From commentor Kirk S:
The background:
I live in an apartment complex in Houston – been here for three years now. There’s a cat colony in our section that has an extremely prolific mother. Unfortunately she’s also very smart about traps and completely opposed to a hand or other human body part within a couple of feet. At the same time she knows – and teaches her kittens – that people are where the food is. (We are not the only ones. We put out water as do a few other apartments. Sometimes we put out dry cat food.) As a consequence the descendants range from skittish to pet-like in behavior.The cat you see in the picture was one of Mama’s litter from a few months ago. She’s one of the ‘wants to be a pet’ cats – though cautious of new people, she wanted to be petted and held, and would try to come inside. The kittens were her first litter at what is way too early an age.
How much too early? Wednesday afternoon she dropped 8 kittens in a circling line, crying in pain, and once the last was out she ran. A neighbor and my wife saw the later end of this and gathered the living kittens – the four survivors – brought them into the apartment in a small box, and gave them a little water.
Soon after this cat came to the Mrs. wanting to be held and comforted. So Mrs. brought her in and put them all together. The cat was panicky and kept pushing the kittens away till Mrs. found a larger box (a microwave box headed for the trash), put a towel in the bottom, put kittens and cat inside, and lowered two flaps to form a cave. A few minutes later the four kittens were nursing.
The plea:
My apartment allows me to have two pets. I have two dogs. Now I’ve got a cat and kittens and they can’t stay.
I’m old enough to believe this cat and her kittens will do tolerably well if I set them outside eventually. As I said, there are several good people and some decent cat hiding places around. There are also, unfortunately, children who don’t know better and again this is one of the friendly cats. If worst comes to worst I’ll put the doorless pet taxi they’re using as a cave out on my tiny apartment porch and trust her to move to a better place.But I’m also a sucker, and I’d like to know if any of the Balloon Juice jackals might know of a home while these kittens get to adoptable age and maybe even longer for the mother.
Lessons learned:
Houston – or at least the north side of Houston – does not have a trap-neuter-release program. Or at least not yet. One of the things I’ve learned is that there was a pilot, it was successful, and a program is coming. I’m on the list to be told because I’ve got a lot of cats who trust the Mrs. and I enough to permit being picked up – and a lot more who will come close to be fed. When I know more I’ll share it with the group for two reasons. In part for those also able to use it, but also for those who might be able to spare some change for the program. I can pretty much guarantee the providers will be overjoyed to have the assistance.It’s kitten season. The shelters are full – both the no-kill and the “we prefer not to, but…” shelters. There are several groups working to do what they can, but they’re almost all volunteers, some supported by vets going an extra mile or two. Houston Area Cats & Kittens and Operation Pets Alive are two quick examples. If you find yourself with an unexpected pet rescue call your vet and ask them what agency or agencies they know that can assist. I promise they work with at least a couple. When you contact them and especially if they are hesitant, ask if there are other agencies they can recommend instead or as well. Regardless, once the emergency is done pay forward. Who knows, you might need them again. And most of us humans are a lot more willing to help those who show we give as well as take.
Why do I have this information here? One of the cat’s siblings is also almost as round. There’s a chance I may be doing this for two cats. (I will be donating to that TNR program once it’s up. I don’t want to go through this again.)
If you can help, or have any suggestions, leave a comment below. Or contact me at annlaurie (dot) bj (at) gmail (dot) com, and I’ll forward your message straight to Kirk. Crossing my fingers for teenage cat-mom and her babies!
SiubhanDuinne
Hey, AL, far be it from me to tell you how to spell your own name, but are you missing an “e” there?
satby
I hope by now Kirk has gotten my answer, which admittedly wasn’t much help as Houston is way outta my area. But if the local Humane society does transports north I can vouch for the fact that transporting a momma and her days old kittens has been done numerous times. A local area foster would be best though, that’s why I thought Alley Cat Allies might have contacts in the area.
Elizabelle
Sweet kitties. Good luck with this. Love that little face nestled under its mother’s.
SiubhanDuinne
@Elizabelle:
There are few sweeter sights than nursing babies of almost any species. That’s a lovely photo, and I hope all the kitties get good forever homes.
