My Feral And Rescued Cats

[rubysmama]

“Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!”

Merry Christmas to you too. And Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, also, to all the members (and lurkers) who read this thread.

 

[Jcatbird]

@Norachan Yes, I have been wondering! Fortunately the sender had put thick cardboard over the gift. Now I know why the kitties wanted to get to it. Besides lots of decorative Christmas items, there was a treat I cannot get where I live, along with a few other goodies. Apparently my teasing about eating peanut butter gave my friends the idea that they should “fatten me up!”

Last night the kitties kept the contents safe by doubling up the guards.

Here’s what they were protecting for Mom.

Two boxes? This should last quite awhile!

A southern favorite. Light little sesame cookies.

I gained weight just by looking. I’ll be exercising it all off later. No peanut butter today folks!

 

[dragonlady2]

Oh my...I live for marzipan stollen.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I hope your day was just as wonderful as you are, and as joyful as a litter of kittens with their first catnip mice!

 

[Jcatbird]

D dragonlady2 Well, I have enough to share! Come on over!
It’s very popular around here. My friend had to go to the next state to find any this time of year. Now I just have to keep the cats from circling! I’m getting kitty stares! Hopefully they will forgive me since I have yummy things for them too!
Do you like the little Marzipan treats decorated as different fruits and other shapes? We used to make those every year for gifts when I was growing up. I loved making them. I hope you had a wonderful day!

Mamanyt1953 It’s been a nice day. The kitties have had yummy food and play. Now they are sleeping everywhere I look in spite of the fact that I am back to work and mopping! Lol Their least favorite activity. Maybe they’ll sleep through it.
I hope you, Hekitty and the outside kitties had a day of joy as well!

 

[dragonlady2]

I am originally from the Netherlands and we always had marzipan chicks for Easter. Stollen and almond rings were a Christmas tradition, along with other goodies.
Hopefully you will be able to enjoy your stollen without having to share with the kitties.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year to one and all

 

[Jcatbird]

D dragonlady2 The Netherlands! Then you are quite familiar with the treats I remember. My mother taught me about many lovely foods. We often made pastries, cakes and sweets together. She taught me much about making wonderful breads and soups. She was quite ill at times but when she was well she loved experimenting with foods from all parts of the world. I loved helping her in the kitchen. Easter time was my favorite for that. As a child, many of the things made during that time appealed to me. Thank you for reminding me of lovely memories!

dustydiamond1 Happy Christmas to you too! It has been a banner year for kitties here and I am hopeful for the new year ahead! As I saw the last new year come in it was quite different here. Boy what a difference a single year can make! Everything has drastically improved! Hanging in there really paid off for a lot of kitty cats. They are amazing! I learn more from them with each passing day.

 

[Jcatbird]

