Tuesday, March 31

We have a name! A wonderful name! The building that will be for the covies and porchies in their new area will be called The House that Jonah Built. This was a very close call between the two top possibilities. A webcam friend, Robert S. has written a poem for this building. It is as follows:

On a quiet day, a homeless cat once walked these grounds

A chance encounter was made

In time a friendship formed, a bond made, and a forever home found.

From that humble beginning, fate took command

And a once displaced cat, unknowingly to all, planted a seed of inspiration

that would one day blossom into a dream

This building stands as a testament to all cats across the world.

From those that have crossed the rainbow bridge to the yet unborn kitten.

This home embodies the abandoned & forgotten, equal to that of the loved & remembered.

A house that embraces the healthy, while gently cuddling the handicapped

 To some this may just be a another building

Yet to the volunteers, staff and cat lovers it represents more then just a simple structure

It stands as a tireless monument, a pillar of strength.

 A mirror reflection of each these individuals

An unbroken chain going from hand to paw, hand to paw

And so like a seashell containing it’s magical sounds of far off ocean waves

Once you enter this“building”

If you listen quietly and let yourself dream, you can hear contented purrs

Purrs from centuries departed pharaonic cats, on through to present day city strays

Each standing proudly, clapping their paws, for they all know well.

There is no such way to enter this“building”be it cat or human

and not be overwhelmed by the immeasurable love & devotion that built it

From hand to paw

We welcome you to

“The House That Jonah Built”

We have many thanks to give! This rescue center is grateful!
Susan from WI with SassyCassie--note, pop tabs for Kellen, lots of kitty snackers
Lostgirl--because of her explaining about FFRC to Shop Doggie Style Pet Store, they in turn sent to us many different kinds of food/snack samples.  Lostgirl sent a case of sardines and 6 bags of Royal Canin Baby Cat!
DiBme with Tazzy from OR--kitty card with note & picture of Tazzy, donation for snackers, lots of wonderful toys, some with feathers, catnip spray, snackers, 4 cans tuna beef casserole
Susan345--3 bags Royal Canin BabyCat
Elaine H from NY--kitchen towels to hang on cabinet handles, maybe for catathon?
Donnajb--6 cases Fancy Feast kitten, 3 cases appetizers, 6 cans Lysol, M&M's, Werther candy-2 big packs of chips
Sally H/eaglespirit--gifts for Molly, Ryan, Kelly, Elizabeth. Purple office items
Susan C--donation for FFRC
Sharon B--donation for Tree of Giving
Hannah S--slice of BUd's pecan pie
Ron & Cecilia R from CT--BD card
Ferole--many items of her beautiful artwork, for FFRC to do as want
Deb11111--donation as sponsorship of the Paddy Brothers
Cindy R/michsweetie--note with donation
Tigercat--BD card, coupons and the famous $5 for kitty snackers!
LJ323--sunkist fruit gems, 6 cans of clams and a fanny pack pillow with a safety belt to protect me for possible future step falls!  LOL
Dewitty--4 packs candy and a beautiful Calico Tile for Catathon, named Limp on a Limb
vrs1cats--donation to be used as needed for the cats
Gusti--donation to cover Jamie's surgery and for soreness meds

It's a beautiful day! Treasure each other and your pets. Whatever this day brings, know that there is nothing like you in this universe--smile and shine! 

Monday, March 30

Joanna and Jamie are both now doing wonderful. It took an extra day for Joanna to get herself back to normal. Actually, I think she was enjoying all the extra cuddling! Her incision looks good. Jamie's un-eye looks terrific. Those sutures will come out this coming weekend. 

Many of you know that Walter was having trouble yesterday. Here's what happened. He's been doing so much circling and circling lately. The past 3 meds we've tried on him have simply not been successful at all. So, a new med was started--one we have great hopes in. But the second day of receiving this new medicine (yesterday), he appeared to be overly sensitive to it. It caused him to be very clumsy and unbalanced. So, he spent much of the day in a pen for his protection. He's better today. Our vet said no meds today but tomorrow we will start at a quarter of the dose. Still have hopes this med will give him some calmness about those circles he does. 

Seymour update---he's just a wonderful cat! He is so patient with all of his dressings. His wound has been completely healed for a good week. Now, we want to "toughen" up that skin area again. So, he's allowed out quite a bit now---about half the time with a dressing and the other half without a dressing. He still will stay in his room at night yet while we're getting his skin back to par. We've found a dressing that we can actually keep on him for quite a while before it comes off! 

Our Porchies are all doing wonderful. We have the pleasure of seeing Azar more--his second family is on vacation right now, so he's here most of the time. He sure can eat. Such a handsome cat. We seem to have a couple "extra" cats around. Not sure who they are or where they've come from, but they're welcome as long as they're neutered. We trapped two of them last week--a black and a brown tiger. They were both neutered so they were released back on the property. 

The Covies were out on their run-about yesterday. All 15 of them came back for their supper for Connie D last night. As soon as the nights are a bit warmer, we will be moving the Covies back to Cat's Cove. 

Update on the outdoor project: Feline Fieldhouse has to come down. Many of the slats will be used on the Cat's Cove. Then Porchie Haven has to be moved onto the cement slab of the Fieldhouse. We will probably try and come up with another shed--it would fit perfectly also on that cement slab. In that shed, we could keep all the supplies for the Covies and Porchies (laundry, cleaning supplies, beds, extra kitty litter, food, etc). We are planning on April 17, 18, 19 to put up the outdoor enclosure. As soon as Dion is recovered from his knee surgery, he will continue on the building! The waterline is already done. Lots going on there---all has to go in a certain order!

We have some thanks to give! I am grateful.
Cindy/selkiebluemist--donation in honour of Selkie's 16th birthday!
Amy B/Jobo--a donation to help with Thomas's meds
FFRCNation---beautiful Spring flowers---so lovely and smells sooooo good!

Please, if you've purchased something from a Flash Sale and if you haven't sent in a check or PayPal yet, we'd appreciate your attention on this. We'd like to clear off our countertop before we have another Flash Sale! Thanks so much. 

Do you realize it's only THREE months until our next Catathon? Unbelievable. Time goes so fast. And it won't be long until kitten season is upon us. I'm still saying---enjoy this quiet time--it won't last much longer! 

Please consider a cat if you're looking for a feline friend to adopt. I heard Ratchet saying this yesterday: "When I think about all the silly things I did as a kitten, I just want to yowl with embarrassment! I was scratching at everything, climbing everywhere. Now I'm older and wiser. And smarter, calmer. I'm ready to be a couch-friend to a family."   And then I heard Emily saying this as she was watching someone playing with Joanna:  "yes, check out those kittens and when you realize that a mature relationship is so sweet, then come back to me.....one of the adult cats that has much love to give."  We have such smart cats! These cats have a lot of love to give. 

Friday, March 27

Joanna and Jamie are at the vet's office right now. Joanna will have her spay and Jamie will have his un-eye sewed shut for 2 reasons. One to make him look even more handsome and two, to help prevent future infections. They'll both be home later this afternoon. 

So, in a nutshell, the two cats that were returned a couple weeks ago are doing great. They are Emma Lou and Ida Lou. They were adopted 6/11/12 together. Unfortunately they both started nipping at the baby and could no longer be kept. So, they came here. I already knew about their return so had a new home ready for them. I felt uncomfortable having them in the rescue center, just in case they continued to nip. They went into their new home as a trial basis. They again nipped and with my permission, was given to this family's sister, who has no kids, no grandkids. They are happy now and being loved and are settled in.Quite happy! But, the family that was trying them, missed them and so they now have Kimp and Widdle. Whew! All is well, 4 cats happy and contented and people are happy with their respective 2-somes. And 2 sister-groups are still together! 

You've all been waiting to hear about Nelson and Floyd. After many emails, it's been decided that these two brothers will not be leaving right now. THe family that was going to adopt has had some changes that make this not feasible, in the best interest of these 2 cats. So, their adoption door is back open. 

I have some sad news and update on our Addison that was adopted. He was the black/white cat with CH. So sadly, he has passed away. He became quite sick and was taken to two different vets. It was thought that he had a birth defect involving either his liver or heart. A treatment plan was in action, but it was too much for him. He passed away in his mom's arms this morning. He was so loved. I let Kate know that even though his life was short, I was grateful that Addison had a home and was so loved. It's so hard to lose our cats, but knowing they were well loved makes the passing a little easier. Love goes a long long way. 

