A little cat news

I am always amazed at how many stitchers I run into at market who say they follow my blog and LOVE the cats. I am so glad! But for a stitching blog, the cats seem to rule the roost. I'm always so happy to be volunteering for the shelter, and have had miscellaneous waifs at my house for the last year...pretty much full-time. Here are a few of our recent "saves" who are up for adoption RIGHT NOW!

You may remember Fargo. He was adopted a few days before Christmas, but was recently returned to me, as the dogs at his new house thought he looked...delicious. His new owner didn't feel like life was being fair to him, since he had to hide all the time to avoid being lunch. She was sad to give him back to me, but he is at our house playing with Zero and eating good food. He's looking for a home and is FREE to whoever wants him. He has been fixed, he's loving, sweet, fun, silly, playful and such a looker. He's about five months old, and I'm hoping to find a forever home for him with someone wonderful.

This is Hinun (Native American for "Spirit of the Storm.") Harrison took care of this cat while he recovered from a cold, which would have otherwise meant his being euthanized at the shelter. He's a BEAUTIFUL boy, very gentle and friendly. He loves to be near people, and his favorite thing is to be petted while he's eating (what a weirdo!) Harrison called him "Brimley," because he thought the cat looks like Wilford Brimley. He's $50.00 and has been neutered. He was surrendered to the shelter, because his previous owner "didn't want him anymore." He'll be a perfect cat for someone.

And this is Yoko. She, too, had a cold and was scheduled for euthanasia. We saved her a few weeks ago, got her through her antibiotics and a little ringworm on her ear, and now she's up for adoption, too. She's a very LONG and lanky cat. She only weighs about eight pounds, but her legs and body are very long. Her eyes are wide-set and a beautiful green tea color. She is sometimes chatty, but usually quiet, and she loves to sit on laps or be near people. Graham really fell in love with Yoko and was sad to see her go. Still, we gave her a second chance at life, and I hope she finds a great place to live (filled with top-quality peoples!)

The cat situation at the shelter is quiet...the quiet before the storm. March starts kitten season, and soon litters will start coming in. That means I'll soon have pictures of tiny babies, and I'm hoping to take on a new-born litter again this spring. They're a lot of work, but so much fun. Some good news is that in 2010, the animal shelter took in over 9,000 un-wanted/stray animals, but last year, that number was down below 7,000! Over-population is still a huge problem here in Hattiesburg, BUT the Spay & Neuter Clinic (which offers very low-cost spay and neuter surgeries to all income brackets) seems to be making a dent in that problem.

And a lot of you ask me about Zero....he's a heart-stealer. Well, last week, I had some pre-market running around to do, so I thought it would be fun to take him for a ride in the car. He hadn't been in the car for a while, and he's so laid-back, you know...good idea? Right? He became very upset after a few blocks, was panting, then trying to hide under the seat. And then he just pooped on the floor (while I watched helpless from the driver's seat.) Then he scratched the poo-poo into the carpet real good. Then he went back under the seat. So, I drove home behind someone who was driving SO SLOW with Zero-Stink in the air and a miserable cat under my seat. I guess I learned a lesson!

He came out of it just fine -- in fact, as soon as we were back home, he trotted off as though the world were made of cat nip and salmon treats. ZERO!

I had a great time at market and will be posting an update soon. I am still working on getting things scanned and ready for the web site and newsletter. I'll update the blog with pictures from market soon, too!

(P.S. I know some of you are going to ask about the euthanasia policy at the shelter. Of course, I don't make the rules. But things like upper respiratory infections spread like wildfire in our cat cottages. Sometimes cats can kick the infections, and sometimes they just get worse. Cats or kittens who get the sniffles are often immediately euthanized to prevent other cats from catching the virus/infection. I have recently started a small band of volunteers called The Sneeze Brigade whose mission is to catch some of these cats before they are put down. They are taken to good homes, given their antibiotics/nursed back to health and are given a second shot at life. I can't save them all...but I can save a bunch!)