Friday, June 28

I've just counted--there's 14 cats on the window ledges in the Kitty Kabana room! They sure love watching the birds and the action of what's going on out there. Sometimes the peacocks visit, sometimes the porchies come over to sniff at them thru the screen. There was even a chipmunk a couple days ago that caused quite a big stir. Then I walked out to my desk and there were 4 kittens sleeping on the desk on top of all my paperwork. Add Kukster who was walking around on the floor and it makes for a pretty good morning!

We sent a lot of boxes and packages to the post office yesterday. Some of your Catathon items will soon be delivered. We will work full speed ahead, again today on them. If there's anyone "out there" who have not received your items from the last Day Sale, please e-mail me and let me know. Sometimes we slip up on an order and our goal is to get each one correct.

The 6 kittens are out loose in the back Thumper's Room. They are Toby, Pokie Dots, Dennis, Althea, Canto. Plus we still have Titoes in a top pen. The good news is, he ate a full breakfast by himself today. Wow--this has been a nasty virus, but I believe he's winning the battle. It's been a long, hard week for him, but he's tough. We noticed the last couple days that his breathing is easier, he groomed himself last night and nibbled a bit too by himself. He'll be in recovery mode for a few more days.

Little Canto continues to rest. He's been sleeping a lot and that's ok. Afterall, he's been thru a lot in the last week. He's able to bear a bit of weight on that pinned leg. He's in the front Thumper's Room, along with Merlyn, Intrepid and Camvie.  That Camvie--what a scamp she is. Now, when she's hungry, she climbs up onto the counter and sits beside her bowl of food. She won't eat it but she'll reach her little paw out to you, like --hey, I'm hungry, please feed me. So....we continue to feed her! Won't be long until she's figured out what to do. In the meantime, we're enjoying it!

We have thank yous to give:
Lawrence G--donation thru PayPal
Brad B from KY--donation thru PayPal
Gusti from Germany--donation thru PayPal for Camvie for food and meds, from her neighbour Gisela.
Carol (a friend of Courtney who is visiting) donated the Thomas Train wooden set and Annie Leibovitz book (we will use these for a Day Sale!), also printer paper, snackers, RC food, fancy feast, pet shampoo/condition, cat ped beds, Friskies

We will have BOXES tonight! I crashed last night and no way could I keep my eyes open! So, early to bed for me! But, we will have them tonight. We already have 6.

My heart has been full this week, trying to absorb fully the Catathon event. I am so very grateful for what has happened. So many people worked very hard for this event to take place--people here, people "out there" in cam land. I thank you with a full heart of gratitude. The kitties say they are also very very thankful!

Althea says: "I delcare this Toby to be my friend".

Boxes here, packages there, tape over on the counter, labels on the table--there's stuff everywhere--clear up to shoulder high! Yep--we're packing up the Baskets and Big Ticket Items the the items that were sold for the $28 and under. It's organized chaos. And it's all in the new Mail Room! We are loving it. The counter isn't secure yet, but the cupboards and cabinets are in. We love it.

The back Thumper's Room is starting to come together too. The kittens back there are loving all the cabinets and boxes being everywhere--they are great mountains to climb. By the end of the day--all should be secure to the wall and we can finish filling them up with our supplies!

Our little Catmandu had his surgery yesterday. Poor fella had a really nasty break. But his rear leg now sports a pin and two wires. He;s on a big cushie to rest on so he's quite comfortable. This is a really nice kitten--will come to the front of his pen to be petted, even thou it's less than 24 hours after surgery.

Oh my goodness--there are kittens galore here on my desk, so it's THEIR fault this blog is so late! I do believe someone has sprinkled bonito flakes and catnip on the desktop. I need a kitty babysitter! Do I love it? You bet!

