POST HOLIDAY

Fisher will have been here two weeks as of this coming Monday. It hasn't been smooth sailing for him or us......

He battled a URI for the first week he was here and although not the worst case we've seen of this dreaded virus, he was totally without an appetite and fought a fever for a couple of days so not fun. We also had an incident in the midst of his sickness (when his fever was at it's worst and we weren't aware), where I was trying to comfort him and he lunged and bit me on the hand pretty severely. It has been extremely painful and has left me abit more nervous about paying him attention, but thankfully my hand did not get infected and Fisher is feeling a 100% better.

This second week has him with full access to the house but he's been very afraid and nervous and has spent a large majority of his time hiding in the livingroom behind the couch. He does come out at mealtimes (smart boy), and his anxiety does appear to be subsiding, but overall he's still battling fears from his time in the outdoors. Something as innocent as rustling a piece of paper can send him scrambling for a place to hide, but he does allow us to pet him even in his secure places, so we're very hopeful.

It saddens us to think of what he went through while outside and it's obvious that he was pretty much terrified. The silver lining now however is that he's safe, warm, and we see alot of glimpses of a very sweet and loving kitty so we realize that time will be a great healer here as it always is.

EARLY CHRISTMAS

We picked up our latest foster (who we have named Fisher), from the shelter last night. Poor boy has already come down with a URI so he's not feeling the greatest at present, but he held true to the description of being "friendly and sweet" by eating a can and a half of wet food by hand, and licked all my fingers clean at the end just so I wouldn't have much mess to contend with!

Approximately 1 1/2, he evidently found his way into a colony of ferals and the caretaker, noticing quickly that he was friendly and front declawed, took him into Animal Services. He's been abit nervous initially but is already starting to relax a little and even gave abit of purring to let us know he's enjoying the attention and fussing.

I think he's just grateful to be indoors where it's warm and he's safe, and we're so thankful to the colony caretaker that helped him on that road. In our eyes, there isn't a nicer Christmas present to be had than offering the Safe Haven guest room to this boy.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!

We're delighted to report that the meet n' greet yesterday went really well and "J" who came out to meet Clemson couldn't leave without our big boy; so he's officially now gone to his forever home and just in time for Christmas!!

Next order of business is to see who needs our guest room next :))

GETTING READY

There's been an adoption call for Clemson - the gentleman interested is coming by tomorrow for the meet n' greet.

Personally, I can't imagine anyone NOT falling in love with our big guy (he's just that wonderful) but then I might just be a tad bias. We'll see what the late morning brings, we've just had our grooming session in preparation, Clemson's charm and beauty will take him the rest of the way. :))

SMOOTH SAILING

Clemson has been with us two weeks today. He's been an absolute dream of a guest; the kind that actual hotels mean it when they say at the end of one's stay, "Please come again". In our case of course, we don't want repeat arrivals but just the same, he's instant friend material.

He likes everybody and everything. He's as easygoing as easygoing gets, and on top of that incredibly lovable. I think the only thing that might be driving hubby abit nuts with him is his chattiness. You even so much as touch Clemson and he begins talking, and the more you pet him the more he talks. When he's hungry and waiting for mealtime, the talking can get quite loud..........I personally think it just add's character (and it's very typical of Maine Coon's), but there are some in the house who would like him to tone it down.

I've submitted his pictures and bio to the rescue's website. His age and his large stature (21 pounds), may play a role in having his adoption take some time but that's totally fine by me because he's absolutely no trouble and so lovely. I took some new shots of him, he's a great model for the camera as well.

Did I mention yet how much I love this boy?

PS: Pica is settling in really well in her new home.

TIGHT SPACES YOU SAY?

Clemson's guest room quarantine was up as of this past Saturday, and if you ask him, it wasn't a moment too soon!

Since being "released" and just as we suspected, he's been a total and utter darling. Not a hiss, not a growl, no hiding, no fear, no anxiety. Just a big stretch, and then onwards to investigate and explore. He's extremely curious and has met both the boys happily and quite matter a factly. He even got the chance to meet Pica before she went home Sunday, and although she couldn't quite believe her eyes; by Saturday night I think she realized how completely harmless Clemson was and wasn't raising nearly as much fuss as we expected with his presence.

