A Home for Harley

I published my first book this week. It's available on Amazon, for only $10. I'm really excited about it. It's a book I wrote for a Writing for Children and Families class at school in 2010.

Here's a synopsis:
"A Home For Harley is a book about Harley, a tuxedo cat, in her foster home. Her foster home is nice, but where will her forever home be?

This book teaches basic facts about cats and the concept of adopting a cat. It also encourages the view of animals as creatures that have feelings and need to be cared for."







I wrote this book as an assignment, inspired by the various pictures I had collected of a foster cat turned adopted-by-us cat, Harley. I really loved it though, so finally, I decided to just publish it.

The book retails for $10 USD, and it is a children's book. Please check it out. 

A Baby Story

Asleep on Tuesday or Wednesday

Monday (I think)

Today (July 28)

Baby, as we call her, was found on Sunday, July 24, 2011, by a young black man who brought her to PetSmart, hoping to find help for her. He found her in the middle of the road, on a day when the temperature was well into the 90's. She was found to be severely dehydrated, and had a wound (like a hole)on her neck/chin. Sub-q fluids were administered to get her more hydrated, as well as oral fluids. I brought her home, where my fiance (Joseph) and I kept watch over her through the night, as her breathing was very quick and labored, and she also was not drinking on her own and ate only a little food that first night, until we were able to get her to the vet the next morning. The vet prescribed an antibiotic (the first dose given as a shot) to help with the infection in the wound on her neck, cleaned out the wound, and gave her some more sub-q to hydrate her some more. The best guess was that whatever had caused the wound (based on other small scabs found on the body, possibly a dog) had nicked her trachea, as she had air pockets under her skin where air was leaking into her chest cavity and into her subcutaneous layers, leading to a crackling feeling as one petted her, and bubbles of air under her skin. He prescribed an oral antibiotic for use beginning the next day. After the sub-q, shot, and cleaning, Baby was exhausted and could barely stand (courtesy of recent dehydration, an infection, and the stress of having her wound cleaned). I went to PetSmart right after to get some KMR, and Baby wasn't doing so well, she looked tired and was still breathing very hard (around 60 breaths per minute at the vet), and she had me scared there for a bit. After getting what I needed, I took her home and Joseph and I began trying to get her to drink some of the KMR, which she eventually took to lapping off of the end of the syringe we were feeding from. Come that evening, she began drinking milk (warm, of course) from people's hands. She didn't want it in a dish, or from the bottle. So we indulged to get liquid into her. She also began eating wet cat food, slowly but surely. We kept her on nearly 24 hour watch through Tuesday, with only short periods of time of being left alone on Tuesday evening. Tuesday night, we decided she was stable enough, eating enough, to be left alone for us to be able to sleep at a normal time. Wednesday brought Baby eating very close to what the cans of cat food say she should be for her body weight (a whopping 1 lb 7 oz according to the vet), and a much more playful kitty. Baby began acting, slowly but surely, more like a normal kitten. Play hard, eat hard, sleep hard. Her favorite spot to sleep remains on Joseph's lap as he plays computer games, followed by the heating pad we keep running in her room. With Thursday, came much more intense play (longer stretches, more running, jumping, etc.). It was also noticed that the air bubbles, which would have been pushing on her lungs somewhat, making it harder to breathe, had gone away, which basically means that the nick in her trachea must have healed, as the spot on her neck has been doing. Her skin is still crinkley, but I've heard that takes a bit to go away. Her breathing is much closer to normal, and her activity level is much higher. Her gums are much pinker than they were on Sunday/Monday. She loves to climb any and everything, a favorite being jeans to climb up onto higher surfaces. She also likes to sit on shoulders. She has also overcome her fear of that big scary kitten in the mirror which only days ago made her bow up and hiss and turn her tail into a bottle brush. Baby is doing amazingly well, and I would expect her to come away from this just fine. This baby cat found her way to a place where someone would find her (admittedly, not the safest place) and get her help.

A special thanks to Sandy S., Barbara H., and Barbara W. for giving her the boost she needed that day at PetSmart. And a special thanks to Feline Rescue and Rehome for providing for Baby's vet care, and admitting her as a FuRR cat. Hopefully in the not-so-distant future, after Baby is bigger and vetted, she will get an amazing home.

