John is recuperating from the Dreaded Homecoming Weekend, and he asked me to put this together.
I thought about titling this: You Need a Kitten! And You Need a Kitten! And You Need a Kitten!
The note below is from wonkie. Her email address is in the text below.
Let us know in the comments and/or via email if you think you might be interested.
John was kind enough to let me have some space on his blog for some kittens that need homes.
This is a picture is of Ashley, the runt. She’s tiny. She has a sibling that is almost identical but a little bigger. I want them to be adopted together. She is eating solid food now, but she is so small that she can’t be spayed yet. She and her sib need to go to a quiet, secure home because they are going to be small, gentle cats. They both are socialized and purr.
I am a volunteer at a sanctuary for unadoptable cats. Though I am not formally associated with any official rescue, I have been part of several large scale rescues of feral cats around Mason Co. Washington where I live. We are Appalachia West out here and overrun with cats.
I got an email about a lady in town who had upwards of forty cats on her property. She’s not a hoarder; she’s a kind-hearted lady who started out feeding strays—and trying to get them fixed—but she couldn’t keep up with their reproduction. She went from two to forty plus in one year.
Most are feral. A friend and I have gotten twenty-two off the property so far. I am driving them into Tacoma to NW Spay and Neuter, and my friend is placing the cats in barns and outbuildings through BarnCats. She has vouchers that are helping with costs.
Of the cats rescued so far, ten are kittens. Five I snatched up because they were visibly sick, small, and outdoors—at risk of being killed by a raccoon or owl. I call them the Fab Five, and I think they are the survivors of three litters. I had them in my bathroom for a while, nursing them back to health, Kitten Rescue of Mason Co, was a HUGE help to me since I’ve never cared for such young kittens before. They gave me food, medicine, and lots of advice! Kitten Rescue has around one hundred kittens in their care, so they can’t help me place the Fab Five in homes.
The other five kittens are with their mom at the cat sanctuary. Their mom, Sunny, is a beautiful Siamese mix with lovely blue eyes, but feral. She will stay at the sanctuary, but her babies will need homes in six weeks or so.
All the kittens are socialized. All are healthy, though some are small for their age and will probably be small adults. None are ready to go to homes yet, but all can be placed before Christmas and three can be place very soon. It is going to be very hard to find homes, given how many cats are in need. I will drive kittens to anywhere in Western Wa. or Portland. If you want, anyone can come visit me on Hartstene Island and meet the kittens. While you are here, I can get you a tour of the Wild Felid Center, since it is located on the grounds of the cat sanctuary. I can give you lunch, too!. Wild Felid Advocacy Center (wildfelids.org)
Wally the Whale, the biggest kitten. He’s a wild one! He is only partially socialized. Sammy is part Siamese, very friendly and playful. He was nearly dead when I got him but has made a great recovery.
Muffet is Sammy’s best friend and they need to be adopted together. She has medium length soft fluffy fur and little white toes. She is a very sweet kitty, a bit shy, but has a wonderful purr.
This picture shows Sunny’s babies playing.
This picture shows her two runts. Two of her kittens are cream colored, two are dove gray and one is a very dark tabby. The smallest runt is tiny and has fluffy gray fur. They are just beginning to play outside the nest.
This last picture is Sunny, Miss Hissy Fit, the mother who started the whole mess.
So anyway if you can find room in your home and your heart for some kittens, please let me know! I’ prefer placing them in pairs and placing them after they are fixed, but will work with people who have good access to a low cost vet. I am serious about the invitation to come visit for an afternoon to meet the kittens—and take in the Wild Felid Center. I can be reached at Lkoerber889 @ aol.com (no spaces, of course)
Thank you, John, for posting this.
Laura, aka wonkie
If you have any questions, ask away!
schrodingers_cat
What if you are on the other side of the country?
WaterGirl
Just received from Subaru Diane. The timing couldn’t be more perfect!
wonkie
And thank you Water Girl for putting this together! I sent in bits and pieces, and she made a whole out of it.
wonkie
@schrodingers_cat: I don’t know how to deal with that. I am sorry.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
And you snagged the #2 spot for it, which is bad news for
John McCain.:-)
WaterGirl
@wonkie: Is it possible to get photos of all the kitties, in case one particular kitty or kitties speaks to someone?
For the pets that need to be homed together, we would want to post those together. But they could be in separate photos.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: Ha!
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Laura Too
I sent you an email, I’m in Yelm for the week if you have time. I have done transport for rescues so maybe?
CaseyL
Oh, wonkie, those are adorable kittens! And you do great work with your rescue operations. I’m in your area, but already have two (elderly) cats who would not take well to newcomers, so I am wracking my brain to think of anyone I know who might be interested.