His appearance would daunt anyone - animal or human (at least at first glance), but you quickly realize that this big boy is nothing but a total sweetiepie. He himself doesn't realize just how big he is we don't think, since he tries to get into and on top of everything that kitties half his size can easily do...............case in point, below (that's my jewellery box he's laying on top of!!!).

GENTLE GIANT

We've decided to call this boy, Clemson. We have confirmed as well that he is a Silver Maine Coon who like his fellow brothers of the same breed, can and do weigh anywhere between 9-12 kg; our boy is currently @ 9.56kg which is approximately 21 Ibs! He is not fat or appearing "sloppy" in any sense of the word; his breed are noted for being BIG kids, and he has both the body type and gigantic paws that are indicative of that. His coat is a mix of dark and light silver (absolutely gorgeous), and his tail (one that is meant for keeping them warm in winters outside), is raccoon like in appearance - also very Maine Coon.

Also his behaviour is also typical of MC's - he is EXTREMELY chatty! - infact I think he talks more than I do and that's saying something!!! He's been good as gold since arriving. Abit impatient with being confined to his guest room at the present time, he requires us to visit him often in order to let him know that he hasn't been forgotten.

His size is abit daunting at first. When he comes right up to you for head butts of affection, if your laying down he does make you think to yourself that if his disposition were different and he were unpredictable behavior wise; there is alot of power there and he could really do some damage. Luckily this boy is nothing but a total gentle, sweet, loving sucky boy.............let's hope that come next Sunday when he meets the boys - they too recognize that and don't try to challenge him. The latter happening would be like Clay Aitken going up against Reuben Stoddard! *L*

PS: Our little Antoinetta was adopted today so both babies have found their forever homes.

IN & OUT

This morning we were up early to get the babies ready for their big day - adopt-a-thon time! As I type this, I've just learned that our little boy Antonio, was just adopted!! Such bittersweet news as we are so thrilled that he found his forever home, but somewhat sad that he's not been adopted with his sister or that we'll ever see him again. It doesn't take long for these kids to worm their way into your heart, and for us, being protective also happens pretty quickly so it's hard to let go in some ways.

Antoinetta is still waiting, but the day is early and the adopt-a-thon goes until tomorrow night so we're hopeful that she too will find her forever family.........

After hubby left to take them to the event, I spent time cleaning/disinfecting the guest room because he came back with our next foster. At 8 years of age, his family dumped him at the shelter due to allergies. This is by far the largest cat we have ever seen............definitely Maine Coon, his paws and stature are HUGE but what a complete and utter baby. So sweet, docile and friendly - it's heartbreaking to know that his family left him. His former name was Stitch (I can barely say it without cringing) but we're already in search of something more fitting for such an incredible looking guy.

GOOD NEWS!!

The meet n' greet with Pica's potential adopters went ahead on Saturday as planned and she was adopted!! I was really, really surprised at how well she received "J" who came to meet her. There was no hiding, no swatting or hissing and she even allowed J to pet her AND engage her in some play with her favourite toy. She wasn't hugely affectionate, but all of this coming from a little girl who has had major trust issues, it was so pleasing to see.

Pica's will remain with us until November 23rd as her new family will be away until that time. I see that as a total bonus since it means that we get to love her for a couple of more weeks before it's time to bid goodbye. I feel anxious about her going, wanting so desperately for things to go well for her in her new home but I know that a period of adjustment is to be expected and I can only hope and pray that the absence of other pets will help her to settle in that much faster.

Like everything, time will be a great instrument here.

NERVOUS ANTICIPATION

The potential adopter for the kittens didn't work out. A very nice guy he was, but he'd never had a cat before and we both agreed (after he met A&A) that these two would not be a good fit for him given little girl's still present semi feral ways. He said that as a result of our conversation, he had lots to think about in terms of the right kitty/kitties for him.

The potential adopter for Pica is coming for a meet n' greet tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon. I spoke with the wife of the couple briefly on the phone Wednesday evening, and it sounds like a perfect home for our girl. They have two adult children who are in University, no other pets, and a very quiet, tranquil home. The woman didn't balk at all when I mentioned that Pica will likely be nervous and shy upon her arriving...........hopefully her attitude toward it holds true once she arrives, and that her and her husband can see Pica for the lovely girl that she is.

