Then there are kittens

I was feeling a bit down this week about Socks, so I went to visit Joanne and her kittens, nothing cheers a person up more than cute kittens.

These four were rescued about two months ago, and are doing well, just getting over a bout of giardia and then will be up for adoption.  Libby, Stewart are the tabbies and Nina and Natalie are the two black females, all very sweet.  Many thanks go to Joanne for taking care of them, I promised they would be easy, then they got giardia, which means lots of meds over a few weeks.  

Wouldn't it be fun to adopt all four!!! 

And now we are seven, RIP Socks

A month or so ago I noticed that Socks' chest was heaving and I was concerned but unable to trap him.  Then it seemed he was ok, and he has been eating but then on Saturday he was sitting out in the sun and it was happening again, and he was coughing and looking thin so on Sunday I trapped him and took him into the vet.

Sadly his abdomen was full of fluid which indicated FIP or heart failure so Socks crossed the Rainbow Bridge to be with his pals who have gone before him.  He did pretty well for a cat who lived his whole life outside, I don't know how old he was but at least 10 maybe much older.  We will all miss him!

Home on Sunday with the cats

January is such a blah kind of month, but I've been enjoying the milder weather and a bit of a break after a frantic month plus of catsitting.   We were hanging with our cats laughing at Seymour with his bag of treats that he "caught".

And this bunch was enjoying watching the squirrels, of course we feed them too.

Herb gets friendlier

Herb is a new cat that showed up somewhat recently, I got him neutered (of course), poor guy was terrified afterwards and I didn't see him for a while.  Now he's back and the other day he meowed at me and let me briefly touch him.  Now that was quite a surprise!  Sometimes neutering really changes their behaviour.  Herb's a cutie, I hope he sticks around.

This weather is crazy, freezing, now a thaw, then a freeze coming, the cats won't like having wet paws today, I don't know what they like least, the cold, the snow or the wet, they would probably check all of the above.

Winter sucks!

The last few days have been brutally cold, I worry for my poor ferals, but they are such resilient creatures, and thankfully have shelters and daily food and water, I shudder to think of the cats who don't have that.  Patches was out enjoying the sun yesterday afternoon and we saw everyone, Sadie was shivering, I wished that I could just bring her and all the others home.  At least it's not as cold today but now we have snow to contend with.  And it's only January 7!

These two, Bunny and Betty, are much luckier, they both spent the first winter of their lives outside, born in the fall, they survived, and now live a life of luxury.  They know the value of warmth and are the first to show up when we turn on the fireplace.

2017 year in review

Happy New Year to all, 2018 starts off cold, it's hard being a colony caretaker when it's this frigid, I worry about the outside ones but they have shelter and they come out to eat and more importantly for water.

It was the most stable year at the Cherry St colony, fortunately everyone made it through and for lucky Floppy, he got a home, no more cold for him.

 Sadly at the CG colony where I feed a few days a week, sweet Jill was hit by a car and died.

In our rescue and TNR work, it was busy busy busy.  I lost track of the amount of cats we trapped and kitten we rescued, but I'm sure we trapped close to 100 adults and kittens.  I know our efforts matter and make a huge difference, one colony we started in the spring with 12 adults was all done within a few months, now no more kittens.  We helped one group of cats living in a sketchy laneway and 80% were able to be adopted out.

And these cute babies found loving forever homes.

 Frankie was a tiny kitten with severe injuries to his legs, who was nursed back to health and found a home!

I look forward to another year of helping cats!  I can only do this because of the amazing team of people that shares this goal with me and I thank you all profoundly.  I must hit the road, I have cat sit clients and outside cats to feed, the temperature today is -11, at least there is sun, Friday and Saturday it's supposed to be a high of -19, it's certainly a real winter.  I'm grateful for all the ones who did get rescued who aren't outside in this.

Merry Catsmas!

Seymour says Happy Holidays, and thanks for the spring toy, now throw it, again and again....and again.

It's been a busy couple of days, first a big storm Christmas Eve to dig out of, and today bone chilling cold, it's not an easy life for our feral friends, but we made sure they had full bellies, and me too after a 12 hour day.  Today I fed 59 cats, 25 ferals, 34 catsitting clients, no time to feed my own, and I've been sick for over two weeks now, it makes everything harder.

Hope you are all having a lovely holiday and snuggling with your cats!  Off to bed for me!

Bakery kitten out of the cold!

My friend Steff who feeds feral cats at her house emailed me earlier this week.  A co-worker of hers was at a bakery last weekend and a kitten ran up to her looking for food, of course she told Steff who emailed me.

The bakery is way in the west end and I've been sick and now very busy with catsits but luckily Lesley was going near there and agreed to check it out.  I don't think either of us expected she would just randomly show up and the kitten would appear but she packed a kitten trap anyway.  Next thing I know Lesley called and said she had the kitten!  There he was in the lot and was so hungry that he practically fought her to get into the trap!  Yay Lesley to the rescue!  Then the challenge was where did he go?

Thankfully Susan answered when I called and agreed to take him, we set up a crate but it quickly became apparent he wasn't feral, he started purring immediately.  When we picked him up to check his gender we noticed he had a bloody bum so off to the vet we went.  They thought it was from diarrhea and that he's about 5 months old.  We've named him Rusty after the bakery and he's a sweetheart.  He's not hungry and cold anymore, our little pre-Christmas rescue!

Meet Gizmo!

Well it wasn't much trouble rescuing that orange cat, he went right into a carrier and has turned out to be quite the friendly guy.  He's also got a terrible URI you can hear his wheezy breathing from miles away, but he's on meds now and eating well.  Gizmo is about 3 years old no chip and not neutered, so glad he is out of this brutally cold weather.

I find these next three months difficult every year.  I think about all my feral friends outside, even though they have shelters I know it's hard for them.  Gary was sitting at the back door this morning, I don't think he misses his outdoor life though.  He was at a colony for years this will be his third winter inside, and he likes to snuggle with me on the sofa at night, a far better life.  His buddies aren't as friendly and still out there but are well cared for.

Awash in orange cats

It's funny but we have an orange cat theme going on with our latest rescues.  There are Colbert and Kimmel, our Black Friday specials who are doing well after two weeks inside, now I just need to find them a home!

At our 7 colony another new cat has showed up recently, we call him Mr Orange, I really don't know where these new cats are coming from....

Then Jackie found a cat in a desolate area near her house, and we quickly trapped it last week, he is now at Lesley's for assessment and doesn't seem feral at all, just a shy cat!

And last but not least we are trying to get this cat off the street, the feeder says he is friendly, but we have cats stuffed in every room everywhere, it's hard to turn away with the cold weather coming on hard and fast.