WaterGirl
@Laura Too: Will you be in Amir’s neighborhood at all? :-) Perhaps he is getting close to ready after losing his beloved Miss Bianca.
TaMara
You are an angel.
If $$ are needed, since I obviously can’t adopt, I’m in. Just let us know.
wonkie
@Laura Too: THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC
wonkie
@WaterGirl: I tried to copy and paste photos into a comment but it didn’t work. There doesnt seem to be a way to get from the commnets to my photos. BTW I am hampered a bit by lack of glasses. I lost my glasses so everything is a bit of a blur right now, I can email pictures to anyone.
schrodingers_cat
I lost my two last year within 6 months of each other I had them both for about 19 years. So currently I am kittehless. I want to adopt a bonded pair. Currently we are redoing some parts of our home so we will be ready for new kittehs at the end of November.
Too bad these kittehs are so far.
All these kittens are so adorable!
Laura Too
@WaterGirl: LOL, hmmm-considering. :)
Anonymous At Work
Hawaii is literally closer to you than I am. And I’ve been out that way before. It’s not “Appalachia West”, or at least not when compared with central Washington. The tourism keeps that aspect under control. Beautiful area 4-6 months of the year.
Laura Too
@schrodingers_cat: We may be able to arrange it. I have family in WA state that have an Alaska Air connection, we can see about a drop in MSP & then on to you.
wonkie
As for pairs: Sunny’s two little runts are pictured above. They are gray. One has floffy fiur, the other has more usual textured fur. I call them the Dustbunnies, Dusty and Bunny but obviously anyone can change their names. I was really afraid for them for a while, but they are playing now and don’t seem as fragile.
The first runt at the top of the post has a sib that closely resembles her but is one size larger.
Muffy is not pictured but I can send pics in emails. SHe is fluffy, blakc and has white toes. She is the sweetest kitty. She has a loud purr and is a snugglebunny. Her best friend is Sammy the Siamese. He’s part Siamese, cream with brown, and a bouncy happy kitty.
The kitty have a few fleas because they are too young for flea meds. I have been combing the fleas out every day and most of them seem to be clear. Sammy and Ashley have eye infections that seem to be clearing up. I think they have worms but the vet won’t give me meds unless I bring them in and frankly the cost of ten kittens is beyond my means. I am going to ask Kitten Rescue for an over th ecounter recommendation (and I hope they will give me something!) Kitten Rescue has been wonderfully supportive.
So they all are okay, over the hump, playful and happy but they do need some more care.
WaterGirl
@wonkie: I will send you my phone number. Could you just text the photos to me?
wonkie
@Anonymous At Work: Not to be argumentative but rural Mason Co is an area of entrenched poverty. There is a veneer of comfortably off homes along the water but the interior is…. not well off. I live on Hartstene Island and the interior is scary. My dog came from a paranoid schizophrenic whose son was trying to build bombs on her property. A friend and I rescued over fifty cats from a hoarder on the island. I used to be involved in dog rescue and we got dogs from abandoned properties all the time. Or homes where someone died and on one noticed for weeks. I could tell you stories!
schrodingers_cat
@wonkie: If WG and JGC are willling we can start a kitten rescue fund on Balloon Juice
If it is not too much to ask, could you post pics of Muffy and Sammy too? They sound adorable.
CaseyL
@wonkie:
Wow: I didn’t know that about Hertstene/Harstine Island. (It goes by both names.) In my explorations for potential post-retirement relocations, Hartstene attracted me because it has a bridge to the mainland and isn’t dependent on ferry service. Did not know that about the interior.
MazeDancer
@schrodingers_cat: Transport! Kittens are small, they can ride in the cabin on someone’s free trip.
Though, one imagines your local shelter is overrun as well
WaterGirl
Muffet and Sammy, bonded pair.
Muffet first.
Sammy looks ready for bedtime!
wonkie
@schrodingers_cat: Oh that would be wonderful! Do you live in this vicinity? Or maybe some of the people offering help with transport can coordinate with you and me? Also if you email me I can send more pictures.
schrodingers_cat
@wonkie: I am in Massachusetts.
wonkie
@CaseyL: I have lived at Hartstene Pointe for over twenty years. I wrote a book about HI under a fictional name since sone of the stories involved stealing dogs from an abusive situation since our local animal control person would not act. Since then, our police department has discontinued having an animal control officer. There are LOTS of rescues around here and all are swamped all the time. There are many, many kind people here who support the rescues and most people are not scary. However, if you go up the dirt roads into the interior, it is a different world, a world of hurt and need. I used to do in-home care for disabled people who lived up the dirt roads. Like I said, I could tell you stories. But don’t be inhibited from retiring here.
wonkie
@schrodingers_cat: WG posted them down thread. They are an adorable pair. They are also older and bigger than Sunny’s kittens so they will be ready to place sooner.
schrodingers_cat
@wonkie: Thanks, I saw them. Also the dark tabby that’s on its back reminds of my late great boss kitteh. Do you have pictures him/her too?
