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You are here: Home / Open Threads / ‘ghost cat’ and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help

‘ghost cat’ and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help

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This post is in: , ,

ghost cat wrote to us with a problem, hoping we could offer advice on how to re-home her 4 bonded cats that she desperately does not want to give up.  With your help, we hope to be able to do one better than that, because rehoming the cats would solve one problem but would most likely create another emergency, which you will understand if you continue reading.

ghost cat did not write asking for money, but if we can come up with $2,500 together, that will get ghost cat on her feet and allow her to keep her family together.

If you want to help, you can use any of the site donation options – look for the *red balloon in the sidebar – and john will send ghost cat a cashiers check.

'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 5  'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 3
PHOTOS OF LYRA AND PAN

From ghost cat:

I’m in a very difficult position in my life at the moment and need advice about possibly rehoming my four cats. They are my prescribed emotional support animals, and they also play a major role in my therapy for major depressive disorder and complex PTSD from long-term child abuse.

I need to find a new place to live for the reasons listed below, and my current financial situation is very poor, and I’m worried that I can’t give my cats the care they need. As much as I don’t want to, I may need to give up my cats.

I’m asking for advice because it’s highly unlikely that I’ll be able to find a new home locally that would take my whole family of four bonded cats.

After not being able to pay my rent in full for a few months, I got a notice to vacate my apartment, effective November 30, and then I got a summons to a trial. (The eviction moratoriums don’t protect people who have a month-to-month lease.) This was a huge blow at one of the worst possible times.

Fortunately I was able to get an attorney from NM Legal Aid for the trial, and the case was dismissed.

I still need to move, but I do not owe back rent. I’m facing the usual costs of moving—two month’s rent, damage deposit, transfer of utilities and Internet, etc.—and of course, in the category of when it rains it pours, I also need to replace my laptop, which has a bulging battery that has cracked my trackpad.

One property management company has accepted my application, and they’re OK with the cats (with increased rent and damage deposit).

I’m beyond stressed about finances. Regardless of how much I depend on my cats for my emotional well-being, I can’t see when that will improve. Right now, if one of them needed veterinary care beyond required vaccinations, I couldn’t afford it.

Thank you for any advice you guys could give me at this time.


PHOTOS OF OLIVER

'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 2 'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 6
PHOTOS OF NOZOMI

More about ghost cat and the kitties:

I adopted two cats, Oliver and Nozomi, each around 9 months to a year old, from our municipal shelter in September 2019. A few months later I started fostering two 8-week-old bonded kittens who needed some help with human socialization, also part of my therapy.

In New Mexico, community spread of COVID was confirmed and the animal shelters shut down around the time I needed to decide whether to formally adopt these kittens. I work from home as a freelance medical editor and copy editor and was doing OK financially.

By that time, all four cats were fully bonded and acting like true siblings, so I adopted the two kittens. They are Lyra and Pantalaimon. My experiment in building a harmonious cat family succeeded beyond my expectations.

All four usually sleep together in a cuddle puddle on the bed or next to me on the sofa loveseat where I usually sit to work. They all groom each other, and they groom me, which I find quite flattering. I love them all and will have a very difficult time coping if I have to give them up, but I feel obligated to put their needs ahead of mine at the moment.

I never imagined the pandemic was going to be this awful and drag on for so long, and I really underestimated how much it would affect my mental health, which has fallen off a cliff, along with my ability to make a living.

Thankfully, freelance work is picking back up, and ghost cat will be able to afford rent and care for the kitties, if she can just get over this bump in the road.

If you want to help, you can use any of the site donation options – look for the red balloon in the sidebar.   john will send ghost cat a cashiers check.

*I see a red balloon, but Gin & Tonic sees a black balloon.  Gotta love a million device/browser combinations.

Reader Interactions

114Comments

  6. 6.

    Beautifulplumage

    I have to create an account to donate, any thoughts on which platform is easiest & least intrusive?

  7. 7.

    Luthiengineer

    I sent some. Cute cats!

    I miss having 4, we’re down to one. But I turned allergic to cats after I rescued two when I was an adult. Kept them around until they gave out, poor kitties, after 16 and 18 years. Wife brought two home early on when we were dating. Only one of hers is left.

  8. 8.

    WaterGirl

    @Beautifulplumage: I love Venmo, which I had to get because my law guy wanted to be paid that way.  I hate PayPal, but they are apparently owned by the same company.  On the other hand, Venmo has to be done from an app, and PayPal can be done from the computer.

  9. 9.

    Luthiengineer

    @Beautifulplumage:

    I like paypal, though Zelle is often a part of your banking app now. If you use an app for your bank, you should check. You might only have to register from within your app, and it’s usually safe because it’s part of the banking app. Harder to get scammed maybe?

     

    edit: Run on sentences are a thing that I do.

  13. 13.

    Laura Too

    I’m in, I added a note but I’m sure John knows what it’s for. Beautiful kitties, grateful thaat I am finally able to help!

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    @Raven: Yeah, with Venmo you have the choice of just seeing your transactions or all transactions with anyone you have a transaction with.

