Fly free, sweet Missy!

Missy, we don't know what went wrong or what exactly happened, but we know you were suffering and so we made the only decision possible.  Yesterday morning, you let the dog visiting us sniff you.  A couple hours later, we found bloody diarrhea and two solid lumps of something on the floor, with a tail trail under your daddy's dresser.  Rori went under to be with you for a little while.  Panther, Dare, and Autumn all said their goodbyes once you decided to come out of hiding, while Mommy cleaned up the floor and also cleaned you up as best she could.  You had tried, but you just didn't have the energy anymore.  Mommy sat with you and told you that it would be ok if you felt the need to leave us.  You were barely hanging on at that point.  Daddy came in and petted you for a while, then called the vet.  Our usual vet was very busy, and we knew this was an emergency, so he called the vet just down the street, too.  They were available, so Daddy put you in the carrier and he and Mommy took you to the vet.

Once there, they took you immediately into the back to stabilize you the best they could.  You were still hanging on, but barely.  The vet and vet techs were so kind to you.  They wrapped you in warm blankets and gave you fluids through an IV.  They tried to take your blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate, but the levels were not perceptible or only just perceptible.  Your heartbeat was a soft flutter.  The vet, Daddy, and Mommy knew what needed to be done, although nobody wanted to say goodbye to you this soon.  Your blood vessels were collapsing in on themselves and the vet thought that there must've been a mass on your intestines that burst.

Mommy went in the back to say goodbye.  Daddy sat and cried and Mommy cried and petted you.  You were barely conscious, and going quickly.  The vet gave you the first shot (anesthetic) and your chin immediately hit your paws.  You didn't really need the second (actual) shot, but the vet  gave it to you just to be sure.  Mommy knew you were gone already.  The vet tried to find your heartbeat but you were gone.

Mommy went to be with Daddy, and they cried for a while.  The vet brought your body in to them, and they brought you home.  Daddy dug a hole while Mommy opened the box for the rest of us to see your body.  We all knew already.  Autumn doesn't really know what death means, though, but she sniffed you and wondered why you were in a box.  She thought it was weird that you didn't respond, so she sniffed you again.  Panther sniffed you, looked you all over, touched noses with Autumn, and left the room.  Mommy brought Tabby out to see.  The others decided not to come over to sniff, because goodbyes had been said already.  Daddy opened the box and lifted your body out gently, petted it, talked to you, then set your body in the hole and covered it with dirt and a cinder block to keep raccoons away.

Your body is buried by the roses in the backyard, where we buried Miss Marble and close to where we buried Carbon.  You always loved flowers.  We will never forget you, our idiosyncratic non-feral feral who knew where to go and what to do when she needed help.  You did the first time we met you, and you did the last time we saw you alive.

Missy was between 8 and 9 years old, as near as we can figure.  She came to us at the age of approximately 2 1/2 years old and was Daddy Scott's constant companion and chief snuggler.  It took her a year to purr for him, but then she didn't stop.  She tried to climb in coat sleeves when she got petted, but would bite if she felt it was too much.  We love you, and we always will.  You are at peace now, Missy, and out of pain.

Happy Mew Year, Gotcha Day, and Purrthday!!! Whew!!!

Missy writes:

First of all, Happy Mew Year, everyone!!!!!!!  Purrayers for a year filled with treats, love, happiness, family, warmth, and all good things for you and yours!

Yesterday was my Gotcha Day!  Thanks to those who left messages yesterday.  I like to write a three-in-one post for all three things on New Year's, in case you were wondering why I didn't have a post up yesterday.  It was the annifursary of the day that my humans adopted me, even though I'd adopted them a while before then.  I found them at Mommy's work, a few days after a big parade there (May 17th parade for Norway's constitution day).  The parade was scary, but I realized that there were more people around than I thought.  I wanted some of them to help me find food.  I lived in an industrial area by the Franz bakery, and the bakery employees fed me sometimes, but I was getting very hungry.  I walked down the sidewalk, calling out for help.  Mommy was teaching and the whole class stopped so that she could go find me and see what was wrong!  She picked me up and held me while someone else went to get Daddy, who was inside the building talking with other friends.  They put me in the car and Mommy finished her class.  I escaped when Daddy opened the car door, and it took them a long time to catch me again, because I hid in someone's backyard behind a fence!  Finally, Daddy got me and we all drove to my new home.