Mary G
Kirk, you and your wife are heroes. Can you take Mom to the vet for spaying or neutering if we chip in some money?
kate p
I would hate to TNR these cats since you obviously don’t have ferals. They do to be spayed/neutered however to stop the endless circle of more kittens. This is such a tough time to get help since everyone is overwhelmed during kitten season. If someone can help care for them I am more than happy to send a few bucks your way for sneutering.
Chris T.
BTW, it’s now called “Trap-Neuter-Return” to emphasize that they’re going back where they came from, as apparently “T-N-Release” made some people go NIMBY thinking all the cats from the entire city would wind up in their back yard.
MomSense
She looks so much like my little feral (long deceased) who was one of the greatest cats of all time. I wish I could have cats with my dog because I would love to take all of these beauties.
satby
I would also call all the local vets to see if any of them or their staff members would be willing to foster. You might get lucky that way.
Local PetSmarts also work with lots of rescue groups of all sizes,there may be one you didn’t know about who might be able to make room for these babies and mom. Tell your story to all of them and something may turn up.
Last suggestion: if you’re on FB, look for the local pet rescue / per lost and found groups there. Someone affiliated with them may help. Locating resources to place pets and find fosters is almost a full time job too. Sorry.
John Revolta
@MomSense:
Boy, I had to read that a couple times………….
mskitty
Ok – I used to foster for the Houston SPCA, so I can tell you that mama cat can be spayed now/soon and it won’t be a problem – wait a while so kittens can go long enough between feedings for mama to have surgery and metabolize the anesthetic. And – sorry – SecondRoundCat can be spayed NOW. I know softhearts will say “KITTENS!” – but a spay/late abortion is medically okay, and – it hurts to say, but the world does not need more kittens.
Now – as to the present kittens – I can take and keep mama, and foster the kittens until they’re old enough for adoption, but not unless I have hard promises to adopt the kittens later. I CAN’T take five more – I have six. Three are elderly, but a young one needs a playmate.
So – Juicers – can we talk about this?
Msb
Can I contribute some $? (I already have cats and live on another continent, though I was a Houstonian at one time.)
Tell me where to send a check, and to whom to make it out.
Mnemosyne
Kittens!
I am too far away to give any help other than money, but I’m happy to donate once the practicalities get sorted out.
HeleninEire
As only a via Balloon Juice osmosis pet person; yeah y’all are making me love animals, I have a question. How in the world do you foster a pet and then give it up? I suppose you know that the new mom and dad will be great, but gosh, I’d lose my mind.
I’m brought back to my childhood. There was a wonderful woman who lived 3 houses down who fostered children and every time a forever family was found she would end up in my mom’s kitchen crying her eyes out. I guess she was thinking of the better good and that those babies were way better with her than in a home even though it was only temporary. But damn. Her first name was Consuelo. I don’t remember her last name. But for sure she was a better and stronger woman than I will ever be.
WaterGirl
@HeleninEire: Helen, I think people like you and me, who would be heartbroken each time, just don’t foster. I could not do it, but more power to the people who can.
wormtown
Well, I am way too far away and I don’t think my current kitty would take a companion; but happy to kick in some money to help out with spay, transport, etc.
Roger Moore
@HeleninEire:
I haven’t fostered myself, but I think it’s a matter of attitude. You have to think about it as a temporary thing from the very beginning, the same way you do when pet sitting. Some people actually like fostering pets precisely because it’s a temporary thing. For example, people who can’t have pets because they travel a lot and it just isn’t practical (or fair to the pet) to have a pet sitter half the time may still be able to foster between trips.
Rileys Enabler
@HeleninEire: It’s not easy, but there is joy in knowing you’ve set these little critters on a loving path. I foster medical-needs cats/older kittens and each time it breaks my heart just a little. I’ve been lucky with most of the adoptive families – I get photos and updates pretty regularly and get to see how my temp babies are growing and loving their new worlds. Typically keep a foster for 2-5 weeks, depending on how long it takes to clear up whatever issue they have. When the foster time goes longer, the attachment grows stronger and it is more difficult. After each is placed, I do a small break to get my heart straight and then wait for the next one to find me. I have a great group of families that send me photos and videos and updates, and each time I am delighted beyond words.
