Seymour is coming! Seymour is coming! Introducing Seymour......he is a 6 month old 1/2 Persian that has some spinal cord injury. This has probably been an issue for him since birth. Seymour and his mama Patricia are at a shelter right now called Riverside Regional Pet Shelter/BENCH in Mankato, MN. Here is a link to see him -- http://www.keyc.com/story/24419588/pick-of-the-litter-january-10-2014
Now, the TV News says he "needs" his mama, Patricia but the truth is, she's ready to move on and find her own home! And Seymour wants some play friends. So, Patricia will stay there and be adopted while Seymour will make his way to FFRC where he will have tons of friends. Our promise, as requested, to this shelter is that Seymour will always be here--we will give him forever care and love.
These two cats were left at the shelter, in a box, in their parking lot. While Seymour's back legs don't work properly, the really important thing to note is that he can hold his tail straight up! That means he can "feel" when he has to potty and he makes his way to the litterbox just fine. And his rear right leg has a little flutter motion that he can make--like to help "scoot off". And scoot he does--very quickly and perfectly!
Two cam friends who are sisters live in Mankato. They have offered to drive Seymour here. Their names are Julie and Patty. I'm so very grateful for them to make this trip. The plan right now, is that they will arrive here at FFRC late on Thursday. They will then spend 2 nights here in a hotel so they can have time to visit the Rescue Center and get ready for the long drive back. Again, thanks so much Julie and Patty!
Our Coralie girl is so so sweet. She just is so tolerant of her treatments. We rewrapped her feet this morning and will try and keep these on for 2 days. She is truly a purr girl. Freemont is a charmer. He knows how to work it! Rub, rub, rub and yep, you fall in love with him! He loves to rub on legs. What a boy.
Piet is growing. Clayton is a funny boy--always in the middle of all things orneriness-wise. Mellow is here in the office looking pretty sweet. She loves her cushie beds and to have the top of her head rubbed.
The lilly flower and spider beds have arrived. Casters will be put on today and they will then be in use. The kittens are already climbing on them and napping. Because of our order, we were able to purchase the Beanstalk Tree. It's awesome! It is yellow, green and pink with many leafs extending out from it for cats to nap in. They actually "sink down" into the leaves for a comfy nap! The top has a sort of "crown" that can hold 5-6 cats to nap! It's wonderful!
We had BOXES last night. Big time thanks to you--your hearts are awesome!
Brooke (visiting for a couple days)--Chicken Soup for the Soul, cat toys, cat snackers and most importantly 2 containers of Fudge!
Cindy M1 from NY--note, mouse pads from Zazzle for Lynnette and Jacci--so cute!
AuntyFi--5 smart crushers, different colors for adopters
Sheriff Putter by way of NY--kitty sized tools for kittys to help Dion with construction
Anna B--case of Appetizers for Tabith & friends
Zsa Zsa and mom Kathy--6 cases of Fancy Feast Appetizers
Laurie H/felinetoyz--a box of colorful things! 5 rolls decorative duct tape, laser inkjet paper, steno book, colored paper reinforcements, sticky notes, colored magnets, doodle pad, swirl pad, stickers
Kayton19--The Best Cat in the World Book for anyone that has lost a precious one
Missbekkah/Miss Bekkahs Corner--crocheted cat balls
Gusti--large bag of Royal Canin kitten, case of Royal Canin baby cat
Geremy K--potty bags, 4 cans Sheba, 4 cans Fancy Feast, 7 rolls flexible bandages, snackers, beautiful purple rug and towel
Sheila/oilsandsgirl--3 covered Kitty Campers with heaters for Porchies or Barnies
ErikaM from Hong Kong--Christmas card for FFRC and Farrah
Jan M from NY--donation--wherever is needed
Realty Five of Defiance--donation from a sale that client chose FFRC as their charity!
Sophieandlucysdad/Mike from MI--coupons
We also received some PayPals! I thank you.
Shimazu Ai--donation for FFRC
Lois B from OH--donation for FFRC
Eric Hamersly--donation for FFRC
Jatcat from CA--donation for an awesome HP laserjet Pro Printer--many thanks!