We had BOXES last night! YOU are appreciated!
Debbie C/Lostgirl--For Trucker--4 bags of lamb snacker treats, 3 cans of Halo lamb, 4 bags of frezze dry lamb, crinkle/toss paper toys, card and coupons
Kathy K/Justme and Hamilton, Tootsie & Niffie--4 cases of Fancy Feast Appetizers
Mary C/midwestgirl in IL--12 beautiful necklaces (cat theme)
Tigercat/great Aunt Julie from IA--box of surgical masks, big bag of Purina One, 4 cases of Fancy Feast kitten, case of Purrfectly Fish
Pat, Thursday vol--bag of crocheted dish clothes
Hanna & Connie--visitors--bag of rainbow loom wrist bands and an FFRC poster made by Hannah, BD card and bouquet of Reeces PB cups, bag of pop tops, case of Fancy Feast, 4 crocheted dish clothes
Caren F--8 bags of kitty snackers, case of Friskies pate
Dawn926 & grubbcarol--BD card
Beth/eaglewatcher--2 mop heads for Trucker Trails!
Sonjamac--BD card and donation for Jacci/Steve to go to movies
Teresa S & Jean W from IL--BD card and donation
Cheryl L--BD card
Maria/snoopybaby & her kitties--BD card and the famous $5
Diana/Ranacomun--a beautiful Easter glass bowl, filled with Reeces PB candies

Who gave Thomas some jumping beans? He's been hopping all over the place today! He's sprint/hopping too--from the back to the front. So nice to see! Milo loves those coil toys--he carries them around in his mouth, stops, drops it and then goes on the chase. He's such a good kitty. And then there's Paddy Purr who drops the coil toys in his food and water bowls. It's just "his thing"! 

Now we have a 4-some that gets in my desk drawer and pulls out the items. Yesterday I put in the drawer about 2 dozen ponytail holders. A new game has begun. I picked up 16 of them this morning. They love to take them out of the drawer. And they love to chase them when they're twanged across the room! 

Have a good day! 

Thursday, March 26

Have you ever watched a cat sleep? It's really quite interesting. They are so peaceful. Limp as a wet noodle. Eyes rolled back (if you can peek in there!) and so sweet. Asleep one minute a big stretch and then can take off in a second!  

Just a reminder---if you purchased something from the last raffle, please try and get your check or Paypal sent in. We have about 10 more packages to go out! Thank you! If you have a question on it, please just email me. And remember, if your received mail from us and it's not right, just let me know. Or if I've forgotten to mention something in the blog, it's ok to let me know!

Jackson is strut, strut, strutting by. He's got that swagger down pat! McHoney is so sweet. She loves me to "accidently" leave my desk drawer open just a bit. She gets in it, takes something and deposits it on the floor somewhere. Then she comes back and takes another item. She may take 10-12 things! It's such a game for her. Scott likes to join her at this sometimes. 

It's been decided. We will not be sending Magic for his surgery tomorrow. He's doing great and time is now on our side to wait a bit to let him grow. We will use that time slot for Joanna who is in heat most of the time. She far more is in need of her spay than Magic's needs. 

We have thanks to give! We are always grateful! This is from BOXES on Friday evening--sorry I missed this! It's been a busy time.
David, Christine and their kitties--12 cans of Tiki Cat, case of Fancy Feast, case of Kitten FF, Appetizers and a package of mouse toys

Squeakymom--12 cans sardines, case of Salmon packets, 4 cans KMR with a bottle
Donnajb--BD card, book. This is an extra wonderful book. It's called Clinical Veterinary Advisor for Dogs and Cats. I'm so thankful!
Vickie/Clarksmom & crew--BD card with purple sandal earrings, purple hoodie that says "kitties make me happy".  Love it!
Joco/Joann--purrcorn for everyone! It's delicious
Mykatkat/Deb--BD card &the famous $5, stamps, coupons, cat snackers & yummy candy!
Contessa/Laura--BD card, pic of El Divo guys, each individually, one is signed!
EarthEyes--2 cases of Voss water--I have to say---it's good!
Elskates--kitty BD card
Rassberryjam/Susan S from MN--BD card
Janet S with Toby & Harley from IA--kitty BD card & donation Feliz Navidad Fund
Schinn with Cleo & Ralph--kitty BD card and donation
nokats/Dawn D from IA--kitty BD card
Sally & Ken H from NJ--Kitty BD card, donation in memory of Little Rebecca
Dennis--3 cans of Lamb for Trucker
Cheri O/Four white feathers--lamb for Trucker

We also give thanks for these donations:
Anat P from UK--donation to FFRC
Janet A from NZ--donation for FFRC
Lynda S from MN--Dontion to FFRC
Doubleydibleydoouk--donation for movie/popcorn

We will soon be coming up with a tentative date for putting up the playground fence for the Covies and Porchies. We have been thinking of what we will put in the playground for the cats and people. We will welcome people to sit out in their enclosure and enjoy themselves, the farm and of course the cats. We have 2 Feline Snoozers that will go in there--they're extra tall too! Also a big plastic slide and a resin picnic table that is cat size. We will also put in a couple people size picnic tables, resin benches and chairs.  The PlaySkool play-piece that is in the Cove will also go out on the playground area. This will be a fun place for the cats and people!

I am aware that many know I took a tumble yesterday. I'm use to our old steps and when I stepped out, carrying boxes, I totally forgot the steps were different. Fell, plop, to the floor.  No big deal and am doing pretty good today. No worries! Thanks to Bill for coming last night and working on my aches. A few bumps and bruises, but all is fine. There's far more in this world to set your worries on! I'm always grateful for my health. 

Bender just strutted by. We all know he's a bit wobbly on those back legs of his--maybe he's trying to learn the Jackson strut! Seymour spends much of his time in Cat's Corner Room. But he also gets 2-3 play sessions in the Main Area. We've found a way to keep those dressings on! Actually, his wound is healed all the way, but yet tender. He's doing great. 

I love watching all the cats interact here. People are always surprised at how, generally, they all get along. Sure, they have their little tifts once in a while, but that's ok. They play together, eat together, nap together, it's a peaceful cat world for the most part. And I do feel they genuinely make friends with one another! Hmmm......kinda like our FFRCNation! 

Take care all. It's a wonderful Thursday, another day to do help cats and to do for others. Pass a smile on to another.  And to take another cat to the vets for a spay/neuter! 

Tuesday, March 24

YOU are a star! Yes, it's true! Everyone that is part of FFRCNation is connected with a very special star! Heynewgirl has had a star named FFRCNATION for all who love FFRC. This is just really neat! I thank you for doing this for us! Here is what the Proclamation says: Be it known by all who read this Proclamation that the located in the Constellation Bootes, at the approximate coordinates 13h  41m  22.5 degrees, has been duly certified, registered, and redesignated as "FFCNation". We certainly will cherish this. Itwas done thru the Celestial Registry! So, you are indeed part of a star!

We had BOXES last night! Many thanks to each of you. Your support is always very appreciated!
Robotman from CA--note and BD card, butterfly for Jocelyn, afghan blue/cream
Tigercat54/Great Aunt Julie from IA--yellow isolation gowns for feeding babies or in giving treatments to keep at least a bit de-furred!
Jane H from WA--a really neat water filtration cup & extra filters
Madisonpepper--a Spoiled Rotten Club box--pet stages toys, 5 bags of kitty snackers
Sharon L/Squeakymom--gallon of vinegar
David & Christine with Miau, Yuki and Anya--flutterball cat toy, case of FF Medley, case of appetizers, 2-12 packs of Tiki cat
Tammy P/mitzyblu from MO--BD card and donation
Isabella H/budnbit from FL--BD card
Abigail B--chief tapes
Alan C from UT--donation 
Karina L from PA--BD card
Mudjie, Henry R Peeps & Oh My Guinness--BD card with the famous $5!
Nona from NY--coupons
Sherry W/neuromom & David--drawing by David and a BD card. Love the cardinal picture!
Ellen/kikimycat from FL--BD card with awesome stickers and temp tattoos--all FFRC related!
Michelle & Frank--Sat. visitor--2 gals vinegar, 2 Mr. Clean, 2 kitty wipes
Rita/wiscatmom from WI--visitor--6 inch paper plates, 2 dz. cans of tuna
Trista & George--visitors--40# of bird seed, 5 Clorox wipes, 3 cases of Fancy Feast, a Clematis vine for our Morning Glory fence, KMR
Kelly L--donation thru PayPal
Kathy M--donation for BD
Gusti--donation for BD
Ingrid S from Netherlands--donation for BD

Trucker succeeded. His 5 minute visit turned into a 30 minute visit and he loved every minute of it! He loves the tunnel I have in the house! He's such a happy boy!