Like many rescues, FuRR can always use donations. If you want to help animals like Baby who need help and need homes, you can donate to FuRR. Visit our website at www.teamfurr.org for more information about us.

RIP Chi-Chi

Chi-Chi a few months before she died (instagram pic)

Right after I got her and her sister, Elsie, in 2006 (Chi-Chi is on the right)

On my bed

The picture my 6 year old sister, Reese, drew to put in her grave with her...

Oct. 31, 2006-July 5, 2011

I miss her. I miss her terribly. Every thought brings tears. I want to remember. I don't want to forget a thing about her. We called her Chi-Chi, but her full name was Chidori, which is Japanese for 1000 chirping birds. When she was little, her meow sounded like birds, and she was very vocal. That changed little as she got older. We adopted her from a lady whose daughter didn't take care of her cats. Her cat had babies, and the daughter had left them there with no food or water. The mother found them, and brought them home to find forever homes. Chi-Chi and Elsie found it with me.

I want to remember how she looked, how she smelled, how she acted. How she slept by my hip. Her meow. The way she loved to be on my shelves and annoy me by knocking things off. The way she loved to drink water from the bathroom faucet and would run me over to get in there in case I turned it on. How soft she was. Her teardrop at the corner of her left eye echoed now by my own.

She died of pulmonary edema and congenital heart failure. There is no official diagnosis of why, but based on some google searches, Joseph and I suspect acute renal/kidney failure. She was too dehydrated for them to get a blood draw, so all they had to go by was the x-ray.

I took her to the vet Thursday because she'd been acting annoying, and peeing outside of the litter box more often than usual. She had no urine in her bladder, so they kept her overnight to get a urinalysis. Friday morning they gave her a medicine called Lasix to make her go pee, and they determined she had a low-grade urinary tract infection (UTI). They gave me a bag of special food for her to eat, and Clavamox for the infection. We took her home, put her in Reese's room, and she turned her nose up at the food, but she was at least drinking some. As Saturday came, and then Sunday, she was still not eating (even wet food I got her) and not drinking without a lot of pressure to. I was forcing some water down her through, but not enough. Monday, she was not wanting to drink or do much of anything. She just did not look well. I kept thinking, well, I'll call the vet first thing in the morning. We got some water in her, and Mom, Dad, and Reese left to go to the movies. Chi-Chi was sitting by Joseph and I and after a while, she got up and went and laid down under the side table. Then she moved a bit of the way up the cat tree, then later a little further. She obviously did not feel good. I gave her her medicine, and she threw it up, along with much of the water we gave her. She was breathing hard, and did not look well at all, so we took her to the Kitty ER. They did all the good for her, but she was a very sick kitty by then. Low body temperature (at least 91*, their thermometers didn't go lower), low blood pressure, dehydration, high respiration, barely responsive. I was told she likely wouldn't make the night. And she didn't. I got the call at 12:09 they were doing resuscitation and did I want them to continue.

The worst words ever are: "Just let her go."

Most of you don't care about all of this, but I am writing this to remember it all.

She loved yogurt. She loved to drink water straight for the faucet. She loved to lie on my bookshelf, and if there was anything to knock over, knock it over. She liked to lie on my jeans on the shelf. She liked to sit under the light on my side table. She slept by my hip. She was incredibly tolerating, and she had recently had become designated "Reese's kitty". She liked to lie on people's laps, and sleep on the back of the couch and the arm of it. She would follow me into the bathroom and nearly kill me by running under my feet hoping I would turn on the water faucet. She loved canned cat food.

She is sorely missed, and currently, my grief has no bounds. I pray it will get better with time, but it's hard to see a positive right now. I hope her last few days weren't painful, even if they weren't amazing. Up the last, she would purr when petted and was very caring. She was the best kitty I could have asked for.