In worrying over how she will behave tomorrow and wondering how it will go; it is almost as if she suspects or knows something is up because she got down from her sleeping spot, and decided to hop up on the coffee table with me (the shot above). As a rule, she wouldn't do that, preferring to keep her feet on the floor and being a little more on high alert.

Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for tomorrow's meeting - if nothing else, it would be good practice for Pica to get used to visitors.

FAMOUS PHONE CALLS

Yesterday I received word that there was an adoption call for A&A (our emergency fosters), and earlier to day I learned that there was a couple interested in adopting our Pica.

We'll meet the interested adopter for the kittens tomorrow evening. They still have afew days of meds to take so they can't go "home" until that's complete, that's only to try and safeguard against the stress of the move causing any kind of a reoccurrence virus wise (which can and does happen). Both of them were so sick at one point that we don't want to take any chances.

The couple interested in Pica haven't actually reached out to us to schedule a meet n' greet but we're hopeful that we'll hear from them shortly. Although Pica has done amazingly well co-habitating with our boys, hubby and I both agree that we think her level of stress would subside even further if she were the only kitty where she could have full run of the house without having to worry about other felines. There is absolutely no love loss between her and Rocky so I know both of them will be so glad when the roommate situation is over.

Let's see what the next few days bring..............here's hoping the right forever homes have finally found our kids!

SWEET SATURDAY

It might be cold, wet, rainy, and snowy outside (did I really just type the dreaded "S" word to describe outside?), but we've never been so glad to see this weekend come around because it means time has passed which also means that thankfully, A&A our kitten emergency fosters are doing much, much better!

Both are now eating up a storm..........actually I'd forgotten how much kittens consume food wise!!, playing, and look physically like the healthy little munchkins that they are. Both still have a slight bit of congestion left but afew more days of antiobiotics and that nasty virus should all be a distant memory.

The plan is to keep them here until either someone calls enquiring about adoption OR the next 3 day weekend adopt-a-thon which is taking place November 12th - 14th. We'd REALLY like to see them adopted together and there is a better chance of that if they stay here two more weeks; than there will be at the adopt-a-thon. As long as both go to a home with another playful kitten, all should be just fine. In Baby Girl A's case, she really needs another playful AND social kitten or young cat to continue to help her with her trust of humans. That work has come a long way and she's far more approachable, and you can pick her up easily now, but she still does have her little bit of feral self there and so she'll need another kitty friend that she can continue to watch and observe and ultimately learn from.

Babies are alot of work but oh so worth it!!

A+A = EMERGENCY 2

I'm not sure if I've mentioned on here previously about my other bit of volunteering with the rescue outside of fostering. It involves me spending Sunday afternoons at one of our local Petsmarts, taking care of the rescue kitties that reside there (when there are no more foster homes available). Currently there are 11 kitties in house, 3 adults and the rest are kittens ranging in age.

The centre has had a nasty URI come through despite our best and relentless efforts to keep it at bay. As a result, last weekend saw most of the cats/kittens affected - some more severely than others. The adults can fight it alot better than the babies can, and by Sunday night after I had put the kids to bed at the close of my shift, I had become increasingly worried about "Antonio", a twelve week old black/white kitten found in a feral colony with his sister "Antoinette".

By yesterday, they were both quite sick and long story short, in order to give them the best fighting chance to recover from it, I found myself offering up my spare room for them to convalesce in. And so here we are..............in the full throes of force feeds, drool wiping, eye mucus wiping, and medicine administering.

Antoinette is the tougher, more feral of the two and just two weekends ago drew blood (on both hands) from another volunteer at the store who was trying to help me put her to bed. As a rule she is hissy, feisty, dodgy, and very vicious with those razor like baby teeth, kitten! But right now, she feels awful, and is barely fighting (which is kind of sad to see).

Just so we're clear, this is NOT a long term foster. This is only an emergency house to get them well, back to being plump little kids, and once they are tearing around the spare room, creating complete havoc - back to the store they will go for adoption.

But for right now, they are melting hubby's heart and keeping me on my toes trying to care for them and keep the "adults" here happy.

