and thought then after all, they are a well-known company that should basically know how to do its job under such circumstances.

We landed in Larnaca and there, it was just a total chaos, our delay from Beirut had caused a delay in 4 other connections in Larnace, including the Amsterdam one, and the staff and the people were all going into all directions and yelling and asking about their flights… it was just a chaos! Once at my gate, I asked once again about you while they were rushing us to the plane, and the girl told me your cats are fine and are being loaded on your plane now.

I got onto Amsterdam’s plane which was supposed to take off in a few, until, about 10 minutes later, one of the hostesses comes to me asking if I was Ms. Kanaan. After my positive answer she asked me to come with her to the front, I asked her what was the reason thinking they wanted to place me on another seat but she responds “we just need you a bit in the front”. At this instant, I felt some fear and wished that whatever they needed from me was just not related to you or any of the other cats.

I get to the front of the plane; one girl pulls me out gently from my arm to the outside, on the top of the stairs. She asks me if I was the lady with the cats. At this question, so many thoughts crossed my mind in just seconds. I thought I would hear “your cats got loaded on another plane by mistakes”, “one of your cats died”, “one of your cats is not doing good”…. I thought and wanted to hear ANYTHING but not “we were informed that one of your cats escaped on the runway while being offloaded from the plane to be loaded on the other”. It was slightly raining and there was a cold wind where I was standing high on the stairs and despite all that I felt that someone had dropped me into boiling water!!! I was numb and tears were already falling down my face. I felt my legs couldn’t stand up straight anymore but what I wanted is to run down and look for you (not knowing which cat it was yet or where it exactly escaped!) but they grabbed me again and told me that it was not allowed for me to go down on the runway. I was asked if I wanted to continue my flight or just get down and stay in Cyprus. Having 4 other cats under my responsibility, after being told that it will be impossible to find you and seeing how huge the airport and fields around it were; I told them I would continue my flight but wanted to know which cat was missing. I had to wait about 15 minutes for them to bring the other cats under the plane; meanwhile they made me sit, were throwing water on my face and wiping my tears with napkins, they were scared for me not to faint I guess seeing the situation I was in but ALL I wanted and was thinking of is to see the 5 of you on the pallet when brought and being told we got the cat. Those 15 minutes felt like forever!!! I didn’t want you, or Angelica, or Zena, or Aphrodite or Petite to be missing. I wanted you all there. But I knew that was not going to be the case. The pallet arrived and I ran down the stairs in seconds towards it and I saw your cage empty. I knew it was you Captain Hook. I knew I was going to fly without you and it terribly broke my heart. I cannot really describe what I was feeling at this moment. The feelings of sadness were just too strong; one of the strongest I ever felt.

They took me back up on the plane, made me sit and got me water again. I was crying loud, was loosing my breath and no it didn’t just last for a few minutes but my heavy crying lasted for more than 7 hours; during the whole flight and until I got to Margreet’s home in Amsterdam.

My feelings of sadness were so much mixed with feelings of guilt!!!! I took out of the shelter by force as you didn’t want to leave; I put you on the plane while I knew you were terrified; I thought I was doing all this for your best but it all ended up so bad!!! When the plane took off I realized more that I was leaving you behind and wanted to scream to the pilot to stop but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t stop crying or thinking about you, about how terrified you must be, about how lost you must be. I couldn’t eat anything or sleep not even for 1 minute although I’m known of being the person who sleeps dead on planes. I was just helpless knowing how helpless you were.

I got to Holland, still crying and numb, had to go check that your friends were fine and arrived safely which they were but for the first time when flying cats I just couldn’t feel any happiness at all. I had to claim your loss which I couldn’t do in Larnaca as I was informed about it when already on the plane; and then had to get out to meet your adopter as well as the your friends’ adopters. It was the first time I saw most of these persons and they what they saw was a person in tears, about the break down… I just couldn’t focus on anything right; I couldn’t think straight; I couldn’t see clear but I had to do my best to speak to these lovely people and hand them their pets and then head with Margreet to her house.

I was so tired, still crying and thinking of you, and was starting to get hungry after a whole day without food but all that didn’t matter to me as I knew you were more tired than I was and you were also crying just like me. You were crying for comfort, your were crying for help, your were crying for security, you were crying for a shelter, you were crying for food, you were missing your friends and your home and you just didn’t know how to get all that and the feeling was killing me!!!! I knew what had happened to you and why you ended up there alone but you didn’t know the reason yourself and it made me feel guilty to death.

I wanted you back more than anything in the whole world and I knew NOTHING would bring a real smile to my face until I find you again and bring you back home!

I was focused to find you and I just couldn’t wait to go back to Larnaca to start looking for you. I was surely surrounded by amazing people who made me feel I was not alone in this. Margreet, Agnes, Maggie and all the others who were in direct contact with me made me feel stronger about finding you. And I also knew that all the others who could not reach me were also praying to have you back and were feeling sadness also and I thanked all these people from my heart for being there for me and you…

I went to bed that night but just couldn’t sleep or even close my eyes whatsoever although I was dead tired! I couldn’t take you off my mind for one second and was feeling so disordered and confused.

Each time someone spoke to me I was crying more and more. I got a phone call from a Cyprus Airways Manager around 11 and he informed me that they will pay me a hotel in Larnaca the second day to stay there and look for you which I was going to do anyways!

Margreet gave me a sleeping pill that night so I could get some hours of rest which I finally did after all the exhaustion…

I woke up the next morning and started crying all over again but decided to be calmer that day to be able to think straight and find you!! I had a hard task but I wanted to reach a happy ending whatsoever, with mixed feelings of little hope and strong hopes…

I flew to Larnaca after a day that seemed so long waiting to get to the ground you were on… My flight was so long too and still full of tears and unrest but again I didn’t care about me, I just wanted you back safe in my hands.

Once I landed in Cyprus, there was a crew waiting for me to escort me. I was informed that the incident actually happened when one of the workers was pulling luggage from onto your pallet -luggage which at the first place should not have been placed on a live animals’ pallet- and it made your cage fall on the floor and its door open. It made me so mad on top of my sadness. As the incident actually happened due to an unacceptable company fault!

They wanted me to go rest in the hotel and start the search in the morning. I refused. I wanted to go look for you immediately and so they did as I asked. Special permissions and clearances were obtained for me to get to restricted areas in the airport, and escorted by a team of 6 people, we started the search.

Agnes, through one of her friends who could somehow ‘see’ where you were told me to look more into the working areas of the airport as you were most probably there and I trusted that and focused my search into those areas the most.

We looked for about 2 hours, walked so many kilometers and went into so many working areas. I was calling your name all the time; I was talking the things I usually say to you at the shelter hoping to hear your voice back but to my deep sadness there was just no sign from you. It was too dark anyways and they convinced me to go rest for the few hours left until the sunshine and start my search in the early morning.

The next morning, I went to look for you starting 8.30 am and the search lasted 13 full hours. It was the longest day of my life!!! I had to look for you; to go into so many offices and talk to so many people; to give more instructions of more things to be done such as immediately putting trapping cages around the areas I felt you were in or posting a 700 euros reward posters around the airport for whoever finds you; I also had to do verbal claims, correspond with Margo in Beirut to send me written ones, to bear the humans around me whom, with the majority of them, were careless, heartless and only cared about their company’s imagine and not much about you; to get offers of exchanging you with some amount of money and to that I replied to the person mentioning this “I don’t want your money, my cat is priceless and cannot be valued and I want her back!”

It was getting dark and there was still no sign of you and that night I had to come back to Beirut and my flight was at 9.50 pm.

The day seemed so long but at the same time so short. I so much wanted to leave this country as I was tired from the rude and harsh people around but at the same I so much wanted to stay until I find you!

I finally found a person I could trust and this girl, Sophia, who works in the baggage handling company in Cyprus, made me feel I could count on her to help me more, and she did. She did all I asked her to do. She got more trapping cages to the airport from an Animal Welfare organization Maggie had contacted from Beirut, and set them in the areas I told her I want them to be in. She printed your reward posters immediately after I gave her your pictures (and seeing them made me crying even more and more) and hang them around. Now more workers, who of course cared about the money and not you, were helping looking for you…

You cannot maybe believe me how much I wanted to find you and take you back with me to Beirut so you can go to your home again and meet your friends and get some rest. It was the thing I was wishing for the most, more than any single thing.

It was now 8 pm, time for me to check-in to my flight, and there I felt the ugliest feeling ever!!! I felt that it was the moment where I was leaving you behind and this feeling was tearing me apart!!

I went to Sophia to ask her to check the trapping cages one more time to see if you were hopefully trapped before I left Larnaca; her response was negative. I begged her not to give up on you and told her that she is the only person I trusted in there and that I count on her to help me find you even after I’m gone and she promised me she will and I trusted her.

I went to my plane’s gate and as I was sitting and looking outside through the glass I was hearing you calling me, I was seeing you come to me, I was feeling that you were telling me not to leave; the sadness I was feeling at this moment is indescribable and I was crying so loud all over again…

The bus arrived to take us to the plane and my heart was hurting from sadness and guilt and as I was walking to the plane, I hear one of Cyprus Airways employees run to me telling me “we found your cat, we found your cat”. I will not be able to explain what I felt at this right second as even me I don’t exactly know what the feeling was. It was a feeling of big confusing, panic, happiness, loss, of wanting to run to you…. All these mixed together which gave a strange feel. It was the first time in 3 days that I had a real big smile on my face and this time the tears falling on my face were ones of happiness!!!

I had to wait a few minutes for Sophia to come take me to you. I was so excited and confused that I was running from the wrong sides of the halls. Sophia took my passport and boarding pass which I was dropping on the floor as I was all shaking and not being able to hold one thing straight. She also took my hand and started running with me.

It was sound funny here but I felt I was in a movie with a happy ending for the hero. I got to you; you were in one of the trapping cages, all scared and dirty. I wanted to take you out of the cage and give you a huge hug but then thought you wouldn’t really appreciate that so I moved you into your initial cage which I had carried on me the whole trip and for some reason was so attached to it and didn’t want to let go of it.

I had to run back to the plane, but this time with you and with a big smile on my face! The plane was delayed until you and I got onto it.

I held your cage throughout the flight to Beirut and until this moment the smile is not leaving my face! I love you Captain Hook and I am so happy that you’re back J and I know that you’re happy too J and oh your future mom still wants you so bad but this time we will be more careful in sending you to her! I promise!!!

By Joelle Kanaan

Captain Hook

For more about Animals Lebanon and these amazing people visit: www.animalslebanon.org