Cats Playing

Now that many of my former charges have been adopted, I have had to make new friends at the shelter. 
Here we have the likes of River and Hendrix taunting Max in his carrier. Hendrix had no problem barging in on Max in the carrier!  Hendrix must have learned this in the clinic he spent so much time in; the cats there huddle together to sleep and keep warm.  Max tolerated it briefly, but let it be known his new cage mate was not welcome!  

While River and Hendrix made the most of their play session by playing wildly, Max squandered his opting for the security of his carrier! 

Shelter adoptions, losses and new residents!

Well its been a while since I was last blogging, not sure if anyone really missed it, so I guess there was no incentive for me to blog, until now, to write about all the wonderful adoptions, some losses, and new residents!  The policy on the FIV cats has changed too, enabling them to become floor cats for part of the day.  Lucky for them.  Ginger is the new shelter king and gets on famously with Ringo, a floor cat.  Little One and Mia are like kids in a candy shop.  Alvin seems to sleep always, and may stand up when he sees me.  The cats recognize me, but they don't call after me anymore since they don't need me to let them out like in the past!  Ginger mostly ignores me, but will come to me if I call him and wait for him. 

Many of the cats showcased here were adopted or taken into foster care.  Still some remain.  I am hopeful for them.  Still some we say goodbye too as a result of age related illness, or illness in general.  One surprising adoption was that of Nicodemus, a black cat that had been at the shelter since a kitten, about 4 years.  He was adopted by a man that wanted a companion cat for his other cat.  He found Nic on petfinder and curiously, he said he would keep Nic's name (not change it like most new owners do) and was a reason he went to meet Nicodemus!  This is very fortunate for Nic, as black cats can be hard to adopt out, and there are so many of them at the shelter.  Nic had a peculiar personality too.

Next amazing adoption came with Victoria(Cat showcase). She was a moody bi-color cat that had to take daily medications for seizures and allergies.  It just didn't look good for her.  Then her lucky card came up and she was adopted shortly after Nicodemus!

Another exciting adoption was Daisy Boo, (adopted by the same owner as Victoria too),  the longest feline resident at the shelter clocking 5+ years!  A pretty black and white tuxedo cat with a thick teddy-bear like coat.  I just don't know why it took so long for her to get re-homed, she was sweet enough.

Sadly a few days before Thanksgiving we said goodbye to Rodman.  A dear tabby who was plagued with kidney and thyroid problems.  Once adopted from the shelter as a kitten, made his way back ~ 13 years later when his family didn't know their was something wrong with him! He weighed 5 pounds!  I never saw anything like it.  Just fur and bones.  His shoulder blades were like potato chips.  I wish I could have helped him somehow.  When I did get to visit him in the clinic, he would sit on my lap and lean against me.  I was afraid to handle him too much, he seemed fragile.

Cat walks on leash

Loverboy got his "get out of jail free card!"

HI again, missed you all.  There has been some news since I last blogged!  Loverboy was adopted! Great for him, though I am sad, as he was my favorite cat. It is very encouraging that he was adopted, and by the public too, since he is FIV+.  Usually, these cats are passed up again and again.  One of the reasons he did go home is that he could walk on a leash.  This, I started doing with him a while back since he has so much energy and just needs to move!  So now I make it a plan to get all the cats I work with on a leash, and show that as a feature of them to adopters.

Another FIV+, Miss Ellie went to a foster home. Apparently, she is doing well there.  Now, I thought my work load is lessening with the FIVs but no sooner than these two are gone does a new one named "Mia" appear. She is a black, female, FIV+, and is quite hissey around the others. ***sigh***.

Majken, a sweetheart tabby finally got adopted. She managed to work her way up to being a floor cat, which is not a bad place to be in the shelter community for a cat!  But, instead, someone that is familiar with the shelter, e.g. a delivery person or something of that nature, adopted her!  I can see why, she is so sweet and loving.  Good for her!

Tidbit, one of the non-FIVs I work with is a handful. She agreeably comes out of her cage for playtime, but look out trying to return her to it!  I managed to get a harness and leash on her, and even walk her, but it was drama big time trying to negotiate with her to get it off.  I must have gotten bit and scratched beyond recognition! 

Drama with Victoria

Victoria

Yesterday's visit was exciting as usual. I limited myself to kitties that I thought were nice, but was I wrong!  Victoria, a disturbed kitty I took a liking too, started out with her usual growling and discontent at being picked up from her cage. I took her to the larger room, the auditorium, as there are few cats in there and she always seemed calmer. Ok, no problem. Except- I have a few other cats to socialize too, and don't have a half hour or more to spend with her there!  So off we go to the playroom.  She is growling and expressing her discontent.

