Remember Me Thursday

Little Bit writes:

Today is Remember Me Thursday, lifting up shelter pets and those who didn't make it.  It's unfortunate that many shelters and humane societies in the U.S. and around the world are kill shelters.  The main ones in our area are no-kill or close to it, but that still means that around half of the shelters in our area do euthanize adoptable pets.

Today, the world comes together to remember, help, and adopt those in shelters.  164 countries around the world celebrate Remember Me Thursday.  Think of how many pets are being helped today in various ways!

So, how can you help?  You may think, "But I'm just one!  How can I make a difference?"  You do make a difference, every day.  You can be an advocate for animals in many ways.

• Speak up about pet adoption!  If someone you know wants to adopt, share information on shelters in your area.  Along with the many "Heinz 57" pets like me, there are purebred cats and dogs just waiting for a loving home and family to belong to.
• Share information on kill and no-kill shelters.  Get to know the shelters and humane organizations in your area and advocate for them.  Even being against pet euthanasia, we still recommend kill shelters as well as no-kill shelters to people looking to adopt.  Why?  Because they might find their forever pet there, and save it from the needle!
• Foster a pet or five.  Our family fosters and adopts out cats that people bring us.  Right now, we have three fosters:  Dare, Autumn, and Panther.  Dare came to us from a friend, as did Autumn.  Autumn was a "Craigslist kitten", probably from a backyard breeder.  Dare and Panther, who showed up in our yard as a socialized feral, lived outside before finding people to take them in.  I, myself, was saved from a kill shelter, along with my four boys.  I'll tell you more about that later.
• Make or buy blankets to warm the floors of the cages for pets waiting adoption.  Grammy created the "Read Me a Blanket" program:  children read books, crafters sew, knit or crochet blankets, and for every book read, a blanket is donated to the humane society.  It's a wonderful way for the community to come together to help shelter pets.  The blankets are not only placed in the cages while the pets wait; families are encouraged to choose one blanket when they adopt their forever pet, giving the pet a connection and a safe place at their new home.  Many families then use those blankets when transporting their pet to and from the vet.  Think Linus' security blanket!  Other organizations make and donate blankets as well.  Many shelters also take clean towels to be used in the cages.
• Donate something off the shelter's wish list.  Many animal rescue and adoption organizations have a wish list on their website.  Any item you donate from that list is appreciated.  It could be a can of pet food, a toy, or even an office item like printer paper.  Everything helps.
• Spread the word!  Share this post, others like it, and the Remember Me Thursday website on social media with the hashtags #RememberTheRescue and #RememberMeThursday to add your voice to the movement.  We all count!

Little Bit and her 3-week-old boys, first day being fostered

I was one of the lucky ones, and my babies were even luckier.  Who can resist three-week-old kittens?  Well, apparently one animal control center can.  My original people, upon finding out I was pregnant, didn't know what to do with us.  They hadn't bothered to spay any of their pets, so they had two litters of kittens and one litter of puppies all at the same time!  They packed up the kittens and mama cats and set off to find a shelter for us.  Two of my mama's kittens had been adopted already, but she still had two and I had four.  The animal control center told the people that, if they took us in, my kittens would be euthanized right away.  It was the start of "kitten season", and they knew they would be soon overrun with litters needing cages, permanent placements and foster homes.  They simply didn't have the room for us.

Carbon with Little Bit's kitten sisters, first week of fostering

The people left the shelter with us, packed us all into the car, and drove two blocks away.  They opened the car door and threw my mama out onto the street!  They then went to eat, leaving the rest of us in the car.  I hid, and the others couldn't climb out.  When the people came back, they did a very sensible thing.  They remembered that the people two houses down were "cat people" and rescued animals, because my sister and cousin were already with those people.  All seven of us who were left ended up at the new house.  That became my forever family, and the nice people adopted out my two kitten sisters and all four of my boys.  One of my boys later on had to be euthanized because of a genetic intestinal issue, but he had a good foster family, and even a forever home for two weeks.

Please help spread the word and be a force for shelter animals!  "Opt to Adopt" is not just a campaign slogan, but a way of life and a way to save lives.  Please share the message with the hashtags #RememberMeThursday and #RememberTheRescue and check out the Remember Me Thursday website for educational materials, information, more shareable memes, and a photo contest to benefit rescues.  Thank you for all you do for animals.

When We Were Very Young....

Get ready for cute baby kitten pics, because this is what we looked like when we were very young!  (Yes, A.A. Milne is one of Mommy's favorite authors.)

