I hate it when senior kitties suddenly need to be re-homed. It's a tough sell to most adopters because many want a kitten. I was just alerted to the plight of Sweetie & Joy and they were just so lovely I had to post about them. The girls are not related, but are very bonded. Sweetie is almost 13 and Joy is 12. They're located in Woodstock, Georgia. Their owner has kept them up to date on shots, they are spayed and Sweetie is declawed.

Their owner contacted another rescuer and I'm sharing her email, below. You can see she wants the best for her cats and with a very sick husband, she has more than she can handle. I'm not here to judge her choices. I just want to help.

We are looking for:

Ideally, A NO-KILL rescue in GEORGIA to offer to take the cats, but out-of-state is OK. If out-of-state, we can arrange transport.

OR an ADOPTER who would LOVE to give these gorgeous girls a loving home.

This is Sweetie.

This is Sweetie napping.

This is Joy's belly. How do you do, belly.

This is Joy's cuteness.

CONTACT ME at info@coveredincathair.com and I'll put you in touch with the owner. PLEASE SHARE THIS POST! I'd love it if we can pull off another miracle and find these girls a safe place to land.

-------------- This is from the kitty's current owner--------

I was just referred to you by my vet, where our 2 kitties, Joy and Sweetie have been receiving care, shots, and grooming for the last 5 or 6 years.

The reason I am writing you is that we can no longer take care of them. My husband, age 81, is quite disabled after a fall and pneumonia, and massive bleeds and other infections, and I am his caretaker.

He is allergic to cats and his lungs can't continue to tolerate the cat dander. And one of them likes to sit in his path, and he can't afford to trip on a cat and fall again (he takes coumadin for A-fib.)

They are both female and neutered. They love each other and sleep and play together, even tho I got them at different times.

I am overwhelmed with care of my husband and lack of sleep and can not care for the kitties like they should be taken care of.

Sweetie is the Himalayan, and I got her in fall of 1999 somewhere in Cherokee or Cobb county ­ don't know because I had just moved here from Florida. No papers, but she is supposed to be the "real thing". She has been declawed. Her records are at the all at the vet, and I think I can find my file on them. She loves to sit next to me and will just hang around a person even when the person is napping, like watching guard.

Joy is the "main coon mix", and the two of them sleep wrapped up with each other. Joy was raised for the first 6 weeks by my son and wife and given to me in 2000. She has her toenails.

Both of them sleep most of the day, and watch us closely whenever we do something that is different than our normal schedule. They both like to live in a small room, eat in it and sleep in it and if we would leave their door open they could cry for us to come close it (meaning, at 6pm they are fed and run to their room and in the morning they are fed again and let out of their room).

They have lived in 3 different houses and adapt quite well. I have had kitties all my life and have never had one put down for convenience they all have lived to get old or get cancer or leukemia. Oh, they are indoor only cats.

The grandkids love to pet and brush them and play with them. After too much play tho, Sweetie will take a swipe at you, but will not walk away. They both like ice cubes in their water ­ spoiled?

They do well when we go on vacations with a feeder and water feeder and a family member looking in on them every 4 days.

It would be WONDERFUL if they could go to a no-kill shelter. I know someone would consider them quite adorable and want them.

UPDATE: Jan 25, 2012: THESE GIRLS HAVE A RESCUE!

This is Bobbi (image below) a few weeks after we rescued her. She was badly flea infested and severely underweight from being kicked out by her owner and left to fend for herself. A few hours after I posted about her, I got in a third photo (see bottom image). I couldn't help but compare it to one I shot last year.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bobbi shortly after she arrived in Connecticut after being rescued from a Kill Shelter in Georgia.

Her new family, the Murdoch's, definitely know how to turn that “MEH” into “MEOW!.” It's hard to believe that this is the SAME cat. The only thing that changed for her was now she gets a great diet, good Veterinary care and lots and lots of love.

©2011 The Murdoch Family. What a face!

Is it just me, or is there a glimmer of joy in her eyes that wasn't there before? I can't believe the transformation! Is Bobbi part Maine Coon? Maybe part Norwegian Forest Cat?

Bobbi, you're a dream come true. I'm SO HAPPY for you and your new family! Thank you Murdoch family for doing right by this sweet girl. I wish we had a thousand adopters just like you!