It snowed yesterday--yes, more of that white stuff. And it's cold still today. We need above freezing temps for more work to be done at the construction place. Hopefully a weekend in the beginning of April is when we will start the outdoor enclosure! As soon as the air is warmish at night, we will also be moving the Covies back to Cat's Cove. We are still gathering up the last of the votes for naming the building. The top 2 name suggestions are Jonah's House and The House that Jonah Built. We should know soon! 

RIght now there are 13 cats sleeping here in the office with me. Lots of sleepy cats everywhere! They must have been playing hard. Denae was up in the Main Area again this morning for a few hours. She did pretty good. Such a purr motor! Camvi is developing a good trick--she many times now waits ON the plates as they're being filled up. Maybe she thinks she'll get first food dibbies! 

Thomas is doing great. He hasn't had a seizure in quite a long time. His weight is good too. And it's been quite a few years since Farrh has had a seizure! Lucy Ann is so sweet. She's definitely a house cat. She gets visiting rights a few times a week--just for fun. The Covies and Porchies got another grooming today. And they are already on the schedule to be groomed all morning tomorrow too! We want all that old winter fur gone! The Kitty City also got a extra good scrub down today---all nice and clean! 

We're still will be making a decision too about Magic's surgery date on Friday. We have the option of holding off on Magic since he's doing so good and using that time slot to get Joanna spayed. She's been in heat and surely does need to be spayed. The decision will be made Weds. Jamie's un-eye looks wonderful--no infection right now, so we have time to wait a little longer on that. 

Take care all. A fun game to do--keep track of reasons to smile! Just do it for a day! It's rather fun and sure makes for more appreciation! Here's one for me---I just love to hear the volunteers talking and laughing together and enjoying what they are doing--always good for a big smile! 

Sunday, Marach 22

I am again humbled beyond belief by our FFRC supporters. I want to thank you for making my birthday so wonderful. I feel very grateful for the heartfelt thoughts and wishes. I so enjoyed all the birthday cards. We had a birthday cake. Two beautiful flower arrangements arrived. Candy box. Balloons! And to top it off, an awesome assortment of letters from over 140 friends. I cherish each and everything that was done yesterday. You are my friends and I feel your compassion and hope you know how much your friendship means to me and FFRC. I am a grateful person.

What a busy busy day we had. Dr. Darcy became very sick Friday night and ended up in ER. She is home now and resting. Needless to say, we did not have our surgeries done. We'll get them done as soon as we can. I'll be talking to Dr. Darcy this week about reschedules.

What this extra time allowed us to do though was to get lots done for the Porchies and Covies. We started the day with our inside FFRC cats. We got the treatment list caught up (vaccines/flea prevention), plus more toenail trims! 

Then we started on the Porchies. We didn't get them all done, because a couple of the cats decided to disappear! But we did the majority of them. We weighed them, checked teeth, gave their leukemia booster and distemper booster vaccines. They were also wormed, had their nails trimmed and ears checked. All in all, things went really well. Thought you might be interested in their weights:
Austin     9.14
Azar       14.13
Fabio      15.08
JJ            13.08
Mew        8.05
Olaf        11.00
Shamballie   11.03
Zavatar         11.11
These Porchies are wonderful! 

Next, we did the Covies. They also had their weights done, toenails trimmed, ears cleaned, leukemia & distemper boosters, wormed.  We will check teeth later. Here are their weights:
Anony    10.11
Charlie   11.12
Honey    9.08
Ladonna   7.02
Lele        8.00
Leonard    11.11
Muffin    8.00
Oliver     11.06
Riley     7.11
Roland     14.09
Rory     15.05
Sevaun     15.00
Soyboy     13.00
Sylvan     12.03
Timothy     11.10
These too are awesome cats. They know us and we know them well. Each are important to us, as are the Porchies. They receive their flea prevention the first of each month. Starting in April, they'll get the added tick protection for 3 months. 

In addition to this, we had brushers and combers for much of the day. Major fur-removing was done! They're looking happy and ready for the show-ring! 

We also had an adoption yesterday! Unelma was adopted! A family fell for her thru Petfinder and saw her on our cam. They came to visit her and loved her still--she has a home! Such a beautiful girl. She has other cats in her new home and 2 dogs, which she will be fine with. 

Today is our Volunteer Appreciation Get-Together. It's from 2;00 to 4:00 at Dos Amigos. It's FFRC's treat to the volunteers. We deeply appreciate these wonderful people. They are what makes this place click and hum along so smoothly. The compassion and time they give is amazing to me. I'm so grateful to each and everyone of them. 

Friday, March 20

Happy Spring! Glorious spring time is here!

Let's get started with our thanks for BOXES last night. It was wonderful and thanks to you!
KatnBuster from TX--500 9 inch styrofoam plates
Conii with Izabellah & Elliott--2 HB cards and a beautiful Willow Tree Angel Statue
FloppyJan/Jan M from FL--HB card, colorful posties with white kitty postie holder and a black kitty tape dispenser--on my desk
Fran D--HB singing kitty card, a wonderful green Cat Person shirt and a Tie Dye kitty paws shirt--love it!
Angelface/Linda--for PawMart--lots of Jarvis Jumpers and crocheted kitty coils
Pat C, vol Thurs night--104 crocheted balls
EarthEyes/Margaret--Butterflies HB card, stamps, stickers, 6 cans of special kitty food, 2 cases Fancy Feast Appetizers, FF broth. There were 2 special gifts--a beautiful Quartz Rock for Albert's Garden and a Kindred Spirit Ceramic Horse Head picture --so pretty
Anonymous Friend--a whole box load of crocheted kitty pads for FFRC, 4 soft blankies (for the doggies too), 2 boxes Applecider, 12 plastic plates and safety pins for sales
From FFRC--a memorial stone for Little Rebecca
Oilsandsgirl--box of 32 Lays Chips, 20 cans tuna, Box of Dixie Cutlery, 3 packages Lysol wipes, Quart Ziploc bags, pawwipes & huggies refills
Rebecca H/woolywhiskers--HB card
Anonymous Friend--40 lb bag Precious Cat Litter
DoubleyDibleydoo--Uk with Milly--Kitty HB card
Zoolove & kitties--Conga Line HB card, donation, Cats Resume Phone Cover!
Joann P/Joey from FL--HB card with the famous $5
Elaine & Alan with Little Kat--HB card with donation
Mich & Vern from MI--Kitty HB card
Ingrid from Netherlands--kitty HB card

Construction Update: The Bobcat is working right now moving dirt and also pushing stone onto the spot where the building will go. We realized too today that we will need additional pull for the electrical needs to this new area. That meant a visit from our electric guys. They will be running another line to the Cove area with a 100 amp box put into the new building. That will do the job for us! We've decided to take down the Feline Fieldhouse. This will leave the cement slab from the Fieldhouse. We will put the Porchie Haven on this slab--that works very nicely. The water line's pipe was put in place so the cement can be poured around it.

We have narrowed the list of 85 names that were suggested by volunteers and viewers to 6 names. . Within a week, we should know the name for the upcoming new building for the Covies/Porchies. The volunteers will do this last voting. Here are the 6 names that we have it narrowed down to:
Jonah's Ark
Jonah's House
Jonah's Kat Shack
Jonah's Lodge
The House that Jonah Built
Jonah's Graceland
We'll let you know as soon as we know the results!

Jessie is doing great. She's a young oldster. She sleeps alot but she sure looks good. Ada Jane is going thru another "fussy eating stage". We keep offering different things for her. This morning she did eat a fair breakfast! Mogo loves to play with tails--his and everyone else's. He also loves water to play in as does his brother and sister too. Danae came up into the Main Area three times now. She's getting braver! She sure loves people.