Carbon and Tabby, Summer 2005

Tabby and Rori, Fall 2007

Tabby and Knut (Rori's brother), Fall 2007

Spooky 1, Fall 2007

Baby Chiba (Little Bit's sister), Spring 2008

Starla, Spring 2009

Smokey (Little Bit's sister), Winter 2008

Little Bit, Winter 2008

Little Bit with her boys (Squishy, Kai, Tiger, and Cloud), Spring 2009

Carbon with Little Bit's baby sisters (Boo and Michelle), Spring 2009

Baby-Tuxie, Summer 2009

Baby-Dot, Summer 2009

Spooky 2, Fall 2009

Freya and Heimdall, Summer 2010

Tigress, Summer 2011

Leopard (the feral kittens' mom), Hemming, Miss Marble, their brother, Summer 2011

It's World Spay Day!

Do you have an unfixed cat?  At what age can you get your cat spayed or neutered?  What are the benefits to fixing your cat?  The purrfessionals here at the PDX pride will answer your questions!

Happy World Spay Day from all of us!

Rori here!  As the Big Kitty of the household, it is my solemn duty to inform you unspayed or unneutered cats of the blogosphere to get your acts together and schedule your fixing surgeries!  It's an important step in your independence as a cat-of-the-world to get this done!

1.  Spaying and neutering prevents unwanted and/or "surprise" litters.
2.  Spaying before the cat goes into heat for the first time greatly decreases a female cat's risk of breast cancer.  To learn more about breast cancer in cats, please visit our friend Sugar at her website:  Sugar Rub!
3.  Neutering greatly reduces a male cat's "nuisance" behavior, including spraying, yowling, and territorial marking, as well as makes the urine smell less strong.
4.  Spaying and neutering reduces the number of adult cats that are dumped, killed, and given to shelters.

I was spayed while I was in heat for the first time, which is more expensive than spaying while a cat is not in heat.  My yowling was intolerable, so that's why I was spayed while in heat.  However, this can create other health problems, such as weight gain.  I am now a very chunky girl!

Friends do not let friends go unspayed!  No, I am not having s*x with Smokey!  She went into heat for the first time, and I decided to discipline her by scruffing her.  I let her know that going unspayed is not tolerated in MY household!  She was much calmer after being spayed, and got adopted to Mama Erin soon after.

A happy, healthy, spayed Smokey!

Starla here to say how glad I am that I got spared the rigors of teen pregnancy!  My aunt had three kittens very young, and the boys were chasing me as well.  Somehow, I never got pregnant at that time, but most female kitties get pregnant their first time.  The next time I went into heat, my people had already scheduled my spay appointment through the Spay and Save program in Portland, Oregon, one of many low-cost spay and neuter programs around the country.

I was very lucky to get my spay when I did, because there were three male cats that were trying to get me pregnant.  If I hadn't had my spay, I'm sure I would have ended up a teen mama with a litter to find homes for, like my cousin Little Bit and my aunt Boo-Boo Kitty.

Hi, Little Bit here, and this is what happens when you don't get spayed!  I'm Smokey's sister, Rori's half-sister, and Starla's cousin.  My dad Spongebob (also Rori's dad) is an unfixed male who roams the neighborhood and has befriended all the ferals within a three-block radius.  His friends also included my mom, Boo-Boo Kitty, who had a litter of three.  My other sister, Baby Chiba, had a different dad and died as a kitten.  Yes, cats can get pregnant by more than one male in the same heat cycle, so the kittens in a litter can have different dads!

When I grew up, my original people didn't want my forever family to get me spayed, and so I remained intact.  My original people were not responsible pet owners!  They only decided to give me to my forever family after a tragic thing happened:

1.  My mama cat, Boo-Boo Kitty, got pregnant again and had a litter of four.
2.  I went into my first heat cycle just after my mama cat got pregnant and had a litter of four.  My kittens were born when I was five months old, just a kitten myself!  Two of my litter had the same dad as I, which is not unusual for cats.
3.  The dog my original family owned got pregnant by another of the same litter (the dog's brother, who was a neighbor) and had a litter of 10 puppies.
4.  My original people got an eviction notice because of the amount of animals in their house.
5.  They decided to take all of us kitties except two of Boo-Boo's kittens (who already had homes) to the humane society.  But after driving around to two humane societies, they were told that it was the middle of "kitten season" and the kittens would be put-to-sleep if they were surrendered.  The people didn't want that to happen.
6.  After hearing this from the second shelter they went to, they stopped by the side of the road and threw Boo-Boo Kitty out of the car, then drove away!  I still don't know what ever happened to her after that.
7.  They drove to a fast-food restaurant, rolled down the window halfway, and went inside to eat.  Mind you, this was with my two 8-week-old baby sisters, myself, and my litter of four three-week-old boys in the vehicle.  When they got back out to the vehicle, they didn't see me and drove off anyway.
8.  They went back home and brought my baby sisters over to my forever family, two houses down, and told them the story I've just told you.  My forever daddy human was so mad that he took my baby sisters inside and left my forever mommy human to talk to the lady.
9.  My mommy went to get the box with my kittens in it from the lady's vehicle and found me in there as well!  She brought all of us back home with her.
10.  My new family found homes for all of us, but only I stayed with them as part of their forever family.  Everyone else who came with me on that horrid trip found wonderful new homes!  One of my babies had a birth defect, but even he found a forever home for the few months he lived.