_Written July 5, 2011

Donovan and Josie

This is Donovan (top) and Josie. They're both available for adoption. My fiance's mother gave us this cat thing because Joseph's family's cat won't use it. And mine all seem to love it. It's about 2 or 2.5 feet tall, with 2 little caves in it. My cats are all taking turns hanging out in various places on it. The fave spots are the top and the top cave (shown in use here.)

They're both sweethearts. Josie is incredibly soft, and Donovan is big and playful.

Abby

This is sweet, sweet Abby, on my 6 year old sister's panda Pillow Pet, covered up with my sister's jacket. She is pretty much solid black (a few white hairs here and there), which makes her features difficult to photograph, but she does have features. LOL. She is such a sweetie, a snuggler, playful, and incredibly tolerant. She's a very chill cat, who loves to play. She's about a year and a half old, and I've had her since she was 6 weeks old. As a black cat, and no longer a kitten, she is frequently looked over as people look for the newest addition to their family.

I'll be very sad when she gets adopted, having had her around for over a year now, but I just keep hoping that someone out there is looking for this cat for their family, and just doesn't know it yet. She's a real sweetie, kinda floppy, very loving, and vocal at times (on her own terms). She has the prettiest yellow-green eyes and very shiny fur. She's very loving towards the other cats, particularly the younger ones. Too bad the older cats don't always share her happy go-lucky attitude and aren't always quite as nice back. But that can be cats for you. lol

Chandler

Remember baby Chandler? Our little fluffball?

Well, this is Chandler now. He's gotten sooooo big!

The email from his Mama:

Just wanted to give you an update on Chandler. He is quite the kitty, charming and devilish. You would hardly recognize him, he's grown so much. He doesn't speak human yet. "No!" and "Get out of there!" barely registers. He has a girl kitty companion named Ginger. They tear around the house like mad kitty when the crazies descend. My older kitties are appalled by all the energy and try to stay out of the way.

He's doing so great. It's so awesome to see my babies doing well.

Mac

Some of you may remember Mac from May 2009. He was one of 4 in my first ever litter of foster kittens, with his sisters, Nuala, Keely, and Molly. He was also my first adoption, so it was, understandably, a little difficult. However, I am friends with his parents on facebook so I get to see cute pictures pretty regularly. This shot is from February, but it just seems completely Mac to me. Such as Mac thing to do, lol. It's great to see him doing so well.

Bella

Bella (formerly known as Jasper in some posts) is doing quite well in her new home as you can see. She has a 5 year old mama who is quite enamored with her, and she is obviously doing quite well. It's always awesome to see my babies doing well in their new homes.

New Kittens

Josie, one of my two sweet, adorable tortoiseshells

Annabelle, her sister

Sweet, sweet baby Harley, my snuggle-bug

Luna, our Siamese mix

Enya, our lovey gray tabby with an orange "flame" on her forehead

Donovan, my lone boy. Our pretty buff boy (my dad calls him "Blondie")

All of my last crew got adopted quickly, and this is my new crew. Josie, Annabelle, Enya, Harley, Luna, and Donovan. All a bunch of sweethearts who like to snuggle. They're around 9 weeks old, if I'm remembering right. 5 girls, and 1 lone boy. There seems to be a real shortage of boys this year, bunches of girls and very few boys. Odd.

Shannon also got adopted a few weekends ago, so my sweet Shan now has a good home with people who love her, and no other kitties.

Update on Ducky and Gibbs

Squeak (Ducky) and Smudge (Gibbs)

OMG, They've grown up!
From their mama:

Smudge is vying for my attention and trying to help me type this note while purring loudly. Squeak is lying in the window, trying to take in the last of the smells before I close things down. They were watching me mow and work in the yard just before I took that photo. They want to go outside but DO NOT like their leashes. I won't let them out otherwise. They remain adorable.


Oh, and all of my litter of 6 are spoken for, except Sophie. And she has lots of people looking at her.

One dollar...

Sweet Jade, not long after we got him, when we still gave wet food on a plate where he could plow through it. LOL.

Kitty Kitty Updates

Jade, my male calico...

Turns out Chandler and Jade are boys. Good to know.

Also, Carys, Jasper (who is now known as Bella, as that is what her new family will call her), and Chandler all have deposits on them and will be going home as soon as they are fixed! Yay!