Suzanna is doing great. She is one fluffy girl--such beautiful long fur. She loves the sunny windows. MIlo loves the pink poof. Solee so enjoys her special second breakfast of Royal Canin baby dry food. Emily is chirping at the birds feeding at the flat feeders outside the window.

Emily is looking for a home! She was brought here when she was 7 1/2 weeks old, by Paul. She's a brown tiger with a slight tortiness to her. She has a small gold dot on her right shoulder. Her birthday is 7/11/13. Sh e arrived here a bit shy and there were so many kittens then that she was overlooked. She is now a young adult. I like how recently she's been going up to visitors and ask for pettings. She's so much braver. Her home is out there somewhere, I'm sure!

I keep telling the volunteers to enjoy this quiet time. It's the prelude to very busy kitty season. We'll be hopping then. Have you taken a cat in yet to be spayed or neutered? If even half of the people that read this would just do ONE cat, it would make a hUGE difference to the overpopulation problem.

Anony heard that Derecho had his say in the blog yesterday and wanted equal time. So, here's what he has to say: Happiness isn't on the road to anything....happiness IS the road! Share your happiness with others.   (And I personally know he would like catnip to be at the end of his road!)

Thursday, March 19

The stone will arrive today! Here's the plans--the load of stone will come and the digging will begin for the framework of the new building for the Covies and Porchies. We took down the tunnel that runs between the Cat's Cove and Feline Fieldhouse yesterday. This new building will be tucked right in between them! It'll have a cement floor, lots of Kuranda Towers, storage area, feeding area inside, a counter with a sink and hot water! We're so excited. We're not sure when the concrete will be poured--this is all weather related. We do know though that Dion (our construction guy) will be taking some time off for knee surgery. So, we'll have to be patient!  We're hoping to put up the new 500 foot cat fence in April. As soon as the nights are warmer, we'll be moving the Covies back to their beloved Cat's Cove!

We had BOXES last night. We are oh, so grateful!
Donnajb--8 boxes of Whiskas packets--24 in each box!
Widdletigger/Elisabeth--8 boxes Kleenex, 20 bags of Lays chips, cookies, case of 40 juice boxes
KatandBuster from TX--Whiskas packets (24), case of Fancy Feast Kitten, 8 boxes Kleenex, case of 32 juiceboxes
EarthEyes--16 boxes of Kleenex, case of Fancy Feast, 2 cases of Kitten can
Maryann O/Merry_Marvin with Peanut--kitty card, 4 cans of Trucker food and kitty snackers
Anonymous Friend--24 packets of Appetizers
Susan345--Lamb snackers just for little Trucker!
Oilsandsgirl--2 bottles Tide, 2 boxes of Tide washer cleaner (we love this!), 76-13 gal. Glad garbage bags, 12 rolls TP, 3 cases Friskies
Mayumi--Tokyo Branch--2 cases Tulle for Ada Jane, Mini Donuts for volunteers, memory foam donut for Jacci's desk chair, 2 bags of special teas and a really neat HB card!
Nona from NY-- Misc.cent stamps, coupons for tuna
Oh My GUinness & Henry R Peeps--Happy St. Paddys Day
Linda K/whyeaglefan from WY--Kitty HB card with a donation
Anita S from NY--HB card
Phyllis B/kittiesmom with Emmy & Buddy--HB card
Margaret S from Pld--Donation for FFRC
Donna W from FL (Calrk/Jessies' Aunt)--St. Patricks day card and donation
Our Angel friend--3 1/2 cases 9-Lives canned food
John & Sarah-visitors--Purina Cat food dry, paper plates

I'd like to thank each of you that watch the cam! I know those pesky ads are sometimes a bother. But, each time FFRC receives our monthly payment from them, I thank you! For the month of January, we received $1,249.73!  Wow!

Saturday is our surgery/physical date. We spent a bit of time getting organized for the physicals. All the Covies will receive a physical, worming, distemper vaccine update, weighed and Revolution applied. This goes for the Porchies too. Before we do these 2 groups of cats, we will do the physicals for those that need it inside the Main Area. That would be: McHoney (check left eye too), Magic, Ada Jane, Camvie, Denae, Derecho, Jackson, Jersey, Joey, Preakness, Seymour, Solee, Suzanna (check left upper premolar also), Trucker and Unelma.  All these physicals will start after the surgeries are done.

Imagine the head of a pencil eraser. That's all the bigger that Seymour's sore is now. And that is actually healed, just a little red. Initially it was about 2 inches long by 3/4 inch. He's a good healer There is a special tape we've been using on his dressing at the top. It keeps the dressing on so he can half 45-60 minutes of playtime on the floor! The little stinker---when his time is up, he goes so fast that he's hard to catch! He knows!

Today is a hambone day. Thanks to Martha L.for bringing ti. There will be a lot of gnawing going on today! Rachet is as still as a statue. He's watching the birds at the feeders. One is about 3 feet from him. You can just see the excitement in him. 

I saw it happen--ever so slowly a stranger walked up to Joey and petted him. That is a major breakthrough to let someone he doesn't know to pet him. He is growing in leaps and bounds in self-confidence. Danae is becoming braver too. She's now worked her way up to the Welcome Room office. Next will be in the Main Area. 

Jamie is an absolute gem. He's like a big gentle giant. So passive, so sweet. Nothing flusters him. A real sweetie-pie. Emily and Tabitha are both becoming more sure of themselves. When people come, they are both coming out to seek attention. So nice to see. 

We have the smartest kitties! Derecho "wrote" this last night, although really, I think he took it from Jake Ducey.  
"For it is not failure that stops most people, but rather the belief that failure is permanent. Failure is nothing more than a storm in the weather forecast for the week--it comes and it goes, and it waters next season's yield because it teaches us where we can improve.' 

Tuesday, March 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! Paddy Purr and Paddy Cake have it in their head that they came from Ireland. So.....for today, this is true! I sure don't want to tell them differently!

Alert! Alert! Backup to BOXES on 3/12. Somehow or another, I completely skipped that whole box-time. I'm so sorry. It's important to me to always give thanks. I simply missed this.
Donna/knittinkitten--2 bags Precious Cat Litter and a Smartykat feather Whirl cat toy
Laura/Medic--2 cases of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers
Jo L from TX--large box of 13 gallon drawstring trash bags
Paula/Misspaula--card and check for Paw Mart order
Colin, Chico and Aria---a donation in memory of Patricia, a wonderful person who loved her pets
Buffypotter & Angelface--Scottish and Washington state branch of FFRC--a birthday box and card for Jacci. 4 bags of kitty snackers, 4 bags Reeces candy, 4 bags kitty stick snackers, bag of kitty balls, cat nip toys, a kitty sweater. In a beautiful heart shaped box was a box of awesome bath bombs--these are wonderful--love them! Also a framed cross stitched picture with a beautiful cat on it. It said "Where life begins and love never ends".  and One heart, one mission, one nation.  This picture is priceless and I love it. It will be hung in Kitty Kabana today. I thank you!

We had BOXES last night too! Thanks bunches!
Jatcat from CA--2 filters for our Ionizers
Kikimycat--3 bags of pom poms for all kitties, but especially Jarvis!
Jenny & Brent with Montana and crew--memorial stone for Cozarelii
Linda S/MLS--memorial stone for Jonah.
Lisa & Peter from NJ--Singing kitty card for Birthday
Denise S from Bryan--donation in memory of Gerri
Phillis B/kittiesmom with her two pets  from MI--Happy St. Paddys card and a donation
Clarksmom/Vicki--Happy Birthday card for brothers Abner & Dickens and a donation in memory of his sisters Blyss & Fantasia.
Debbie C--card with Sheba puppies Amaya & Akoni with coupons
Romeomom/Sarah--a paypal to get Lucy Ann some catnip!