We had BOXES here last night and we are thoroughly grateful!
Debra M/kittymama2 from Arkansas--a case of paper towels
Conii--a big orthopedic pad bed for Kukster, who loves it already
Anonymous Friend--2 cases of Mega Temptation snackers
Caren F--snackers for volunteers--40 count cookies
Debbie & Jim from GA--card with Althea kitty--deluxe pet comb, snackers for the cats, ring toys, skunk, squirrel and forest cat nip toys, nyla bones for doggies, egg cartons for mail room and 2 jars of Blistex lip balm
Anonymous Friend from Wag.com--32 count Friskies
Arden & Charmaine--6 bottles of Tide HE for laundry and 2 boxes of Bounce
Lena D from WV--huge box of chucks pads
Joann/joco51--another big box of chucks pads
Ellen C from UT--donation
Octavia with help from a Wisconsin friend--4 packages of 9-Lives can food, lots of big styrofoam plates, 5 cans of squeeze cheese, cans of clams, salmon and 2 bags of sardines and a forever comfy foam/gel seat cushion! For Amy--note from her kitties, microwave lunches and a bag of Hershey Kisses.
Nancy D from OH--donation
Sarah & Rob P from MO--coupons
Alan Z from UT--donation
Swankitty & Ron--congratulations card to everyone
Courtney--from Maine, who is visiting us this week--Thomas Train wooden set and Annie Leibovitz photographers Life book (for Day Sale), printer paper x3, magic erasers, snackers, RC food, fancy feast, pet shampoo/conditioner, Friskies, Tid soap, cat pet beds
Billypogo & Bonnie who was here for the Catathon and adopted Gallant--Litter, Purex, kiten bags, RC dry food, small paper plates, baby wipes, bleach, cat snackers, KMR, cat toys, Fancy Feast, Appetizers, baby food, PT, Clorox Wipes, Dawn soap and vinegar

Our evening was wrapped up by a lovely poem, written by Widdletiger, about  Zelda Belda--so sweet of you and I dearly loved it!

Fiona--just about ready to tape a nap!  What a beauty. 

Weds., June 26

The cabinets, counters and cupboards are IN!!!  Yes, they really do exist. I was beginning to wonder. They have arrived and will be put together today. We will have lots of storage places for all the many items we need for the Mail/Store Room. I LOVE it.  And the extended Thumper's Room--what a great event! All of our medical things will be in one place--all organized so I don't have to hunt anymore. The laser equipment will also be in this room--will make it real easy to use. Our surgeries will be done here and the quarantine time too. But, to have a place for all our belongings--that is wonderful! I might just have to pull up a chair and watch every cabinet and cupboard being put in and enjoy it! Thanks to you all for helping to make this happen.

We will have BOXES tonight! Yeah! There's eight boxes right now by my desk and it's driving me nuts. None of them rattle, so I can't guess what's in them. I've shaken them several times! Tonight--6:00! 

Kukster is doing wonderful. He gets out of his pen 3-4 times a day, but under supervision as he mustn't jump. So far, he's behaving. This is a fragile fix and must have time to heal. Kukster is really a wonderful cat--so friendly. He'll curl up with the kittens on the poof to sleep with them.

Joline! Joline! She was almost doing cartwheels this morning! Her biopsy came back negative for cancer. I am so very thankful. It does show severe stomatitis though. This is a chronic, painful oral disease. Stoma means "mouth" and itis means "inflammation". It's thought to be an autoimmune issue. The feline immune system seems to overreact to dental plaque around a cat's teeth, triggering inflammation in the tissues of the mouth. It can appear as angry, red, swollen tissue. There is no cure, but we CAN and do treat it. There's various treatments that we use. We can also gauge how comfortable she is by watching her activity level (which this week is great!) and if she drools (which can mean her mouth hurts). We've dealt with this before and with the help of our vets will keep her comfortable. 

Gallant went to his new home with Billypogo and Bonnie yesterday. He has his flying wings now. You know, I love each and every cat here, but that Gallant boy was something extra special. The courage he showed each day of his treatments and his good attitude was nothing less than phenomenal. Gallant is a wonderful cat. Very hard to let that one go, but he's now in his new home. Thank you Billy and Bonnie. Gallant talked to Earth-Eyes who sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers to me, from Gallant! Thank you so much. 

Camvie--what can I say about that sweetie? She's a speedy little ball of fur. Open the door and in she zooms. Open the other door and she zooms right on out. She thinks she's attached to our ankles. And all of this in a kitten less than 1 pound.She's still being syringe fed. I've told her she should be eating out of a dish by now, but that scamp....she actually laughed at me. So, we will continue to syringe feed her!

