Category Archives: Feral Cats

Am I Coming or Going?

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I was glad it was Mother’s Day last Sunday because I knew I’d be running a prior Mom’s Day post, thereby not needing to actually write. What a relief.

phew relief

Lately I’m so busy I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. That saying has some truth to it. I’m decent at multitasking but this is getting ridiculous. (And I’m not even due to write my Things I Find Ridiculous column.)

Preparing for our animal spay/neuter mission in Mykonos, Greece next week has been time consuming but I’ve also been attempting (rather pitifully) to plant some annuals and power wash my patio.

backyard annuals

My backyard minus the annuals

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Animal House

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what was I thinking

I promised you in a March, 2014 blog (Here We Go Again), that I was perfectly happy with my 3 dogs and 2 cats. No way was I going to adopt another 4-legged creature anytime soon.

But you know what they say about best laid plans

You see, I foster “challenging” cats in an attempt to make them adoptable. These felines are what I call conflicted. I think that sounds so much nicer than psycho, don’t you? Turns out cats are just like people in how they can be a tad unbalanced.

Not what I meant

Not what I meant

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Partners in Crime

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Thanksgiving began with a phone call to my friend Sue.

Me: Just a heads up I may need you later today, so keep your phone nearby.
Sue: What’s up?
Me: You’re my one phone call I’m allowed from jail. Oh, and don’t forget to remove the turkey from your oven before coming to bail me out.
Sue: Okay, will do.

You may be able to deduce from this conversation that Sue knows me well enough to realize one of these days I’ll be arrested for helping animals, probably cats, and if that means doing something illegal in the process, so be it.

Careful of the nail polish, please.

Careful of the nail polish, please.

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What Makes Me Happy

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do what makes you happy 2 Fostering feral kittens makes me happy.

I imagine it’s also a bit like having a baby in the house, but I wouldn’t actually know – not having had one myself. I’m probably way off base even suggesting they’re remotely similar. So let’s just pretend I never made that analogy, shall we? Suffice it to say fostering takes perseverance. But in the end it’s definitely all worth it.

I’ve yet to name my newest foster. Here’s why: if he doesn’t become socialized enough to get adopted, it’s somehow easier for me to give him up to become an outdoor cat. I’d then acclimate him to his new digs through a process called relocation. That translates into a 3-week holding period on the property of the folks who have agreed to let him live in their yard. Once released, he’ll be given food, water and shelter while he also hunts rodents. It’s a win-win. Except for the rodents.

Oh crap. Is that a cat I see?

Oh crap. Is that a cat I see?

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What’s a Little Jock Itch Among Friends?

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jock itch cream

Who would have known Jock Itch cream has so many uses? Not me, that’s for sure. I never imagined I’d ever need to use it. Why would I? I’m not a male athlete. But as I discovered recently, one does not need to possess male body parts in order to develop the itchy rash otherwise known as ringworm.

Pretty disgusting looking

Pretty disgusting looking

Now don’t get me wrong; I don’t actually have worms. Ringworm is a form of fungus, same as jock itch. So I guess in a way I’m now just like one of the boys. You see, I’m fostering a domestic cat that has ringworm and although I’d never contracted the nasty rash, ones luck can only last so long. Yesterday my luck ran out. Continue reading →