Letter to Buddy

Dear Buddy, I miss you and love you so much and wish you would come home.  I know you are nearby and that you are safe, but I worry about you and want to make sure that you are fed and have fresh water and love.  I miss patting you and hearing you purr.  It's been 12 nights now without you and the house isn't the same, I keep forgetting and putting out your food bowl.  Your cat friends miss you too.  I've talked to two animal communicators who say you are having fun, but we aren't, we don't sleep, can't eat, I've lost seven pounds since you have been gone.  If you want to be an outside cat we can work something out, but I need you to be in our lives.  These last 12 days have been almost unbearable, I can't go on without you.  You are such a delightful cat, so smart and full of life.  You were my first rescue that I just couldn't let go off.  I remember rescuing you from the porch at Dufferin and Eglinton over two years ago, it was October and you had the worst URI, but you went right into the carrier and hugged us when we picked you up and kneaded happily the whole time at the vet, even when you had to have teeth removed and medications.  

Please Buddy please come home to me.  I can't go on without you...I love you Buddy.

Buddy sleeping 2014

Apollo and Buddy

Ernie and Buddy

Buddy with his babies Dory and Scooter

Buddy 2013

Buddy 2013

Buddy recovering after his rescue

Buddy with his URI when he was rescued 

Buddy having fun with Ernie and Blinky

Why not do a little TNR

In an effort to get my trapping mojo back I decided to try to trap Bobsey, one of the orange and white cats who has been a recent addition to one of the portlands colonies I occasionally feed at.  He's been beating up on the other cats so time for a neuter.

If only they could all be as easy as he was, I set up the trap, walked away and five minutes later he was in.  Connie kindly kept him in her garage overnight and took him to the vet this morning.  Other than some ear mites, thankfully there is nothing wrong with him and the vet thinks pretty young, maybe around a year.  He is quite gorgeous really, and in this picture that Connie took looks very calm.

Bobsey

Teddy still isn't blinking so he remains at the vet and Buddy still isn't home so I'm still a mess.

Good news though, we took five kittens to THS last week (three of whom I was fostering for a couple of weeks) and they already have homes.

Three weeks makes all the difference...

Just three weeks can make all the difference in the life of a kitten, three weeks ago we rescued these two from Gloria's colony, thankfully neighbours saw them and contacted me.  If we hadn't got them, they would have joined the legions of feral cats out there, cold in the winter, dependent on the kindness of crazy people like myself to provide food.  Instead, thanks to Joanne and Susan for fostering them, in just a short time they will be going to homes, where they will be warm and safe and loved, as all cats should be.  We caught their siblings last week, amazing how much wilder they are after two weeks outside, but they too will get their chance for love.

Charlie at rest

Christie having a Sunday nap

It was uplifting to receive these pictures tonight, with all that's going on.  Teddy's surgeon called today, he is doing well but has some facial paralysis on his left side.  It's not uncommon and usually resolves but he's not blinking so now has an ulcer on that eye which they have to treat.  Easier said than done, ever tried to get eye drops into a feral cat's eyes?  Fingers crossed that this clears up and Teddy can recover well.  Must get to bed early, so I can get up at 4 to trap my imaginary cat.  I'm starting to forget the feel of his fur....I miss my Bud Bud.

The new routine

Every night now I go to bed and pray that I will be woken up by Steve coming in to say he has Buddy and every day I wake up and he still isn't home, and I cry.

Ten nights now, and I just don't know how I will be able to go on if he doesn't come home.  Next to Ernie, Buddy is my favourite cat, I know you aren't supposed to have favourites but I do.

Buddy came from one of the first colonies I TNRed, but he wasn't feral, was a purring kneading machine, with eyes black from URI.  I loved him at first sight, and cried all the way taking him to his foster home, by the time we arrived we had decided to keep him.

He's been a delight, full of energy and love.  Buddy was the first one to greet guests and loved any excitement and greeted all new cats with glee, especially the kittens.  He's the reason we kept Dory and Scooter.

So now it feels like nothing else matters.  I feel guilty that we left the window open enough that he managed to get out, and the thought that he's out there and I don't know if he's ok or getting enough to eat or drink, and that I might never see him again, is unbearable.  This has always been my worst nightmare...

Teddy good, Buddy bad

I called the vet for an update this morning, and they said Teddy was doing well and had eaten overnight, so that's good news.

No sign of Buddy last night even though Steve stayed up until 5 a.m., caught three raccoons and one very unhappy neighbour's cat.

So far it's double digit raccoons, one possum and Galt, the cat who lives three doors down.  It would be funny if I wasn't so heartsick about my Buddy being outside.

Traps hosed down ready for another night, off to feed the colony, without Teddy I don't go through nearly as much canned food.