Butch, the newest black kitten has a really neat face-it's very angular. And his tail....it's long! He's a nice boy. A little unsure what those other 4 legged things are that want to play with him, but he's learning. 

Catmandu will go to the vet's today for his x-ray and then his surgery for repair of his rear right leg. He's such a dear--purrs and cuddles right into our hands. I know very well that that leg hurts, but he's on pain meds and is very tolerant. We gave him a bath yesterday and this morning I'll clip off the tar that's stuck to his fur. 

Little Titoes is slowly but surely recovering. He had the same virus that his sibling had that passed away. Just this morning, he was actually sleeping on his side which is a good indicator that breathing was easier for him. He's a determined boy!

We have thanks to give!
Gusti from Germany--a donation for a special blankie for Catmandu and to help with his soreness meds
Nancy/kerswill & Tom G--2 bags of Purina One kitten, case of Fancy Feast kitten, appetizers, orange cat bed, kitty chaise lounge, Jergens lotion, diabetic syringes, finch feeder sack
Gillian H from UK and from kitties Phoebe, Flo, Hugh and Louis--for Earth Angels 
Patricia Y/S--donation thru PayPal
Brooke B--for Derecho and for a special snackers for him
Diane F/hull286--a donation for FFRC and kisses to all the kitties!
Sir Gallant--a donation from him (!) for helping him get better! 

Olaf--one of our Porchie cats!

Tuesday,, June 25

Thank you, thank you, thank you! The Catathon is done and was very successful and I am so very grateful. What an extra busy place this has been. We've had lots of visitors and some are still with us! It was so very nice to have our family, volunteers and webcam friends here! All in all, the Catathon went just fine. There's a couple changes we'll make for the next Catathon that we've already been thinking about. This week will be busy packing up the orders and getting them sent on their way. I am still on cloud 9 and once again, I am humbled by your support of this Rescue Center. 

We had some fun during the Catathon, with a visit from a dancing chicken doing a gangster song. We also sang two songs (made by cammer Holly) called I've been Workin' at the Rescue and also Young McMoss. We had our 7 volunteer drawings and the 7 pre-registered viewer drawings. Those items will also be sent out soon. We had some surprises along the way which added to the fun. I was told we at one time at 1,109 viewers watching the Catathon. 

The total is in! It's also a bit different than announced after the Catathon. The reason is it's much easier to add the figures in the peace and quiet of a home to make sure figures add up right! The Grand Total from the Catathon was $23,115. Then we added in the store sales, donations that came in afterwards that day and the pre-sale which all allowed us to add in another $16,492.  This GRAND TOTAL IS: $39,607.  Wow, fantastic, awesome!!!!!  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this very successful Catathon! My promise to you is to use this money wisely and carefully. 

Here's an update on the cats and kittens:

Caliboo went to his new home with Val on Sunday. He will be a much loved kitten!
We are still waiting for Joline's biopsy reports which will likely come in today.
Little Camvie is awesome and is a blur of running on tiny spindly legs! She's still taking her syringe feedings and finally getting a little tummy on her.
Pania has her eye sutures removed--that incisional site looks great.
Intrepid now has his leg staples and his eye sutures removed. He may possibly have to have more surgery done on the eye, but we'll wait a bit and see. He's feeling better and looks healthier.
The URI for Merlyn is responding to medications and he's feeling better.
The 4 newbies--Althea, Pokie Dot, Dennis and Toby are doing great. Their energy level is good and they also are feeling better from their URI.