All of your kittehs are adorable even the mom!
wonkie
@schrodingers_cat: I call the dark tabby Spice Girl because she has a very big personality for such a small animal. BTW I really have no idea what gender the little ones are. Yes, I will get more pictures when I go in today to care for them> If you email me, Ican send pictures to you. I am very grateful that you are considering some of these babies for your home. Sunny has two cream colored babies as well.
Laura Too
I found a lovely write up if anyone wants a mental vacation. https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/heavenly-harstine-sometimes-you-just-need-an-island/
I love to travel in my mind even if I can’t be there.
wonkie
@Laura Too: There is a beautiful forest to hike in not far at all from the WIld Felid center. If it isn’t raining, We could go for a hike.
schrodingers_cat
@wonkie: I will send you an email. Thanks.
Laura Too
@wonkie: Awesome, thanks!
Dr. Daniel Price (Saint Vincent)
So glad to be 800 miles away. We have too many cats, and not enough.
Local shelters are overfull: what has happened to people, that they have again become so cruel?
cckids
Let me talk to my daughter – she’s in Wenatchee, but I’m in Everett and available for possible grandkitten transport. She just (as in 10 days ago) got married, though, so may not be up for it yet. They have a large, snuggly but clumsy golden retriever/husky, who likes my cat (not reciprocated). I’m sure he’d enjoy kittens.
MazeDancer
@cckids: Of course, your pup would enjoy kittens. Then he could get his kitty love reciprocated.
wonkie
@cckids: Thank you for thinking about these kittens. I’m sure they will be okay with the dog. My concern is what will happen when they have a baby? I think cats are find with babies but many people don’t. Cats get rehomed all the time because of concerns for the baby.
Leslie
Kitties! I want them all. Alas, I have a cat that refuses to accept any other felines, including the one she grew up with from a tiny kitten. No more cats for me anytime soon.
cvannatta
I am in northern Colorado and thus too far away to adopt tiny bae kittehs, even though Muffet and Sammy tug vigorously at my heartstrings. However, I’m in for contributing money for transport any of the fluffballs to local folks offering forever homes.
MazeDancer
@cvannatta: Why too far? We all chip in, you fly up there and back in one day. Kittens travel with you.
ghost cat
Unfortunately I can’t adopt but I’ll happily contribute to travel expenses, vet expenses needed now, and anything else to get these babies healthy and into loving homes.
Emma
Wonkie, do you ever work with MEOW Cat Rescue up in Kirkland? Right now, we’re definitely at capacity and can’t really take more cats in unless they’re sure to be adopted within 24 hours, but if your poor neighbor’s situation persists, and I bet we’ll have space for kittens and friendly adults by next month. (Unfortunately, we’ve still got only-sort-of friendly adults from a hoarding situation last year, so I don’t think management will be too keen on starting more socialization projects :/ )
Whatever happens, I am also in western WA and can help with transport for these kittens on weekends
PS: I had been thinking of thinking of visiting WFAC last year, but only now remembered after seeing this post haha. Maybe it’s a sign :) (can’t adopt, though, my two boys hated it when I fostered kittens, let alone adopt some…)
wonkie
@Emma: Emma tbat is great to know Maybe
ourYOUR rescue could be my back up if I still have kittens to place in a month or so. All of the adults on the property are feral and I haven’t had any trouble placing them through BarnCats. I am just worried about the kittens going to good homeswonkie
@wonkie: I meant YOUR rescue could be back up. I handle the kitties daily and they are very social with me. I have brought other people in to handle them too so they they will generalize. They are a bit shy with people other than me but will easily socialize to a family.
Emma
@wonkie: nice! We’ve had cats with single-kitten syndrome abandoned to us (one of them sent me to urgent care heh), so I’m always very happy to hear about good socialization :) Our policy is to adopt out kittens in pairs, so you won’t have to worry about any of them being lonely :)
Chris T.
@CaseyL: I have the impression that that whole … side of the sound, let’s put it, is considerably worse off economically than the east side (the I-5 corridor). That’s why we retired on the east side…
Chris T.
I’m not too far away (Bellingham-ish) but we already have four cats. I’ve learned from experience (had 5 for a short while) that 4 is our maximum…