Memphis

Oh well. I get a few of the other cats out: Memphis walked out of his cage, and Paulette came to sit on a cat tree. Tidbit came out too. Memphis played nicely and did not get into any trouble with other cats, though he still spouts off a fierce growl or hiss. I am pleased with his progress, and its unfortunate that he has always been shunned by volunteers and staff alike, due to alleged neurological problems and or head trauma.

But when their play session came to an end, getting Victoria back to her cage proved a bit more challenging. I normally can return her without contest. As I was walking back with her in my arms, she just freaked out like a feral cat! Squirmed and clawed and growled like mad!  Out of my arms she flew, and right into the garbage can next to me!  It was horrific to all around! That was unsettling to me to say the least. I don't know if I will try working with her again. After reading her medical records, I note she had a gran mal seizure while in foster care. This suggests epilepsy, but without asking a clinician about her, I don't know. I am sad to think I won't be able to handle her anymore. 

Thomas

Of the FIVs, Thomas enjoyed getting his cone removed and a lavish neck rub and sponge bath!  Lauren bought him a new cone! How sweet!  He was so relieved.

Alvin

Miss Ellie

Loverboy and Ginger walked on their harnesses. Ginger is getting better at it, I just wish I had time to give him while he is in the learning stages.  Loverboy was a natural at it from the start!

Rumor has it that Alvin and Miss Ellie will be adopted by a board member to live in a barn!  While this comes with mixed feelings by those of us who care for these kitties, it is probably better in the long run, at least for Miss Ellie, who is not a people cat anyway.  Alvin is social so we don't know if we like it for him. I know i will dearly miss Alvin, but at this writing, I can't do better for him! Winters here can be harsh in a barn!

Updates

Memphis

On my last visit a week ago, the cats seemed moody, maybe because their play date was a day late! Memphis recognized me when I opened the door to his room and I looked at him and called his name and he meowed for me nicely! He played and ran around and didn't bother other cats, but THEY bothered him first!  Tidbit took a hissy stance at him so he hissed back. Can't really casually handle him yet. I suspect he will spout off a hiss randomly because of his injury/illness as he is not aware of everything and gets scared.

Paulette another social misfit came out onto a cat tree and sat. She picked a fight with toby in the adjacent cage of course! Though, having her walk out onto a perch is a major step forward for her.

For some reason the cats were a bit difficult picking up and returning to their cages last Tuesday. Even easy cats like Alvin and Tahlullah growled at me and resisted (not extreme). Miss Ellie beat me up too, and at least a male volunteer got her in and out for me.  Blackie was unmanageable and would not come out for me at all. usually I can drag her out, but she started the Snowflake thing of making big drama, as if she was being tortured. Ok, I get the message.

Loverboy

Loverboy was on a leash and ran back into the auditorium, broke away from my grip and leaped up on to the desk of a lady the back office, knocked down a stack of papers on it, and jumped onto her keyboard, changing the screen, and then walked onto the keyboard of the laptop next to that computer! **gasp** horrifying!  Then two teenagers wanted to walk Loverboy, and I was afraid to leave him in their keeping, but they said they would watch him when I got Ginger. They did, with a little training on 'a cat on a leash', they did ok. Though, they get bored quickly (is the issue, and Loverboy goes to sleep). One girl left, and the other one was left holding onto Loverboy. She helped me get them into the maternity/play room at least. Delegating is nice if it works!

Tidbit likewise, threw a fit going back to the cage. She is small and its hard to get too injured with her! I know I was a day late for playtime, but can they know that and be that upset over it? Little One crawled under the cages and was a pain to dig out. He likes his cage, though I wish he wouldn't use his claws to take a flying leap into it!

I just got word from Lauren, that Snowflake was adopted! Miracles are possible! She was very difficult for me to get back to her cage one time (the worst, feral-like cat behavior). Apparently, she came out of her cage, went to a visiting room and sat on the visitors lap, all without issue! Surprise, surprise!  And the new owner called into say Snowflake (now known as Lily) is doing wonderfully!  Ok, glad she is re-homed, and now that lets me know, I should not risk my life and limb to work with difficult(to me) cats! Leave em be! They find their own new owners! I will stick with the nicey nice ones!