Chris T.
I have done kitten fostering. It’s not that hard if you (well, I) have them for about 4 weeks: I managed to give them all up. I had another set for 12 weeks and ended up adopting all of them myself…
HeleninEire
@WaterGirl: Yes. Goddess Bless Them. I would cry and have nightmares. I want to keep and hold and love them all. Forever.
CaseyL
The Pacific NW has a very high adoption rate – high enough that we can take in critters from other areas of the country.
It’s kitten season here, too, but the org I volunteer for, PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) in Lynnwood WA may be able to help you out via a transfer. Check to see if your local shelter has an arrangement or contact with PAWS – I do think the transfer has to come through an affiliated shelter.
debit
At four cats and two dogs, I am at my limit. I would happily foster if Mama and babies could be transported to Minnesota, but like @mskitty: I would need hard commitments to adopt all five.
Otherwise, I am down for a donation for shelter, transport, vet bills, what have you.
Elmo
@HeleninEire: I’ve been in rescue and foster for more than 25 years. I’ve fostered literally hundreds of dogs. In that time, there have been some I have handed over with a clear eye and a song in my heart, and some I have wept over like a child. It’s a matter of each dog’s individual personality. But even when I know that giving up the animal is going to break me, even when I know I am going to miss that dog like a hole in my heart, I also know that I have limited space and resources. I can’t keep them all. And if I try to keep the ones I love, I will very quickly be unable to help any at all, and there are more dogs out there that need my help. Eyes on the prize, so to speak.
Honestly it’s why I don’t like no-kill shelters. No-kill shelters don’t kill the animals in their care, but they do make it inevitable that more dogs will die. Because if a dog is unadoptable, keeping it fills a spot for years that would otherwise be able to save dozens of adoptable dogs rotating in and out.
debit
Also too, check out Abandoned Pet Project. This is the rescue group that works with Vet Ranch, and I believe one of the vets is in the Houston area. At the very least, they might be willing to spay the mama cat.
HeleninEire
His is why I say you Balloon Juicers turned me into a pet person. Tunch. That big FLOOFY BWA HA HA you say FLOOFY, I SAY FAT cat. Here I am minding my own business at a left leaning politics blog. Having fun. Hanging around. And then Tunch died. My heart bled for John Cole. We just sat here with him as he cried.
Fast forward to Walter. Jesus Christ we are gonna save that dog if it is the last thing we do. We didn’t, but we soooo did.
So wow. As writing this I may have answered my own question about fostering. We cannot save them all but we can make what is left of their lives the best.
Keith P.
I’m in Houston (Cypress) and could foster some of those kittens. I’ve got one adopted (from here) cat left, so I’ve got room. I’d prefer not to take on 5 (2 would probably be ideal) since I had 5 at once, and it got to be too much.
MomSense
@John Revolta:
I AM SOOOO TIRED! I desperately need some good sleep.
debit
@HeleninEire:
Quoted for truth. I adopted Kelpie as a hospice dog. She was blind, physically impaired, and had a cancerous growth removed that was supposed to come back in 3 to 6 months and kill her. A year later and she’s still going strong. I’m grateful for every day, but even if I knew for sure that she would have only a few months, I still wouldn’t change anything.
Ruviana
@Keith P.: You’re back! You’re okay! I recall people worrying about how you fared after Harvey. Good to see you.
HeleninEire
@HeleninEire: Also too. Lily. Never in my life. But I wrote many posts ago something like “I don’t believe in miracles, but please just this once.”
Teddys Person
@HeleninEire: A good friend has a continuous rotation of foster dogs and cats. One day, I asked her this very question. She responded that she has to give them up to help more. As I type this, she currently has 2 dogs and 2 cats of her own (all foster fails) and is fostering another dog.
J R in WV
@Keith P.:
Good to hear from you, Keith, and so glad you’re doing well enough to have cats, they’re a blessing. Keep in touch, good news is especially good right now! My brother worked at Compaq in Cypress, so it’s the part of Houston I know best. And thanks for offering to help out on this pet bleg.