Shannon S from OH--donation for the care of Leonard and any other FFRC needs
Our Toy Sale/Poof Sale yesterday went great! I appreciate all the support. Lynnette has been super busy today putting orders together!
I've talked to Dr. Pettigrew about the 3 cats that spent the day there at the vet office. DeLeon was neutered. He's doing great. Little Miss Molly had her leg x-rayed. It of course showed the old fracture site of that rear leg. It shows a complete mend. It's crooked a bit and a tad shorter than the other leg, but nothing wrong with that. She keeps the leg and will be just fine! They were pleased with her x-rays. Shamballie also went to have his pin removed from his front leg. After looking at his x-ray, it was decided not to pull it yet. More healing and mending is needed. Possibly another 2 weeks.
Now, to discuss something rather sensitive. I know a few of our viewers have asked about Janet--if she is coming to visit FFRC since she is in the US. The answer is no. I let Janet know that we would let our viewers know this. I believe honesty is the best policy. I will not go into details or reasons because that is not necessary. But Janet and FFRC have parted ways due to a difference of opinions. I wish her well and a happy life. Now...it's time to put this away. Please...I expect to see no gossip about this, no speculation, just respect for all involved. This is not open for discussion. Thank you.
Tomorrow is an exciting day! Dion will be here (yes, I know--plans have changed slightly!) The door to the bathroom will be enlarged to accommodate a walker. Then the fun stuff happens! The new countertop and cabinets for the Rescue Center will be installed. Octavia now realizes she will still have full access to the food pantry--that was such a worry for her. And we finally calmed Tabitha down too. We assured her she will have a whole section for her nest--not to worry! The cat's hard hats and little tools are ready for use!
Things are going great here at FFRC. We had four more adoptions yesterday! First, Miss Marti, my desk friend, went home with Tammy. A long 9 1/2 hours later, they made it home. Sounds like Miss Marti has fit right in already. Love the picture on facebook!
In the afternoon, Mogo went to his new home. We had a couple that had come here 3-4 times looking for a kitten to be spoiled. And they found Mogo! Then, in the afternoon, Curt and Connie arrived to take home their precious cargo---Turtle and HoHos. These are the last of Paul's 6 cats. But knowing that Paul loved Curt and Connie both, made this an extra sweet adoption. Connie already told me today that they snuggled right into bed for the night!
Freemont continues to do better and better. He's a wobbly boy, but he is improving. He's got the hang of our floor and he wants into the Main Area very much already. That will happen soon. He absolutely loves legs and feet--I think he uses them for support! He adores people and is very good with the other cats.
Sweet Coralie. What a doll she is. So very patient with all of her treatments. I took her dressings off this morning so she could have grooming time. All 4 feet are still a bit swollen and she has some tissue hardness. Her ears will end up being about half the size as normal--but she says ears are overrated anyhow! I just realized today the extent of her tail damage--more than I thought. She will probably lose half of her tail. Again---she's not too concerned about this either. She thinks short tails are in style. It's more her feet that I'm concerned about. Time will tell where this is heading. She'll probably get a 4-foot soak today. What a lovely personality she has. She loves a good long belly rub.
Piet--have you noticed how wide his ribcage is? There's a reason--he has his wings tucked alongside those ribs. Yes, that is correct--wings. That girl can be on the floor one second and half way up my back the next second. She is fast--I know she must have wings! What a sweetie she is too.
Zata is doing wonderful. We are back to full FFRC tummy. She's eating great and thoroughly enjoying it. Miss Eltoe is unbelievable. You almost half to look twice now at her--she's no longer skeletal but sashaying around here with a tummy on her too!
We had BOXES on Friday night! Big time thanks to you all!
Elizabeth/widdletiger--a case of 32 boxes of Apple Juice and 24 K-cups with lids
Tobyswife--4 pack of mylar balls for Pania (she was batting one around this morning)
Laura H/Medic--case of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers
Great Aunt Julie/tigercat from IA--4 kong natural toys with catnip, 2 kickeroos and 2 cases of Weruva packets
Lorenzo's friend--4 Aramrkat Kitty Beds--very nice for the Porchie cats
Kikimycat--birthday cards for Mayor Anony and Wigglin Walter with their pictures, for their December birthdays
Plee9 from KS--7 very pretty pillow cases
Sarah/Romeomom--donation for Anna Marie's 4th birthday. (she received a leggydew for this!)