UP FRONT

Pica is still with us. We're somewhat surprised, given that she's so pretty, so well behaved, and declawed. Likely it's because her profile on the rescue's website indicates that she has to be adopted by someone whose an experienced cat owner and it clearly indicates that she will likely be shy and reserved initially upon moving to her forever home.

Sometimes you wonder about how much honesty you should share on the profiles. We're firm believers in being totally honest with potential adopters about any behavior or emotional issues because to be anything else will only result in the cat being returned or abandoned when they discover it for themselves if they aren't onside with dealing with it. But being honest about those sorts of things where your foster is concerned is much better left to the in person meeting or the initial phone conversation because that way you have a proper chance to explain and answer questions; rather than a person reading something and dismissing the cat because of the way it's worded or the way it comes across is perceived as negative.

In Pica's case, although the profile may deter some people who think she will be "too much work", that is perfectly fine. She has obviously been horribly mis-treated in the past and as a result, she comes with a set of fears that for her are very real. She's made incredible strides in overcoming alot of them with us, but we're also mindful of the fact that they may become stronger when she's moved again and/or she may never fully let all of them go. Either way, anyone wishing to adopt her has to understand fully what her boundaries will be BEFORE they contemplate taking her home. The profile in this instance helps us weed out anyone not up to the task....


Yes fostering can and is abit of psychology playing as well. You as a foster parent are the last stop of protection - in our opinion you have to take that seriously.

PEEKING P

Sunday was abit of a stressful day for Pica - I woke up to find her acting very strangely - seemingly like she had ants in her pants (for lack of a better expression). She'd settle down somewhere only to jump up afew seconds later like she'd be stung by something or bit.........she'd then take off scurrying through the house. This went on for most of the morning before we finally caught her scooting her bum across the floor.

We suspected her anal glands had become impacted (scooting is dead giveaway for this problem), and called the rescue which were so great about getting us an appointment with one of the vets they use straightaway. A half hour later, Pica had been seen and yes it was her glands, they been expressed. and she was headed back home. Ever since returning, she's been very clingy with hubby who took her to her appointment. Not sure what she made of the car ride or the vet himself who was evidently super nice, but I think it was enough of a flashback to her shelter stay that she became somewhat anxious, almost as if she thought she was being dumped somewhere again.

We're glad she's okay even if Rocky is giving her an extra hard time - I think his happy dance had started when she disappeared for abit on Sunday afternoon and he was completely furious when he realized her return. Still no adoption calls but sometimes kitties that need to go to a home alone with no other pets are abit harder to place simply because alot of cat lovers have more than one. Her time will come we're sure, we'll just keep loving her until then.

REWIND

One of our former adopters "S" reached out to us recently with a lovely donation for the rescue. She also provided us with some photo's of the two kittens she adopted from us Petunia (now affectionately known as Toonie) and Finn as well as two other kittens from the same litter, now named Alero & Corolla.

In case you can't quite place these babies in the army of kitties we've saved over the years, here is the before:

There was actually six in total but both "S" & "D" took two each - and here is the after:

I don't know about you, but I LOVE these types of updates! :))

STILL MY SISTER

This entry has absolutely nothing to do with cats.............

Today marks 24 months since my younger sister's (Tanya) death at the age of 38. Out of respect for her memory, I do not work today nor will I in any of the anniversaries that will come after this one and I will continue to dedicate a blog post to her on this day.

Life has carried on all around me in the days and months since she died and I continue to try to carry on with it. There is however a pain that continues to burn deep down in the depths of my soul, one that I feel each time a new day begins and ends. If nothing else, I can and do appreciate more now than I ever did before that sorrow and sadness can live quite strongly inside of us while we continue to try and keep walking forward - I know because it is alive and well inside of me.

I discovered a song not too long ago that a musician wrote for his Father who had passed away. I'll leave you with a part of it because it captures perfectly the journey I am on and my wish that when my times comes to return home to Heavenly Father; Tanya will be my guiding light that helps me home.


Well the road is wide,
And waters run on either side,
And my shadow went with fading light,
Stretching out towards the night.

'Cause the Sun is low,
And I yet have still so far to go,
My lonely heart is beating so,
Tired of the wonder.