I’m way too far away, but will chip in for expenses when details are ironed out. Special Thanks to Kirk for rescuing the kittens in such a dramatic way, what a great story!
Mnemosyne
@MomSense:
I treated myself to some of this Sleepy body lotion from Lush, which a lot of people swear by for insomnia. I tried it for the first time last night, and the placebo effect totally worked! ?
It does smell very nice and soothing without being overpowering.
MazeDancer
@CaseyL:
Telling the local shelter and PAWS transfer will be paid may help. Because lots of us are eager to contribute to any relocating, spaying, neutering, paying for fostering fund.
And the kind people, like Keith who is nearby, who could foster, might get them a little bigger then they all ship out.
Also, don’t think there has ever been a time actual pictures of irresistable 6 or 8 week year old kittens on Balloon Juice haven’t had some response, so whomever has them for fostering probably won’t risk having them all. Pics make all difference.
Mnemosyne
@Keith P.:
Hello! I didn’t realize it was you until Ruviana said something. ? Hope all is reasonably well for you right now.
WereBear
The only added suggestion I might have is that you can work through a local shelter to put a Petfinder listing up for each one (works better) and take some drop-dead-gorgeous pictures and have a story to tell about each one.
Right now I have four rescues, one a Failed Foster (we kept him from 3 weeks to now, the famous Tristan) and we also rent and live far away from anywhere.
But I am sending you thanks — and yes, try to catch Second Round. This Mama Cat lived; when they are too young, they don’t always.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@HeleninEire: I read the story of Guy, Meghan Markle’s rescue beagle, and how it included a chain of volunteer drivers from Kentucky to Toronto, one hour each. And I thought that sounded a lot like Walter’s rescue story. Are we sure BJ isn’t in that story somewhere?
Alain the site fixer
@Mnemosyne: I find one valerian root pill and a vitamin c really work well together to give me a deep sleep. I also throw in a couple of good fiber pills for good measure, washed down with a nice glass of cold water.
Just One More Canuck
@Keith P.:@Ruviana:
I was thinking the same thing as Ruviana and JR in WV – I remember you had been through some difficult times – I hope things are better
Cckids
Hello, all, from Seattle (well, Bellevue); I have a kitty dilemma & this seems like an excellent place to find advice.
An ex-neighbor moved out in early April, leaving behind their gorgeous panther cat, Billy Boy. (Also Billy the Kit or Captain Bill, depending on my mood).
He’s always been more of an outdoor cat, but seemed ok as far as friendliness went. When I discovered they’d abandoned him, I started feeding him & he quickly showed a seriously sweet side; he comes running to meet me when I come home, does the flop at my feet & shows his belly for scritches, never scratches or bites.
I cannot take him in, I’m living in a room in my sister’s home, with my elderly cat, who despises the very idea of another cat. Also, my sister & BIL don’t want to take him in; they have two small grandchildren who are regularly at their home, & aren’t cat people anyway. And I’m working two jobs, one full & one part-time, so couldn’t devote the time to getting him acclimated he’d need, even if I guilted them into agreement. (Which would be a crappy thanks to their helping me out).
I’ve called several rescues & shelters & they won’t accept a cat who isn’t being given up by the owner. I could take him to the Regional shelter, in Kent, but they aren’t no-kill & I’m afraid for him, knowing the low adoption rate for adult black cats.
So, guess I’m asking, especially fellow Seattle area Juicers-any ideas? I need to find something for him, he’s to the point that he is always trying to get into the house. Any ideas or suggestions?
Luthe
Goddess loves me and wants me to be happy: the power is back and so is the Internet. *angels sing*
satby
@Keith P.: Good to see you, we missed you!
Could you do momma and babies for a short time while a transport or alternative arrangements are made?
@mskitty: yes, if Second Round cat can be captured a spay/abortion is the way to go, but a lot of rescues (and vets) are opposed to them. We had one vet quit doing them because she found it so demoralizing, even though she understood the need.
ruemara
@Mnemosyne: I take half a sativa pot gummy. I seem to have zero tolerance for this stuff in general (how do people enjoy weed? blech), but it reduces a lot of my anxieties and let’s me sleep up to 5 hours non-stop.
satby
@Cckids: As Billy was abandoned by his owner, I would bring him in and say you are the owner. Abandoning an animal deserves an automatic revocation of ownership.
