The cats.....

I have so many stories to tell about the cats. One is that three weeks ago, Lady and her three kittens went to another foster and I got Jazzmine and her five kittens, all of which are black. I have watched them grow (at some points, they were gaining 1 ounce per day!) and change. They are social since I go in their room all the time and talk to them, but their mother has other plans with me. I think if I didn't feed her, she would rather shred me and make bedding out of me. We'll see what happens after the kittens go to the store for adoption. She's a beautiful cat and a great mother so I hope she'll be able to be indoors.

The kittens I had before are at the adoption center. They are so big! Their personalities haven't changed much. The gray one and black one with white feet are very playful and social. The little black one who got sick while she was here is a quiet one who likes to observe. My little boy is a cat person, and he made her a little bed out of a cat toy and his coat. Two little sweethearts!

So many cats have been adopted and surrendered then adopted and more surrenders and adoptions. I can't tell you how many sob stories that Beth hears, some of which are true, some are not. Some people tell you that the cats are vetted and "I'll run and get the records for you", never to be seen again. Mysterious that they no longer answer phone calls either. We are here to help the cats so we can put up with this, but unfortunately, rules come about when people abuse trust. No more surrenders of "vetted cats" unless the records come with. No more lying!

The biggest story that I have is of Wonder- pictured above. He is on our website (http://www.siouxlandpawprints.com/) under "Cat Tails". He came on Friday, March 26th. He was a 1 year old pure white male kitty who had a congenital defect which made his eyes very small so he was blind. The woman who found him said she was driving to work one day in January, so there was a lot of snow on the ground. The lump of snow she saw didn't look quite right, so she stopped and saw this kitty laying on the ground. She took him in, took him in for a vet check and rabies shot, and kept him for two months in an extra room. She said he would come and lay on her and purrrr up a storm. I got to witness the purring, but I didn't have a place to let him come out and get comfortable since I have the loud kids and other curious cats. I didn't want to upset him. I contacted Animal Lifeline of Iowa in Des Moines, a no-kill shelter for special needs cats and dogs. They accepted him and had room for him! I made a trip for me and my two kids to drop off Wonder, see my friend Sonia, and visit my 95 year old grandmother. It was just meant to happen! I had such high hopes for this guy and knew that this shelter was the perfect place for him!

I went on Thursday, April 1st and dropped him off at their vet for a once-over. Come to find out when I checked on him Monday, he had an upper respiratory infection, which is pretty normal for cats under stress and exposed to the elements, so they medicated him to get him better. No biggie, right? Well, I just got word today that he had an uncommon form of demedex/mite which is on the skin, plus he injested it. He also had roundworms, which are treatable. Because of the type of lime/sulfer dip used for mite treatment that may not even work, coupled with the fact that he had the respiratory infection that could get very bad with the dip treatment, they decided the most humane thing to do was to let him go to the Rainbow Bridge. Let me just say that this shelter goes above and beyond anyone else I've ever known to save an animal, so when they decide to do that, it's absolute last resort. Check out their website and look at the stories and you will be amazed! (http://www.animal-lifeline.com/) Some cats have been there for years. I am confident that I did the right thing, they did the right thing, but my heart hurts for this guy because he should have never been out in the elements in the first place. He should have been indoors and cared for in a special way. He was a special cat to me the six days I had him here. I don't know if I've felt that way about a cat that fast so today is a sad day for me. I had a very different outcome worked out in my head. Animal Lifeline is having him cremated and will be returned to the shelter. This isn't what anyone expected or wanted, but it's best for him. That last thing anyone wanted was for him to have to suffer with the treatments.

I give a shout out to them and all they do.

As for my other cats, I have three personal cats left besides the foster mom with babies. I took Sunkist and Oliver to the adoption center. I feel like I am betraying them since they felt that my home was their home. I know they will find a good and loving home together. They are coming out more and are socializing well with the other cats.

Well, when you raise your glass of water, milk, pop, whatever at dinner tonight, please say a little thanks to God for bringing Wonder home. He finally got peace.