But there's a sign ahead,
Though I think it's the same one again,
And I'm thinking 'bout my only friend,
And so I find my way home.

When I need to get home
You're my guiding light,
You're my guiding light.

When I need to get home,
You're my guiding light,
You're my guiding light.

Well the air is cold,
And yonder lies my sleeping soul,
By the branches broke like bones,
This weakened tree no longer holds.

But the night is still,
And I have not yet lost my will,
Oh and I will keep on moving 'till,
'Till I find my way home.

Tanya - 5 months before her passing

LITTLE LADY

Pica is doing great! She has settled right in, is way more relaxed and calm than she has been since arriving, hardly ever becomes nervous with affection anymore, and has allowed her true personality to shine through which is quite comical.

She's co-existing with the boys just fine but every now and again one of them will be walking by in too close proximity to her and she'll reach out to give their face a flurry of swats and a hiss - I think it's just her diva way of telling them not to forget she's Queen (like they could anyway). She also loves to spook herself, chasing shadows on the walls and other imaginary things that make her puff up like a cotton ball - it's hilarious to watch and she seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself in the moment.

No further adoptions calls have come but we've been in this long enough to know that when it's meant to happen, it will.

Happy Friday everyone.

BUY THE BOOK!!!

We've been busy collecting books for the upcoming fundraiser I'm having which is being held on Saturday, September 6th from 10:00am - 1:00pm here at our home. 100% of all funds raised will go directly to Toronto Cat Rescue, and the fundraiser is being held in memory of Ching (see my last entry regarding his passing). I've also arranged to have bookmarks printed that will have Ching's picture on them and TCR's logo that will be tucked inside each book sold as an added little surprise for the buyer and a thank you from us.

I've never held or organized a fundraiser before so I'm really hoping that it's a great success. I've circulated the invite electronically to all I can think of and will be going door to door in my neighbourhood to drop the invite hardcopy into mailboxes. I'm also stopping by my own vet's office, one of the vet's offices the rescue uses close to our home, and afew other places, asking if they might be willing to have afew copies at the front for people to take.

On the kitty front, they boys and Pica are all doing great! There has been some grumbling the last few days as we've had contractors in doing work on the house and so the kids have had to be confined to bedrooms for hours. Initially what started out as fun was about 7 or 8 hours later not fun anymore, and the crying, pawing at the door, and annoyed noises has left us not terribly popular as Mom & Dad I'm afraid!

So here is the fundraiser invite itself - please consider dropping by the sale if you are able, the array of books is wide and alot of great reads are ready for the buying.

BIG EVENT!!!!

Some of you may know that last Fall I began volunteering one afternoon a week at one of the local Petsmart stores. Our rescue has some of our cats/kittens housed there, and 7 days a week, from the moment the store opens until the moment it closes, there is an army of rescue volunteers who take shifts caring for the kitties in the centre. It's a small space relative to an animal shelter, but the cats are extremely well cared for, played with, given lots of attention and affection, and are allowed to roam free until bed time each night.

Recently there was a kitty saved "Ching" - a gorgeous medium haired male who was young (maybe 1 1/2), who had previously been apart of a feral colony. Ching was just a gorgeous boy, sleek, with soulful green eyes, fur that reminded you of sleek silver, and a plumie tail that would put any long haired female to shame.

Unfortunately a few weeks ago, he became ill and long story short, the horrible decision had to be made to bid him goodbye. The result has been alot of tears on the part of the volunteers who mann this centre and who miss him terribly. There was talk of doing some sort of a fundraiser in his memory and today, I decided that I could think of no better way to honour his memory than to host such an event............and thus the BUY THE BOOK FUNDRAISER was born!

At the end of August, I'm going to host this fundraiser in my backyard. To do so, I need to collect books - ALOT of books, that are in good condition and which I can either pick up (if it's not too far), or have kind people drop off at my home. :))

So I figure that it couldn't hurt to also use the avenue of my blog to advertise in the hopes that you, lovely fellow cat lovers and faithful blog followers, will either be able to help me by either providing books of your own, or by spreading the word to friends, neighbours, co-workers and family. Location wise, I'm located in the East end of Toronto so if any of you have books, aren't able to get them to me but live in the general area, and I can come to pick them up - please don't hesitate to let me know.