    Click the single face instead of the two faces and you’ll only see yours.

  16. 16.

    MisterForkbeard

    Weirdly, the BJ PayPal Links sidebar just throws me a “your session has expired” in PayPal. No ide what that’s about as I’ve logged in a few times and had the same issue.

    I think the link was made incorrectly, maybe

  17. 17.

    TomatoQueen

    Red balloon, Firefox 84.0.2 (64-bit) Win10 with a new and obstreperous update (it meant business), Lenovo ThinkPad. Glad to help out.

  18. 18.

    Percysowner

    I chipped in. I was pleased to see Cole has a Patreon now. I love using that for people I follow, so I signed on to that as well.

  19. 19.

    BruceFromOhio

    PayPal, Venmo, Zelle are all pretty interchangeable. I’m about to PayPal to John to chip in.

    ghost cat, are you running mac or Windows for your editing?

  22. 22.

    West of the Cascades

    Pitched in. Thank you for letting us know about ghost cat’s situation and her beautiful kitties.

    (also – on this site – wouldn’t a green balloon be a better attention-grabber than a red balloon?)

  31. 31.

    narya

    I already donate monthly via PayPal; how do I add an additional one-time amount for this fundraiser?

  41. 41.

    WaterGirl

    @narya: I think you would go in and make a one-time donation, just like you would if you were paying someone you didn’t have a monthly donation with.  But someone who has done that with PayPal might have a better answer.

    Appreciate the monthly donation!

  43. 43.

    Beautifulplumage

    OK, finally catching up with kids with a payment app.

    Best wishes for ghost cat and their lovely kitties who should not be split up!

     

    And fuck 2020 for what it did to our mental health. Blech

  48. 48.

    SiubhanDuinne

    The balloon is red. ?

    I’m in. I hope Ghost Cat and her kitties can stay together for a long time to come.

  52. 52.

    PIGL

    Done.

    Please let us know if/when we get the family over the top.

    PS: the balloon is red for me, too.

  53. 53.

    SiubhanDuinne

    O/T question for Water Girl: Is it too late for me to order one more BJ calendar? I ordered and received both versions, but gave one of them to a friend, and I’ve decided I really want to own both.

  54. 54.

    Steve Stuart Stonestacker

    Well this finally got me to de-lurk.  It’s only been 5 years or so.  Can’t stand to see ghost cat and the kittens scattered to the four winds. I hope my bit helps.

  57. 57.

    BruceJ

    @narya:  Just make a one-time donation it doesn’t change the monthly thing, which is a different transaction.

     

    Also sent some $$ Balloon Juice’s way, keeping a family together is important.

  58. 58.

    Kattails

    I can only chip in a bit right now, need to see how my cat’s checkup does on Monday but will add more if things are ok.

  64. 64.

    Juju

    I don’t have PayPal, Venmo or Zelle. What should I do? I did see a red ballon and now I have an ear worm.

  66. 66.

    Damned_at_Random

    Medical bills coming due this month, but I sent a little money and lots of good wishes. Keep us posted

  68. 68.

    Kristine

    @Juju:

    I did see a red ballon and now I have an ear worm.

    And now I do, too, so thanks.

    Neunundneunzig luftballons…

    (PS–kicked in for ghost cat via Paypal. I got an error message when I tried to log in via Chrome, but it worked in Safari)

  88. 88.

    ghost cat

    @rikyrah:

    Thank you — being able to keep them all means the world to me. It’s been a sucky year and their scampiness is a great antidote.

  90. 90.

    mayim

    I usually send a few dollars in for solutions like this, but unfortunately at the moment I’m in way too close to the same situation.

    But I still have plenty of good wishes to send, so Hobbs, Scout, and I are in for a heap of those!

  95. 95.

    ghost cat

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Thank you–I’m hoping to grow old with this bunch. They are all so sweet to each other and to me, which I can’t say about any of my previous herds!

  98. 98.

    ghost cat

    @CaseyL:

    Thank you CaseyL. There were many days in 2020 that they were my primary reason for getting out of bed, and I’m over the moon that you guys have made that possible for 2021.

  103. 103.

    ghost cat

    @Kattails:

    Thanks! But no worries–save it for your kitty. Everyone together is way over the top. Maybe your kitty would like an extra toy or a hit of catnip after going to the vet?

  106. 106.

    ghost cat

    @Tee:

    Thanks a ton Tee. They are such a joy. All four weren’t too crazy about people before I adopted them, and it’s very satisfying to have changed that.

  113. 113.

    ghost cat

    @Kristine:

    I haven’t yet watched the TV series but heard good things about it. Have you read the books?  They’re wonderful and I was hoping they did a good job with the transfer.

  114. 114.

    Kristine

    @ghost cat: I haven’t read the books. Thing is, I read recaps of the episodes in the online magazines, and reviewers who have read the books have complaints. So far, I’m enjoying the episodes just for themselves, so if I ever do read the books, I may wait until after the series has run its course. I think it’s been renewed for a third season.

Comments are closed.