And now...for updated weights:

Alexa 20 oz up from 16.5
Chandler 22 oz up from 19 oz
Jade 25 oz up from 20 oz
Sophie 20 oz up from 17 oz
Bella (formerly known as Jasper) 25 oz up from 21 oz
Carys 17 oz (and just got shoved at the food bowl :P ) up from 14 oz

So an average weight gain of 3 oz each in 1 week, and upwards of 9 oz in a month at the smallest (Carys, who was originally 8 oz) to 13 oz (Jade was 12 oz when we got her).

Update on Kittens

Alex(a)

Jasper

Chandler

Carys

Sophie

Jade

Just an FYI, Leto was adopted a few weeks ago.

These little buggers have gotten so big! The smallest, Carys, has gone from 8 oz to 14 oz! When we got them, at around 4 weeks old, they ranged from 8 oz to 12 oz. Here's where they are now:

Carys: 14 oz
Jade: 20 oz (one of our original 12 oz-ers)
Jasper: 21 oz
Sophie: 17 oz
Chandler: 19 oz
Alex: 16.5 oz

They're all up on Petfinder, but the absolute earliest any of them could go into permanent homes will be mid-April. And that's assuming they're big enough to be fixed.

KITTENS!

Mom, Reese, and kittens...

Carys

I think that's Chandler and Alexa.

Carys and Sophie

Meet Chandler, Jasper, Jade, Sophie, Alexa (Alex), and Carys.

They're about 4 weeks old, so not old enough (or big enough) to be spayed, but a deposit can be put down to reserve them if you're interested. :D

Leto

Abby and Leto, playing together

Leto is the baby of my current bunch, at around 5 months old. He's Shannon's baby boy, and Jared's brother. He's also a good size, and absolutely gorgeous. And one of the softest cats I have ever messed with (we say it's cause his mom, Shannon, still periodically lets him breastfeed.) He's kinda skittish, but once you catch him, he's okay to be held and petted for a bit. He's just not the lap cat type. He's very playful, loves dangly toys and toy mice. He also likes to play with other kitties, like his mom, Shannon, or Abby.

10 Reasons to Adopt an Adult Cat

My Shannon-Kitty, a sweet, sweet mama kitty who is looking for her forever home. She's estimated to be about 2 years old.

10 Reasons to Adopt an Adult Cat

So you've decided to add a feline to your household. You've probably given some thought to what it should look like: a fluffy tuxedo, a handsome brown tabby or maybe a sleek black kitty. Male, female, large, small--so many options. But have you considered the differences between cats and kittens? Here are ten reasons why you may want to adopt an adult cat.

Many available adult cats are barely out of kittenhood themselves. They still have plenty of spunk and energy--they're just a bit more mature. That's a good thing.

1. What you see is what you get. Adult cats already know who they are. Kittens are undeniably cute, but you never know what the future holds, how large they may get, what their personality will ultimately be, etc. An adorable little kitten will be an adult in the blink of an eye.

2. Adult cats aren't as "chewsy." Kittens have a tendancy to chew things, lots of things. Whether teething or just exploring bits of the world around them, kittens chew on shoes, the corners of books, ear lobes and fingers, carpet tassels, electrical cords, drapery strings, plants, and much, much more. Most adult cats don't chew inappropriately at all.

3. If you have an older cat in your home and are looking for a friend for him or her, another adult cat may be the best choice. Kittens can be too playful and may upset your cat instead of providing companionship. A kitten may cause your resident cat to be more annoyed than amused.

4. After a long day at the office, you may just want to come home and curl up with your furry friend--but most kittens prefer an action packed evening--lots of touseling, frolicking, and plenty of running and jumping. An adult cat will greet you at the door and be more than happy to curl up and watch your favorite shows on TV. They've already learned about the unconditional love thing.

5. Adult cats may sleep at the foot of your bed, under the bed or in a cozy spot somewhere else in the house, while a kitten will most likely run around all night, doing anything possible to wake you up for more games. Adult cats are generally happy to sleep when you do and don't try to attack your toes through the blankets in the middle of the night.