I went into heat again a few days after we got to our new family's home.  Yes, I was nursing my three-week-old boys at the time, and continued to nurse.  I could've gotten spayed while I was still nursing, but my people chose to wait until I'd weaned the kittens to spay me.

I'm Tigress, and I was a teen mom as well.  However, my family chose to have my kittens spay-aborted because I was a feral kitten at the time of my pregnancy.  I was spayed through a trap-neuter-return program run by the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, which provides low-cost or free spays and neuters, first vaccinations, and humane trap rentals.  If I hadn't had my spay, there would have been at least two and possibly as many as five more feral cats that would have needed socializing, feeding, trapping, spaying or neutering, and adoption.  I got pregnant at the age of 4 months.

Please don't wait to get spayed or neutered!  Tell your humans to schedule your surgery today!  If your humans need financial assistance, it is available in most areas of the U.S. and Canada, and in some other countries as well.  If you are a feral cat, please tell your human to visit the Alley Cat Allies website for more information.

For World Spay Day events in your area, check out the official website.

Happy birthday to my kits!

Mama Little Bit here:

A year ago today, I gave birth to four boy-kits:  Cloud, Cousteau/Kai, Little Guy/Tiger, and Squishy!  I had to learn how to be a mama cat to them, but my mama, Boo-Boo Kitty, helped a lot with showing me how.  My people didn't take care of us, so when my kits were three weeks old we went to live with our neighbors, who taught me that I was supposed to feed my kits every couple of hours and stay with them until they were done nursing each time.  After I learned that, I was a very good mama to my baby boys!

I love them very much, and am so glad that Cloud, Kai, and Tiger have awesome homes.  They were adopted a short time after they were weaned.  Cloud and his mommy send us pictures every once in a while, and he looks a lot like me, except a lighter grey.  Kai's mommy works at a vet clinic, so she takes very good care of him.  Tiger was originally adopted to a man living alone, but his grandkids loved Tig' so much that they re-adopted him!

Unfortunately, soon after Squishy was adopted out, his new family took him to the vet for his poopy problems and the vet said that he would never get over them.  His system didn't function right, something that our vet hadn't diagnosed but the new vet did.  Squish had to be put to sleep.  He always had a look to him that Foster Mommy thought may mean that he wasn't as well-formed as the rest, and she was right.

I am so glad to have been able to take care of my baby kits and see them weaned and off to their homes.  I'm wishing them all a happy birthday today, at their new homes and Squishy's celebrating his at the Bridge!  Happy, happy birthday, babies!  You are now official mancats!

Tiger
Cloud
Squishy
Kai's new mommy decided not to have a page for him
Group page (with their first baby pictures)

Us, when the kits were 3 weeks old

Cloud as a baby

Cloud now

Kai (heading off somewhere), Tiger, Squishy, & Cloud

4 weeks old

Kai napping in Foster Daddy's shoe

5 weeks old

Kai in his favorite napping place:  his new mommy's purse

8 weeks old

Squishy and Tiger just before they went to their new homes

PhotoHunt: Sweet

Is there anything sweeter than babies? Look closely at these three pictures. Who are the cats?

Twins? No, but related.

Is this the same kitten that Tabby's snuggling with in the first picture? Nope!
The first picture is Rori as a kitten 2 1/2 years ago with Tabby.
The second picture is Rori last year with her half-brother Little Guy.
The third picture is Tabby cleaning Little Guy.

PhotoHunt

Former Foster Friday

Little Bit and all her kittens have finally found good homes! We are pleased to report that, although Squishy is still having poopy problems, he has found a home with people who are willing and able to care for him and pay his vet bills so that he gets consistent medication (which stops the problem). Little Guy has changed his name to Tiger, and is living with a neighbor of our friend Erin. His new daddy also had taken Squishy, but couldn't provide the needed care after he started squishing again, although he was also the one who found the new home for Mr. Squishers. Tiger will do just fine being an only cat, and Squishy will adjust all right to being an only cat once he figures out no one else is there. Tiger loves to watch tv, and sits with Erin's son when she comes over to clean the apartment.