In the interim, please meet the gorgeous boy in whose honour I now hope to raise funds for other rescued kitties that come after him, and who need the help (and so appreciate the love), just as much as he did. We miss you Ching and we look forward to seeing you again.

MISS PHOTOGENIC

I don't think any of the photos I've been able to take of Pica up until now have really captured her beauty, so I thought I would share these ones from today............I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as she and I enjoyed making them. :))

LITTLE BY LITTLE

Pica has now been our guest for just over two weeks and we're still very much learning about her.

At this point, she is afraid of almost everything...........loud noises, sudden movements, toys that come at her too fast, are too colourful or too big, objects that we can be carrying (such as bedsheets in my arms which terrified her just this morning when she saw me walking with them), and even things as peculiar as my walking toward her with my spring jacket on; it was as though she didn't recognize me and had this look on her face like I was coming to do her serious harm. The one big though is when petting her if your hand or arm finds it's way in front of her face - she will swat out and cry as as if to say, get away from me. She also has to be petted very slowly, which she loves but any change of position or increase in pressure or speed, and she's cowering once again and making it clear she doesn't enjoy it.

All that said, she is still making progress with her trust for affection, and has even crawled up on hubby's lap twice for petting, as well as tapping him on the knee and rubbing up against him to indicate she'd like some love - so we're hopeful. We can only imagine the abuse she has very obviously suffered at the hands of others, and how long it went on for is anyone's guess. What that really means then is that what was horrible for her to endure will take time for her to get over and the reality is that she may always be abit nervous.

Two weeks together is hardly enough time for a kitty with these types of issues to be resolved, but we're so thankful that we were able to rescue her from the shelter because that environment would have never been condusive to even remote attempts at helping her to trust again. She has been placed on the rescue's website for adoption but with clear stipulations that she needs a home without other pets, no small children and that is quiet. We've also been clear about her need to settle into her forever home at her own pace...........

We've already grown to be really fond of her and as always, will keep her safe until the right family comes to offer her, her 2nd chance.

QUEEN

All is relatively quiet here at Safe Haven. Pica continues to do well, although it's pretty obvious at this point that she'd really be happier in a home without other kitties. Her growling and hissing at the boys now only occurs if they get too close versus everytime she even sees them, but that said, we also see how having them around keeps her on edge in a way that we know wouldn't exist if she was alone.

We marvel though at how Rocky & Silly's behaviour changes when there is a female in the house - especially one like Pica who makes it very clear at the outset that she's not fooling around. Rocky's typical M.O. of stalking, growling, and intimidation is non existent with Pica, I think he growled on Days 1& 2 and when he quickly realized she wasn't to be bullied, he did an about face and all but gave up. Now I think he's just grateful that she's not swatting at him or trying to pounce on him (which she didn't hesitate to do when he started his bossy boss routine).

Last night we watched somewhat amazed as Pica maneouvered past both boys and neither even so much as gave her a side way glance. If I didn't know better, I'd think I can hear them each take a slow intake of breath when she's that close, hoping that they don't erupt her wrath while she's near!

All in all, she's very, very sweet and her pretty factor is just off the charts. She's also quickly becoming Daddy's Girl and in typical female fashion, she has hubby wrapped right around her little paw. Me on the other hand, I'm litterbox cleaner, food feeder and brushing slave - and pretty much in that order!

ROLL OF THE DICE

We opened up Pica's guest room door yesterday to finally see how things would unfold between her and the boys. She's been with us a week tomorrow, and has made huge strides with trust and tolerance so the next natural step was to find out what her acceptance level for other kitties was going to be.

She's done amazingly well. Yesterday, she only ventured out of her guest room to explore the top floor of the house and spent alot of time hissing and growling every time Rocky or Silly ventured into her "safety zone". Today, what a difference............she's explored the whole house, has spent time sunning herself at the front livingroom window, and I even caught her standing right next to Rocky on top of the landing of the stairs. Already the hissing and growling has subsided from yesterday's level, her curiousity is outweighing her fear, and she's much more affectionate!

