PRINCESS "P"

We received this lovely shot of Pica in her new home and I just had to share. It captures her beauty and her obvious happiness so well we thought.

Pica's new Mom reports that she's doing really well and seems to be quite content with being the princess of her domain. She has taken over a dining room chair as her throne, and is thoroughly enjoying having her little kingdom all to herself.

I can recall the notes from the shelter that accompanied her when she arrived into our home - it read: "Not a nice cat". Hmmmmph, what did they know!!

WORK TO BE DONE

It was three weeks ago yesterday since Fisher has arrived. We're making small baby steps of progress but he's still very easily frightened, nervous a great deal of the time, and very unsure.

The good news is that he's graduated from behind our livingroom couch to a cat bed that sits in our bedroom. At first he would only get into the cat bed if we weren't home (we'd catch him jumping out of it when we came in), or when we both went to bed. But he's gained abit more courage with us as now he spends a great deal of time in it and is happy to do so when one or both of us are in the bedroom either reading or watching t.v.

He also loves the multitude of cat toys strewn throughout the house and can often be heard playing up a storm at night once we've gone to bed. Then there's the front livingroom window (which he enjoys sitting in), AND the fact that he will now come when treats are being handed out! All encouraging signs except for............the fact that he's attacked me twice since arriving.

The first time was while he was sick and with a fever, but he bit me very hard, into the muscle in my hand and it's one of those not soon forgotten. The second time was about a week later when he was feeling physically all better and we were having a petting session but he got spooked by the motion of my hand I think and lunged at me (thankfully no teeth this time). Both incidences have left me very leery of him, moreso than I've been with a previous foster cat for a very long, long time. He gives all the signs of wanting more attention and affection but he startles easily and that in turn has me startled, and then, well then you just have two very nervous beings trying to figure out whose more scared of who. He's been good as gold with Steve but ironically he seems more scared of him than he is me, so Steve doesn't have as many chances to pet him.

Otherwise he's no trouble at all - hopefully we can find common ground where we can all relax and enjoy being together.

REFLECTIONS

I know that a new year is for many, a time to make resolutions in the hopes of achieving something they have struggled to obtain thus far. Honestly, I have never been one of those people; rather I've been someone whose always welcomed in the new year quietly and really without much thought. But life can lead you down corridors and roads you never thought possible.

For me, January 1st was always just one more day. Now, it is the day that I find myself with flowers in hand, visiting my younger sister's grave. It is the day when I remember that she was the first baby born in the city of Toronto in 1974, afew minutes just after midnight. And it is the day when I think upon the birthday's she is no longer here to celebrate since dying almost 3 years ago.

Grateful for blessings, saddened for losses, I pray that 2015 will be a year in which I can help more, learn much, forgive easier, and be gentler.......

If our latest foster Fisher could talk, I'm sure that the tales he would tell would include a sad tale, harrowing in nature. You can see it in his eyes when he you look at him, and you can feel it in his countenance when he see's it as being safer to hide behind the couch in our livingroom, than spend time with us. Our hope is that with time he will be able to realize that he's safe now and that noone here means him any harm.

We just have to keep trying. One step in front of another, we keep moving forward, never to quit.

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. :))