Arden & CHarmaine--a donation to help with Freemont
Marilyn S--donation for FFRC
Gusti--a donation in celebration of Anna Marie's 4th birthday
Domingo F from Italy--a donation for FFRC
Debra M/W from OH--donation for FFRC
Our snow is about 1/3 of the way gone. Temps have been in the high 30's and low 40's. The Covies got out to cruise about on Friday and they will do so again today. The sun is shining! The birds are eating heavily at the feeders which is fun for the cats in the Kitty Kabana Room. All is fine here. The cats and kittens are healthy. We're a happy group of volunteers too!
We passed! We passed! The Ohio State Board of Pharmacology passed us 100% on their rules and regulations! Whew! So glad that is done. Actually, it was a great learning experience for me and FFRC. It's also a good thing to keep current with these things. I appreciate your support. I'm soooo glad that that is done and we passed!!
In celebration of our Passing, there will be a cake coming from Kathy K from IA! Also lunch was provided by eaglewatcher. I so much appreciate your generosity. The cats insisted on a yummy for themselves so they got another ham bone! That's the crunch, crunch, crunch noise you probably hear on the cam!
More good news! Coralie's dressings were changed today. Two days ago (we are to change the dressings every 2 days), she had 12 black pads. Today.......there are only TWO!!! Isn't that just wonderful?! And both rear feet are improved too--the infection is getting under control. Her ears are very hard and black, but she's already told me that she'll look cute even with short ears and I believe her! We'll keep a close eye on her toesies and feet and ears. If we need to make a debridement appointment with our vets, we will. So far, so good!
Our new boy, Freedom has arrived! Oh my goodness, this boy is a love machine! He loves to be held, loves to be petted, loves to play! He is a bit like Lorenzo and Derecho how they use our legs to help with support. He's probably more severe CH than the other cats. But, that boy has a heart of gold---truly loves people and the other cats. His determination level is at a very high mark! He has a tiny bit of a runny nose so we'll keep him in the back Thumper's Room for a little bit yet. We'll show him to the cam though occasionally
CH--besides meaning Cerebellar Hypoplasia, what else could it mean? I like Coming Home. I also like Capable and Happy.
More good news! We have three adoptions tomorrow. Our sweet Miss Marti will be going home with Tammy who is visiting here for a couple days. The other two cats are Turtle and HoHos. These are the last of Paul's 6 cats. They will be going with our friends Curt and Connie. All 3 will have awesome homes.
Want more good news? Our friend Diana that is visiting from South America has extended her visit by a whole week! She is staying with Sherri B. We're so glad to have her stay longer!
Yesterday was another fun Snow Day! In the afternoon, Lynnette, Kelly, Diana, Sherri, Jimmy, Haley, Tammy and myself went out on the farmyard--snow angels were made, snow splits were done and snowballs were thrown! A few went in shorts and tshirts---coooooold but very fun! I believe the horses thought we were crazy!
We will have BOXES tonight, but the time is at 5:30 pm instead of 6:00.
We had BOXES last night! Many, many thank yous to you!
Laura/Medic101--case of Fancy Feast grilled
Mary O/Merry_Marvin from CA with Peanut--allkinds of note pads, penciles, travel bags, school box, etc. Fun things! A stuffed kitty that meow's! Books--wonderful books. Dish towel with kitty & fish, 2 Diamond Oregon mugs for Jacci & Steve, 4 packages K-cups with lids
LJ323--13 crocheted kitty beds made with knit jersey for FFRC & Day Sale--2 bath rugs memory foam, Cans of salmon, chicken and sardines, bag of Sunkist dark chocolate and raspberry sticks
Beth A/eaglewatcher--3 K^H pet bed warmers
Jacksmom--kitty card, pop tabs for Kellen, Giant black rat with light eyes, lots of toys, Tiki food, case of Fancy Feast fish/shrimp, case of Friskies gravy sensations, Christmas Kitty Plate by Fitz n Floyd, Meow plaque, Frames--two wonderful cats ones, kitty pin for Jacci Also a leggydew for Coralie.