Then we have a few new ones that arrived yesterday.
Butch--a black, male kitten was found at a volunteer's place of work. She called and asked if we could take him in, as she couldn't get any work done because he was on her desk! So, Butch is here. He appears pretty healthy.
Canto--a gold/white kitten that we received a phone call about early in the morning. We went to the back of the Junior High School, and called him by Kitty, Kitty, Kitty.  Even before the second Kitty was called out, he was hollering his head off and running right to me! His poor throat is hoarse. Canto is a polydactyl (all 4 feet) and one of the sweetest kittens ever.
Catmandu--another gold/white kitten was found by a young girl who brought him in. Unfortunately he has a severely fractured rear leg that will require surgery. His appointment is tomorrow for x-rays and a surgery slot has already been given to him. His poor little leg hurts quite badly, so he's on soreness meds. This will also give us an extra day to beef him up a bit. A super nice, friendly cat. Just had the misfortune of meeting a car--he also has the telltale tire skids on his fur. 

There's a possibility that Gallant, Kitty Q, Catsparella, Maui and Ginger will be leaving yet this week.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you do for FFRC. I love this rescue center and it means a lot to me to have your support. Each and every one of you are important to us. Thank you. 

Here's Judson--in the doorway to the Kitty Kabana Room, looking oh so sweet!

Sunday, June 23

It's Catathon Day!!!!!!!!!  I can hardly believe it! I thank you for YOU--this has taken a huge group effort! 

We have posted this in our website:  

HI EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE US AT OUR 3RD ANNUAL FRIENDS OF FELINES RESCUE CENTER CATATHON!

WE WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WE ARE HAVING WITH USTREAMS NEW ADVERTISING AND TIME DELAY BROADCASTING AND HOW IT AFFECTS A LIVE AUCTION OVER OUR WEBCAM FEED.

USTREAM HAS BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE FOR US AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE. WE LOVE THE FACT THAT NOT ONLY CAN WE SHARE OUR CAMERA FEED WITH THE WORLD AT NO COST, BUT THEY PAY US REVENUE FOR DOING SO! HOWEVER THEIR NEW AD POLICY OF INSERTING COMMERCIALS INTO THE VIDEO FEED AND THEN TIME DELAYING THE BROADCAST SO VIEWERS DON’T MISS ANYTHING DOESN’T WORK WELL WITH A LIVE AUCTION. THESE INTRUDING AND DELAYING FACTORS ARE UNCONTROLLABLE AND WILL MAKE THE CATATHON AUCTION DIFFICULT FOR VIEWERS TO KEEP UP WITH ACCURATELY LET ALONE PLACE BIDS BEFORE AN AUCTION ENDS.

SO, today, FOR 4 1/2 HOURS ONLY, WE WILL BE BROADCASTING AS NORMAL ON USTREAM, BUT WE WILL ALSO BE BROADCASTING ON LIVESTREAM. THE OFFICIAL CHAT SHALL BE THE CHAT ON USTREAM, SO IF YOU WANT TO CHAT DO IT THERE. HOWEVER LIVESTREAM ALSO HAS A CHAT WHICH WILL BE UP FOR THE DURATION OF THE CATATHON ONLY. SO IF YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION DURING THE CATATHON AND GET A FFRC SANCTIONED ANSWER, ASK IT IN THE USTREAM CHAT.

THIS IS AN EVENT ONLY EXCEPTION SINCE THE TIME DELAY IS A MAJOR FACTOR. AFTER THE CATATHON WE WILL RETURN TO OUR NORMAL BROADCAST ON USTREAM ONLY.

AS SUCH WE WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT TO VIEW THE CATATHON ON LIVESTREAM YOU MUST BE REGISTERED WITH LIVESTREAM AND BE SIGNED IN. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO LIVESTREAM AND SET UP AN ACCOUNT BEFORE THE CATATHON STARTS. THIS WAY YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING SET UP WHILE THE AUCTION IS TAKING PLACE.

ALSO, JUST FYI, IF YOU HAVE AN IPAD OR IPHONE OR ANDROID DEVICE, APPS FOR THOSE DEVICES DO NOT GET COMMERCIALS OR HAVE THE SAME TIME DELAY. THERE IS A TIME DELAY BUT ITS LESS THAN THE BROWSER APP DELAY.

On to the Catathon!!!!!!!!  We're going to have some fun!