My year in review continues with a surprise I got today. Hang in there with me until the end of this story. Smiles are coming! I always send out texts and emails to anyone I can who has adopted a kitty from here. Sometimes I hear back.... and sometimes I don’t. In November of 2017 I rescued two liters of kittens. The first consisted of three kitties we have already revisited with recent updates. Shakespeare, Churchill and Harlequin. The fourth in that litter was Theater and was adopted through a foster friend much later on and I do not have contact information for them. The fifth was Domino. I still had Domino in March along with a kitten from another litter. That kitten was Uff. Uff stood for Unidentified Flying Feline. He was bonded to me very early on and as a baby had required extra care. He was often carried around inside my jacket to keep him warm. He and Domino became like litter mate. As Uff improved they became very close. Of all my rescues, I would call these two my kitty soul mates. I knew that I was facing impossible odds in trying to rescue the dozens of kitties I had found but in my heart, I wanted these two to stay with me. As weeks turned into months and others got adopted, these kittens remained here. I began to feel that they would stay with me. I did know that I needed to adopt them out if the opportunity arose in order to bring others in. The lack of space and financial strain made it so that I could only bring in a few kitties at a time, yet others were suffering and some were dying. I was in a constant state of frustration and anxiety about the plight of the cats and kittens still outside. Every room in my house was filled with fur babies and I spent every waking moment caring for them, guarding the ones outside or seeking help for them all.
In March of 2018 my vet agreed to put a notice on their Facebook page to help me adopt out some kitties. I got a call one day from a woman who was interested in a pair of 8 month old males. After I checked her out with my vet she came to my home to meet the kitties. The oldest ones were not a match for her but...... she fell in love with Domino and Uff. They went right to her. At first I hesitated. I kept holding back even when she wanted to take them both. We talked and I watched her with them until she finally said she would have to leave. I won’t go into the rest but suffice it to say that when I let them go I faced a very difficult time. I heard from her at first but then communication ended and I was devastated. Worried too. If I could have reclaimed them , I would have. I finally went to my vet and asked for help. Surprisingly, I discovered she has been continuing proper vet care and the kittens were doing well. I had no choice but to let go.
Since then I have continued to think of the babies. Other than a couple of updates from the vet on their shots, I heard nothing.
Today, I saw my babies! It turns out the adopting family has been through some problems but nothing that affected the kitties. (Work related for her husband. He lost his business in a fire but Insurance covered it and he rebuilt) As usual I had sent a brief text wishing the family and kitties a Happy Holiday. She responded! I was beside myself with relief. All is well! The kitties are fine! Here are our smiles for tonight!

You may remember seeing these faces before.

Domino as a baby. The first kitten to ask to come in.

Hi baby kitten! Where did you come from?

You like being fed huh? You want to stay with me?

Awwwwww! Little pink tongue!

You got me baby! My heart is yours.

Domino now!
Tired after playing chase with some chicken friends!

Relaxing in the bag that held the catnip treats that Santa brought today. I’m told she enjoys sleeping on top of the cage where their pet bird lives! Lol

Another little one I have shown here before is Uff. The other missing part of my heart. I’m sure you will understand why when you see the look this baby gave me. This is the one I carried around in my jacket.

Are you my mommy?

Snuggles please?

Love you!

Inside your jacket is good Mom.

Uff now! Recognize those eyes?

Santa filled kitty tummies well today!

Still bonded with love. The two that adopted each other have continued to do everything together!

I’d still bring them both back home if I could but I am grateful that I finally know what happened! Hearing back from that text this morning provided me with the only gift I needed today! Our three hearts were beating as one again. It’s the things like this that really count. A cherished moment to store away, to look back on when needed ,another day.
Good night everyone. Sweet kitty dreams.

 

[rubysmama]

So I'm literally LOL'ing, as happy tears run down my face.

That was the purrfect Christmas update.

Also a reminder to remember that we don't always know what's going on in other people's lives, when they are grumpy towards us, or just seem to "disappear".

Glad things worked out for that family, and that Domino and Uff remain a bonded pair.

Still laughing at that last picture.

 

[Avery]

OMG! Domino and Uff were SUCH precious little ones! I can totally understand how they stole your heart completely. What a relief to find out they are doing well and are still buddies. And that last photo.... so funny!

 

[Jcatbird]

Bj is feeling a bit left out! I promised him an update tonight so he could provide your next smile. He does look forward to sharing his love.

This is what his expression tell me.

What?!?!? I want to go back to TCS! People might forget me Mom!

It’s okay BJ.

No one is going to forget you buddy.

Whew! That makes me feel better.

Want to show everyone what you have learned BJ? Can I Mom?

Well, come on then. Show them.

Look everybody! I’m a lap cat now!

Can you believe it? He climbs in my lap on his own AND he allows me to pull him into my lap. This is the same cat that was regularly swatting me before and even bit me. He is still nervous with the other cats so he goes back into his cage and the carrier inside it when he gets spooked but when I sit beside him he is all over me now! I got up from his side last night to refill his water dish and he stuck right with me. He went into the kitchen and then right back to the cage. Then he waited for me to sit back on the floor to love on me again. BJ! Doing great! Progress still happening! This cat acts like he is starving for affection. Hopefully I can fill his heart as well as his tummy.