Mary C/midwesterngirl from IL--case of Royal Canin kitten & 3 bags Royal Canin kitten
CacheMaine/cameoD & Trudy--40 crocheted beautiful blankies for FFRC and Day Sale--we are using them today! And a beautiful afghan with blues, greens and cream
Kathy G--donation in memory of Jack P
Joyce H--donation for Jack P
Peter B from NY--a thank you card
Trudy S from Bryan--donation to FFRC
Betz--letter for Bill & Angie
Yoder family--donation for Jack P
Dee & Jim S--donation for FFRC
Pat & Ellen--a donation from their amazon and ebay sales, for FFRC.
Oilsandsgirl--donation for those who braved the cold to make snow angels, for the Feliz Navidad fund
Kate E from UK--donation to help towards the heating bills!
Jakesmeowmy--donation to use wherever needed
Geremy K from WI--donation for the head rub that Steve gave to Magenta
Dawn D--donation for Jimmy's hurt head from the icicle!
Dawn/itsanoone from MI--donation in honor of Jimmy's concussion
Lucy/Lu-Little--a wonderful CH vest for any of them that can use it and some Bondi Licks!
Ted E/chiefted--for his special blanket for Wrigely: "When I saw that one of the Chicago 5 was a CH kitten I knew that he should have a blanket to call his own". Thanks, Ted
We will not have surgery after all tomorrow. The vet tech is sick. It is rescheduled until 1/25.
The temp is up! It is now 40 degrees! It sure is dripping everywhere outside. Today the Covies are out running--and they are truly having fun and stretching their legs! Must feel great.We are doing great here at FFRC.
Our level 3 has been lifted! We can now drive with caution. The temp the next few days is suppose to be in the 30's and low 40's. Things are looking up! Yesterday a couple of the volunteers were able to come in--they were able to catch up on their specific things they do. Elizabeth and Emily went back to their homes last night. Sarah will go back home today. I am so so grateful for them--they stayed thru the entire rough weather time!
Our inspection that was to take place today at 10:00 has been pushed to tomorrow at 10:00. Our inspector has been affected by the weather too. So.....tomorrow is the big day! Surgery is still scheduled for Saturday.
We did not have boxes last night.....UPS has not had any deliveries due to road conditions. Today we will have some more snow fun with our visitor friend from South America--Diana!
Piet is sitting up on my desk but falling asleep. He's trying very hard to stay upright! Zata is doing better. Her appetite has picked up. Yesterday we all agreed that Yvonne looks better yet! While she's still so thin, her energy level is better and her bones are covered a bit. She's a beauty. Piet just gave it up--she's now curled up on a cushie and her eyes have closed!
The CHicago-5 are fantastic. It's amazing to me how quickly they have "friended up"! Their shyness is almost gone. They love to play. These 5 are zoomers--they are so very quick. Climb this, jump from that, run from room to room. Yet when it's time for naps, they all find each other and curl up into a big tiger ball. So sweet.
One of the viewers made a comment today that I like. CH means Come Home! I am trying to figure out a time to get to Bowling Green, here in Ohio. There is a shelter there that has a CH male, black cat, about 2 years old there that needs a home. They have accepted FFRC as his forever home! Here is his bio: "This guy is quite the lover and a survivor. He has been living with CH his entire life as an outdoor cat. What he lacks in coordination, he makes up for with his HUGE personality!" Because of the weather, we have been unable to get him yet but hopefully very soon now.
We also took in another cat yesterday--a female gold tiger, young adult. She was found on Monday, outside, covered in ice and unresponsive. The couple that found her took her in and warmed her with warmed up towels. The next day, Tuesday, she began to eat, but her feet started swelling terribly and her ears began to turn black all from frostbite. They brought her to us the next day, Weds. Dr. Darcy will see her on Saturday but in the meantime has given us a protocol of treatment which we are following. For right now, all four feet are wrapped with burn ointment on them. Many of the toes are black and hard. This cat is a dear--such a sweetie. She is most definitely not out of the woods. While she is eating good, we need some healing power going on as all four of her feet and 2 legs are affected. She can life with shorter ears after they are healed--that won't be a problem. Her name is Coralie. Please keep her in your prayers.