It took me a long time to purr for Daddy, but now I purr a lot for him, and sometimes for Mommy, too.  Daddy's my human, though.  When they took me to the vet for the first time, they were thinking that I was a kitten still because of how tiny I am.  Nope, I was 2 1/2 years old at that point!  That's when I got my shots and got checked for diseases.  I was (and still am) a very healthy adult cat, and I sat in the vet's lap when he sat on the floor!

It took a while for my purrents to decide to keep me, but they did.  I bonded with Daddy too much to be adopted out to anyone else!  Besides, I'm a socialized feral, and we make the best snuggle buddies!

The vet had assigned me a purrthday of New Year's Day, and I'm glad, because I get to see the fireworks and hear the cheering on my purrthday!  I like looking at the pretty lights in the sky and on tv!  I'm going to snuggle with Daddy while he plays his computer game now.  Happy Mew Year!

Under!

Carbon under the blinds at our house in Portland

Squishy (one of Little Bit's kids) under the blinds, trying to imitate Uncle Carbon

Kai (one of Little Bit's kids) under a scarf at his new mommy's house just after adoption

Rori under ponies just after we moved to our current house

Starla under the big chair (with Spooky 2 up top and Skylar in the middle)

Carbon under chart paper just after we moved

Rori being a bed lump

Rori and her brother Knut as kittens at our old house, in the basket under the stroller

Rori under the table but on the chair

Miss Marble under the chair (and one of the twins on it)

Tabby:  Get off of me, Little Bit!

Heimdall checking out Tigress

Freya under the covers

Panther thinking he's hiding under the table

Tigress under a chair

Knut under a blanket at his new mommy's house

Missy under wrapping paper

Sherbet under Daddy's dresser

Monday Movie: Easter Egg Roll 2015

Caring for Daddy

Daddy has the flu!  He's been sick for a week and a half now, so we've all been taking turns caring for him.  In this picture, Autumn is on the footrest and Panther is behind Daddy's back.  Autumn, Missy, and Starla have been Daddy's main nurses, with Freya and Panther also taking turns sometimes.  At one point, all three of his main nurses were snuggling at one time!  Daddy's getting a little better, but scared us all last night when he started to not breathe like normal.  He had to go to the emergency room, so Grandpa took him.  He's back home now with us and getting some more of our healing snuggles and purrs, and breathing better again.

Happy Gotcha Day & Birthday to Missy!

Photo credit:  Erin Dublin

Missy writes:

"How I spent my winter vacation"

Hmm...no, that's not right.  Let me try again.

"Enjoying Christmas at my forever home"

Yep, sounds about right to me!  Yesterday was my gotcha day anniversary!  I can't believe it's been four years since Mommy and Daddy made the decision to officially adopt me!  It's actually been 4 1/2 years since I came to live here at my forever home, but I wasn't "official" for a few months until Daddy decided he couldn't part wth me.  I love my daddy!

I remember when I found my family.  It was May, and I was hungry.  There were some people who had been feeding me, but they weren't around because it was after their work time.  I went looking for someone to help me, but couldn't find anyone.  I was worried because it was starting to be evening, and there wasn't much prey in the industrial area I called home.  I lived outside, finding what shelter I could.  I walked down the sidewalk, calling out for someone, anyone, to come help me.

Mommy was teaching her class, and the whole class stopped to listen to me.  They could all hear me from inside the building!  Everyone turned to look at Mommy, and she put down the chalk she'd been using.  She all but ran out the door to look for me!  She found me and picked me up after letting me sniff her hand, then asked a few people if they knew where I belonged.  Then she asked someone to go inside the building to get Daddy.  He came out, took one look at me, and put me into the car!  I knew right then that this was the family for me!

I escaped from the car when my new purrents opened it to go home.  I'm very quick!  It took them another 45 minutes to re-catch me, because I decided to hide in the lot across the street.  They had to earn my trust enough to lure me out the side of the fence and catch me again.  I rode by Daddy the whole way home!

It took me a while to trust them completely, and about a year and a half to purr for them, but I'm so glad I chose this family!  I love my auntie, uncle, cousins, nieces, and nephews as well.  They are my play buddies, entertainment system, and companions.  For a kitty who grew up on the streets without siblings, I've come a long way!