I finally have some good news to report. After the past few hellish weeks, out of the blue, today I got TWO updates on some of our former foster kitties! The news did my heart good and I hope it does the same for you.

Bobbi

Bobbi was rescued from Henry County Care & Control last summer. She was thin, covered in fleas and her skin was full of sores. To make matters worse, Bobbi was declawed! She had NO WAY to even scratch herself---and she was NOT EVEN SPAYED. I wrote a very "blue" rant about this which you can read about here if you're not offended by swearing. There's a more genteel post about her HERE, if you'd like to know more about this little girl's journey.

©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control. Bobbi at the shelter. Just looking at her, I knew I had to rescue this little sweetheart.

Apparently, Bobbi has settled in well with her new family. She's their only cat and is pampered and loved to her heart's content.

©2010 Maria. S. Bobbi out of the shelter and into foster care. She's thin and her coat is terrible. She was almost starved to death.

Bobbi's coat has surprised everyone. We thought she had Maine Coon in her, but her coat was shaggy and sort. Today it's plush and full. Her family tell us:

“We just love, love, love her. She is doing well, and has a healthy figure now:-) Her fur/hair is a complete surprise and amazement. I imagine her hair was thin and unhealthy when you first saw her in Ga. And when we adopted her, her hair was silky and medium. Well, I hope the photo I send shows this, but she has about 3 undercoats followed by lots of long hair. Her color is even a little different, more red has come out. She loves to be scratched and we love to give her the attention.

She loves to sleep in the sun, eat, play with a silk cord and jumping into pillows and blankets that I make into a big pile. ”

©2011 The Murdoch Family. What a difference six months makes!

This is why I do what I do. To get these updates and know I did something that changed this cat's life for the better and for the rest of her life. She will never know suffering again-and that's how it should be for every cat and dog in need!

©2011 The Murdoch Family. Life is good for Bobbi now.

Moonpie & Pattycake

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Moonpie (left) and Pattycake (right)

I had Moonpie and Pattycake for a long time—months and months. Patty had ringworm, then Moonie got it. Then I decided they HAD to stay together. I could not adopt them out separately. They were like two peas in a pod. I knew it would be tougher to find them a home, but I hung on and hoped against hope the right family would come along.

They did. In a BIG way!

Moonpie and Patty live in a 5000 sq foot home. At first it was too much for them and they spent a few worried weeks running around the house. They've been with their new family for a few months now and today I found out that they've adjusted beautifully and are very “chill” cats, indeed.

Their pet sitter told me they have not just a cat tree to play on, but they have a “city” of cat towers. Not just in one room, but on each FLOOR of the home! They get the best food, the most love, and are doing wonderfully well.

I miss them dearly, but am so glad they're happy and healthy. It was worth the time spent worrying they'd never find a good home to know they're where they were meant to be all along.

If you'd like to read some of Moonpie and Patty's story, you can read it here and here.

We all get notices about cats and dogs needing rescue. Many of them are marked as “urgent.” It's great that we can get together and help spread the word, BUT there are millions of animals out there who need help, who go unnoticed. Many of them don't have a group of folks trying to help them get a forever home.

I came up with a fun way to help animals, it's totally free, just takes a minute of your time and could potentially help save more animals lives.

I call it:

Save-A-Pet-Roulette

Step One: Visit Petfinder

Step Two: “Search for a Pet.” Do you want to help a dog, cat, bunny, goat, what? Chose Animal Type, Breed, and a zip code. You can GUESS a zip code, or chose the zip code of your own home town. It's more effective if you choose a local zip or a zip in your state, since most of your friends will be able to share with their friends and be able to act on a local level! Hit the “GO” or “SEARCH” You don't have to fill in BOTH locations of Search for a Pet, just one is fine.

Step Three: Review Search Results. Which animal would you like to save. Pick one!

Step Four: Chose the Tweet and the Facebook icons to share with your friends!

Make sure you ADD information on WHERE the cat is located when you send out your Tweet or Facebook share!

That's all it takes! Doing this does not require you to adopt a cat or sponsor a cat or dog, etc, but it's a way of helping spread the wod about animals in need and it's fun to know that you may have helped get that animal adopted because one of your friends, or their friends, or beyond...has heard about that animal and it got a home.