She has another week before her quarantine status is up so we'll see what types of strides she continues to make. We agree however that once her picture and bio are put on the rescue website, it won't be long before she's adopted - she's just way too cute and way too adorable to not have someone wanting to snatch her up.

DAY FOUR OF PICA

Pica is alot more receptive to attention today than she was upon her arrival last Thursday. She was very leery and nervous on Day 1 which is totally understandable, but since then we've been able to pet her a great deal, she's purred numerous times, and we've even discovered that she loves the brush.

She does still have her "nervous" moments, when either a noise or a motion frightens her and you can see that she's transitioned to high alert (as we like to call it), but she's very good about giving us subtle signs that she's not into attention in those instances, and so we've been respecting her signals and not pushing that envelope. Underneath her need to protect herself, there is a very sweet, loving kitty who melts with attention and love...........we've seen it already. She is also extremely playful, she rubs against her toys and licks them as if to give them kisses and becomes as quick as a roadrunner when the lazer pen is pulled out.

What remains to be determined is her true feelings about other cats. Initial signs are that she's not impressed with them at all, but it's too early to know if that's her defences or an honest to goodness hatred for other felines. Silly slipped into her guest room as I was trying to exit and Pica unfortunately was not happy at all - hissing, spitting and pinned back ears went into overdrive and our poor boy couldn't get out of there fast enough!

As promised, I've taken some more pictures of that beautiful coat of hers - which is really grey, cream and light brown but looks much darker in some of these shots; you'll see what I mean.

COAT OF MANY COLOURS

We welcomed a new guest yesterday late afternoon. Her coat and it's colours are just breathtaking to look at - at approximately 3 years of age, this gorgeous dilute torti has surely turned some male feline heads on the streets of our fair city!!

Choosing a name was pretty hard this time around because I really wanted to find something that would be unique for such a striking little girl and so we've decided upon naming her Pica (pronounced Peeka). She wasn't a favourite at the shelter due to some trust issues, which really isn't surprising given the atomosphere in those places, but when we got her home and I read her paperwork which clearly stated that she was "not a friendly cat" - I wondered for about a split second what we'd gotten outselves into which followed quite quickly by, oh well guess we'll see how this goes. *LOL*

Initially very stressed, she was hissy and swatty yesterday but already we've seen a remarkable change. She's been much more relaxed today and hasn't hissed or swatted at either myself or hubby even once all day/evening long. She loves toys and has settled into her cat bed in her guest room like it's the loveliest thing she's ever come across. Introductions with the boys will be delayed simply because she appears to stress easily and we want to give her lots of time to settle in and feel somewhat secure with us before adding anything else on top.

Let's see how the weekend unfolds. Until then, here's the first picture - not the best but at least you get the introduction and I hope to take more this weekend that will really reflect her amazing coat and colours.

ANOTHER ADOPTION!!

We received an adoption call for Cocoa yesterday. A woman enquired on behalf of her senior Mom who recently lost her cat last Fall. The initial conversation last night went well, and this morning this woman accompanied by her daughter came out for a meet n' greet.

My initial concern was that the adoptive Mom was a woman well into her eighties and so the question was raised about what would happen to Cocoa should something happen to her Mom. Well this family assured me that under no circumstances would Cocoa would be placed back in the shelter system; instead this daughter (the woman who came out to meet Cocoa), would assume responsbility for her in the event anything happened to her Mom.

I LOVED this woman and her daughter; they love animals, and Cocoa's forever home (as an only kitty which we know she'll love), sounds absolutely perfect. A pet friendly senior's residence where Cocoa will be showered with lots and lots of attention! Cocoa also was very relaxed, playful and loving during the course of the meet n' greet and helped me to see that this family would be a great fit.

So 3 1/2 weeks after coming into the Safe Haven, this little girl too has found her happily ever after.......

We'll miss you Cocoa girl but we loved having the chance to get to know you.

HORRIBLE NEWS

We received word this morning that Flossy has died. For those of you who may remember, Flossy was a little all white female found starving, emaciated and very near death in a feral colony in the city's west end. We fostered her for 14 months in total, and during the course of that time she rallied back to blossom into a beautiful, dainty, precious little girl who despite her previous trials, grew to trust and love again.

