Happy Halloween

Ahhh Momma, do you realize there are no cat treats in either of these containers?

Where are MY treats?

Tigger's Wonderful Weekend

Someone is finally feeling better, eating better, and was allowed some play time:

He goes to the vet to get his staples removed today and also to have his lump examined. It was so great to see him acting normal again. We are praying his lump is nothing serious and he continues to recover.

Kitty it's Cold Outside

You know it's cold when Shia willingly comes into the house to warm up:

But just in case you were thinking she may stay inside, she runs so fast back outside that the picture is blurry:



More Tigger Trouble

Tigger's tissue culture revealed a nasty bacterial infection so he is now on two types of antibiotics. He also has a rather large bump above his incision. Thankfully his temperature has returned to normal but he has lost weight and is having a very difficult recovery. Momma is worried about him. He goes back to the vet's on Monday to have his staples removed. Please continue to pray for this sweet kitten.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

(Pumpkin and Tigger crossing tails.)

Crows against Shia

There was quite the racket this morning emanating from the oak tree in the back yard. Turns out the ruckus was caused by these crows cawing:

If you're wondering what had the crows all riled up, there is a one word answer: Shia

The mornings have been chilly as fall is now upon us and Shia has taken to warming up in the sun under the bird feeder. Great for her, horrible for the birds.

On the Mend

Mister Tigger has been confined to a bedroom in a desperate attempt to keep him from jumping and running. Everything that proved a jumping temptation was removed and the mattress was placed to the floor to provide a low, soft sleeping area. The difficult decision to have Pumpkin and Milo return to the neighbor's house also had to be made. Those two are back to normal in terms of their health and their rambunctiousness. They lured Tigger into too much rough play when what he really needs is rest. Even Tigger's toys had to be temporarily taken from him. Out of sheer boredom, Tigger is finally taking it easy and there is a noticeable improvement in his recovery.

The second hurdle we need to overcome is Tigger's relentless licking of his incision. The incision after the second surgery is about three inches long and required six staples. We tried the plastic "cone of shame," we tried the soft fabric e-collar, and we even tried the inflatable pro collar all in an attempt to stop him from licking his belly but Tigger must be a distant relative of Houdini because he managed to get everything off from around his neck!

Momma sank to an all new low when she bought a dog shirt and put it on Tigger backwards. Surprisingly, it has thus far prevented him from licking. We are all positive Tigger will never forgive us for posting these pictures but here is our little man dressed in his "stop licking shirt"

So sorry Tigger but it's for your own good:



Prayer for Tigger

Please pray for our sweet boy Tigger. He is back at the vet's today and needs surgery to remove the infected tissue around his incision. He's being a very brave boy, but we are worried about him. We will get an  update out when he comes home... not sure if that will be today or tomorrow.

Woeful Wednesday

Tigger is going back to the vet today. His incision has come open and has been leaking all night. This poor guy has not had a good week:

Kitten Recovery

The kittens have been at our house since Thursday and as you read yesterday Tigger is having a rough time. Here is our poor little man taking it easy and showing a little of his shaved belly:

Tigger is still on pain medicine and had fluids and antibiotics administered Sunday. Please keep this sweet boy in your prayers. 

Pumpkin is not very shy about showing anyone her shaved belly. She has such a sweet dispostion and is doing remarkably well. She feels quite comfortable in her carrier and prefers to take naps inside it:

Finally there is Milo... he's the only one without a shaved belly and therefore nothing has slowed him down. He adores all the attention and love he's getting every day:

Tigger Trouble

Sunday morning started by feeding 6 hungry kittens/cats... a normal start to every day, but by 11:00 AM we noticed Tigger wasn't acting quite right. While his brother and sister ran amok through the house, Tigger sluggishly laid by the door. Even when Milo challenged him to a good tussle, he wasn't interested. Daddy noticed he was wobbly when he did manage to walk. We decided he needed to get some sleep so they all went back into the "quiet room." At 3:30 PM Momma checked in on them and Tigger's entire lower half of his body was shaking and this was while he was laying down. He could not relax but rather kept himself curled up in a tight ball. He had that look no kitty Momma wants to see in her kitty baby's eyes, pain and suffering.

Tigger was rushed back to the vet. A post-operative infection had set in to our poor little man. He had a fever, was dehydrated, his belly was swollen, and his incision was red. The vet, who was fantastic to meet us after hours on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, gave him fluids, antibiotics, and pain medicine. Thankfully he said Tigger could go home with us provided we kept him from too much activity as well as from licking his incision. Any cat owner knows, those two things are impossible when a kitty starts to feel better thanks to the miracle of medication. We tried the "cone of shame" but he kept getting it off. In the end, we took shifts staying up most of the night with him. He is feeling much better this morning and we will give another update after he gets back from the vet today.