6. Adult cats won't be climbing up your leg or your curtains, they won't be swinging from your chandeliers, knocking down knick knacks or just running full speed ahead for no good reason.

7. Adult cats are usually a better choice for families with small children. Kittens often play rough and are constantly underfoot. They're sharp--they can't help it, but kittens are all teeth and claws. Generally speaking, adult cats are more mellow, and often more patient with young children. The experience should be a good one for both the cat and the child. Ask to meet the shelter's best "kid cats."

8. Adult cats require less attention and supervision. They're quiet companions. They have well-developed manners, use the litter box and the scratching post without constant reminders.

9. Many adult cats end up in shelters due to no fault of their own. Separated from their loved ones, surrounded by other cats, confined, confused, and sometimes frightened, many are emotionally devastated by their misfortune. Sadly, most people gravitate toward the cute, bouncy, big-eyed kittens. Older cats sit by and watch, as one loving family after another passes them over for a cute kitten. Adopting an adult cat is a way to say to a deserving animal "I believe in you."

Kittens will always be popular, and most have no trouble attracting admirers. But for the abandoned, forgotten, and heartbroken adult cats, you just might be their last chance to have the love and warmth of a home where they can live out their years in comfort. When properly cared for, cats often live well into their late teens, and sometimes into their early twenties. Typically, they will remain active and even playful throughout most of their lives. Some may need a little extra patience while adjusting to a new home, but once they feel safe and secure again, they'll offer years of faithful companionship and unconditional love.


((Kidnapped from Rags to Riches Cat Rescue))

Ducky and Gibbs

Poor Gibbs had to rush to the kitty ER Wednesday night. It was believed to be a reaction to his rabies shot. Ducky had all of her shots, and naught a problem. But little Gibbs began vomiting, dry heaving, being lethargic, and having some diarrhea. Finally, he started having difficulty breathing, so his new mama, C., rushed him to the ER. They stabilized him, and she took him to his normal vet first thing Thursday morning. The vet verified it was a reaction to the rabies shot, and gave him fluids for dehydration, a steroid shot, and antihistamine, and he spent the day there, getting rehydrated. Last I heard, he was still lethargic, and not eating, but at least, he wasn't throwing up any more, and was breathing normally.

Reactions to vaccines, such as the rabies shot, are RARE, let me emphasize that. And I am in no way saying don't vaccinate your cats. Absolutely not. Dying from rabies is painful, and I wouldn't want any pet to go through that. I'm just mentioning this, so that people will know that it can happen. Fortunately, Gibbs is okay now.

Merry Christmas to the Kitties!

Abby, Shannon (in the box), and Elsie, my own personal kitty. Shannon is finally not quite so completely terrified of other cats. She's still more of a people cat than a cat-cat, but she does love her son, Leto (who she STILL lets nurse at ~5 months), and she's getting more tolerating of Abby, since she's a buddy of Leto's.

Right after we set it up, Abby climbed to the tippy top of the tree. Her new fave spot.

I got all of my cats, both foster and permanent, a 74" cat tree with a zillion surfaces, and it's so pretty. And my kitties love it! At almost any given moment, there's at least one cat on it. They scratch at it, they play on it, they sleep on it.

Update on Jared

Jared was adopted back in November. His owner has been awesome enough to stay in contact with me via email, and send pictures now and then. This shot is from shortly after he joined his new house. Jared is also now called Logan (after Wolverine from X-Men, cause he's quite the claw-sy little bugger).

Here's a recent update (from December) on Jared, a.k.a. Logan:
"Jared's used to the routine of things now, and curls up to sleep with me (I sleep with the window up). Being in the country, he sits in my window and watches the birds and squirrels when he gets done playing with us, lol. Good fun!"

So nice to see my kiddos in good homes.

Molly and Jared Adopted!

Jared and Molly were adopted back in early November, on the same day. Molly had a bit of a rough time settling in, but she's settled in now, and is her owner's (a little girl) shadow these days. She also has a tendency to climb up into the little girl's doll house, making herself comfortable in a room, while the little girl plays. Jared is quite content with his new daddy, snuggling up with him at night.