Now go. Save a life!

I know this road. I've walked it more times than I care to recall. It's the moment at which I realize the time I have with one of my cats is coming to an end. The road is full of hopeful moments that will ultimately lead to despair and to the final choice we must make for our cat, one day.

I hate this road more than I can say. It eats at my heart and taxes my reserves. I try to prepare myself, but there is no preparing for death. It comes, as it does for all of us. We either accept it and find peace or fight and have the same end, no matter what.

On Saturday I got Bob's blood test results. His liver function, one test indicated by his ALT, was stratospherically high. A normal value would be 10-100. Bob was at 1240.

Other liver values were also very high, save for his Bilirubin, no it's not a sandwich, it's a blood test. That test result was normal. This is a good thing.

From Cat World, Australia, I found this description of Bilirubin:

Bilirubin: This is a major breakdown product of red blood cells. When red blood cells wear out they are trapped in the spleen and destroyed, releasing bilirubin into the blood. This type of bilirubin is called unconjugated. This bilirubin is transported in the blood to the liver, where it is taken up & conjugated (joined with glycuronic acid). This conjugated form may either be stored in the liver cells or excreted into the bile. Bilirubin levels are increased in cats with liver disease, gallbladder disease or have excessive destruction of red blood cells (known as hemolysis).

What do these numbers mean? See THIS web site for some helpful guidelines.

Then the kicker came today. Bob had an ultrasound done of his heart and abdomen. I thought I was going to be able to sit in during the ultrasound, but Dr. K said it would be quicker if he was on his own. Super Deb assured me she'd be with him and answer any questions. I kept thinking about this and that thing I wanted to make sure he knew, but in the end, nothing I was worried about mattered.

I took Super Deb's dog, Jayne for a walk, instead of twiddling my thumbs in the waiting room. It was freezing cold outside with a bitter wind. I tried to shake off the fear of what I would find out in a few more minutes. I tried to not cry thinking about it. I know as any good cat-parent knows-something is wrong, I just didn't know what it was. I didn't really WANT to know.

When I returned to Dr. Larry's office, grabbed a magazine about celebrities and their fabulous lives and pretended to look at it. I saw Super Deb. She wouldn't make eye contact with me. Then Dr. Larry arrived to start his day. He didn't even look towards the waiting room. Maybe it was not a big deal that he didn't look, but it seemed like no one wanted to even give me a hint as to what was going on.

Sam arrived with Petunia and Nora. He sat next to me, but we didn't speak. It's been a common thread here for a very long time. We only speak when necessary. Something is going on with Sam. I can guess, but he won't talk to me about it. Instead he hides in his office in the basement and plays his guitar. He mumbles this and that. He helps out around the house, in silence. Each day I grow a little more resentful, more angry. I am shut out and alone. I didn't do anything wrong. I can't wait forever for his life to be in a place where he feels like being a partner to me again. I'm still suffering from the car accident, in tremendous pain, but he does nothing. No comforting. No nothing. With all the stress I have about Bob, he only taps my shoulder or brushes my hand. When I need him most, he is the furthest away. I have to ask myself how many more years can this go on? What happened to having joy? Companionship? Even a dear friendship? For so long I have tried to encourage him to trust me, to talk to me, to give him guidance and support, but I am tired of trying.

So, Sam is there, but not there. I am there, but wishing I was somewhere else.

Petunia is getting a dental. One of her molars has a HOLE in it! Was THIS what was causing her to go on a pee-storm throughout the house? Fight with the other cats? Did she also have a urinary tract infection or impacted anal glads? While under anesthesia we'd be finding out. Maybe after all these years, I'd finally have a true end to the inappropriate urination going on in my home.

Nora was there to check her foot. We thought she had ringworm, but turns out she did not. She has some sort of fungal infection on one foot. It hasn't spread. We've treated it and it's getting better. But what about BOB??! Will someone please TELL ME what is GOING ON?

Dr. Larry took a deep breath. That was all he had to do. I knew it was bad news and he was preparing himself to speak.

Bob's heart is normal, which is very good, but...

Fun with ultrasound results.

As you can see, above, the many LONG words that I can't make heads or tails of spell out that Bob has a 5 cm mass present in the right lobe of his liver. It is not possible to tell if it's a cancer or if it's a benign tumor that could be treated or removed surgically.