Cozarelii loves to play with the laser birds. And he so so loves his snackers! Keesha is becoming a big wheel runner. We saw Zata on the wheel yesterday too! DeLeon and his friend Dodger are so fun to watch--they were born to tackle play. Over and over again. Little Miss Molly is playing with everything that moves! Daisy, Meowzer and Hark have become good friends too--even with the size differences. Give these 3 a feather and all kinds of fun can happen. Plop, plop, plop, plop---that's what happened yesterday. I picked up my peacock afghan in the house and out plopped four Z's onto the couch! Oh, were they toasty!
Brrrr---cold----wind---snow---and more Brrrr. Yep--it's cold and snow and blowy. It was -14 this morning with a wind chill in the mid -30's. The snow has stopped though and late yesterday we finally had the parking lot plowed. We are still in a Snow Emergency Level 3 (for the 2nd day). This means that no one is to be on the road except for an emergency. Yesterday, I believe, was the first day in many many years that we had no visitors.
The kitties and cats are doing fine. We had a bit of a panic Sunday night. The outlet going out to the farm burned and blew. That meant no electricity to the entire farmyard--no heater water buckets for any of the animals and no heat lights to keep warm for the barn cats. They all had clean, dry bedding but it was still a worry with the temps so low. Monday morning early, Gustwiller's came and put a temporary fix on the problem. Soon after that the heat lights were working again and the buckets all thawing. They will fix it more permanently later when the weather is better. They are planning on putting in Jenna Radar between the 2nd and 3rd week of January.
My heartfelt thanks to these 5 people--Elizabeth, Sarah, Emily, Jimmy and Haley. They came before the storm hit and have stayed right here with FFRC during this hard weather. Because of the Level 3, no volunteers were to come in, for safety. These 5 people helped to keep us up and running, the cats fed, the place clean, the laundry caught up and kept our spirits up! I am so so grateful to them. Elizabeth, Sarah and Emily filled in for all the volunteers plus did their own jobs. Jimmy kept things running smooth in the farmyard. Haley has kept Kitty City nice and clean. You are heros to me and the cats.
Today we needed some extra fun! We took hot water each with a different color of food coloring. We took these outside, threw up in the air to see if it would crystalize. It didn't, (found out we should've used boiling water), but we sure ended up with a very pretty parking lot! Then we decided we better knock off the snow overhang on the back roof. Well........that turned out a bit differently than expected. The snow came down with a big chunk of ice, right on Jimmy's head. This caused a small cut on his poor noggin' and so we had to fix him up---pressure and a bit of glue. He did though have to put a 2 foot icicle up to his forehead like a unicorn! Oh my garsh, I laughed so hard my sides hurt (sorry, Jimmy!). Then the cats had to have a "snow party". We brought buckets of fresh snow in and put it on a vinyl tablecloth. The cats were very curious. Tomorrow we'll have to do that again, sprinkled with tuna juice! Then Emily decided to do a "face planting" in the snow inside. It was great. So, we're just now starting our morning work and it's after 12 noon! But, we don't mind--fun is important too!
We had BOXES last night. My big thanks to you!
Anonymous Friend--2 bags of cat snackers, 2 blankies, 7 balls with bells and a kitty cube
Tobyswife for Pania--her own personal food bowl with hearts and swirls and a Pet a Cake bed (looks like a slice of strawberry cake)! And she also received her own leggydew! Pania is thankful!
Eaglewatcher--lunch for all of us during this hard weather!
Anonymous Friend--another meal provided for another meal!
Annette B--Box of Whiskas Purrfectly chicken. For the volunteers--bag of Russell Stovers candy singles. a HUGE peanut butter cup and a DVD for my grandkids "Hoops n Yoyo Ruin Christmas"
Ted E/Cheifted--For Wrigley & Cubby--Chicago Cubs blankie!
Alan & Susan G from GA--card with note, Bag of Famous Amos choc. chip cooks, M&M's bag of Hershey's, Flipz white chocolate pretzels, bag of 3 Musketeers, paper plates, 13 gallon garbage bags, paper towels, non-scratch sponges, q-tips, lots and lots of mousey toys, snackers, large can KMR, Serpentine kitty scratcher (or Bella Lounge!)