Black cats have always been the sweetest, most friendly cats to me. I would adopt all of them if I could. And I can’t, I have 7 animals in a city where code says three is the maximum.
Cckids
@satby: I’ve thought of that, I need to get over the feeling of unearned shame of being the person who is dumping “my” cat. It’s stupid, but real.
Mnemosyne
@Alain the site fixer:
I have to take ibuprofen every night for my knee and carpal tunnel issues, so I’m a little wary of adding valerian. I also take a kids-strength Benadryl (12.5 mg) and that seems to help. But the cream did smell very nice as I was drifting off. ?
@ruemara:
I feel like I shouldn’t add another psychotropic drug to my regimen without asking my psychiatrist, even if it is plant-based. Plus pot seems to make me feel foggy in a way that I associate with my ADHD, so it might conversely make me more anxious. ?
satby
@Teddys Person:
That’s the key, that’s why we foster. It makes room for more.
@Elmo:
Quoted for truth. I wish we lived in a world where even the damaged and unadoptable could be saved, but we don’t even have that world for humans. Triage is required. And it’s hard for people who love animals.
satby
@Cckids: you’re probably going to get side eye, claim deathly allergies. Everyone else does. Safe in a shelter beats loose outside where cars or predators could get him if he’s that friendly.
Litlebritdifrnt
@Alain the site fixer:
Alain, just sent you an e-mail, your form will still not allow me to submit photos.
kate p
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: I have friends who drive transport from shelters in Kentucky every weekend. Endless supply of dogs coming out of the South from high kill shelters. Many of them end up in Canada. It takes a lot of work and documentation to get them over the border but they have plenty of good homes there. The amount of coordination involved in the transport never ceases to amaze me. But everyone finds it very rewarding.
Cckids
@satby: That’s my fear. I have to sneak out the back door to go for a walk, otherwise he follows me as I go, talking all the time.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Just send him the pictures as attachments to an e-mail. Problem solved!
MomSense
@kate p:
My pup is from Alabama. You should hear her accent. She sounds just like Liz Taylor’s Maggie.
Anyone else here give their dogs voices and ridiculous fictional back stories?
MomSense
@satby:
It’s so hard. I’ve been trapping street cats with some friends for a few years now. The kittens and most of the adults have been placed in forever homes or as barn cats (it’s a sweet gig for cats who are feral). We’ve had to have some euthanized because of disease and illness. It’s heartbreaking.
MomSense
@Mnemosyne:
Sadly my current issue is the random and intermittent nuclear reaction in my body that makes me feel like my internal temperature is about 250 degrees. A large glass of ice water is no longer enough – it’s a pitcher now. So I’m terribly hot and then I strip everything off and wake up freezing 20 minutes later. This cycle repeats multiple times throughout the night.
After this whole surgery production is finished this week, I’m going to go see my PCP to see what my options are.
MomSense
@Keith P.:
I am so relieved to “see” you here. We were worrying about you.
Mnemosyne
@MomSense:
I don’t know if this will make you feel better or not, but that sounds like hot flashes. ? My doctor told me to start taking black cohosh herbal supplements since I’m probably past perimenopause and starting on the real thing.
debbie
@MomSense:
Think thyroid, aside from the usual suspects.
Just one more canuck
@MomSense: your dog sounds like Maggie the Cat? It must be confused
khead
@HeleninEire:
We couldn’t. It’s how we ended up with eight kittehs. We already had three when we moved into our new house. Then my dumbass made the mistake of feeding this adorable little stray (AKA MomCat) that was roaming the neighborhood. Sure enough, it didn’t take long before MomCat (and her mate) showed up at our doorstep with her three kittens. Then my dumbass made the mistake of feeding everyone. Sure enough, six months later MomCat (and her mate, again) showed up with three more kittens. At that point we had to fix my mess so we trapped all of the kittens. And we were gonna find homes for them. Really! Swear! We definitely had homes for the youngest three lined up but we were so miserable after giving up JUST ONE KITTEH when we delivered him to his new home that we just kept the rest.