With FIV+ and being a senior cat, Bob may not be a good candidate for surgery. He may have cancer and if they do the surgery they will open him up, then say they have to put him down. That it would not be fair to wake him up when he will only live a little while longer, anyway. It's a big crap shoot.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob ponders his future (on his new blanket from Jennifer)

Thanks to one of my readers who works with FIV+ and Feline Leukemia positive cats, she told me something shocking:

...for any kitty that has been tested since the beginning of this year with the new IDEXX 3-way test (FIV/FeLV/HW), you cannot trust ANY positive result on the FIV or FeLV component: incredibly high rate of false positives, confirmed by retests with the western blot for FIV or the IFA for FeLV. the true positive rate on retest is the normal, VERY LOW, percentage. (and, of course, the FeLV component only tests for EXPOSURE, and most cats are able to process the virus out of their systems, which is why retesting is imperative. usually, the retest should be done 90-120 days after last exposure, but with the nationwide problems on the new test, we-who-get-the-panicked-calls-to-place-these-cats are advising that cats be retested immediately. (IDEXX does know about the problem, and will admit it to vets; however, tho they've asked for the names and contact info for those who have stats--national rescues, and special-needs sanctuaries--they've never followed up when they were provided with same.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Blitzen and Nicky try to cheer Bob up.

Even though Bob was tested years ago, this is the time to make SURE he is FIV+ because that will effect his ability to get a surgeon to take on his case. Because he was not neutered at an appropriate age, he got FIV. This is my Mother's fault and I will never forgive her for not caring for her cat. His life would have been so much better if he'd been neutered sooner and not left outdoors to get into fights with other territorial males.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Blitzen decides to lick Bob's head while Nicky is...Nicky.

I started to cry when I got the news...big, shaky tears. I tried not to cry, but he knew I couldn't hold back. Dr. Larry rubbed my arm and told me about a woman whose dog had the same thing Bob does. That he opened the dog up and saw the mass and called the owner and said he should put the dog down. The mass was too big. The dog would die anyway. She was going through a bad divorce. The dog was all she had. She demanded he cut the mass off-so he took half the liver. The dog lived...another two and a half YEARS. But Bob's not that dog and Bob could have cancer and Bob has FIV+ and he's a senior...blah blah blah...

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Blitzen being cute, as usual.

I just wanted to fall over, curl up in a ball and weep. But that won't help Bob get better or live a bit longer, at least.

So I asked a few questions, then left the exam room. The first thing I saw was Moonpie's face! His new owner, as promised, brought Moonie and Patty to meet Dr. Larry now that they are adopted. I couldn't have been happier to see their friendly faces. I took Moonie out of his cat carrier and held him. He sat comfortably in my arms. Both cats meowed furiously at me. I hope they weren't asking me to take them home. I wanted to, but they will be happy in their new home one day. Right now they're doing well, but are still scared. Their new owner says that each day the calm down a bit more and become a bit more cuddly. With three young boys to play with, it's a big change for them. I told her to give it a month and that I'm always there for her whenever she had a question. She told me to come visit them any time. It would be too tempting to sneak them back home with me, but it was really GOOD to see them again.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. My boy, Bob.

We loaded Bob into the car, alongside Nora and drove separately home. I got Bob fed and gave him his liver medicine. He ate well, then went to his heated bed for a nap. It was just like any other day, completely unremarkable, save for the part that I know there may not be many more such unremarkable days ahead.

©2010 Bobby Stanford. Used with permission. Precious gets a hug from one of the Vet Tech's at Eagle's Landing.

Precious went to the Vet. It's the first thing we do when they leave the Shelter. The big question: what was wrong with Precious and what needed to be done right now and what could wait until she arrives in Connecticut in a few short weeks.

©2010 Bobby Stanford. Used with permission. Okay, I admit she looks a wee bit nutty here, but what a lovely coat she has! I like her golden toe (see right rear foot).

Precious weighs just 4.6 pounds. She's not an adult-barely grown. She's only 9-12 months old. A mere kitten. My foster cats are younger than she is and they weigh TWICE what she does.