National Feral Cat Day

Shia is by all accounts considered a feral cat, although if Momma has her way one day she will be an inside cat. Many people turn a blind eye to the plight of feral and stray cats. Other than Abbi, all of the cats Momma has taken in or rescued/found homes for have been adult strays or kittens who would have become feral. Please take some time to consider how you can help felines. Alley Cat Allies is a wonderful organization and provides a wealth of information and guidance about how you can get involved:

Kitty Double Take

Isn't it amazing how much the markings on this seashell match Pumpkin's markings?

She truly is a beautiful coastal baby girl.  Kittens are recovering well here but a tad shy about having their pictures taken until they feel a little better. Pictures are coming soon.

Kitten Surgery Update

Thankfully Milo, Pumpkin, and Tigger did great with their surgeries and now starts the recovery phase. They even got to see their brother Linus and sister Lucy!

Tigger had to have two kitten teeth extracted because those teeth are to fall out on their own and have not done so yet. Therefore in order to prevent potential problems in the future, they had to be removed. That poor little man is hurting on both ends!

Momma got to visit them yesterday afternoon and although they were still a tad loopy, they all responded to Momma's voice and she got to comfort them. The vet techs said that Pumpkin has been a little angel, not causing any trouble; Tigger has been very brave but still hadn't cleared the drug fog out of his sweet head when Momma was there; Mister Milo has been a terror. He insists on throwing every last piece of litter out of the pan, as well as knocking over every water bowl placed in front of him, and then there is his penchant for ripping off all bandages, collars, or anything else attached to his body. Can you tell he is the baby of the family?

Now for the great news from Momma's and the kittens' perspective and quite disturbing in Abbi and Aleah's mind: the kittens are coming to our house to recover!!! As soon as they are feeling better, they will post some pictures.

Wordy Wednesday

Take a look back with me to see how small the kittens were in July. Milo is on the bottom right and Tigger is middle right:

Now here are Milo, Pumpkin, and Tigger in September:

Can you believe how big they are getting?

Please say a prayer for these sweet babies as they undergo their neuter and spay surgeries today!

Atlanta Pictures

We know we said we would post pictures yesterday, but when Momma came home we only wanted to spend time with her. Here is the Atlanta skyline:

There is a petting farm on the way home from Atlanta, so of course Momma had to stop and feed the animals. Thank the Lord she didn't bring any home!!!

Atlanta

Momma and Daddy are coming back today from a football game. We all miss them but are grateful Pappy is taking care of us. We will post a picture later today.

Kitty Daddy Love

The kittens sure love Daddy:

A Pet Grief Observed: Part 4

On October 8th it will be 4 weeks... an entire month... since I said goodbye to Donovan. In many ways it feels like a lifetime since I last held her or heard her overwhelmingly loud purr. In other ways it feels like it was only yesterday that she died. I have shed tears for her every day since that morning. I still miss her horribly. She truly left a hole in my heart; or maybe she filled a hole?

I don't know for certain if she was abused, but I do know she was abandoned. Rejection is a season I know full well. We shared an understanding of what it was like to be hurt and took comfort in the joy of having each other. She showed me you can still offer love after going through pain. I wasn't the one who taught her it's ok to trust, she helped teach me that. I didn't know her as a kitten nor did I watch her grow, but I shared the golden years with her and refused to allow her to die alone. The best way I can describe Donovan is she was a gift and I thank God that He allowed her to come to my front door.

Earlier, I wrote about my desire to honor Donovan's life and the treasure she was to me. I considered donating money in her name to a local no-kill rescue group, but I hesitated. It was only yesterday when I realized I was meant to give to an incredible woman who lives on the other side of the country, but is dedicated to saving cats. Call us kindred spirits perhaps. I wanted to encourage her and also to carry on the act of giving which Donovan showered on me.

In response to donating to her cause, she made such a sweet thoughtful gesture that pulled at my heartstrings and really meant so much to me. She named one of the kitties she's caring for after my Donovan! Here is a picture of Donovan's namesake (the black and white kitty in front):

I love this picture. I love this cat. Look how healthy and happy she is. Look at that "smile!" This simple act of naming a kitty after Donovan brought happy tears for once. Thank you MA. Although we are strangers, I consider you a dear friend for you offer rare kindness and love to amazing animals and to a person you don't even know.

Wordless Wednesday

New Kitty Bowl

I was pretty excited to see I got a new food bowl:

and realized this is what happens when the male human fills it with food:

Funny man.



Relaxed Kitty

You would think this is not the most comfortable sleeping position:

and you would be right because this is SO much more comfortable: