About Me

Someone suggested I include some information about myself so people know why I am doing this and how I ended up with these cats. First of all I must say that I've had cats in my life for as long as I can remember. See image below as an example. I've got tons more but one should be enough.



Anyway, in October 2008 I started looking out for the stray cats in my neighborhood. I felt bad there were so many and I was tired of seeing kittens running through the neighborhood only to disappear. So, I decided to start spaying/neutering these cats not only to make myself feel better at seeing fewer cats, but also in the hopes of improving their lives.

My stats:
Since 2008
Spayed/Neutered 18 cats
Placed in homes 4 cats
Want to place 9 cats

Life Time Stats:
Spayed/Neutered 31 cats
Placed in homes 16 cats
Feral cats 6 cats that I TNR'd

The Fabulous Five's Story

Here's the story as to how I came to have my current five fosters. In June 2010 I found that one of the females in the neighborhood had delivered 5 little kittens. She had them stashed in my backyard. The first time I saw them they were about 1 day old--just a huge pile of kittendom keeping each other warm. Shortly after that their mother moved them of course, for their own protection since she realized I knew where they were. In the next few days I kept tabs on them as to where they were in the backyard. My plan was to capture them around 8-12 weeks of age along with the mother and help transition them to solid food and keep her from having another litter!

My plans were a bit derailed when the kittens were 3 weeks old. I was home later than normal getting ready to take my cat to the vet when I heard a lot of noise in the backyard. (Note: we have a fully fenced yard.) Unfortunately, two neighborhood dogs had broken several boards in our fence and found the kittens. Their owner had followed them into the backyard and was trying to get things under control. I quickly raced into the backyard to find the larger of the dogs, an Akita, had one kitten in his mouth and another kitten had been wedged between the fence and a cement block. I thought for sure this kitten had been killed so I tried to get the other kitten out of the dog's mouth and yelled at the second dog to back off. Fortunately, I somehow got the kitten out of the Akita's mouth. He dropped the kitten and although the kitten was wet and dirty he seemed okay otherwise. Thank goodness the dog had not started shaking him because it would be all over. I stood between the kittens and the dogs while the dogs were taken from our yard. The kitten that had been in the dog's mouth I now know was Jackson. I got a pet carrier from my garage and started loading up the kittens. I struggled and finally got the cement block pulled away from the last kitten--it was still alive!! I couldn't believe it--the fuzziest of all had made it. This kitten was of course Sara! So, with little time to spare before my vet appointment I took the 5 kittens into my garage and coaxed their mother to join them so she would take care of them as only mommy cats can. I created a make shift nursery and after they settled down from their traumatic morning, everyone seemed fine.

Lucy

Female
16 months
Lucy is the most shy of all of the fosters. She likes to be held and loves to play hide and seek. She needs to be with a family that understands sometimes it takes a while to warm up, but once a kitty is comfortable, then the fun begins. Lucy has beautiful black tufts on her ears that give her the appearance of an exotic feline. Lucy particularly likes cat treats.

Brody

Male
16 months
Brody loves to meet the world! He really likes other cats and loves to run and play. He is very good about using his cat tree to scratch too. Brody is very easy going and loves to give hugs. He looks very much like his brother, Jackson, in fact they could be twins. Although Brody has one gray foot and one foot with white toes that does not match his brother. Also, he has a more triangular face. Brody can't wait to meet you!

Mynie

Male
18 months
Mynie is a true tabby. He has distinct gray and black stripes. Mynie is a bit shy at first, but very affectionate with his foster mom. He is a solid fellow who likes climbing his cat tree to survey the area.

Eenie

Female
18 months
Who's this cutie? Why, it's Eenie! Beautiful Eenie has a very sleek coat, and lithe body. She is very athletic too. She loves to catch treats in her paws when tossed her direction. She also practices her hunting skills by finding those hidden treats her foster mom sprinkles around the room. Eenie is very sweet and easy going.

Lit'l Bit

Female
16 months
Lit'l Bit is quite the talker. She loves to chat with her foster mom. She can be a bit reserved at first, especially in new situations. However, given a little time she quickly warms up and can't wait to play. Lit'l Bit likes other cats very much and would do well in a home that has other, older cats. She also really loves cat nip toys.

Mimsy

Female
18 months
Meet Mimsy!
She started out as a real spit-fire, a real hisser. However, her foster mom has worked with her extensively on becoming more friendly and what a change! Mimsy is affectionate and friendly. She is also distintive in her markings. She has tortie markings and beautiful coloring in her face.

Jackson

Male
16 months
Jackson is the largest of his litter. He is a very confident cat. Jackson has no problem letting you know whether he likes something or not. He purrs the entire time he is around his foster family. Jackson is an alpha cat and would likely do well in a house as a single cat or would be fine if adopted with his brother, Brody. He tends not to like other animals, especially dogs. He is also quite sensitive to the smells of other cats around the house. So, if you are a humane society volunteer, you probably want to change your clothes before spending time with Jackson. = )

Mo

Male
18 months
Here's Mo! Mo is a huge cat that has rather long fur and seems to have some Maine Coon in him. He loves fresh water and is very affectionate. He likes sitting in his foster mom's lap every evening as he looks out the window and watches the world go by. Mo is a gentle giant looking for his forever home.

Sara

Female
16 months
This is Sara she was born June 3, 2010. Of her litter mates she looks the most unique. She has medium length hair that is very soft. Sara likes to play with other cats, and likes to run around the house quite a bit. She likes to be held and cuddled and will let you know when she wants to get down and run around. Sara needs to go to an indoor only home. She prefers not to be around dogs, but she may get used to a dog if properly introduced.

Meet Your Tabby!

The following posts will introduce all 9 foster kitties. Each of the cats is some variation of a tabby. All of these cats were rescued when they were rather young. In each case their mother was a homeless cat that had litters of kittens in the backyards of private homes. Most of the cats have been in foster care for around a year. During that time they were taken to the vet for check-ups, given their shots, spayed/neutered, and socialized so they would become adoptable. Some of the cats have gone to many cats fairs, but unfortunatey, they have yet to meet their perfect match. If any of these cats appeal to you, strike a chord in your heart, or you know of someone who would be interested in adopting or fostering with the option of adoption, please email me or forward the link to this blog to interested parties.

Getting Started

I have set a goal for myself to help 9 foster cats find their forever homes by October 15, 2011. This is an ambitious goal, no doubt. However, I think it is possible. This year has shown me that many things I thought not possible in fact can and do happen. I have decided to take this topsy turvy year and focus my energy into something positive. What a great sense of accomplishment I will feel when I meet my goal.