- See more at: http://www.fofrescue.org/category/catathon3/#sthash.dxSjL8Hi.dpuf

It's tomorrow! It's tomorrow! Catathon is almost here! The Baskets are brimming full. The Big Ticket Items are all awesome! Lots of excitement around here. Visitors starting to roll in. Kitties and cats are all brushed and have their faces and paws washed (had their Friday night baths!). Tents are up. Porta Pots in place. Yard mowed. Barns clean and are awaiting visitors. Balloons coming today. Oh my--lots of stuff happening. It's one of those zooming busy days, but we love it! Thanks to you all out there for helping to make this possible!

The cats are wonderful! Kukster continues to do well. His leg is healing. The vet says no jumping for 3 weeks. So far, it's been 4 days and he's already looking like he'd like to come out. We'll work on assisted walk abouts next week! He's a loverbug for sure.

The 4 kittens in the extended Thumper's Room are feeling better too. They can run around and look like blurs. But when it's name time, they crash all in a heap. They are still on antibiotics for their upper respiratory infection. 

Doce, Snappy and Whisk are tussling big time right by my feat. A pile of black/white. They're fur shines in the sunshine. 

The Covies had their run-about yesterday on the farmyard. We are so happy, as the Feline Fieldhouse (one of the rooms of the Cove), finally had the concrete poured. Before we had 210 blocks in there, none really spaced evenly and very uneven. Now, it's smooth and even! So much easier to clean and walk in there. The Covies are smiling too! This was a project on the list way back in the early spring. 

We had BOXES last night. We all are grateful for your generosity.
Caren F--2 cases of Friskies and 7 bags of kitty snackers
Cheri B--The monthly Spoiled Rotten Club sent another box! Rattle toy, dental cleaner, 3 kinds of snacks, can of RC adult and a can of RC intense beauty!
Jatcat--100 ct laminating big sleeves and 20 laminating pockets
kittymama2--Mr. Clean, Windex, Scotch brite pads, 2 boxes Bounce, Box of Mr. Clean Erasers, 2 lg. bottles Dawn soap, 3 Clorox wipes
Catloverhere--grip soft nail trimmers, 18 jars of baby food
Susan345--big case of Bounty paper towels
Tigercat54/Great Auntie Julie--case of Purrfectly Fish and a free gift of a can of Fancy Feast
GirlCanChant/JenD--Thank you card, letting us know she's going into a monestary for 3 months--we wish you well. Also sent her sponsorship and Name a Future Cat donation
Lillian M/Xenamolina and fur babies--a belated birthday card--extra thanks!
Geekjen from TX--card and a nice note, picture of her kitty Murtha and a donation
Conii with Elliott--kitty card and nice note. Also sponsoring MORE kitties, LOTS of kitties, including barn kitties and porchies!
Lori R/Loricat13--an awesome, wonderul fabulous poster of many FFRC kitties and all things FFRC. It took 3 months of drawing this poster. A wonderful gift. The original and 4 copies. One copy will go in the FFRC basket for the Catathon You have a beautiful gift.
Cheryl S from MD--a PayPal donation in memory of her Aunt Cindy
Charmaine and Arden B from IN--PayPal donation for helping with the new 4 kittens

The energy of these cats is just wonderful. It's amazing to me the joy that these cats and kittens bring to me and our volunteers and visitors. For me, there's nothing better than to be involved in animal rescue (except for my family!). 

Derecho is on the floor watching Sara and Ratchet play over a feathery toy. He's probably waiting so he can snitch it! Little Pumpkin just ran and landed on the back of Bixley. Zelda is grooming while basking in a sunshine puddle on the floor. KittyQ and Ruthie Ann are both watching birds in the Kabana Room. 

See you at the Catathon! Check out our website for all the information!  fofrescue.org

Baby Neutral Basket #132, Round #6



Big TIcket Item  Baby Doll #2  Cutie Pie #215    Rounds #3 and #4



Big Ticket Item #234, Simon's Cat book (author signed it)  Rounds #5 & #6

Friday, June 21

The surprise arrived! I was so nervous, because I was so hoping everyone would like the surprise. Many times over the last couple of years, people have asked for their very own t-shirts. We have volunteer shirts, so the webcammers have mentioned they would like their own shirt. Well.....that's what we did! They are just like the volunteer shirts, except the two places it says volunteers, it now says webcam viewers! They are a medium blue, very nice quality. We will get them in the Catathon's pre-order sales form today, complete with a picture of them. They come in sm, med., lg., x-lg., 2xlg, and 3xlg. Give us a bit of time this morning to work this out and then if you'd like to order one, we'll be ready! I'm so sorry--I wish I could give them away, but we do have to charge $20 (includes shipping).  Thanks ever so much for caring.