Tonight we’ll all wish for lap kitty dreams.

 

[Lari]

No one could forget our BJ. I'm so glad he's a lap kitty now. Maybe he can teach Lelia.

 

[rubysmama]

Don't worry BJ, we won't forget you.
And so happy you're becoming a lap cat.

 

[Jcatbird]

Lari I’ll ask BJ if he would start giving lap lessons. Lol Cats are the best teachers. They certainly have educated me! Maybe Lelia will come to that on her own though. I know these are always surprising me!


My post tonight must be brief. Something is stirring here that I will post about once it is finished.

Back in Feb. of 2018 I got help from a friend and got Frosty in foster care. Through the foster, Frosty got adopted!

Just a little one when I first found her and siblings,

She always wanted to climb everything!

My shoulder was her favorite place to be.

This is the last photo I got of her before the final adoption. She was adopted as soon as the foster announced her availability.

The foster also took Phoenix and her newborn babies. Phoenix is the sister to our Gingerbread Mom, Kelly. It took my a year longer to catch Kelly! Lol

These are the babies Phoenix had. The babies were all adopted by eight weeks of age and Phoenix was adopted a few weeks after that.

You can certainly see that these kitties are related to the Gingerbread babies! They were all adopted on the same day. April 5th which was great because around March I had discovered anothe litter of abandoned kittens. That litter took me almost a month to be able to approach. Maybe at least two of these will look familiar from recent photos.
These are the first photos I got of them.

Any guesses about the black and white kitten or the one in this last photo? Hint..... they had to be rescued twice. The entire litter found homes.
That’s it for my update tonight! Going to leave you all guessing.

 

[rubysmama]

Hope whatever was stirring went away. Unless it was a good thing.

Can't remember their names, but are the kittens the ones you had to go to Florida to rescue?

 

[Lari]

Banjo and Whistle, maybe?

Jcatbird - I had a dream when the girls moved in together, Sparkle would teach Lelia to be a lap cat, and Lelia would teach Sparkle how to properly cover her poo (since she's under the impression that scratching the sides of the litterbox covers things). Sparkle's getting a bit better, and Lelia will happily go on my lap area when I'm sleeping and laying down, but sitting and awake still doesn't seem to happen.

Perhaps someday.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Oh, BJ, honey-love, you can NEVER EVER be forgotten! Take that thought right out of your furry little mind!

That kitten was Uff. Uff stood for Unidentified Flying Feline.

That is, quite possibly, the best kitten name I've ever heard, and is being filed away for future reference!

Hearing back from that text this morning provided me with the only gift I needed today! Our three hearts were beating as one again. It’s the things like this that really count. A cherished moment to store away, to look back on when needed ,another day.

I am just...overcome. What a perfect Christmas gift for you! They look so happy and contented, and now your heart can rest.

 

[Jcatbird]

Signal nearly nonexistent here. Terrible storm and flooding. May keep me from posting tonight but if it does...... know that the kitties and I are all thinking about everyone here. Took twenty minutes to get this signal to get to the thread! Can’t get emoji so signal is out again. I’ll keep hitting post until this goes through. Hopefully, goes through.

rubysmama Still stirring here and will be for some time. Cats in my home are okay though. Good thoughts, wishes and vibes or prayers are needed for other familiar faces.

As for the guessing, You know them! They are my Florida re rescues!
Lari They are Banjo and Whistle as babies. ( Banjo looked more like a little ukelele then and Whistle was no more than a tweet! ) signal in!!!
Mamanyt1953 Uff was my favorite name. I hope someone else does use it. I don’t think I could because I miss him so much. It would be great to know someone else used it. He was truly a Flying Feline. He moved so fast he was an unidentified blur.

Going to begin trying to send this before we need to start looking for a boat!
Hopefully those north and west of me are ok. No tornados please!

Weather permitting, I’ll try to come back later.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

STAY SAFE!