She's a lovely blend of tabby and calico. Her coat has hints of Maine Coon. Her snap test results were negative for Feline Leukemia and FIV-I always am relieved when we get that result. She had a flea or two, no surprise. She is not in obvious pain, but her lower jaw is broken and one of her canine teeth hits her gum. If left untreated she would adjust and just have a crooked smile, but you KNOW we will not leave her to suffer.

©2010 Bobby Stanford. Used with permission. Inspecting her new room.

Her right front leg has feeling, is warm and has sensation! There is crackling in her shoulder. It is either a broken leg or a dislocation. She is comfortable and can get around with ease, so for now there is no treatment. It may seem cruel not to act right away, but we can move her much faster to the north, to her home, where we can have all the surgeries done that are required. She can recover from the stress of travel without the complication of recovering from surgery. We just know she would break with a URI if we did that.

She is not pregnant and, of course, this cat has probably NOT been spayed. Spaying will be done, as well, when the time comes. For now, she can eat as she pleases and get some rest.

©2010 Bobby Stanford. Used with permission. The paperwork you can see on the bed is the release form from Henry Co. That little piece of paper gave this cat her freedom and her life back.

Bobby drove her to Corinne's. Our new foster Mama. Corinne has loads of experience and many stories of saving little kitties and big kitties, alike. Really with no time to prepare, she offered to help with the blue kittens, then when we didn't need a foster for them and I heard about Precious, I asked if she would mind helping her instead. There was no hesitation, just willingness to be part of this rescue.

Precious arrived and one of Corinne's cats snuck into the room, but Precious didn't mind. They escorted the cat back out so Precious could get to know her new home without added stress. A soft, welcoming bed was just what she needed to take the stress off her injured leg. She purred and relaxed. Wherever she had just been-that cold, scary place, was already a fading memory. She was safe and sound, maybe a bit sore, but in Corinne's warm and gentle hands, it would see her through this tough time. Corinne will also be her chaperone when it was time to leave Georgia forever and begin her new life in the northeast.

©2010 Bobby Stanford. Used with permission. A nice soft bed. No more harsh cage for this injured sweetie.

We're all just pleased as punch that this worked out so well, so far. Thank you, again to Bobby and Corinne for all they did to help this girl to safe haven.

©2010 Betsy Merchant.

Yesterday, I got a plea from Betsy at Henry County Care & Control. One of the other cats hoping to get rescued is a sweet little girl who is, well, is a bit of a “fixer-upper.” I took one look at the photos and tried not to cry. I decided I had to do whatever I could to help her find a rescue.

©2010 Betsy Merchant. Her right front leg bends at an odd angle. Her jaw appears to be broken, too.

This little dear, gets along fine, thank you, even “hauls around”, according to Betsy, even though it's clear, something quite serious happened to her. Most likely she was hit by a car, but we don't know when. We know that no one bothered to provide her with any medical care. How they could look at her and not see that she needed HELP shocks me. To make things worse, now she finds herself waiting to die at a Kill Shelter. What kind of world is this?

©2010 Betsy Merchant.

She not a cute itty-bitty kitty. She may require thousands in Vet care to correct her facial deformity and to possibly amputate her leg. Although she can eat, she does drool. Although she can walk, is she in pain? She doesn't deserve this life she's had, she deserves so much better. The thing is...how can I get that to happen for her?

©2010 Betsy Merchant. Not in pain, this little girl can still move around quite freely.

I guess it's like everything else. You just put the word out and hope the perfect person sees her photo and falls in love. This little cat's body may be broken, but her heart is still full of love. She's a sweet natured cat, even after all she has suffered. I know someone can help her. I just have to find them.

©2010 Betsy Merchant.

I sent out some emails last night, to my “gals,” Connie and Jennifer. I asked them for suggestions on how we can be creative, get this cat to Connecticut and get her help. I would do a fundraiser. I would help get a foster. I would do just about everything I could think of, but I just couldn't adopt her.

©2010 Betsy Merchant. What a FACE!

I didn't have to. Connie, who already adopted Big O-a complete wreck of a beast from a horrible situation in GA and who adopted Little Maria, who had an untreated broken leg, stepped up and suggested that SHE adopt this cat! I balked at first, but Connie prefers to help cats that are in dire straights-the ones that are hard to place-the ones that need a little work (or a lot!). One thing I know about Connie is that when she makes a commitment to a cat, that cat won't have anything to worry about ever again. Connie is a magnificent cat-mama. If she was willing to open her home to this poor creature, then I could make it happen.