Dr. Paul & Linda B from VA--donation in memory of Jack P
Bryant & L\ynnette K from GA--donation in memory of Jack P
IGive.com--a dividend check
Laura & Steve M (Jordan's parents)--note with donation (they adopted Tortie & Keeper)
Jim & Peg M from Defiance--donation in memory of Jack P
Nancy B from IN--note with donation
Yaiza/Yaiza-moon, Soniapaws & Jasper from Spain--picture of a beautiful Jasper and a 3-D holiday card with kitties and doggies
Gill--Catknit ankle socks and 2 kitty with sunglasses wallets
Lori-Cat--looney looops toys
Austin W from Paulding, OH--donation
Connie & Craig A from Defiance--donation
Maryanne O and Peanut/merry_marvin--card, coupons and comics
Jeff W from VA--card and donation in memory of Jack P
Lillian from IL and kittys and card
Terese/yankeechick from NJ--card and feather toys for Kiko!
The surgery date has been changed from the 25th to the 11th. That is this coming Saturday. The weather should be good so it should be a go. It won't be a big surgery list, but we'll have plenty of physicals for Dr. Darcy to do too. We will be able to do the Chicago-5 litter, Piet, DeLeon, possibly Miss Eltoe. Also Shamballie will have his pin removed. Miss Molly will be checked again. Hark will be checked again also. Yvonne will have her physical but will probably hold yet on her spay. Suzanna, Hazel and Kari Kat will have a physical since they were returned. August and Jackson are already neutered but they too will have their physicals.
We also had a returned cat. It's Venice. She is such a beauty. Her family had some things come up that made it impossible for them to keep her so they made the long trip back to Defiance. Venice is done with her quarantine time and with permission from our vets, she is now up in the Main Area as of today. She is so so playful. What a wonderful cat.
For those of you who are having a cold hard winter--spring is just 10 weeks away! We have some things that will be happening for the month of January. Jenna Radar will be "planted" and in working order! The new cabinet/cupboards will be in sometime soon. These will take the place of the red and yellow cabinets. We will have lots more counter space!
Take care and stay warm!
Okay--button down the hatches. Make sure all outside cats have their heaters on and dry/clean blankies. Lots of hay and straw for the horses, donkey and goat. Plenty of feed for the geese, ducks, chickens and peacocks (oh, and the guinea hens!). Porchies have all heaters plugged in. Covies are toasty warm. Shovels are ready to do their job. Keep that faucet dripping in the front Thumper's Room. Pet safe salt ready to use. Plow guy at the ready. Bird feeders full. Are we ready for a new snow and the big upcoming freeze? Yep, we're ready. Let the snow begin!
We had an adoption yesterday. Our sweet Dovie girl went to her new home. Garsh, some of these cats are extra hard to let go. Sometimes I want to grab them and take them in the house and act innocent--I'm not sure where that cat is anymore. But, I also know in my heart, that I wouldn't let them go unless I was SURE they were going into a great home. Dovie's new mama called last night. She had already eaten, pottied, drank and napped. Sounds like she's going to be a very happy girl in a loving family.
We have had some PayPal donations that I'd like to send a big Thanks to.
Pat & Ellen--a donation for Farrah (hug given to her from you!)
Susan S from WI--donation in appreciation of the volunteers, use wherever needed
Joni G from WA--donation for Magenta and Jolene
Eaglewatcher/Beth--for a pizza for lunch for the hard working crew!
Sarah P from MO--donation for Zata (snuggle given!)
CJ M from OH--donation for FFRC
Susan L from OH--donation for FFRC
Tobyswife--donation for Dovie and a leggydew and catnip pad for her
We also had BOXES on Friday night! Big time thanks.