All Buddy and Teddy all the time

It seems Buddy is outsmarting us.  Last night he managed to get food out of the trap without tripping it. And here is a picture of him in the middle of the night, we got an infrared camera and it showed him approaching the trap a number of times.

We are determined though to bring him in and we will be back at it tonight.

On the Teddy front, I have great news, his surgery went well, it took four hours to remove both his ear canals.  There wasn't much bleeding, just a bit of facial paralysis, but that usually resolves in a few days.  He'll be at Sandi's for a couple of weeks to recover but then he will be pain free.  Ironically the cats at the yard seem much happier without him bullying them.

If only

I brought in one of the traps last night just to test it to make sure it was working, if only it was this easy, I had to hold Blinky back from going in until I could get the trap set.  It works, at least on dumb cats or curious ones.  Once inside, he didn't even seem freaked out.  Cats!  Why did we domesticate them?

I wish Buddy would be this cooperative.  Another night of hope to have it dashed, no sign of him, three traps, four hours, five raccoons.  I feel sick all the time, I've lost five pounds since last week.

The surgeon called me today after Teddy had been examined and had bloodwork done.  Poor old guy has definitely lost weight but his bloodwork is good with the exception of anemia, but that could be from his bleeding ears.  Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, I'll be anxious all day but that seems to be my constant state now.

Funny last year the colony was the constant, the easy thing where all was stable and happy with no problems, but lately it's been difficult there and it's harder to find time for my outside rescue work.

Maybe tonight I will veg in front of the TV for an hour, we finally found someone to clean our house, but as she was leaving she said she was surprised anyone comes back.  Oi, how did I end up in this position?  I just need some sleep....

We got Teddy!!

Things are looking up, I just returned from dropping Teddy off at the vet for his surgery tomorrow.  I was feeling pessimistic about getting him after our recent misses but Meagan and Joel, who are experienced with a net, were willing to try again tonight so I said sure.  I showed up to meet them and miracle of miracles, they already had Teddy in a carrier in their car.

I cried and hugged them both, and off Teddy and I went.  I know he's scared, I'm happy but nervous at the same time.  It's a big surgery and we have a lot of hurdles ahead but he couldn't stay there in pain with bleeding ears.  I'm still so grateful that so many people donated to make this happen.

Now I just have to get my Buddy back.  Steve saw him in our laneway last night around midnight and Buddy looked at him, turned and ran the other way.  Maddening, so more trapping tonight.  I'm glad he's ok and sticking around but we miss him and want him to come home.  One down, one to go....

Buddy please come home

Since Thursday morning when Buddy went missing, it's all I can think about.  We are besides ourselves, we've searched, postered, nothing.  This happened two years and we had to trap him so Steve and I are doing that at night and early in the morning, barely sleeping.

Update: It's 440 a.m. on Monday and I just saw him outside through the window, moving low to the ground near our house, but as soon as I went out he was gone and no response to my calling him.  It's maddening, he's the friendliest cat inside.  Tonight there are fireworks in our park and I'm terrified for him, this is my worst nightmare.  Please come home Buddy.  He must be hungry, it's been more than four days since he's eaten.

On Saturday my cell phone rang and a guy said he had Buddy, I was so excited.  Then he said he wanted a reward.  I said sure, of course, but he wouldn't take cash, only an etransfer.  Of course he was trying to scam me, but I was so upset, I was begging him and crying.  When we came up with a trick question it was obvious he didn't have Buddy, but what kind of scumbag tries to extort money over somebody's lost cat.

I found somebody who nets cats and they came down yesterday to try to catch Teddy but still no luck.  He is smart.  One of the boat owners was giving us a hard time and called us sick in the head for feeding the cats.  All in all I'm feeling pretty beat up right now.

Life marches on though, and Joanne and I had kittens to take to the vet on Friday.  We took four in, and  yesterday caught two more.  Lives that won't be lived on the street.

Charlie at the vet

Christie

Right now the only thing I care about is getting Buddy back.  It's been a horrible long weekend.  I usually love this long weekend but I won't be able to enjoy the fireworks at all, knowing Buddy is out there.

It's been a rough week

I know everyone like the pictures of kittens better and happy stories, and I will post some tomorrow when we take four rescued kittens to the vet, we are still trying to get the others but they are wily kittens.

The reality is that I've had a hard week.  Three nights of unsuccessfully trying to trap Teddy for his surgery and being told by the boatyard guys that we can't leave food behind because it attracts the raccoons who damage the boats.

And then somehow our beloved cat Buddy snuck out of the house, and we can't find him.  This happened two years ago and we had to trap him, but I'm worried sick.  Please send positive thoughts for Buddy to come home, and for Teddy to cooperate so he can get the medical care he needs.

Our Buddy