Mart
@Mnemosyne: My wife got a jar of non psychoactive marijuana – Cannabidiol (CBD) not THC – based pain reliever to help after radiation cancer treatment. She did not use it too much, but gave nearly the whole jar away to two acquaintances with long term pain issues. They love it. I recently bashed my knee on concrete (not sure how I avoided breaking the kneecap) and was very uncomfortable. Little bit of that cream really turned down the pain index. Only used for two days until I was comfortable walking without it. No buzz, just less pain. Of course not all people are the same…
MomSense
@Mnemosyne:
I think I’ve started the real thing, too. A year ago my hormone levels were still cranking but I think it has changed in the last month. I’m having surgery on Wednesday so I can’t do anything new until after I’ve recovered.
@debbie:
I’m mildly hyperthyroid so I’ve been taking thyroid hormone for about three years now.
MomSense
@Mnemosyne: @Mart:
Go for the cannabidiol ointment. I have two friends who started using it and it has changed their lives.
debbie
@MomSense:
Hope your surgery goes smoothly and your recovery is speedy!
Anne Laurie
@Cckids: You could honestly tell the shelter that you took Billy in (to your heart) when he was abandoned… but your current living circumstances make it impossible for you to keep him any longer. Stress how friendly & talkative he is; it may help if the shelter people think he’ll be easy to re-home again.
Anne Laurie
New Open Thread just posted, for general chatter, y’all!
MomSense
@debbie:
Thank you!! I’m very nervous about it.
Mnemosyne
@MomSense:
Ugh. Surgery. I’m still waiting to find out if my knee will require one surgery or two. I don’t see the orthopedist again until next week.
MomSense
@Mnemosyne:
Ugh.
Aleta
@MomSense: That sounds really rough. Wishing you a smooth recovery from surgery, followed by useful answers to the hot/cold.
Did you heal OK from the ice fall?
Bumper
@Cckids: I can probably take him. We live near Westport on some acreage. Have 3 cats,1 old dog, and 1 8-month old pup. If you think he’d adapt, we can probably handle one more cat.
satby
@Bumper: hooray! Let AL know to connect you via email.
Gvg
@Cckids: take really good pictures and even video of him talking. Could you get your family to help with that? Then post it here and we’ll make suggestions. Pictures sell.
Aleta
@Cckids: Those outgoing black cats are special. I wish he was east.
Cckids
@Bumper: Wow, that sounds amazing! If you’d like to contact me, I’m at cc1996lv at gmail. I work job #2 tonight till 9, so if I don’t respond right away that is why. I could transport him too. ? I would love it if this works!
Cckids
@satby: @Anne Laurie: Thanks to you both & everyone else commenting! If I can, I’ll post a pic of him.
H.E.Wolf
@Bumper:
Bumper!!! You are awesome for being willing to consider making a home for cckids’ rescue cat.
Are you still looking for volunteer opportunities and/or fellow volunteers in your locale? If so, Anne Laurie has my email contact info – it would be great to hear from you. Please let her know I said it was A-OK.
Bumper
@Cckids: I wrote an email but it’s not sending properly. I’ll keep trying.
H.E.Wolf: yes, I am interested. I’ll contact AL when my email starts working again ?
Anne Laurie
@Bumper: Sent you an email with HEW’s email, and forwarded yours to CCKids, too also. Crossing fingers!
Bumper
@Anne Laurie: sounds good. Thank you.
kattails
@MomSense: That was an interesting call.
My experience with hyperactive thyroid: acupuncture from a really good healer; reflexology for the thyroid and entire endocrine system; lots of broccoli and other thyroid suppressors. STRESS RELIEF. The person who originally described the disease called it “frozen fear”. I’ve done all these. My heart rate was over 100 just sitting, always felt overheated, severe joint pain, hair-trigger temper. The endocrinologist gave me the medicine but said I could not be on it long-term, and told me that once stabilized I’d be really happy to do the regimen of swallowing radioactive iodine to kill my thyroid, then go on a different pill forever. He didn’t mention that you had to be isolated for 4-5 days w/ that radioactive pee. For me this would be last resort.