We had our RAFFLE last night! So very exciting and so wonderful. Here's our winners!
Item A--BagoBear Quilt, won by Mary H from Arch   45 tickets sold
Item B--Pat's Flower Afghan, won by Romeosmom, to be given to Mudjie  78 tickets sold
Item C--BagoBear Quilt, won by Joanna Ba  59 tickets sold
Item D--Rosemary Peach Afghan, won by Jinkies-TX   89 tickets sold
Item E--BagoBear Quilt, won by Anita F  81 tickets sold
Item F--Rosemary Log Cabin Afghan, won by Romeosmom  112 tickets sold
Item G--Bagobear Quilt, won by Madisonpepper  50 tickets sold
Item H--LJ/Larissa Harlequin Afghan, won by NYCkitty, 241 tickets sold

Consolation prizes went to Keiko, Jerseygirl, Knittinkitten, Christonsmom, Wickedwings, Luvtheanimals, Pawapurr, Nocats, Joco, Sandra He and iPurr.  Congrats!

This came to a total of $3,775--staggering to me!! Then to top it all off, we had some toppers to add to the total! Many thanks to: Faithy, Romeosmom, EarthEyes, Farmgirl, Mich, MaryMort and Joni W for adding to this amount.

Now, our amount came to a grand $4075. Simply amazing, isn't it. I'm so happy about this and so very grateful for what our FFRCNation has accomplished. This money will be used to cover this coming Saturday's surgeries and many physicals. I always wonder how I can relay my thanks on properly. Please know that I am grateful from the bottom of my heart!

You, and you and yes you---YOU all are the backbone of FFRCNation. The 2 sayings that Pat came up with are lovely to me. It's the same that Buffypotter and Angelface used on their picture. 
One Heart
One Mission
One Nation
You all are involved in this and I am glad. If someone would've told me when we first started the cam, that it's possible to really feel connected to so many people from around the world, I probably would've doubted it. But not now---I can see the truth in this and I cherish it. A big thanks to our chatters, lurkers and posters of FB.  Simply put, you are awesome and I enjoy you all. I'm glad you have found our Rescue Center. 

I would also like to take this time to thank our Mods and Admins. They are quite amazing. I think sometimes people forget the fact that they do this out of the kindness of their hearts. Some can only give short hours, some give many hours a day to help FFRC. Regardless, they are appreciated by me. The mods keep the chat clean and friendly and welcoming. We want it G-rated for all ages. The Admins work on the facebook posts, to keep it family-friendly. It's important to FFRC to have the chat and the posts where they are "safe" to read. When you see these nice folks, please give them your thank yous too. Some days are hard and they weather thru it and come back still willing to help FFRC. They are representatives of this Rescue Center.

A big thanks too, to our webmaster, Clay. He is simply awesome and I so appreciate him. He's the best of the bestest at websites! 

Another thanks to give is to Dawnstar (he'll grumble at me for this, but that's ok!). He's our glue that holds our cams together.  He takes care of so many things, on so many different levels, on the technical things. You all know, I love this Rescue Center with a passion, but the computer world is not my expertise. But it is to Dawnstar. He gives willingly and is appreciated.

Some of you may have heard me say this before....but here goes. I use to think, when this Rescue Center was first started, that we could never get so big, that if something happened, I couldn't keep on running it by myself. Well, that idea went out the window long ago! And I'm glad. It does indeed take a village of people to keep this place going. Some days my head just swims with all the details of what needs done. But knowing that there are so many people helping us in different levels, is extremely comforting. That village of people I mentioned.... are our friends.  Friends of our FFRCNation. Thank you all. Hugs to you all. 

Monday, March 16

The sun has been shining and we have a glimpse of spring! Snow is melting quickly and the river's ice has gone out. Spring is definitely coming. Can you tell we've all been so waiting this? I watched a news story this morning about how the Boston area made history with the greatest amount of snowfall for this winter. Sure hope you get a big melt soon. 

Bubbles and more bubbles! We turned on the new bubble maker from Diana today. Oh my goodness--this one puts out LOTS of bubbles! We'll do it again soon.

Our surgery date is this Saturday. We have very few surgeries for FFRC--only 2! One is Joanna, who is in heat. And the other is Jamie, who will have an eye enucleation. But, we have more surgeries to do! We want to help our volunteers with cats that they know of to get them neutered/spayed. So we have more surgeries that we will do! Which is good--we want to reduce that overpopulation of cats. We will also be doing alot of physicals. The goal is to have each Covie have a physical, weighed, teeth checked, etc. We want to make sure they're healthy before heading out to Cat's Cove! If we can get some of the Porchies done, that would be good.

On Sunday we will be having a Volunteer Appreciation dinner for all the wonderful people that help us. It'll be from 2;00 to 4:00 at Dos Amigos. The whole restaurant will be for FFRC during this time! We're looking forward to being able to treat the volunteers to a scrumptious meal to show our appreciation. 

We had BOXES Saturday night.  The generosity shown to FFRC is always a joy.
Sarah J from Germany--donation to FFRC
June/painteddaisy--12 new Spring colored pillowcases, pencils/2 pencil pouches, 6 soft blankies, 2 boxes K-cups, cracker/cheese snackers for volunteers, office odds/ends, micro towels, white choc. pretzels
Marsha F from NC--donation to help with veterinary bills
Domingo F--donation to FFRC
Kikimycat--36 ind. Pringles, 2 bags Jolly Ranchers and other candy for volunteers
Dottie & Nathan from NB--gauze sponges & non-stick dressings
Clark, Jessie & family--Happy 8th BD card for Oliver and his BD $5
Tom & Linda C from IL--donation to FFRC
Charlotte L from WI--donation to FFRC
Amy G, visitor--donation for FFRC
Tom & CHristine with Daniel, Anna & Grady--card with a donation
Donna/knittinkitten--donation in memory of Rebecca

Megan, our volunteer owns and operates Goin Postal here in Defiance. This past week, they had a fundraiser for FFRC. A percentage of their sales went to FFRC.  Saturday night Megan presented a check to FFRC for a whopping $1,032.58.  I was amazed and so very thankful. What a very nice thing to do for us!

On Saturday Magic weighed a whopping 3 pounds! Isn't that just wonderful. And he has yet another week and a half to continue to gain weight before his surgery. Seymour's sore on his leg has grown even smaller--it's healing very nicely. Unelma is little Miss Social girl. She loves to be in the Paw-Mart and mailroom to visit everyone. So friendly! Asha has been enjoying the sunshine at the windows. She just glistens.

Monna loves to play with the other cats. She's a bit shy of people yet, but has come a long way. Jamie is a complete marshmallow. He is perfectly at ease here in the Rescue Center. He loves people, the cats and is so super relaxed. I have noticed he's a bit afraid of the dogs but doing better at that. 

Do you know Timothy? He's a Covie and a very friendly boy. He arrived here 7/14/08, so he's been with us for quite a while. He was only 1 year old then. Timothy had been in some woods at a volunteers house and kept coming up to the house to eat. Once he was caught, he was brought to the Rescue Center. Having never been inside before, he was not comfortable at all and so became a Covie. He's a very pretty brown tiger/white. He went missing in July of 2009. He didn't come back one night for supper when the Covies were out cruising. We searched and searched--no Timothy. 4 weeks later a very distant neighbor called and asked if they could bring us a cat that had been hanging in their yard. They brought him and it was Timothy. He's never ever since then has left the farm yard. We had a serious talk about the importance of staying home!

Tonight at 5:30 is our BOXES and following that is our Raffle! Come join the fun!

Saturday, March 14

What's gold, furry and wiggles like a worm?  It's Coralie's tail. Oh my goodness, it's wonderful to see that tail waving. It's her personality-gage! She also so loves to be brushed. 

Our raffle is on! Thank you to all involved in the creation of the pieces we are raffling off. FFRC has such creative people! There are 8 items--4 afghans and 4 quilts. You can go thru PayPal or send a check. If you send a check please email me so I can make note of your wishes. The raffle ends at 9:00 am on Monday. We will have BOXES at 5:30 on Monday pm with the Raffle right after boxes (about 6;00). There are also some real nice consolation prizes. Come join the fun.