We now are two days away from the Catathon! Today is a very busy day. Hopefully, the cabinets, cupboards and counters will be in. If so, it'll take about 4 hours to install, then we can put things in their proper places. The Werlor (our big trash container) will be dumped so it'll be empty for a busy weekend. The two big tents will arrive this morning and be put up. Also the wonderful Porta-Pots will arrive. We will pretty them up with a bouquet of flowers! We will also make sure the 2 big screen tv's are ready for use for Sunday. Picnic tables will be put in place, benches to sit on and hopefully most of the last minute details will get done! Catathon..........we are almost ready!

We had BOXES last night! We are a grateful group here for your gifts. 
Anonymous--For the Catathon: Snowman wine stopper and a Berry Colander (collapsible)
Kittymama1/DebraM from AR--12 crocheted hot pads/wash cloths, 9 ruffles scarves in a variety of beautiful colors....these are for the Store and Day Sales.  Also a package of snackers for the cats.
Conii--wonderful Kabana wear vests for Derecho, Solee, Cozarelii and Walter--they will wear older styles today and tomorrow (lots of people will be holding them and want to keep the cats safe), but the new ones will go on them for Sunday.
Eaglespirit/Sally H from WI--special snackers for Sarah, Preakness, Joyful, Raza and Octavia. Gift for Damian and Kelly. Card with donation for leaf on the Giving Tree. Sponsorship for Joyful. Pictures of 17 FFRC cats, with really nice designs! Thanks, eaglespirit!
Anonymous Friend--2 sets of sheets, towel and wash cloths and bath mat for Kitty Kastle. For the Catathon--3 zoo animal pencils. 
Yvonne O--a visitor, lots of cartridges to recycle! 
LewBeth and Betsy, Catathon visititors!! Lots of things for FFRC--pretzels, can dog food, dog snackers, litter, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Cat Toys, Mr. Clean Erasers, hand sanitizers, Lysol Wipes, Laundry soap, Bounce, Capri sun drinks, Gatorade, cookies, PB crackers and candy bar, trash bags and kitchen bags. Wow--thanks!

The one thing that I am concerned about for the Catathon are the frequent ads showing up and that blue circle. Please know that we cannot control this--it is a Ustream issue, so I ask for your patience and understanding. Yes, the ads may get in the way of a last minute bid. Yes, that blue circle is a cause of irritation. But, please, this too shall pass and we will still be here! Remember, clicking to refresh after an ad will help! Sheriff Putter asked me to pass on that a requirement to Catathon-watching is patience! And you know....we must listen to our sweet Sheriff Putter! Thank you.

The next couple of days will be super busy, so please forgive me if I don't get all the e-mails answered. Be extra patient with the moderators and admins--they have a big job too to do for FFRC. The cats and kittens (well, not really the kittens) promised to be on their best behavior as our Catathon visitors arrive. Actually, I heard thru the grapevine that the kittens have planned some extra fast pace fun and games! And I'm also missing a whole container of Bonito flakes. I thought I smelled something fishy on Octavia's breath this morning, but she's not talking. Wonder what she has planned?! Remember the other Catathon's, Octavia made a grand entrance and displaced Big Ticket Items--she was so proud of herself!

Joline is sitting here beside me and she's looking quite happy. Hopefully today we will find the results of her mouth biopsies. Walter is curled up on my desk, taking a snooze. He looks so peaceful. Solee is here also, playing with her best toy--a coil spring. Doce is hanging over the perch doing the Badu-pose. Cutie is busy giving 3 kittens a bath. Life is good!

Painting  called Double Trouble, signed by artist.  Big Ticket Item #238, Round #5/6



Cat Basket #130, Round #6



Loads of Stickers! Basket #125, Round #5