- Joined
- Apr 25, 2014
- Messages
- 55
- Purraise
- 117
Over SEVENTY adoptions, you just blew my mind!I have escaped the box and both catbird and cat live. No alcohol needed since this morning.
I will backtrack on the story but first I need to address some posts.
JosieQ I am in love with your kitties! I understand the difficulty in parting with any cat. I am closing in on saying goodbye to 70+ adoptions and 20 much worse farewells. It never gets easier. The thing is, in order to give a kitty the very best we can, we cannot divide our attention between so many that they don’t get enough. What if one gets sick? The time and expense makes it hard to care for the others. They all need love, playtime, snuggles, health care, toys and food. I started with one cat. I began rescuing a colony 10+ years ago. Sadly, most had Leukemia. I tended the sick, comforted the dying, immunized the healthy, spayed neutered and adopted out those I could. The unadopted remained with me. 10 total and I ended a sick colony. Over the next years I acquired 5 others. 4 belonged to a friend who became permanently ill and disabled. I thought I was babysitting but it became permanent as his health declined. Another was brought to me by an old Tom cat. It was an orphaned kitten that arrived one Christmas night, a gift from the Tom cat. The kitten was having trouble breathing. Asthma. The old cat, Marcus, ( only spoke French) saved it that night. I named the kitten Bonjure. Marcus passed not long after bringing me the baby. Bonjure is now healthy but at the time no one would adopt an asthmatic kitten. He is the baby of the family. I had one other for three years. Missy. She belonged to a friend who lived next door. He had a major stroke on my birthday and I happened to be nearby when his truck ran off the road. He asked me to take his cat. I did. I thought it was permanent but last year he finally recovered enough to take his Missy home. I was heart broken but also very happy for them both. They are very happy to be reunited and doing very well. The story continues as I began to notice cats last year being used for target practice. I thought I was done ending colonies but I could not turn my back. How can I give attention to more cats? I have devoted every moment and every penny to rescuing, Spay/neuter, immunizing, socializing and loving. I have brought in a few at a time as I could catch them. Males, females and kittens. I poured my heart into every single one. Some babies I bottle raised. They are all my babies. The colony was over 100 kitties. Some dumped, some lost, some feral. With all the time I spend getting attached it is earth shattering to let even one go. Yet, I must. They all deserve more attention and time than one person can spread among so many. There are also others waiting in peril that need help. Do I think of my feelings or theirs? Tough call. I choose to put them first. I love them so much I want to give them the very best I can find. I cry at every kitty leaving. Sometimes it’s very hard to get past it. The bottle babies are probably the hardest. But you should know about what happens after I let them go. Over time I have begun to hear the wonderful, happy endings. I get messages, texts, emails and phone calls from people telling me how much they love their cat or how that kitty has impacted their lives in positive ways. Children are growing up with kitty companions that they will never forget. Kittens are providing laughter in houses where it is needed. Kitty and human lives are better because I let them go. If you get a call where you feel your heart fall, try to hold on. Make sure the home is a good one, give the kitty a chance at being loved and the center of attention and stay in touch with the adopting family if possible. I am betting that you will get a call one day telling you how special the kitty you gave away has turned out to be. I just got a call from a woman who was celebrating the birthday of a cat I had raised from a baby. She is giving Shakespeare a wonderful life and he now owns that house. He has a family a dog he walks with in the park and a Mother who thinks he is the most beautiful cat she has ever seen. She spoils him. He was one of the first of the 100 colony that I pulled in. When he left he made room for me to save another. I still have more to let go. I will cry again. I will also celebrate as each kitty finds a furever home. I will hold on to each cat that remains with me and give them all the love and attention they deserve. They are my comfort and lifetime companions. The unadopted need me the most. I hope you find some way to get through things the way I have. I will always offer you comfort and support with what you are doing. I know of others who go through this as well. We support each other and it helps to know we are not alone.
I know you've got your own concerns right now so I'll try to keep my reply short.
I completely get your point about being unable to divide our attention. My three house-cats are already getting far less attention than I want to give them now that these two strays (and the one outside) are getting more. I feel terrible about it and really do want to find them a good home so I can get back to loving up my home-team. (One of whom is right now putting her butt in my face. Yes thank you for the trust, I love you too.)
Of course I have the fear that even if I find a good home for the street-urchins, something unforeseen could happen like someone opens a door, and Nixon runs out, and gets hit by a bus, and for the rest of my life I'll be like "But if I'd just kept him!!"
I know, you can't plan for everything. I know I'm a worrier. DX
Also trying to make it clear in my ads and flyers that I want follow-ups with these two when they get adopted, hope the people do that.
I'm putting in too that if it doesn't work out for some reason, they can always give me BACK the cats to re-home myself because obviously I wouldn't want them dumped at a shelter to be euthanized. Would people do that? Or would they feel like they wouldn't want to admit failure or something and just dump them outside or in a shelter anyway?
So many worries, ugh! Stop it braiiiin!!
(Speaking of, anyone got good sites to advertise on? I'm getting on PetFinder but I'll take any other suggestions. I'm also gonna print physical flyers to put up on bulletin boards on the fancy side of town. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some rich people to lavish and spoil these guys.)
This makes me literally want to kill someone. I swear, sometimes I get so enraged and overwhelmed by things I see in the world and online. I read a story once about some people who microwaved a cat, saw a video of crushing, that was like 10 years ago and I still literally dream about it. I think most people let this kind of crap go but it stays with me forever, I mean, I've got problems. Sometimes I think I'm on the verge of going crazy Nietzsche-like when he saw a horse beaten in the street.
I really get to thinking sometimes that I should just give up my life to become a vigilante and go out doing outright murder to these inhuman sociopaths. (But then who would take care of my cats? Guess I'll put that off for now...)Okay no one call the cops on me just yet, I'm okay right now. Like I said before, seeing people like you putting in so much insane effort to help just one cat, it really helps my messed-up broken brain deal with life. I'm sure you get thanks from cats, but here's a thanks from a human.
Really invested in BJ's story too, so even though I know you'll keep us updated, keep us updated! We want that payoff where he's finally realized you haven't betrayed him, but done something for his own good. I'm ready to riot in the street if I don't get that closure!!
No pressure.
, --you're the only person I'd suggest that too bless your heart! 