We had BOXES on Weds. evening. We are grateful for your support.
Mary & Bill--lurker, OH--donation, cupcake kitty cake in honor of Mary's Birthday. We also had pizza ordered in, in honor of Mary's BD! They brought in lots of supplies-vinegar, bleach, can chicken, Lysol cleaner, kitty wipes, PT, Lysol wipes, dog can food, tuna, sunflower seeds, 2 bag of oranges from Florida!, 9 & 6 in. plates, can food, trash bags, Keurig coffee k-cups, salmon
Joyce R/stinkygreykitty--2 cards, kitty dress-up hats (so so cute) and 4 pretty quilts for day sale or raffle
Linda C from WA--lots of Jarvis Jumper toys for Paw-Mart
Kikimycat--lots of ping pong balls for the cats
Anonymous Friend--10 scotch brite pads
Beth/eaglewacher--case of Trucker & Magic's can food, 4 reams of paper with pastel colors
Great Aunt Julie/tigercat from IA--box of Whiskas Purrfectly fish (Ada Jane's fav)
Medic/Laura & mom--visitors--wash cloths, pet supplies, Pet Supply Plus GC, blankies & doggie snackers
Lynn/lynnczs--A green stained glass angel for birthday (it's beautiful), bottle of Recovery, kitty mug, kitty pin with 7 kitties, 2-24kt kitty gold coins--love these!
Henry R Peeps & Oh My Guiness--happy birthday cards with their $5 for Asha, Oliver & Buffy
Fi from UK--for Magic--a little house with 10 feather wand toys to put on it
KnittenKitten--cat dancer, case of Grandmas cookies for volunteers, case of Friskies Pate
Judi Sp--zebra scratcher
Zoolove--simple Green cleaner, 3 cans Clorox wipes, TP (48) & PT (24)
Karen B from Defiance--donation
Trudi S from Bryan--donation
Don & Joy D from NY with their kitties--kitty card and a donation
James from Toledo--donation
Tracy L--donation from PayPal for FFRC
Jaroslav S from Czech--donation to FFRC from PayPal

We had some sad news about Rebecca yesterday. She has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. We finally figured out what was going on with her. She had FIP (not FIV) (Feline Infectious Peritonitis. It's caused by a coronavirus. We have dealt with this before. With FIV and Leukemia diseases, we at least know what, why and the how's of these 2 diseases. Many things are still not known about FIP. What we DO know is it's unpredictable, untreatable and unpreventable. This explains why Rebecca didn't grow, had a poor appetite. There are two forms of FIP--the wet and the dry. She had the wet form, which is why she had such a big tummy. ALL cats have corona in them, but why it mutates and turns bad is also unknown. The prognosis for a cat with FIP is very poor. There is no cure for FIP. Once signs develop it is almost invariably fatal. 

So...to alleviate your worries--what Rebecca had is not contagious--it truly is a mutation of the corona virus. It is not preventable. I want to thank Peggy for caring for Rebecca this past month. She is absolutely an angel of a foster mom. She has done approx. 27 kittens for us. She gives with her heart. I told her yesterday, even though Rebecca's life was short, she had a huge amount of love and she had a home. Her life was full and she knew she was loved. I thank you again, Peggy. 

Unfortunately, we've lost a few pictures of the new barn cats. But, we can give you their names and descriptions!
Snoopy--br tiger with white chest, male
Busy--grey, medium fur, white chest and paws, male
Momow--grey with lots of white, smallish, female
Kerry--solid grey, male
Gwendolyn--black long hair, female
Caesar--black long hair, white chin, male
Bella--grey long hair, white chin, female
Dude--black/brown tiger with white, white toes and white left nose
Stripe--Br/black tiger, white paws, male, the Boss!
I know we were to get one more, but so far haven't heard from him. They really are doing good.

We've been asked---why do we do the expense of doing TWO FIV/Leukemia/Heartworm tests on the cats. That's a good question. Most places do one, upon arrival. But, if a cat had recently contracted the Leukemia Virus or FIV Virus, they may not have built up enough antibodies in them, to show up on the test. We retest 4 weeks after arrival also. At the time of the second test, if they really are a positive cat, 90% of them will show positive at that time. We do it as a safeguard. Nothing is perfect in the way of vaccines and tests, but we want to do the best that we can. 

It's brushing time for the cats. Spring truly must be "out there" somewhere! I know the temps are a little warmer, the snow is melting and the cats are shedding. And cats are going into heat. Do you have a cat that is not spayed or neutered yet? Please....I am not beyond begging....have them spayed/neutered. Now is the time, before all the babies are born. Do your part in curbing some of the pet overpopulation problem. 

Jarvis wants a home! Yep, he told me so. He is a play cat all the way thru. He's so handsome and so very playful. This boy will jump 3 feet in the air to get a ball that is being held for him. He loves to be cuddled, he loves other cats and he's good with dogs. He needs kids to play with! When I pull my desk away from the wall, he dives under the two compartments to retrieve his playballs. What a smartie he is! 

Weds. March 11

It's happening! Seymour's wound on his rear leg is healing! It's getting smaller and smaller every day. I do believe surgery repair of this will not happen! He's been the most perfect patient ever!

We have an update on Magic also. After talking to our vet, we've decided to postpone his surgery for 2 weeks! He's doing so good now. His energy level is back, his pain seems to be gone, his tummy ache is no longer a worry, he's eating good and growing. We would like him to be a bit bigger for his surgery! So.......grow, little Magic, grow!

We had BOXES Monday evening! Many thanks for your support.
Susan C and Sassy from WI--St. Paddy's card with a donation and 3 butterfly clips for the butterfly room
FaithyMD--box of Woolzies dryer balls
Nona S from NY--3 jars of silvadene cream and a bag of pecans
Foundinmt/Sandra P from MT and her fur kitty--boxtops, tea bags and 20 sets of 4 handmade coasters from plastic canvas, with a cork bottom on the coasters. Very nice!
DonnaJB--3 boxes of 100 count 3 ml Monojet syringes, 3 boxes of 100 count of needles and 2 boxes of Capstar! 
Littlefrank1--donation and Fiver Friday. An assortment items, some for Catathon, raffle or wherever can be used.  Stickers, Hello kitty bracelet, scratch pads, safety collars, Pom Pom craft kit, Fuzzies craft kit, dog snackers, pens for kids, coupons and a beautiful 2-tone blue afghan. Also Christmas presents for many of the kids involved with FFRC
Melissa L from NY---donation for FFRC
Marilyn H--donation for FFRC, thru PayPal
Randy B--donation for FFRC, thru PayPal

We've heard from Brea's family! All is well and happy. Brea and the other family cat are now sniffing noses! She likes to sleep on the young boy's pillow at night! 

We took in another cat yesterday---a big brown tiger boy. He's led a rough life and we were all relieved when his FIV/Leukemia test came back negative! He's been an outside cat always, about 2 years old and is super friendly. Will crawl right up on a person to be cuddled.  His right ear is almost all missing. Because of the many scars around the ear base, it would appear that something bit him and removed that ear, but not without a fight from him. His left eye is also missing, probably from the Herpes Virus. We may need surgery to properly close that eye due to eye infections. He is also very raspy in his breathing. His lung are clear, it's all in his head. What a marshmallow he is!  His name is Jamie. When all healed and it's warmer out, he will probably take up residence as a Porchie or a Barnie. 

Trucker did it. If we dare talk about poo.........he is having much better poo!! I'm thrilled. Here's the problem though that we may never get away from. Because of his sitting position that he holds all the time, his poo gets a bit squished. Oh well, it doesn't matter. We love him to pieces. He'll follow me right to the back Thumper's Room when I ask him if he's hungry. He's still on his special diet. 

McHoney loves my desk drawer. She hangs out in the purple office when I'm in there. The second I open the top drawer, she's in it---rooting for something to take! Such a sweetie. Jarvis is still jumping high to catch his little pom-pom balls. He so loves this! Ada Jane ate a good breakfast and seems to be holding her own. 

The dogs are doing great. The Porchies loved the nicer weather yesterday---you can just tell by watching them! The Covies had their whole afternoon to run-about wherever they wanted. They all came back for supper. The new Barnies are doing wonderful--in and out of the big red barn all the time now. They love their hay bales piled up! The horses have kept their weight on all winter and are already sniffing around for grass---that won't happen for a while yet though! 

Take care all. Remember to love your pets. Tomorrow is never guaranteed/ Have you found a cat to spay or neuter yet? 

Monday, March 9

Sweet Brea went to her new home! I've heard back once from the new family and things were going pretty good. That Brea is such a sweetie--alot of personality! We've also heard back from Yambilu's owner, twice. Things are going very well there and all is happy! 