The interloper, aka Autumn, has been taking over Daddy a lot lately, though.  I think it's fun to play with her tail as she walks by my chair, so she's not all bad.  Actually, she's a fun kitten, but she has this annoying habit of tackling when she wants to play.  I have to watch when I'm coming out of the bathroom door after using the box, because she likes to try to ambush the rest of us at that corner!  I've actually played with her a few times, and even snuggled with Daddy at the same time as she, but not often.  I do like watching her from the top of the chair or from the file cabinet!

Photo credit:  Erin Dublin

Mommy Erin, JJ, and Coriel came over last weekend and we had a wrapping paper party!  I got all the paper, and there was a lot of it!  JJ gave me every piece off his presents, and made a fort around and over me.  I played in it for a while, and then walked off with a piece of the paper still attached!  I made a big deal of shrugging it off, and everyone laughed.  Very fun!

Today's my 6th birthday, too!  Does that mean I get more wrapping paper to burrow in?  I sure hope so!

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

Missy writes:

Today's Daddy's birthday!  We're not saying how old he is, but it has a 4 in it somewhere.  We're going to make sure he has LOTS of snuggles and purrs today, especially because he's got a cold so he needs our snuggles to warm him up.  That little Autumn has been hogging Daddy lately, but today she's allowed to if she wants, I guess.  Normally, his lap is my territory.  At least she let me use the box first this morning, hmph.

Panther got adopted!

Sunday, we had an exciting visitor!

 
Tabby: I'm going to miss you, Panther!
Panther: What's a forever home, Tabby?
Tabby: You'll find out very soon!  That lady who was just here wants you to come live with her and her other cat.
Panther:  Really?

Monday, she came back, and Panther was ready!

Foster Mommy says it's time to get ready for going to my new home!

Down the ladder I go!

New life, here I come!

Now where is everyone? I want to say goodbye first!

Goodbye, Tigress!  Goodbye Tabby!  Anyone in the living room to say goodbye to?

Goodbye, Foster Mommy!  Goodbye, Foster Daddy taking the picture!  Now, could you put me on the floor again, please?

New mommy Cai came over and Missy wanted to horn in on the attention!  After she realized Cai was focused on me, Missy decided to leap up to the table tray.  This is her getting ready to launch herself off to the table tray.

Hi, new mommy Cai!  I like how you pet my tummy, but I'm not sure about coming closer for attention right now.

Missy:  What do you mean, I have to move?  Didn't she bring this portable cave just for me?
Panther:  Nope, it's for me!  I'm the one leaving!  If you go, then who will snuggle with Daddy when he sleeps?
Missy:  Oh, I didn't think about that.  I don't want to leave my daddy!
Mommy:  *scruffs Missy and pulls her out, with Cai's help to keep her from holding onto the sides with her claws*
Panther:  Ok, now my turn!
Mommy:  *makes Panther get in the carrier by putting him seat-first through the door when the carrier is on-end*
Panther:  *cries*  Why did you have to put me in there like that?  I do want to go to my new home, but the car ride is a little scary and I don't like being cooped up in this carrier.  *scrabbles at the sides and door, trying to get out*
Cai:  It's ok, Panth!  I'll let you out to explore once we get home.

I have a new brofur!  His name is Beastie, and he's a fluffy white kitty.  He swatted me once to tell me that he's the alpha cat in the household, and otherwise hisses or ignores me.  Within two hours, I was snuggled at Mommy Cai's feet while she and Beastie took naps.  I actually took a nap, too, because all this excitement wore me out!  I like my new home, but it's weird not having the others here.  I looked for them and called to them, but they didn't come out of hiding so I guess it's just the three of us here at this new place called a forever home.  I like my forever home!  I've been sticking to Mommy Cai like velcro, following her from room to room and talking non-stop.  This bothers Beastie, so he's been pouting, but Mommy Cai gives him a lot of attention, too, so he feels included.  She says this is the best transition she's ever had for a new kitty!

Mommy Cai is friends with Foster Mommy on Facebook, so Foster Mommy can share updates on how I'm doing.  Everyone's sure that it won't be long until Beastie and I are great friends!  I love you all, and thank you for being friends with me!