Also, Mr Morgan, a black cat, senior, in the final stages of kidney disease, also was adopted. He was taken in by a volunteer. Now he may live out the rest of his life in a home! Miracles happen.

And the happiest news is that Oliver (FIV+) was taken back by his owner. Rumor has it that he wants to take Thomas(FIV+) back too, his cat also. So it is very happy for the FIVs!!

Ginger is telling me something

Victoria

This Tuesday's visit was a bit more calm than last Monday's visit.  No drama queens, though I did socialize with a few of the crabby ones.  I took Victoria, Blackie, and Roxanne out for a bit.  All are queen growlers.  Blackie will growl and hiss when I walk by her cage.  She will let me pick her up and hold her at least now. Victoria, a bi-color cat that was found as a kitten, has grown up in the shelter, unfortunately.  She lets out a quiet, raspy whining sound when I pick her up, it is so sad sounding.  Hopefully, she will get used to getting out of the cage, so that when someone wants to adopt, she would be easier to get out.

Roxanne

Roxanne is a real work too. She chews through any documents hanging on her cage, paper and plastic alike.  She is not too difficult to get out, but in the play room, she just sits and growls at everything. Once I can get these cats to play, I know I will have accomplished a good deal!

Next, the FIV's were meowing me out of the shelter. They know its playtime.  Things were pretty normal, except I couldn't get Oliver out of his cage as usual.  He had a hideous cone on his neck, similar to what Thomas has to wear.  He just didn't look good. I fear for him.  I will have to be more creative to get him out next time.

All the cats were active, and Tahlullah was a wild diva, keeping up with the best of them, chasing balls and laser beams.  Loverboy started punching Thomas and by the time I caught them, Thomas was on his back getting whacked by Loverboy!  I adore Loverboy, I just wish he wouldn't bully the other cats, and Thomas is down already for the count, with that cone on his neck!  

Ginger

All the cats get sad when I have to return them to their cages, you can see their expressions drop.  When I put Ginger back to his cage, he bit my glove again, and would not let it go.  This makes me think he does not want me to leave?  I have to wonder if it is his way of physically trying to communicate with me, "not to leave." It is heartbreaking.

A Drama Queen

Last Monday's visit, Snowflake gave me much grief trying to get her back into her cage. She has to be the worst cat for socialization!  I know none of the cats are too eager to go back to their cages, but this girl put up such a drama: letting out blood-curdling screams, biting, clawing and growling wildly at me when I tried to coax her back to her cage.  The joke is, later I saw a couple of ten year old girls petting her in her cage as if there was nothing at all the matter!  She lets them pet her, but me, she beats up.  Well, she won't be getting let out again by me anytime soon! (nor anyone else most likely after that incident)

I wanted to get Snowflake back to her cage so I could start walking the FIV's.  I started with Ginger  as he is used to coming out of his cage, onto a perch and letting me snap a harness on him.  He is so gigantic, this helps as it hurts my shoulder to lift him!  He is eager to get out of the cage even if it means a harness. So we went to the window perch so he could look out for a bit. He is ok with it.  He was casually lounging looking out the window when an older man came up to us.  We were talking about how the cats like the fresh air.  He mentioned he had ~7 acres where the cats could roam.  Sounds like a good idea until he mentioned that there are strays there and he doesn't mind if they reproduce as he likes kittens!  *Sigh* everything the shelter is trying to prevent. Why is he here? Doesn't he have enough cats? As much as I want Ginger to get adopted, this guy isn't making the cut! I can't believe someone would actually come in a shelter and say things like that! Besides, Ginger has to be isolated from other non-FIV+ cats. Well, I politely removed us from the window perch and walked Ginger in the auditorium.  Though it was more like a lay-in.  Its more like I have to push and prod him to walk. After ~ 15 minutes of trying, I gave up and carried all of him to his cage. He bit my glove and wouldn't let go of it, when I dumped him in the cage!  Is he trying to tell me something?

The rest of the FIVs were behaved as usual for their play time, minus of course, Miss Ellie, who was still in clinic for an infection.  I asked a staff member to let me see her, and with a little bit of finagling, I got to see her. 
I acted excited to see her,
      "Hi Miss Ellie, your my baby, you missed play time today!"  
To my very big surprise, she reached her paw through the cage to touch me! This coming from a cat that has more than once sliced me up and hissed at me!  I was touched. Never in my life would I have thought she would warm up to me.  On that note, I felt that all my efforts with these cats ARE making a difference.