It's drip, drip, dripping outside. It was so nice to go outside and stand in the sunshine and feel the warmth! We have a lot of snow to melt, ice is still thick on the river, but the sky is blue today and it just feels so nice outside! We're all getting anxious to start getting things cleaned up outside from this long winter. I saw the neatest thing this weekend---I called it a robin tree. It was a small decorative tree with  many dozens of robins flying in and out of the tree. It was pure joy to see this! 

We had BOXES on Saturday night! We simply love BOX night and appreciate you all.
Donnajb1951--100 purple exam gloves, bandaids, neosporin, qtips, cotton balls, 3 bottles Mr. Clean, 32 juice boxes, 40 Nabisco human snackers
Zoolove/Pam--bottle of Nature Miracle Stain/Odor Eliminator, 100 Mr. Clean Magic erasers
Judi Sp--2 bags of Precious Cat Litter
Jatcat--A wonderful swirl bed to help Magic with his upcoming surgery recovery
MidwesternGirl/Mary C from IL--card and donation for flashsale and a donation for Trucker's special food
Lynn from Ken's Furniture Store in Defiance--donation! We sure love these folks!
Faye M from NE---donation from her husband Ted in honor of her birthday on 2/27
Pat P, volunteer--2 boxes Appetizers
Michelle & Frank--Saturday visitors/volunteers--6 gallons vinegar
Louise W/doubleydibleydooUK--donation for all the kitties!
Brenda R from VA--donation for FFRC
Pat & Ellen of Defiance & volunteers--donating from their Amazon/Ebay sales and for Farrah. 
Lynne W from CA--donation to FFRC
Yuka N--donation to FFRC

Seymour! What a dandy boy he is. He's doing better! His wound is slowly healing and becoming smaller. I'm so happy about this! Dr. Darcy is very pleased too. He's still getting antibiotics, no more soreness meds, 2 laser treatments daily and soaking bath 1-2 times daily. His ointment is applied 2-3 times daily. He is a champ with all of this. Such a brave boy with an agreeable attitude! He's still in Dodger's Pen, but gets walk-abouts while being held and also a little free time on rugs in Cat's Corner Room. 

We still have Magic scheduled for surgery on Friday. He's up to 2.09 today--wow! He's a growing boy! His little crisis he went thru last week seems to be over so now we're heading again in the right direction. I checked him today and he has a little pocket of extra skin where the surgery site will be, so that is good. It's possible now that we can postpone his surgery for a little bit, but will make that decision on Weds. and after talking to our vet again.

Jessie, one of the oldsters, is doing great. She still looks so much younger than her age. She goes here, there and everywhere! Kimp is now a brave girl and is comfortable in the Main Area. She loves the windows. Widdy is still in the back Thumper's Room---much shyer than her sister. We're working on a couple leads that may take her into their home---quiet homes with a lap. More later! 

Thomas is doing great--very few "episodes" last week and no seizures or UTI's for quite awhile. Nelson will be leaving this weekend. Good news! His brother Floyd will also be going.  The brothers will be sticking together! Joyful is doing wonderful. She is definitely the Welcome Room greeter. She's doing pretty good letting people do short pets to her! She so loves her cave bed. Unelma is a sweetie. She loves going into the cabinet for her nap. We've accommodated her by putting a blankie there for her. She absolutely loves people. Sure does enjoy her grooming too--likes to be brushed. 

It's so important to get those cats spayed and neutered. Now is the time before they are pregnant for this spring time. Kittens born in April can have kittens themselves in the late fall. Please....don't let this happen. Be a part of the solution and spay and neuter. 

Friday, Feb. 6

We've had an adoption today! Yambilu went to her new home. As you probably know, we had a few restrictions on her. She had to go into a home with no other pets, to someone with patience and also has lots of time. This wonderful, kind man came in and he fit the bill. He will give us an update in a few days. So happy for Yambilu!

We also had an adoption yesterday! Teagen went to his new home and this family was so happy to have him. 

We had BOXES last night! Wow--as always, wonderful boxes and we're thankful!
Pat, our Thursday PM volunteer--donations from Walmart and Pat also crocheted item for Paw-Mart
Kelly R/littleonemine--coupons, box tops, AA batteries, pens & stamps for the office. 6 cans chicken, 6 cans salmon, 6 cans Fancy Feast, 2 bags Royal Canin, 2 cases Appetizers, kitty snackers, kitty toys and a can of Roca Butter Crunch!
Donnajb--A wonderful book called Shine On, Little Bits of Wisdom (has magnificent horse pictures!), 6 of 10 pack spring toys, 10 cans tuna, 12 cans sardines
Boudecea--6 awesome pairs of socks for me!
Joyce B/stinkygreykitty--fleece blankie ladybugs and butterlies, 40 catnip fleece toys, 2 fleece blankies and a purple Plaque (You had me at Meow!) which is going in the purple office today!
Anne in the UK--card with note--purse charms and book marks!! absolutely awesome crafts! 
Conii with her 2 kitties! 12 XL bottles of L-lysine--a wonderful gift!  4 bags Royal Canine kitten, 2 bags RC Indoor, kitty snackers, cat toys--lots of yummy catnip ones!, 5 big bags of Precious cat litter, 2 bags of chips, 3 bottles Mr. Clean, 12 cans Lysol wipes
Arden & Charmaine--2 cases of styrofoam plates
Deb11111 from MN--USB extension cable and 3 cans Lysol wipes
Pat & Ellen--1000 large paper plates, 20000 small paper plates
Vickie B--6 bags of Royal Canin babykitty dry
Helina P from Finland--a donation in memory of Cozi, Jonah and for my birthday (thanks!)--all this in honor of her birthday! Happy Birthday to you! 
MaryAnn B from SC--donation to help with Magic's medical needs

Remember you can check out our second cam which shows our Kitty Kabana Room! Go to: ustream.tv/channel/kabana-cam-ffrc   Enjoy! 

We had a brave moment this morning! Kimp came into the Main Area! All by herself. She stayed just a short time and then went back. We will probably soon put both Kimp and Widdy in Cat's Corner Room to help them progress to the Main Area. Both are really nice cats. Joanna is now in the Main Area all the time. She came up on her own and seems very contented.

The bunnies are growing! They are really sprouting into big bunnies. All the farm animals are doing good. The new Barnie cats are comfortable now. We have the door to the big red barn open so they can now come and go as they want. So far, so good! 

We are continuing Seymour's treatments. He's a gem and tolerates them well. Magic is eating good today. Cayden is a nut! He loves doors and likes to go in the Dog's Room, the Storage Room and the Welcome Room Office--in and out all the time. Maybe he thinks there's something exciting going on! Bella is doing wonderful. She still loves her baby food jar every day. Paddy Cake and Paddy Purr are great. Purr is feeling real good. He loves the windows in the back Thumper's Room. There's always birds in the trees right outside of the window. 

I am suppose to pass on some messages from some of the cats! And if you know these cats, you'll understand why their messages came from them! 
Thomas: Conserve your energy for when it counts. 
Ada Jane: It's good to be pampered. Remember to pamper someone today.
Brea (who has a booming purr):  Never underestimate the power of a purr.
Asha: You don't have to be rich or famous or powerful to be loved.
Corby: Even if you sing poorly, sing.
Paddy Cake: Sometimes its best to hold your tongue.
Jarvis: Make fun wherever you are. 

Everyday we have orders still going out from the past Flash Sales and envelopes from Fiver Friday. It all takes time, but slowly our done pile is growing! If there's any errors, don't hesitate to let us know. 

Thursday, March 5

Thomas is here in the front purple office with me. He's so sweet. Sometimes he walks so slowly, sometimes he prances, sometimes he kick-hops! We love this boy. He's had a good week. Alma too has been busy--she's all over the place, even comes up to the Kitty Kabana a few times. It's so nice. The other day I saw her heading towards a litterbox and thought I'd help her to it. My help was not favorably received--I for sure know what a dirty look from a cat is---cause Alma gave it to me! Gotta love her determination!

We also took in a new kitten. She's about 5 months old and was dumped at a dog shelter nearby. The dog warden brought her here yesterday. Her name is Joanna because she looks so much like Jonah. She only weighs 3.14--very thin, but a big heart. Loves to be petted and sure knows how to purr.