Andrea F from CA--card with donation for Feliz Navidad Fund and a Walmart gift card for Pat to be able to continue to make things for FFRC
Julie & Matthew L--Happy New Year card with their kitties on it (Lucky, Leo, Trinity, Bentley and Lexie
Jeannette B from TN & Fur Haven Kitties--note and lots of pocket calendars for the volunteers
FaithyMD--Happy Birthday, Faithy! She is celebrating her birthday in true Hobbit fashion, by giving gifts to others. Bunny card, Under Cover Mouse toy, Tote blue/green (Steve's already used!), 2 pieces of pyrite, Hobbit key, Hobbit broach (very pretty!), Bobcat baby plate and a charging station for batteries and mobile devices
Melissa P/melpenrod--mylar balls, toys & more toys, Fancy Feast and cat snackers
KnittenKitten2--3 K&H Lectro Soft Heated beds with covers--big thanks
Vickie B/nyckitty--5 bags of Royal Canin baby cat dry
Anonymous Friend--2 cases Northern toilet paper, 2 big boxes of 30 gallon Glad trash bags and a case of sardines in olive oil
The Chicago-5 and the Beach-2 are out and about! Their door to their room was opened today for them to make the decision to go in and out by themselves. The Chicago-5 immediately were out. Then came August. Jackson is thinking about it. But, wow--what progress! That Cubby--he's a rascal, so sweet and ornery. Wrigley is right there too among the orneriness. The two shy girls, Xena and Mary Kay are making big leaps and bounds of being more self confident. And then there's O'Hare--she loves to have a head rub. August and Jackson love the catnip toys and are becoming more confident as well. It's so so nice to see them adjusting to FFRC life!
As many of you know, Zata had a couple days of not feeling as spunky as she normally is. She's been started on antibiotics and syringe fed. This morning and last night she started eating again by herself. We still supplemented a bit this morning. I saw her a bit ago, go up to Derecho and swat his tail. Derecho reached over, put his arm around her and groomed her! She's a sweetheart for sure!
Forgive me if this week I get behind on emails and other things. We have a very important day here on Thursday morning (weather permitting). We have a pharmaceutical inspection. Our goal is to meet all regulations 100%, but I've already been told by the inspector that no one passes the first time. That's part of what this inspection is about--to help us comply. So, we have already started working on this and will continue the next 4 days to work on this. It's very time consuming but very important to me and FFRC to do this right. Unfortunately, we will lose June's Room as a transitional room for the cats. It is now the med room only. All will be well and we will work around this inconvenience. The condo pen that was in June's Room is now in the back Thumper's Room for our use.
All is well here. Cats have been super ornery and playful! Just how I like it! Putter was even playing in the house. Keesha has been running the wheel big time this week. The cats are doing chirping songs as they watch the bird feeders. This morning Clayton got inside the refrigerator THREE times (no worries, we are careful and knew immediately he was there) and he also clawed 2 water bottles which made a big water puddle. He watched me clean it up! George must think he's going to get cold--he's been dragging a blankie around all morning. Kiara is snugged under the pile of warm laundry. Just love these cats!
Snow, snow, snow. And very cold, brrrr-y cold. And more snow coming on Sunday. Do I like winter? Sure--love the snow, just wish it'd stay off the parking lot and roads! People have asked me how all the animals are doing. The Porchies are doing great--all snugged in their heated beds inside the sunporch. They are eating good and will come out occasionally, but they do love their beds! The Barnies are doing good too. Lots of warmth on those hay bales. They also have heat lights (away from the hay and straw though) and so they are happy. Jimmy is being sure they get extra food to help stay warm. The Covies are snug as a bug in a rug! They're taking full advantage of their heated beds and the power of buddy sleeping!
The farm animals are also doing great. The horses are fuzzy and definitely enjoy being out during the day. Their stalls are always clean and ready for their return in the afternoon with grain and good hay. The ducks/geese are so funny. There are places for them to go to to get out of the winter, but they insist on staying out in it--facing the wind. I've told them--go to shelter, but they're not listening! The peacocks are also doing good. Birds have an incredible way of keeping warm within. The donkey and goat are also doing fine. They have their little barn that won't let any wind or snow come inside.This is also where the chickens like to hang if they're not already in their coop. All are snug but I'm sure they'll be glad for spring.