Mommy Cai and Foster Mommy told me that I'm a very special kitty who was sent to Mommy Cai for a reason.  Mommy Cai had a black kitty "visit" her, walk down a hallway, and disappear.  That was a couple months after I got over my pneumonia and became available for adoption, so Foster Mommy told Mommy Cai about me.  Mommy Cai had another kitty, Spot, but Spottie was really sick so he needed round-the-clock care.  Mommy Cai couldn't bring a new kitty into her life (and the household) while she was providing hospice to Spot.  After Spot died, Beastie cried for him for hours on end.  While Mommy Cai and Beastie are still grieving for Spot, I hope I can help ease their grief and lonlieness.  I can also provide playtime for Beastie!

Scaredy Missy and scaredy humans!

Missy writes:

I almost made a break for it three times yesterday! *shudders* Grandma was not closing the door in decent time and not realizing she wasn't closing the door all the way. Daddy and Mommy both yelled at her for it, but she understood why. Daddy held me in his arms while Grandma and Mommy did fireworks in the driveway. They couldn't go any further away (like to a parking lot or some such place) due to health issues, but they could be outside the house. They felt really bad that it scared me, though. None of the others reacted badly. Most liked the lights in the sky!

It's International Box Day! Yay!

We love our boxes!!!  Here are some of us in boxes from this last year:

 Missy loves to hide and then attack unsuspecting passersby!

 Dare says:  "Is this close enough to being in the box?"

We got the box from Mommy's Christmas present, and it was big enough for all of us!

From front to back:  Heimdall, Freya, Little Bit, Tabby, and Dare (on the chair)

Happy Gotcha Day Anniversary to Missy!

Missy writes:

*Opens one eye and then both eyes in amazement*  Oh, hi, everyone!  What a nice surprise to wake up to messages on our bloggie for me!  Yes, today's my Gotcha Day anniversary.  Three years ago, Mommy and Daddy decided to adopt me!  I'd been living with them for a good part of the year by then, but that was my official adoption day.  I first came to live with them in the middle of May, 2011, after walking down the sidewalk outside Mommy's work yelling for food.  Mommy stopped her class to come find me, caught me, then she and Daddy put me in the car.  Later on, when they opened the car to get in after Mommy's class was over, I escaped and hid from them.  It took them 45 minutes to catch me again!  That time, I stayed caught.  I rode home in the space between Daddy's door and his seat while he drove, and he petted me the whole time to help me relax.

I was feral but socialized when I found my purrents, and this year they found out that I'd been spayed somewhere along the line.  I may have had a home as a kitten, or I may have found a kind human who got me spayed but couldn't keep me.  I was fed by the guys at the Franz bakery across the street from where Mommy works, and I caught my food as well.

Tomorrow's my 5th birthday, so double happiness for me!  Stay safe tonight, everyone, and out of the way of fireworks.  Tell your humans to stay safe if they're partying, too!

Happy New Year!  Here's to a great 2014!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tabby is thankful for her family, friends, those she visits, toy springs, food, water, and Mommy and Daddy.

Carbon is thankful for windows that he can look out, Mommy and Daddy, and a long hallway to run up and down.

Rori is thankful for a closet to hang out in when she wants to be by herself, snuggles with Mommy, scratcher, and her family.

Little Bit is thankful for toys, scratcher, the office chair, and Daddy.

Starla is thankful for her cave under the sink, food, medicine for her anxiety, and a family who understands her needs.

Missy is thankful for the printer to lie on, snuggles with Daddy, a warm home, and her family.

Freya is thankful for scratcher, toys, sockies, Mommy and Daddy, her brother, Tigress, and the rest of her family.

Heimdall is thankful for snuggles with Mommy, his sister, the bathtub with fresh shower water, scratcher, toys, food, water, and the rest of his family.

Dare is thankful for the couch to snuggle on, Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy, a home and foster family, toys, and food.

Panther is thankful for an inside foster home and foster family, Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy, Tigress, toys, food, water, the litter box, and health.

Tigress is thankful for the warm house, the ability to go in and out the door, food, liquid water in the house, her inside family, and Mommy and Daddy.

We are all thankful for YOU, our friends!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy National Feral Cat Day!!!

Yesterday, we posted about feral cats as part of our Be the Change for Animals post.  Then, we got the surprise of our lives!  Look who showed up, after being gone since mid-July!!!!!

Tigress came back!!!!!

We all crowded around the back door as soon as we heard her meowing!  Mommy let her in, and we spent about 15 minutes talking, sniffing, and bathing her.  She didn't mind us all crowding around, and was as glad to see all of us as we were to see her!  She wanted a lot of pets from Mommy, didn't mind being inside with the door closed, and made a beeline for the food plates and water bowl.  Boy, was she ever hungry!  Mommy refilled the plate twice, then picked her up by the armpits and "flew" her into the back bedroom with Starla.  Starla sniffed her all over while Tigress explored the room.  Tigress was absolutely scared of the ceiling fan, so that was turned off.  Mommy had to go to work, but left Tigress in the room with Starla while she was gone.

When Mommy and Daddy came back from work, they let Tigress and Starla out.  We all crowded around again, until Tigress made it clear that she wanted back outside.  Mommy and Daddy said no to that for tonight.  Maybe tomorrow, but we all want to make it clear to Tigress that we are still her family and she is safe with us.  Now that she's come back and is inside, we all want to keep her as safe as we can.

We all let her know about her sister's death, and our purrents talked to her about it.  She wonders why Miss Marble isn't in here, but at least now she knows what happened.  Mommy let her know about the book that she and her family are in, too!

We're hoping that she realizes she can be an inside kitty, a former feral, like our other former ferals.  Our current family has several former ferals:  Rori, Missy, foster Dare, foster kitten Panther, and former semi-feral Starla.  Over the years, we've cared for many ferals and semi-ferals.  Each is an individual who accepts our love to the extent he or she is comfortable with, and gives his or her love to us to a degree.

For more information on feral cats, see the link to Mommy's book page on our blog sidebar.  It includes many informational links and videos, as well as the link to the children's book that features Tigress and her birth family.

Happy National Feral Cat Day 2013!!!

Happy birthday to our alpha cat, Rori!

Rori writes:

It's my purrthday today!  I'm 6 years old!  Is that too old to learn how to ride JJ's skateboard?  When he and Mommy Erin lived with us, I liked sitting on it upside-down but didn't like it moving when it was right-side-up.  They've taken it with them, now, though, since they moved a few months ago.

Life here is getting back to a new normal.  One of my jobs as Big Kitty is to check on everyone, and that's exactly what I've been doing.  I heard Mommy crying at one point and pulled at the door for Daddy to open it so that I could check on her.  I hopped up in bed with her and snuggled for a bit, then Daddy let me back in the other room again with Starla.  Another time, I heard Daddy in the living room and wanted to come check on him, so I pulled at the door and Mommy opened it for me.  I made a beeline to Daddy's chair and got some pets.  Missy is slowly getting over being lethargic from her vaccinations, so I've been checking on her, too.  I lie down next to her for a while, then get up again and go about my business.  I've been checking on Freya, too.

Panther has come in a few times more, and seems comfortable letting us sniff him all over.  He's also comfortable exploring the dining room, has ventured into the kitchen, and has discovered that there's a hallway and living room.  He's doing really well so far!  My half-sister, Little Bit, got him to play last night.  She's good at doing that, because she was a mama cat.  She got his tail, so he started playing with her, but she was up on a chair so she was hiding from him.  He found her, though!  They played for a couple minutes, then he went outside again to eat.  Thankfully, he's staying in the backyard and further back, the opposite direction from that nasty road!

Thank you all for your comments and condolences on the passing of Miss Marble.  We love you all!

Wordy Wednesday: Missy had surgery and Heimdall took a stroller ride!

Missy writes:

When I became part of this household, my purrents took me to the vet to have them search for a spay scar.  The vet couldn't find one.  In the two years since then, I've exhibited most of the signs of an intact female, so my purrents scheduled a spay for me.  They brought me in Monday night, because our vet is a 24-hour clinic.  The vet called when I was under anesthesia and being shaved, because I did have a very small scar that could have been a spay scar.  The vet gave my purrents two options.  1.  No incision, do vaccinations, and pick me up after I'd recovered from the anesthesia.  2.  Make the incision and check if my organs were there, do vaccinations, and pick me up after I'd recovered from the anesthesia.  I know some of you may think this was the wrong decision, but my purrents agreed that they would do option #2 because of my behaviors.

The incision was made, and I had, indeed, already been spayed.  I woke up later on to a bunny in my cage.  Not a real one, MOL!  A fuzzy stuffed animal bunny that had my purrents' smells on it!  The clinic gives them to patients who have to stay for a while, and has the patients' families hug and hold the stuffed animal so the smell transfers.  Then we have something nice and familiar to wake up to when we're recovering!

Daddy came and picked me up after I'd recovered, eaten something, gotten checked, and had my pain medicine.  I got to take the fuzzy bunny home with me, and Freya loves it!  Everyone has been checking on me during the day, taking turns being close to me.  I was up on the table at one point, and Freya hopped up to touch noses with me.  I wasn't sure what she was doing, but she sat down and made friendly noises.  Mommy went to pet both of us so that I felt more comfy.  Later on, Heimdall did the same thing after Freya hopped down.  When I was waiting in line to eat, Heimdall sat by me, then ate from the other plate when I ate.  It's nice to know that I'm so loved!

Heimdall writes:

I took a stroller ride!  I love riding in the stroller inside the house, and always hop in it for a ride after Tabby gets home from her visits.  That's always been inside the house, though.  I've only once gone outside in the stroller, and I got so scared that Mommy brought me right back inside.  That was a couple years ago, though.

Mommy's been taking walks every day, going a few blocks down the street and back.  Today she decided to take me with her in the stroller!  She brought it out and I hopped in.  Then she zipped it up, which I wasn't expecting but that was ok with me.  When she took me outside, I chirped at her, but she reassured me and explained we were going to walk down the street and then back home.  I tried to get out of the stroller until we passed the house next door.  A butterfly flew by then, so I got excited about what I was seeing!  Wings!  I didn't know wings were out here!  I also didn't know the cars and trucks stayed on their path, called a road.  I saw, heard, and felt a train go by as well!

When we got back inside, my purrents praised me and gave me lots of pets.  I'm so proud I got to go outside in the stroller for a walk!  Mommy says she might take me out again in a few days!  I've been even more alert for the rest of the day, so she knows that I'm happy with my adventure.

New Year's Wishes

First of all, happy new year!  We hope this year brings blessings to everyone.  Happy birthday yesterday to our Missy, and double happiness because Monday was her Gotcha Day anniversary!

No word yet on Watson, but we hope he either comes back on his own or has found a good new home.  We keep checking the found ads, hoping he will show up there, but no luck so far.

Now, on with the breaking news:

Miss Marble writes:

I had a very scary New Year's Day!  It was snowing on New Year's Eve, so Tigress and I had a lot of fun hopping around, playing hide-and-seek, and all the fun games that we can play in the snow.  However, I forgot how cold it can be when it gets dark and there is ice on the ground!  At the humans' bedtime on New Year's Day (around 11:30 pm), when they went to make sure we had food, only Tigress came up to the back deck.  She has been getting better and better about wanting attention from the humans, but Mommy realized her behavior was exceptional this time.  Tigress wouldn't let Mommy close the door, standing up against the door frame and placing her paw inside the door frame, not moving when Mommy started closing the door.  Mommy knelt down and Tigress touched noses with her!

My sister may have saved my life by doing that.

As Mommy and Tigress were interacting, I was slowly making my way up to the deck.  After they touched noses, I cried out as I jumped up on the deck, because I hurt.  Mommy heard me and talked to me, encouraging me to come to her.  I did, and walked inside because I knew she could help me.  Tigress immediately calmed down and started eating.  She knew I would be taken care of, now that I'd made it inside.

Mommy started petting me, then saw my behind.  It looked like a bloody mass of exposed muscle!  That's actually what it was, too.  She called for Daddy, and Mommy Erin came out to see what was going on as well.  They all got me into a carrier and rushed me off to the emergency vet.  Freya wanted to come, too, but they said she couldn't.  She wanted to lick me to take care of me, but they kept her away.

I had a prolapsed rectum, which basically meant part of my intestines were pushed out my anus.  No wonder it looked and felt the way it did!  There are many reasons why this would happen, so they're not sure why it did in my case.  I could've strained too much trying to pass something I ate, or sat on the ice and frozen, then pulled, or other things could have happened.  The main thing is, I was able to have emergency surgery on it last night, they pushed things back in where they are supposed to be, and I'm doing well in recovery at the vet now.  I will be back home this evening, with three medicines (one for my G.I. tract, a painkiller, and an antibiotic).  Thanks to CareCredit, my family was able to get me all the necessary care and support right away.  Mommy and Daddy are very grateful that is available and they qualified for it.