Our new replacement steps arrived yesterday. Jimmy went to Toledo to pick them up. Unfortunately, the picture of them compared to the real steps are not quite the same. The steps are very sturdy, made of fiberglass but very rough.  Because of how rough the exterior is our floor guy, Bruce came and took a look at them today and have transported them to his shop. He will put a finish on them just like the floor. In their present condition, we wouldn't be able to mop them. 

Please always remember--if you have had a package arrive that's not right, if you've had something printed that's not right or haven't heard back from me within a reasonable amount of time, never hesitate to email me! I try very hard to keep current and accurate. 

We had BOXES on Monday evening. We are very grateful.

Katie L, a lurker from Canada--a beautiful Grief Plaque

Arden and Charmaine--3 packs of Clorox wipes

Maryann/Merry_Marvin & Peanut from CA--Kitty card with note, card too from Peanut with a note! 10 kitty snackers, 6 cans Tuna, 7 cans Weruva, 3 jars holistic kitty snackers, a red/green pokie dot blankie

RoBotMaN--65 lazer lights to light the way to the kitties new home!

Joyce from OH--bag of Purina One Dry Kitten

Toktube/Bianca--9 canisters of Lysol wipes

Clark, Jessie & Family from FL--Happy Birthday Ratchet! With his $5 for yummy snackers and a sponsorship for Ratchet

Nona--stamps & coupons

Beth--24 cans Ziwi lamb to keep Truckers tummy happy.

Roberta L from OH--donation to FFRC

Renee/jakesmeowmy from Canada--donation to be used where needed. 

Janet M--donation to FFRC

Don't forget to visit our youtube site to see many many FFRC videos! The site is:  youtube.com/user/FOFRescueCenter. I think you'll enjoy it!

What an exceptionally busy week. Between Magic, Trucker and Seymour, we've been hopping. 

Here's the updates:

Trucker--he's doing fair since we've started his treatment.  Quite plainly--part of the problem is that he sits when he potties, which adds to the problem. I think if he just was in one spot, it wouldn't appear to be so "messy".  It's definitely better and we're carrying on with his treatment. He doesn't give up easy and neither do we!

Seymour--his sores that has been on his rear leg has now opened up. This is such an unfortunate thing He's on pen-rest 24/7 for right now. He's also receiving 2 antibiotics daily, 2 soreness meds, 2 soaks and applications of a special ointment twice daily. We are also giving him laser treatments twice daily. He's such a patient cat and handles all of this so sweetly. He's getting lots of TLC. Our vets are hoping to get this healed without the need of surgery. 

Magic--Oh Magic. Lots of things going on. He seems to be having a bit of tummy-aches. and a little trouble with his stools. We have a concern and are hoping that he has no malformities of his intestinal track. After talking to our vets this week, it was decided that his first surgery can't wait too much longer. Because of the tightness of his leg skin and the smallness of space to potty in, it's felt that his first leg removal should be sooner than later. That may relieve some of the discomfort for him. There's also a concern of his having an infection due to the stool "back up", so he's been put on antibiotics. He also lost a bit of weight, so we need to double our efforts to get him to regain this weight. He's a great little boy with much determination. His first surgery is scheduled for 3/13. I'll be going with him for this day event. 

We worked on the new anesthetic machine yesterday and have it 90% together! It's a beautiful unit! Jessie is doing great--she's a young oldster and feeling good. Cutie is happy and has been eating her breakfast very well. Jarvis still loves his little pom-pom balls. Honor now does too--the two of them will play for 20-30 minutes with one ball together! Suzanna is doing great and her bottom is pretty much healed. What a nice cat---loves to be petted. 

. 

Monday, March 2

Happy Spring Month! I know for many, it's still very wintery out. Yesterday we received another 3-4 inches of snow. But the promise of spring is near! A lovely time of the year, but it also brings the time when cats start reproducing again. Here I go again---do you know a cat that is not neutered/spayed? Offer to do it, if you are able. Even doing ONE cat will make a difference. 

We had an adoption this weekend! Tammy went to her new home! They came in looking for an entirely different cat, but Tammy won them over! She must've been watching how adoptions work and decided it was time for her.

We had BOXES Saturday evening! Many thanks to our givers.
Katie J/goofykt151--donation in honor of Dora's First Birthday (goofy is mom of Dexter!)
Bill H from RI--a fun letter & a box with Sunki8st Fruit Gems &  Reece's peanut butter cups! What a decision--which one to eat first--trust me, both were eaten that evening! 
LostGirl/Deb--300 nine inch paper plates, 4 of the 4 packs of Clorox Wipes
Donnajb--2 of the 45 count Austin Variety Pack of snackers for volunteers
Jan H from TX--TX friends of Eaglewatcher--4 handmade quilted kitty blankies for the catbeds
Maureen S, nursing friend of Eaglewatcher--donation for FFRC
Eartheyes/Margaret--2 bags Precious Cat Litter, 12 small containers of lysol
FaithyMD--lots of different things for many uses for FFRC--key chain, purple pens, pop tabs (for Kellen), board game, Flaminals animated book and another book with magical dragon popups, serving trays, Puff 
Susan S from Defiance---donation for FFRC
Amy W from PA, who brought Alma to FFRC--a heartwarming letter along with 2 donations, one from her and from her parents
Clark, Jessie and rest of family--Birthday card for Asha and the birthday $5
SHannan W--donation to FFRC thru PayPal
Louise W from UK--donation to FFRC thru PayPal
Sarah P from MO--a donation to help with Lucy Ann

Yesterday was Asha's birthday! She had been at a Humane Society in Ohio for 4 months before coming to FFRC on 3/7/11. She's been with us for 4 years now! She had her own special plate of yummies, just for her, for her birthday!

We also recently took back 3 adult cats that originally came from FFRC. While we always hope our cats go to their new homes forever, sometimes life-things get in the way of this. We are always here to welcome them back.

Suzanna was returned on Saturday. She's a beautiful long hair gold/white cat. Her birthday is 8/7/07. She is now 7 1/2 years old. She originally came to FFRC when she was 6 months old, 2/8/08 and was adopted shortly after that. She was there for 4 1/2 years but had to be returned due to changes with the family and she no longer had a home. She was then here for 5 months and was adopted again. This time she was returned due to family problems and couldn't go with them. So sad, but she's actually adjusting quite nicely. She is already cruising about in the Main Area. 

The other two that we took back are Widdy and Kimp. These sisters originally arrived when they were 2 days old, born to Arcadia. They were adopted together when they were 6 months old. Many months ago, their mama had to go to a nursing home. She took her cats with her! And they were with her the day she passed away. The nurses there knew these girls were to come back to FFRC.  They are now out and about in the Thumper Rooms, but not yet ready to come to the Main Area. They are close to 8 years old with their birthday on 4/24/07.

This morning we did a lot of treatments. Vaccinations are current. We did two leukemia/FIV/heartworm tests to 2 kittens (Magic and Yambilu) and they were negative. This was their second tests for both kittens. We cleaned many ears, weighed a lot of the cats and also did their toenails. Everyone looks good. We're basically a healthy bunch and I'm grateful for that. We have a few on antibiotics, but they are doing good.

Alma. She is just wonderful. We had the sweetest letter from the person that brought her here a year ago. She arrived here 2/22/14. Remember---she basically lived in a cage for lack of a family that would take her. We decided that FFRC would like to give her a home. She's never been penned since the first few days. Once Alma decided that she could get herself up and about, she figured out how to walk/flip/flop her way anywhere. She is labeled as a cat with severe CH. But, that "label" doesn't mean a thing to her! She's able, she's healthy and she's happy! She sets her mind to something and she'll accomplish it!  We are thrilled to have her here at FFRC.  She is amazing!

A big thanks to Joni for doing two Flash Sales for us this weekend. The money earned is destined to go towards our new and incoming anesthetic machine! And guess what..........we succeeded! The anesthetic machine is paid in full. I'm thrilled and so grateful! Thanks too to everyone involved in making this a successful help to FFRC! Our current anesthetic machine is many, many years old and has seen close to 16,000 surgeries with FFRC. We used this machine when we had our low-cost spay/neuter clinic. And we bought this machine refurbished---it was not new! It's earned it's retirement! The new one is almost $2,200. Thank you to you all for making this possible.