I found a wonderful Dr. of Chinese Medicine/ acupuncturist. I watch my diet and stress levels. Strengthen your parathyroids and pituitary, as that’s the master gland, if it’s out of whack the whole system is off. It’s been 20+ years and my heart rate is normal, I’m not on any meds, and given the current state of politics that in itself is pretty damned good.
I can send more info if you want. Late as usual to the post but hope this finds you. I will also note that my thyroid wants to amp up in the spring for some reason & then settles down again if I attend to it.
Mister Papercut
@kate p:
I started driving rescue transport legs after reading an article about it (WaPo, IIRC) shortly before Hurricane Katrina. In the month or so after Katrina, I had more than enough transporting to keep me busy.
I haven’t been able to do it as regularly in recent years (literally hadn’t done one in nearly 3 years, and that was a rare southbound transport to help get a dog from Serbia to Mississippi) as I’d have liked, thanks to multiple layoffs, increasing lengths of time between full-time work, all on top of only having a smallish 4-door (ie. transporting one crate of dog(s) is tricky, more than one crate is right out…).
Wanting tho get back in the fray, I bought a used 2005 SUV in a private sale, and signed up for a two-crate/5 *large* lab puppy transport. Got the puppies and literally as I got back on the interstate to drive them to the next handover,the SUV threw a check engine light. Transmission-related, of course. *sobsobsob* No idea yet if it can be saved, but I know this: my impulsivity will be the end of me. :( I just wanted to do a good thing.
Kirk
Sorry for the lateness of this reply. Work has been a little busy. Before I go answering those messages to me — yay Bumper.
Satby, I’ll reply by email.
All, thank you. Just thank you.
So here’s where I am now. My brother (lives nearby) can foster for a week or two. That means the rush so my landlord can quit turning a blind eye is eased. Being kin I might be able to lean for a bit longer, but he can’t take the five. (He’s waffling on taking Mom if the kittens can be adopted out, but that depends on how the cat he has reacts to interlopers over this upcoming week. And since he’s got a job that requires a lot of travel, the ‘no long-term foster’ is a hard line.)
KeithP, when you say you’re willing to take a couple of the kittens to foster, am I right in guessing that’s after they’re weaned? (By the way, let me join the welcome back crowd.)
CaseyL, at what point were you thinking of the transfer? Would it be better to do early or to wait for weaning?
All in general, I’m going to figure the least disruptive and most likely successful routes for adoption, figure out what it might cost, and then bleg again. On the low side it’s ‘just’ a spay for the young mother. On the highest side it’s spaying all, helping pay a little support, and eventual transportation to a place more likely to get them adopted. I don’t know enough yet and I won’t grab your money and run without at least having a destination in mind.
Oh – MsKitty, Mrs. didn’t see SecondRoundCat (how about SRC for now?) yesterday or today – it may be too late for that particular action. If she’s no longer round I’ll not grab her to take her — while I’m tough enough to spay while round, I’m not tough enough to take for treatment while a set of kittens are waiting for milk.
J R in WV
Aww. You guys are so great!! What a good ending to all this stuff.
We currently have 2 dogs and 2 cats. The cats are the same age but one is pretty aggressive towards the other. The dogs are also rescues, one is 13 or 14, the other is 4 or 5, they’re pretty close, go out at night to run the ridge together and such.
I hate to think about it, but we’re getting old enough we shouldn’t be adopting youngsters. There are older guys who need homes, though, so we should be good for critters for another 10 or 12 years at least.
I’m trying to get into going to the gym 3 + days a week, I really need to if I’m to do the things I want to. I want to dive coral reefs one more time at least. And spend time in Europe. None of that is possible unless you’re in shape.
But I hate exercise for the sake of exercise. I’ve always done better with working to build things, or racketball to play a game, than biking or using weight machines. I’m too used up for another building project. So the gym looks like the only alternative. Wish me luck!
SWMBO
@MomSense: Have you tried St. John’s Wort? It cut my hot flashes in half and made the rest milder.
Keith P.
@Kirk: Correct…while I have nursed a kitten before, I’m working full time at the moment so wouldn’t be able to bottlefeed/ass-wipe like they need. [email protected] is my address