©2010 Betsy Merchant.

So as I sat in the car while Sam drove us to New York City to attend The Chocolate Show, I made phone calls. Things began to fall into place. As of this moment, this cat is FREE. She is busted out of Henry County. She's at the Vet being checked out. With any luck, fairly soon she will be at her foster mama's home and in a few weeks, she should be ready to fly to Connecticut-right around Thanksgiving—a perfect time to truly appreciate the miracle that happened for this girl. This girl, former ID# 11/10-4781, now has a home to look forward to and a proper name.

©2010 Betsy Merchant.

Introducing, Precious.

Oh yeah, and the Chocolate Show was awesome, too!

.

I don't think anyone could possibly chronicle with any detail how DIFFICULT, how many e-mails, how many questions, how many late hours, it took to rescue what started out as Four Maine Coon Mix kittens from Clayton Co. Animal Control in Jonesboro, GA.

I've never pulled cats from Clayton. I don't have anyone with a GA license who can help. There was a big team of people networking to find the one person who could help get the kittens OUT before it was too late.

©2010 Clayton County Animal Control. The clock is ticking. Can we get these cuties out ALIVE?

Yesterday, I spent most of the day and well into the night trying to find that one person. Along the way I found out about other people who pull from GA shelters, other rescue groups, ONE IS IN AUSTRALIA!!! Everyone was trying to help, but the GA License is tough to get and once you have it, you can't just let anyone else use it. So we were left with either trying to get someone local to adopt the cats or finding a local rescue group to take them in-when all are “full up.”

In the end, it was our Maria who totally kicked ass. She had taken the day off to get Vet care for the other kittens she is fostering for me and for another rescue group. Since the Vet appointment was changed, she still had the day off so she decided to go to Clayton and find out what was going on with the kittens. She managed to find out that there were five kittens originally. Three were adopted over the past few days. Two were left. We didn't want to chance leaving them, in the hope they, too, we be adopted. Two kittens are a lot easier to find a rescue for then four, anyway.

We were still scrambling, looking for a rescue to pull the cats on our behalf. Samantha Shelton, the Executive Director/Founder of FurKids contacted me and offered to help pull the cats for us. They have 500 animals in their facility and they rent a HOUSE for cats who have FIV+. Do I love them, already? YES. I do.

At the same time, the group Maria works with, RescueCats, offered to take the kittens, use their GA license and find the kittens homes in Georgia. I would not be transporting them here as I had been planning for the past few days. I was sad about that, but so GLAD they were safe.

A few minutes ago, Maria called me. She told me she got to Clayton and it was CLOSED. They were closed for an employee meeting at 2pm! Maria held her ground and saw a guy near the door. She sweetly managed to convince him to, at least, ask someone to help her even though they were closed. As you see, below, no one says NO to Maria!

©2010 Maria Sandoval. WOOOHOO!!!! AT LAST!!!!

So all is well.

To me, though, the biggest miracle of all was the e-mail I just got from Betsy at Henry. It simply said:

“Safe, just went to local licenses rescue! YAY!”

Her e-mail was referring to the Big Chicky-Baby Kitties I told you about last week. I found out on Monday that Henry is so overcrowded they put down eight cats. I didn't want to know which ones. I feared the worst. For these big sweethearts, their fate was not another sad ending. They are safe and sound and one day will find their perfect forever homes. Until then they will be out of the cage and into a foster home.

I get choked up every time I look at their photos and think about what a big of a miracle it was for these girls to get out ALIVE.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Fran is saved!!!

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Cami is saved!!!

Once in awhile, we win one, or two or in this case FIVE. In the middle of all this craziness I found a little siamese kitten at Floyd County-another Kill Shelter. I told a group in New York about her, and she got rescued, too.

©2010 Floyd County Animal Control. This little baby is going to New York!

I AM SO HAPPY!!!!