Cloud has grown to be a big guy! He still has his bobcat-like face, but has almost grown into his paws. He loves snuggling and playing with his mommy, and running around the upstairs when he gets the kitten crazies. He is starting to get used to downstairs as well, and treats the carpeted steps more normally.

Kai is doing great in his home, and had his neuter surgery just fine. Boo and Michelle are still charming their family, and are scheduled for their spays soon.

Little Bit is living with her sister Smokey, her new mommy Erin, and human brother Jarek. It took about a week for Smokey to figure out that Little Bit wasn't going to challenge her right to be alpha cat, but after Erin went on vacation for a day and left them by themselves in the apartment they sorted things out and have been pals again ever since. Little Bit is going to have her spay soon, when we can schedule it. It may not be until the beginning of the year. We're going to help Erin out with that. Little Bit still loves to talk, and comes rubbing up and purring to Erin whenever she sits down for a second. Most of the time when I talk with Erin on the phone, Little Bit's trying to get in the conversation as well!

So, kitten season's over, and a good one it was this year! Have great lives at your new homes, everyone! We'll have periodic updates on Smokey, Little Bit, and maybe Tiger.

Happy National Feral Cat Day!!! :)

This last year has been a year of drastic changes in our feral colony: some bad, mostly good. Shadow (pictured above) has been coming to our back porch bowl for a few years now, and is now letting me (Karen) pet her most times! She also enthusiastically headbutts Tabby (who follows me out of the house to go say hi).

Outdoor Fluffy Buddy, pictured here in late January, hasn't been seen since March or April. He may still be around, just have found other hunting grounds for the moment.


Tux hadn't been seen for over a year, but now makes regular appearances again! We're so glad he's doing well.

Little Bit and Starla are now both inside cats, and Little Bit's kittens all have wonderful homes. Starla is getting socialized more and more every day, and now comes out on her own most days to sit with my husband and snuggle when he gets home from work.

The little shelter we built on the porch hasn't been used, because all the ferals now prefer the basement/laundry room. We're glad they feel comfortable inside there.

Marble came and visited us for a few months, but hasn't been seen since we brought Little Bit inside. We do have a new grey kitty who comes around, who is comfortable with humans but hasn't let us pet him yet.

Happy National Feral Cat Day to one and all!

Great news on Foster Friday!!!

Squishy & Little Guy write:

We've found our forever home! We're going for a home visit next week, and if it works out we'll be adopted on the spot. Our friend Erin's next door neighbor wants kitties who can help him through his cancer treatments and surgery, so she suggested us. We think we'd be perfect for the job! When Foster Daddy asked us if we'd like to help someone in need feel better, we both mrupped happily.

Foster Friday

Thank you so much, everyone, for your kind words, prayers, and purrs on the loss of our tiny tuxie fosters! It means so much to Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy that we have this community of caring friends! *hugs for each and every one of you*

Squishy and Little Guy have been terrorizing the house now that they can jump up on everything. Even the top of the fridge isn't safe! Little Guy decided yesterday that he was a potholder and took a nap in the basket meant for those (on the counter by the stove) until Foster Mommy found him and made him get down. He protested that he was so cute there by showing off his teethies in a yawn, but she still put him on the floor.

Little Bit is finally done weaning those two buggers! It certainly took her long enough!!! They're just over three months old now! *gasp* She's been running around with them, but she's such a well-behaved kitty in general so no major issues with her (just the usual chasing at top speed through the house).

Little Bit is going to be spayed sometime in October, then she'll go to live with Erin. The ad goes back up for the other two on the weekend, not because of their behavior (but potential adopters will be warned the kittens are a double handful!). We hope to have them adopted before Thanksgiving, as we don't let fosters go to new homes during the holidays.

Foster Friday

Squishy's all better now, and has been thoroughly enjoying being out and about with everyone again. He and Little Guy have learned to jump onto the kitchen counters, the bathtub, and the end table. Their new favorite activities are getting into the garbage, carrying the bathtub plug around like prey, and playing hide-and-seek with the shower curtain.



We now think Rori and Little Guy (and also Kai) are half-siblings. As Little Guy's coloring gets more pronounced, he's looking a lot like Spongebob and like Rori (see above pictures).

Our newest babies are two male tuxedo kittens. They're not classic tuxies; more like our feral Dot and Tux. In fact, one of them has a black fur patch on his nose just like Dot. These two are bottle babies, so we have been doing feedings every two hours. Little Bit may step into an "auntie" role, but she's not interested in nursing these two. Little Guy wants to comfort them when they cry, and this morning he almost climbed in with the pink-nosed one. Squishy thinks they might play, and bats their heads with soft paws then looks at me when they don't respond.