The cats here are doing good. The general health is awesome and for that I'm extremely grateful. Lots of energy is spent for play. I saw Miss Marti do a flip in the air this morning to land on top of DeLeon who rolled her then they started grooming each other! I love the friendships that these cats have. Derecho right now is on a rug, with his paw over little Piet grooming him. Miss Molly will have her x-ray soon.
For the last 3 mornings, we have put the CHicago-5 and the BeaCH-2 in the Kitty Kabana Room for a few hours so they can run and make friends. It's time to branch out a little for them! Today the door to the front office/lavender room is now open so they have two rooms to cruise about. Jackson and August are getting the hang of it. August likes to walk the orange catwalk by the windows. Both August and Jackson use the "wide back leg stance" to help with their walking.
The CHicago-5 now have names:
Xena--brown tiger, female with spots
Mary Kay--brown tiger, female with more stripes, muted look
Wrigley--black tiger, CH, kink in tail
Cubby--black tiger, biggest of the group
O'Hare--brown tiger, long hair
Wrigley and Cubby are by far the most active and friendliest. Wrigley definitely has the "Walter head Wiggle" going on. He is a loverbug! Cubby is the great explorer. They are all coming along, slowly but surely. They sure do love to eat! They have such gorgeous faces.
BOXES are going to happen tonight! Fun! But, let's start at 5:30 instead of 6:00. That way, if I need to do catching up tonight, it'll give me a bit more time. Come join the fun!
I've heard from so many of our recently adopted cats. I love to hear the stories! Sounds like things are going great. It is said that if a cat comes from a rescue/shelter that cages, it generally, on the average, takes 7-8 days to fully acclimate to their new home. But for a cat that's been in a cage-free environment, generally it takes 2-3 days. Isn't that wonderful?! I love that. And most people when they call me back say within 24 hours their new friend is cruising about quite happily. It so pleases me to hear that our cats are doing good.
Miata isn't happy though in the rescue center. It's very obvious her life before here was more "to herself". I will take her to the Back Thumper's Room for her to be more comfortable. Too many cats and kittens around her is not her style. Then she'll be happier. Suzanna has fully been enjoying her return to the rescue center. She's made many friends. She's is so pretty. Shiloah too is making friends and is playing more and more. She sure loves catnip. Both Miss Eltoe and Yvonne are gaining weight. They are still very thin but they're on their way to the FFRC belly-look. Shamballie will have his pin pulled on our next surgery date. He is one super sweet boy. Zata is growing and thinks she's a lion in a little kitten body. Love this little girl!
We have thanks to give! The cats have all voted--it's unanimous--each and every viewer, mod and admin are the best in the world!
Anonymous Friend--donation for FFRC
CharfromBiloxi--donation to help with the Chicago-5's care
Carol N--donation for FFRC
Shannon W--donation to help FFRC
DebbiDear--donation for FFRC
Jowlee from MD--donation to help all the kitties
Aunty Fi--donation in memory of special friend Anna Marie--her birthday was 1/1 and in honour of other FFRC friends
Oilsandsgirl--to use where needed
Bonnie & Don K and family, in memory of Jack P
I'd like to give the moderators a special thanks. With their help, we have ordered another Water Lilly and Spider set for the Kitty Kabana Room. You know---this truly is the kitties favorite place to sleep--curled up in the middle of the flower! I was able to order it in orange and yellow! It'll be here fairly soon. Thanks, Mods.
This month will also bring about the "planting of Jenna Rador". It will be right out the window of Kitty Kabana. What peace of mind this will bring. Also in January will be the extended countertop (need more space!!) and the cabinets and cupboards. We'll be taking out the old (will use them elsewhere for FFRC). This will give us more space to store things. Kathy has said she will repaint the cabinet doors so no worries!
Today we will be moving the pen condo from June's Room to the Back Thumper's Room. In it's place will be a cabinet for med storage. It will also have a very small refrigerator on the counter to house the vaccines and refrigerator meds. We are doing this to continue with our compliance for new med regulations.
Kona is rolling on a rainbow catnip toy. Fiesto is playing like crazy with the turbo track. Zelda and Kiara are on my desk. Little Xena came running over to me! Asha is taking a nap with one eye open--she's watching the kittens playing. Paddy Cake is on a shelf watching all the action. All is well in the FFRC world! Peace to you all.