Flossy's Mom is absolutely heartbroken, as are we. I've copied an excerpt of her Mom's email to me as well as sharing one of the last pictures of Flossy before the disease took over - she was SUCH a special little kitty and we are so shocked and saddened to know that after all she'd been through, her happiness on this side of veil was so shortlived.

There is comfort in knowing she was loved, so well cared for, and happy during the last few years of her life. Again, HUGE thank you's to "R", "J", and "H" who all had a hand in bringing her to safety and of course to "S" her Mom who loved and cared for her through her final days. To her furry friends Belle, Whispurr and Teddy who now miss her terribly, losing a friend is never easy.



I hope this note finds you well. I have started to write it so many times, but I just didn’t know what to say, so I kept putting off the writing of it. But it has been nagging me in the back of my mind that I need to let you know that our beautiful Flossy, our baby girl, has gone to kitty heaven.

I am heart broken. She developed squamous cell carcinoma, a very aggressive cancerous tumour in her mouth. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything we could do because of its location. Surgery to remove it would have required cutting away half of her jaw and I didn’t want to do that to her and the vet recommended against it. Because of the type of cancer it was and it’s aggression, unfortunately chemotherapy was not an option either. We did everything we could for her to keep her comfortable and happy until it was time to say good bye. I did not let her suffer. She was her beautiful, playful, happy Flossy self, right up until our final good-bye. She was ready when the time came, nuzzling into the vet’s hand, closing her eyes and going off to sleep. She was very peaceful. My vet was very touched saying she hadn’t seen anything quite like it before.

I syringe fed her for 3 months because there wasn’t anything else wrong other than it was difficult for her to eat on her own. She had a hard time picking up the food, with having no teeth other than her fangs, and then battling this big lump (the tumour) in her way. I was able to keep her healthy by using the syringe to redirect the food past the tumour to the back of her mouth where she was able to manage it quite fine. But eventually the cancer took over and wore her down. Her final 2 days when I noticed she wasn’t interested in playing any more and I looked deep in to her eyes, I knew it was time. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I bonded with Flossy more than any other pet I have had, or presently have, she was truly a very special baby girl. But for her, I knew I had to put my own feelings aside and say good bye. She was so special that even my vet had a soft spot for her, having tears in her eyes that last day as I openly wept.

TOUGH DAY

Buster's new Mom "N" has been great about sharing photos of him and his brother Blueberry since the adoption. Alot of these shots just make my day, none moreso than this next one which had me laugh out loud in the office when I opened it...........

And this is a kitty that just afew months ago found himself in the shelter system - LOVE IT!!!!!!

ONE CUTIEPIE

Cocoa is doing wonderfully! She spends a great amount of time with us and if she isn't sitting next to us, she's not very far off. Her appetite is great, her litterbox habits are perfect, and her disposition is becoming sweeter and sweeter by the day. The last few nights she's decided that sleeping with us is a swell idea (although she doesn't stay all night), and has even begun to take Rocky's perturbed attitude in stride; preferring to give him a little hiss in return for his growls and then she simply just saunters off like the typical female she is..............as if to say, oh poohey on you!

I have discovered in the past few days that she has had a series of scabs on her back and some on the tips of her ears. The back appears to be drying up and thus, clearing up but the ears I'm watching more closely. I suspect it may have been some type of allergy to the food she was being fed previously OR it may have been stress related. She's been scratching her ears quite abit but a further investigation inside doesn't show anything obvious that could be wrong. I put abit of neosporin on the inflamed area's that are on the outside and will keep an eye. If need be we can switch her to a hypo allergenic food if it's required, but since the back appears to be clearing up, I'm hoping that the ears will follow suite.

She is just a sweetheart of a little thing and so well behaved. She's settled in and that can only mean that adoption calls are right around the corner.

PROOF

I smiled to myself when a couple of you indicated after my posting that Miss Addy had been adopted, that you wanted proof of her happiness.

I'd safely say that these next couple of pictures will be the evidence your looking for. Her new Dad reports that she's doing terrific and has become a lap cat! It just goes to show that in the right environment (which for this sweet girl was a home without other cats), they can be so incredibly relaxed. These shots were affirmation that rescuing senior kitties is just as important and can be as much a happily ever after as their younger counterparts.