All the inside kitties and my sister were concerned that I didn't come home right away, but our purrents let them know what was going on and that I will be back this evening.  The inside kitties spent the night purring on or near the humans, and Tigress has been wanting many extra pets (and getting them) plus has been staying close on the deck.

Happy National Feral Cat Day!

Tigress writes:

I'm learning to eat from the inside food bowl, although I prefer to eat food on the plate rather than from the bowl.  That way, I don't have to worry about one of the inside kitties guarding the food.  I love getting pets from the mommy and the daddy, and I've touched noses with almost all the inside kitties now.  I'm not sure why, but it's warm and dry inside that house.  There's no rain in there, even when it's raining outside!

I caught sight of another kitty inside, but the humans said it was just my reflection in the door.  I went over to Rori to say hi, and the mommy closed the door!  I got scared, but I didn't freak out, just twirled around a bit.  She opened the door again and I just stared at it.  I was glad when she said that the door would open when I want it to, and they would not trap me inside for long if I want back outside.

This inside-the-house thing is very strange, but so is being petted!  Why do I purr so loudly when I'm petted, and why do scritches feel good?  I even let the other female human pet me, the one who comes on some weekends.  The little human who comes with her sat down on the floor and put his hand out, so I sniffed it and rubbed against it.  I didn't let the little human pet me yet, though.

Happy National Feral Cat Day to all ferals, semi-ferals, and former ferals!  Keep up the trap-neuter-return work and advocate for all kitties!

Love,

Tigress, Miss Marble, Rori, and Missy Kitty (our feral, semi-feral, and former ferals)

Happy Anniversary to Mommy & Daddy!

Happy 4th anniversary to our mommy and daddy!

We have been having a very exciting time here!  Last weekend, JJ spent a day and night with us.  It's very interesting having a 4 1/2-year-old here!  Tabby, Carbon, and Little Bit remembered right away who he was, even though they hadn't seen him for about a year.  Freya took a while to warm up to him, and Heimdall ran to hide in the bedroom (behind a closed door).  Missy, who's only seen him once, walked right up to him and rubbed against him for pets!

When Miss Marble came inside, she was ok until she realized that something she didn't know about was walking around and talking.  Then she made a beeline for the back door and wanted out!  Tigress wasn't sure about him, but she ended up coming a few steps in while he was watching quietly from behind Daddy in the hallway.  Later on, she got pets from Mommy through the door while JJ was watching beside Mommy.  Very brave!

Heimdall's saying he wants everyone to know he wasn't as chicken as it sounds.  He really ran to assess the situation, then came back out later after he'd had a good, long nap to think about things!  Poor Rori didn't know what to do, so she ran in circles around Daddy's chair, because JJ slept in the big bed in her room.  After he left, though, she was back up on the bed, then lay on the train tracks in the spare room (JJ's playroom, at the moment).  Rori just didn't know what JJ was, then figured out he's a human kitten.  She used to know what he was, but he's grown so much in the last year!

Remember Tabby writing about Tigress' birdie in the last post?  Well, yesterday Tigress had a baby bunny!  We've got wild bunnies around here, but none in our yard because of the ferals.  Obviously, the girls are such good huntresses that they scared them all away!  Tigress found one somewhere and brought it to show us.  We were watching through the glass, amazed, while she carried it around, let it go, ran a short distance away, then stalked it and caught it again.  Daddy got up to see what we were watching.  He went out to try to get the baby bunny away from Tigress, because he didn't want it to suffer.  She let it go and ran off, then he helped it decide where to go when it hopped away.  Daddy said the little bunny wasn't hurt at all, not even a bite mark!

Happy Daddy's Day!

Happy Daddy's Day to all the daddies out there!  Missy's hanging out with Daddy today, snuggling on the couch to keep him company while he takes a nap.  Freya hopped up earlier to stand on Daddy's side and tell him that she was up there to snuggle with him, then lay down and rested.  He had to laugh that she woke him up to tell him she was there to snuggle!

Grandpa was over on Friday night, and we all ran up to greet him and get pets.  Missy tried to crawl in his jacket sleeve!  Freya likes flopping over on her side so that he can rub her side, and then Heimdall gets jealous of his sister and does the same thing.