AMAZING NEWS!!!!! And lots of other neat news, too....

Lots going on, but when isn't that the case?  I should just stop using that as my preamble, but it's the truth!  Lots of news to report though, and lots more fun challenges ahead!


First off, I got news that the lovely Bobby has been adopted!  He's a super sweet boy and totally deserved the best forever home.  Good luck on your journey, sweet boy!!

Trade at Pet Valu.

More news, Trade got adopted the day after he went into the Pet Valu!  It was by a family who apparently comes in there a lot, so I'm hoping to get updates, I'll share as I have them.  I couldn't be more pleased!

Bianca is now dry, and is having her spay done Friday.  She will be going to her forever home after that, and I'm very excited.  The lovely lady who is adopting her always had bad experiences with cats, until she met my best friend's cats.. then she realized they aren't all bad.  Bianca will certainly finish changing her mind about cats, she's such a sweet girl and will give this lady many years of love and companionship.  Can't wait for her next chapter!

Fintan at the Pet Valu, entertaining everyone with cuteness!

Her kittens have had a bit of a rough go lately.  Dhaval and Nerys unfortunately contracted a skin infection (the vet feels it was due to their already-depressed immune systems), and will need to stay with us a bit longer, until they are finished their medication.  Fintan, though, was completely unaffected.  He's off to Pet Valu to find his own forever home (if Lori doesn't scoop him first, she has a thing for white cats and if ever a white cat was irresistible, it's Fin!).    Everyone adores him, I have no doubt it won't be long before he's off to his forever home too.

Wind is still with us.. She's finishing her medication, and then she will be off to be spayed and find her forever home.  She's more than ready (she's turned into a right lovebug, and a very confident cat!), she just has to get over her nasty cough first!  It won't be long now... She deserves to be loved in her own home!

Feral mama (she doesn't have a name yet and neither do the kittens, we're working on this) gets a little better every day.  I can't do my usual of having other cats help with her, because, well, she'd eat any other cats protecting her kittens, so with her, we are formulating a different strategy.  It may take a little longer, but it should ideally end up with the same result.  She doesn't go completely panic-stricken when we walk in the room anymore (and mad props to hubby for working as hard with her as I have been), and she's even starting to return slow blinks.  I've started feeding-therapy (as I think of it in my head).  Being present in the room, still and silent, close to her wet food, and staying there for the duration of her eating it.  I move a little closer each time, and as she realizes nothing bad happens, and smells the mingled scent of me and her food, she will eventually associate people with good things, and that's how it starts.  Right now I'm able to get as close as a few inches to her while she's eating.  I don't want to over-push her challenge lines, because if I stress her out excessively, it could potentially affect her milk production, so slow and steady wins the race.   She'll get there, I have no doubt.

Dusk and Dawn in their HAC mugshot

I have two new ferals..... two black kittens Lori saw at Hamilton and could not leave behind.  They are very cute, but one is especially traumatized from the experience of being trapped.  They spent an unhappy first night in the house, scared of the thunderstorm and growling every time the thunder clapped (it's sort of funny, until you try to sleep through it).   We have named them Dusk (male) and Dawn (female), and they should be quick, being that they are young.  That of course, depends on the extent of the trap-trauma, but I'm sure they will come around.  If Lori hadn't pulled them, they had two strikes..they were feral AND black.  Most rescues wouldn't bother with the black ones.. they're harder to adopt.   I'm glad Lori doesn't leave these cats to die, though... not if they can be helped.  We will get them sorted!
 
Finally, the biggest, best news ANYONE could possibly have given me last night.  As I arrived to Lori's store to pick up Dawn and Dusk,   she had just finished a phone call from the store that has Lomasi.  It was Lomasi's potential adopter, asking a few questions about her.   SHE GOT ADOPTED!!!!!! LOMASI HAS A FOREVER HOME!!!!

The beautiful Lomasi at Pet Valu.

 I was beside myself with excitement, and as soon as I got home I told everyone and they cheered, and our youngest daughter even did a little jig.  I have misty eyes of happiness even now as I'm writing this.    It's what we DO this work for in the first place!  We are all going to work very hard to make sure that Dawn and Dusk, and Feral mama and her kittens, and all the cats we deal with, all have the same wonderful conclusion.  Lomasi, Trade, Wind, Dusk, Dawn, all of these cats would have simply been killed as feral cats.  No chance, no hope, no future.  It's people like Lori who's intense dedication and wish to see these cats have a fighting chance that makes it happen.  My family just happens to have the honor and privilege of helping her out.  It's an honor to meet these beautiful little souls, and to help them to find themselves again.  There's no feeling in the world like knowing they are off to be in homes filled with love and have a place to call their own forever instead.   Hubby says we are making a difference one cat at a time.  Today, I definitely believe him!