It's been a few months since I first wrote about Bobbi, a Manx/Maine Coon mix whose owners felt it was ok to declaw her on ALL FOUR PAWS and whose Vet felt it was OK to do this and NOT EVEN SPAY HER!!!! If you want to read my blue-worded-rant, you can go HERE and if you want to read about how I came to rescue her, you can go HERE and HERE.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Thanks to Robin, the Kennel Master and Betsy Merchant, I learned about Bobbi being in dire need of rescue. Luckily, the timing was perfect and I could help her out with the efforts of my team: Maria, Bobby (who Bobbi is named after), Connie & Carole.

After Bobbi's long trip from a Kill Shelter in Georgia to a little break at Connie's house in Connecticut, to living at Animals in Distress, Bobbi got adopted by a family with another cat. Sadly, Bobbi didn't seem to like other cats, but she wasn't SPAYED (which we didn't realize at the time), so that might have been the reason why.

Bobbi got returned after a week. She got spayed a few days later. She got along fine with all the cats at Animals in Distress, which is an open shelter with no cages. We all felt bad for her. She'd come so far, yet we wondered if we could find a home for her without other cats. Maybe that was best?

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Who is lovin' life right now?

On Saturday, during the adoption event, a family came in to visit Bobbi. I had just taken photos of her for her Petfinder listing. Apparently, the Mom of the family had been there a few days before and had taken photos of Bobbi to share with her husband and adult daughter. They'd recently lost their 16 year old kitty and wanted to rescue a cat in need.

They had returned, together, to see if Bobbi was the right cat for them. They took turns petting her, then holding her. She sat comfortably in their arms. I swore she was smiling. After a day spent being surrounded by other families, kids and cats, Bobbi was non-plused. She was just happy to be safe, with a fully belly and a nice place to sleep. She glowed from all the attention.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Oh yeah, she's got them wrapped around her little declawed toe!

It wasn't a tough decision for the family to make. They filled out an application, got a great Vet reference and were greenlighted to adopt Bobbi. I chatted with them a bit and found out they live near my house, I know of their Vet and that he is a proponent of feeding raw to cats. They wanted to know about feeding a better diet to Bobbi so I gave them some handouts, as well as anything else I could come up with to help her transition off dry food. These people are genuinely warm, kind and loving. I could tell they wanted the best...for THEIR cat...this little, loving wonder who somehow survived Death Row and a VERY long journey to find that her perfect home was waiting for her all along.

©2010 The Murdoch Family. Used with Permission. Bobbi at home with her new Sister.

This is what I live for. This moment. This feeling that lifts my heart above the clouds. Knowing that this one cat, who didn't stand a chance, got plucked out of Hell and placed into the loving arms of a family that will NEVER put her outside to slowly starve to death...that will NEVER dismiss her or give up on her. She will finally know what she should have known all along-that her family will always look out for her and love her for the rest of her life.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bobbi showin' off her "stuff."

And to think, they wrote to me to thank ME for what I do, but it's really them. Bobbi could have languished at the shelter for months or years without them being willing to give her a home. I feel a sense of peace and joy, knowing this journey has come to happy end.

...but that wasn't the only adoption I have to tell you about...there is still ONE MORE to go.

Cheese is a stunning orange maine coon who weighs 18 POUNDS! He says it's because he is so fluffy, not because he is fat! Cheese is neutered and up to date on his shots. He's a loving boy, but his Mama, Kathleen is in a jam! She has about a week to find a TEMPORARY placement for her beloved boy!

We all do the best we can for our cats and Kathleen is no different. She's hit a very bad place in her life due to the terrible economy. Instead of just dumping her cat on a shelter, she's just asking for some time. She KNOWS she will get back on her feet and once she does, she will want Cheese to come back. Let's help our sister out. She's doing the right thing. She's raising her hand and saying she needs help. Let's help her and help Cheese!

If you live in the area of RICHMOND, VA OR if you live in the SURROUNDING AREA or NEARBY STATES, she will get Cheese to your door. She will also provide some money towards his care while he's in foster care. She LOVES her man very much and is only doing this until she can get back on her feet and bring Cheese back home. That's all she wants. She doesn't want to re-home her cat, she just needs a nice place for him to stay for awhile.

Kathleen is terrified that she will be forced to bring Cheese to a shelter if she can't find a foster home for him in a week!

If you have room in your home to share with this lovely kitty and help his mama, Kathleen out, please contact her directly: ilovethisland3@yahoo.com

Please help me spread the word about this cat in need. Thank you!