BONNE CHANCE......

I haven't decided to take up another language (although I always wish I was infact bilingual). I simply wanted to find another way to mark another kitty leaving us for their happily ever after and I've always found the French phrase for good luck, a nice one.

Yes, Holmes was adopted this afternoon. His new Mom "C" is a lovely woman, one who recognizes the importance of providing kitties with a safe, healthy environment in which to flourish, and also someone who loves them unconditionally all the wile, offering a wonderful home. At first I will admit that I was somewhat skeptical of her interest in Holmes simply because she already has 5 other cats, but upon meeting her, asking a barrage of tough questions (all of which received very sound, make sense answers), and learning that she has obtained a vet who does house visits to limit the stress for her babies, I admit, I was onside.

I guess my reservations stemmed from the fact that he was such an incredible boy who had had something so awful done to him that I once again felt my over protective nature kicking in. But if I'm brutally honest, that same trait seems to kick in with all of them, and I always find myself able to let go.

The truth of it is.......my home is just a stop on the road to where they're going.

No,

OLD MY BIG TOE!

We just had a great game of lazer tag downstairs and I was curious to see how Holmes would react to the red dot bopping around. Boy, his paperwork might say between 8-10 but his running around said anything but!

His playful side was in full force and it was hilarious to watch as he not only tried to tackle the lazer light before Rocky got it (oh yeah that went over real well with Stinkerboy), but he also was trying to play with the strobe light itself as though he thought he could grab it with his paw.

He's coming out and about a little more each day and although his excited side was met with increased growling from Rocky who was quick to remind Holmes whose house this really is, it was so heartwarming to see him engaged and having fun. It may come as no real surprise to any of you that there has already been an adoption call for this beautiful boy and I have someone coming out Saturday early afternoon to meet him.

Not sure I'm ready to say goodbye, but who am I kidding, am I ever?.

GOOD AS GOLD

As I suspected he would be, Holmes has been marvelously well behaved upon meeting Rocky & Silly. If anything, Rocky has once again succeeded in intimidating a cat much larger and stronger than himself and actually has Holmes avoiding him like the plague. He even hides under our bed when Rocky comes up to do "foster patrol" as I affectionately refer to it.

Otherwise Holmes is feeling a thousand times better and just today I finished his write up and provided pictures for him to be added to the rescue's website. It will be interesting to see how long it takes before someone expresses interest. Regardless of whether it will be 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 months - whoever ends up adopting him will be blessed to have found an incredible cat for a friend, and I will be incredibly sorry to let him go.

Such is the world of fostering........

TO HELL AND BACK

A fellow rescue volunteer summed up our latest foster kitty's journey (who has now been renamed from Mikey to Holmes) in the 10+ days since he's been rescued from the city shelter system perfectly "hell and back". Being dumped at the shelter with his sister at the precious age of between 8 - 10, enduring the stress that comes from that environment, then being separated from your sister, hauled off to a vet's office, going through 6-8 extractions all the while your coming down with a very nasty cold, then off to another strange place, with strange people and other cats, at this point your so sick you can barely lift your head, your being force fed food and a mirage of drugs, then your carted off to yet another strange vet, where your once again enduring IV's, force feedings, and more medicine, to finally feeling...........well MUCH better!

Holmes is back with us tonight, SO happy to be here (he hasn't stopped purring since he arrived), and obviously feeling a tonne better than he did afew days ago when the decision was made to hospitalize him so that fluids, stronger drugs, and a monitoring of his food intake could all be implemented. I can't tell you how relieved we are that he pulled through and that he is still the same, sweet adorable boy we saw so many glimpes of when he first came to stay with us last week.

He's just aching to escape his guest room, but a couple more days of solitude will have to be in order until we are assured that he's well on his way to healing and is no longer contagious. I'm trying to love him as much as possible but Rocky is not happy that Mommy keeps disappearing behind that darn door! This is when I really wish I could clone myself........

Below are new pictures of Holmes that I just took tonight while we were getting re-acquainted. Isn't he just so gorgeous.

MAGIC QUALITIES

I know that I rave, rave, rave about what awesome kitties our fosters are; and at times I'm sure I sound like a broken record. But it is totally true, and once again it's proven without a doubt as Barnaby has gone on to his forever home, and it would appear, is working nicely towards winning over the ladies in his kingdom.

AM has been kind enough to keep me updated (not really like she had any other choice - *LOL*) on how things went once Barnaby was home and was introduced to the resident female, Princess. The first couple of days were somewhat rocky but what good start isn't? Anyway, like they say, anything worth having is worth waiting for and Barnaby appears to posess oodles of patience because I'm sure in his mind's eye it wasn't "if" Princess became entranced with his good looks and adorable personality, but simply rather a matter of "when".

Here's affirmation of that very fact by AM herself:

I just wanted to give you a quick update about Barnaby. He is such a wonderful, sweet little guy, with an outgoing personality. When he’s not chasing the laser pen or playing with his toys, you can find him cuddled up with his new mom – and I love it! He’s explored every single corner of the house and acts like he’s eight months old, not eight years! I am so happy to have him in my life.

And while his new sister Princess hasn’t been quite so quick to warm up to him, Barnaby assures me that he’ll have her eating out his paw soon!


Need we say more?

And here's the real SEAL THE DEAL if ever there was one!!!

TOUGHING IT

It's been a rough few days with Mikey. Fear, doctor's visits, sickness, anitibiotics, painkillers and force feedings have all been on our roster in the last 72 hours, but once again I am amazed at how much some of these kitties will endure and yet still find room in their hearts to show love and kindness.

The URI has been downright nasty and I was somewhat worried for about 24 hours or so when the worst of it was present, but we seem to be over that hill (at least I hope so) and Mikey is looking a little better.

He just LOVES to be brushed and it does seem to calm him so I've been doing quite abit of it. Needless to say I think he's one gorgeous boy (and I wouldn't be surprised if he has some Maine Coon or some such breed flowing through his veins), and so utterly gentle and loving, I can't fathom how anyone could have parted with him.

ONE BIG DOSE OF TLC

Our new foster "Mikey" arrived last night. At the risk of offending someone, can I just say how much I HATE that name for a cat! It's not just that I personally am not into people names for animals, but also that if ever there was a cat who DID NOT look like a Mikey, it's this boy.

Approx 8-10 years old, he was dumped at the shelter by his owner with his sister Shadow. They were terrified and so our rescue stepped in to save them, the only problem being that no one foster home could take them both, so in addition to being dumped by their family, both having to endure dental surgery (Mikey has had somewhere in the neighbourhood of 6-9 teeth taken out!),they've also had to be separated.

Does this truly suck or what?! To add insult to injury, Mikey is now in the full throes of a URI, and is drooling and sneezing violently as I type. I pray that his appetite doesn't buckle under all of this because the last thing I want to be doing to this sweetheart is force feeding.

Since arriving, he's been terrified. Hiding in the corner of his guest room with his face pressed up against the wall, it was the most pitiful sight I had ever seen. Some coaxing has helped him to get up on the bed, but quite honestly, my heart just breaks for him as he tries to figure out what the heck is going on.

So here he is.............a GORGEOUS long haired, freckle infused (he has lots of them), orange boy who loves brushing, petting, resting his head on your knee, and laying on his side while you rub his tummy.

Thank goodness for cat rescues, for shelter staff who care, for drivers and rescue coordinators who ban together - but most of all, thank goodness for people who still care because if ever there was a kitty that needed to be reassured and coddled; it's our Mikey.