Busy, busy weekend - yipee!

Sometimes it seems to take forever to find good adoptive homes and other times there is a great flow...

This weekend has been very busy!

On Friday I took a litter of kittens to the vet for their 9 week shots. Well, the new receptionist fell in love with the fluffy black and white girl, and not wanting to split up a family she decided that she would adopt both black and white kids. :o)

I also think that usually kittens do better if there is someone near their own age to play with. She is well recommended by the vet, and unless she has second thoughts, they will be going to her home on Monday. Awwww - nice!!!

On Saturday, a woman and her nice young daughter came to visit and fell promptly in love with Misty - the little silver tabby orphan. Misty still has a bit of a weepy eye, so I will keep her until her cold is totally over - but she has a little girl waiting for her. Yesh!

Misty will love having a girl of her own - she is a really cuddly, play-with-your-hair, lounge on your lap type of kitty. Another nice match!

Today, I met up with a nice woman who had inquired last week about Foxy, the orange maine coon cat. After vigorous examination, I decided that she was a great match, and so Foxy went to his new home today - with a new kitty friend named Slim and a dog of his own.

Pheeww - I am tired!

Now, I am waiting for the nice couple coming from Guelph to meet Mallow. I hope it works!
They loved the stories about her, and she has been such a wonderfully "mothering" cat that she deserves a great place of her own. These people have someone home all day and I think that Mallow will really like it. Fingers crossed that they all like each other!

So a lot of kitties moving along into good homes - always nice - and next week will be very doggy oriented.

On Monday I pick up Chelsey and Angel the two shihtsu sisters whose owner died, and take them to the vet. Chelsey has a big lump on her haunch and I am really, really hoping it is a fatty lump and not anything awful...

On Tuesday I will be taking a little shihtsu in to see if she is pregnant. We were told she was spayed but she seems to have milk coming in...

Stay tuned!

Tuesday evening we will be appearing on Animal Housecalls (TV channel CP24). I am not sure exactly who we will take on the show, but I am betting that with the number we have - there will be at least one or two shihtsus in the mix!

Anyway, I should run - need to scoop a few litter boxes and walk some dogs!

Shelly and crew

Sad, sad news....

It has taken me all day just to be able to actually compose this letter.

It is with great shock, and overwhelming sadness that I am writing to let you know that Bijoux has passed away.
The amazing little white cat that came into my life just over a year ago, is no longer here.

Bijoux was the little cat with the squeaky voice that was rescued May/07 by Liz and Georges from a pound in Montreal - where she was to have been killed within the hour.

In the past year since she underwent her surgery, she blossomed into an amazing, joyful and beautiful cat.

We fell into a comfortable routine for managing her condition, and the two of us really have shared a very special bond. She has had a very good few months - playing with the other cats, (pushing Fluffy off the top of the cat tower was her favorite game!), cuddling with Murphy, acting the royal diva and hoarding all the crinkle balls. She had an incredible spirit and a feisty, mischievous approach to life.

In the past month or so though, she started losing a bit of weight. In the past week, the weight loss really accelerated, and in the last few days she seemed tired, and so I had booked her to see the vet on Friday to redo some blood work, and see if perhaps there was something else going on.
I was thinking perhaps a thyroid issue? diabetes? or???
In fact after doing bloodwork and an xray, we could see that there WAS something going on.

Bijoux had FIP. Her liver was nearly nonfunctional, she had fluid in her abdomen and a very large granuloma in her lung. She was dying and FIP is totally non treatable.
For those who don't know, FIP is a weird virus - cats can live with it for years and it might never be an issue. Or it can turn deadly.

Actually if Bijoux's mom was a FIP kitty, that might actually explain why she had the congenital issues that led to her megaesophagous. Regardless of why, the reality was that she was dying. The vet recommended euthanasia but I couldn't get my mind around it.

Besides - how many times had she bounced back from things that should have killed her already?
Maybe she could lick this too...., so we gave her a mild painkiller and I took her home.

We spent the day offering her all of the foods that she had craved and had been denied for so long because of her megaesophagus, but she was uninterested. That in itself told me something, since she has been a fierce little kitty about food. Always trying to steal stuff she knew she shouldn't have - but determined to get it anyway.
She had a great zest for living in the moment!

Anyway, I had a feeling that she did not have long, and since she didn't seem to be stressed or painful I decided to keep her here.
My darling kitty passed peacefully and gently in her sleep last night, laying in my arms.

This whole thing was so "out of left field" that I am having a really hard time believing it.
Bijoux has cheated death so many times that I keep expecting her to come peeking around a corner to tell me that she has done it again.

I guess this time it really is for keeps.

So many people who met her, felt the special spark that she carried inside of her.

So many of you were touched by her story last year, and had written to ask about her.

Thank you for caring.

She was greatly loved and is greatly missed.

Rest in peace darling girl...

Shelly

What DO I do all day???

I am so sorry - I have been a very bad blogger!!!
I can't believe that it has been over a month since I posted - but there it is - the proof (date stamp) in black and white. Sorry!!!

Okay, so I haven't actually been just a lazy girl - LOTS has happened!

Sebastian (who was pictured in the last entry) has been adopted Yay!!!

Also, all of Mallow's kittens have found homes, including the amazing Periwinkle that I talked about. She is the kitten that would help her Mom take care of the little orphans. What a sweet, sweet kitty!

Speaking of my orphans, they are actually old enough to be adopted, even though they are physically very small cats. They are pictured above. We named them Spartacus and Theopompous as they were such fighters. Fighting to stay alive that is - they are really very sweet and cuddly with humans and other cats!

Sparta and Theo absolutely adore Tony. He is the last of his litter to be adopted (even his Mom - Annabelle has found a home) and the three tabby dudes just love to sleep in one big furry heap. I have tried to get a decent picture of that but at least one guy seems to hear me and wake up everytime I try. :o)

I have had two more orphans (non-related) come by since them. A really friendly girl named Misty (grey tabby) and Pashmina (long haired white with one gold and one blue eye). They are currently bunking in together as they both have colds (and no one else does - touch wood!)

Puff still has his ear thing but we think we may have a new strategy we are working through (fingers crossed). My dearest hope is that he can be ruled infection free and I can get him integrated with other kitties and out of isolation asap. Amazing that he is still as sweet and lovabel as he is with all the cleaning and poking he has been through.

So that is 11 foster kitties at the moment. I still have 2 foster dogs as well. Plus my own crew - well no wonder I am tired of cleaning!

Remember Bijoux? Well I had quite the scare with her last week and I really thought that I might lose her. She was having the worst time - regurging many, many time per day and because it was so hot she was in real danger of dehydrating. I was syringing her with food/water and catnip tea. Did you know that catnip tea promotes appetite in cats? Finally we started her on a new medication that is supposed to help with nausea and vomiting.

Why would the powers that be develop and anti-vomitign drug that you have to give by mouth? Why not injectable? This drug is only given once every 3 days. So of course, very soon after giving it to Bijoux she promptly barfed. I had no idea whwther she got all/some/none of the med but of course couldn't give her any more for 2 days. Welcome to my world!

Whatever the cause - meds/tea/just worked "it" through... after a day or two she was back to her version of normal. She is eating pretty well and keeping most of it down so I am slowly relaxing and worrying a bit less.

That Bijoux! She is such a wonderful girl and I just hope she can have as normal and nice a life as we can create for her.

Anyway, that's the first bit of update. I promise to try and pay more attention and keep up a bit better!

Hope you are all having a lovely summer!

ttys,

Shelly and crew