Nawabsahab & Superpants

Who?  Well, do you remember Sebastian & Juno?

Photo taken when they were kittens at their new home.

Much to my delight, their dad sent me some recent photos of them.  I thought I’d share them with you all because I’m sure you are curious as to what the kitties grew up to look like.

"When did this bed shrink?"

Nawabsahab (formerly known as Sebastian) is growing into a big boy:

Superpants (formerly known as Juno) still has the same cute face:

Both felines are doing well and are very happy in their forever home.

If you adopted a cat from Camp Kitty please feel free to email me photos (info@campkitty.com).  I would love to see how my former foster kitties are doing in their forever homes.

Fun Times With Stella

I fear Stella will be a cat that will never find a forever home or as I call them “lifers”.  The odds are against her:  adult, black cat.  The one thing, appearance-wise, that works in her favor is that she is Polydactyl.

Stella is a fun cat who is intelligent and playful.  She’s also quite shy around those with whom she is not familiar.  She doesn’t greet customers and revel in the attention given by strangers the way Floyd and Rocco do.  How is she supposed to get adopted if she doesn’t strut her stuff?

"I am just as awesome as Rocco and Floyd."

The best thing for me to do is record her being outgoing and silly.  Sassy, as I sometimes call her, loves herself a feather toy.  It brings out her spunky side:

Like any good predator, she drags her prey away after she catches it:

Life Lessons From Bodhi

1.  Each day should be cherished and valued.

2.  Fight for what is important to you.

3.  Cuddle with those you love.

4.  Enjoy the sunshine.

Bodhi passed away the morning of Sunday, January 8th.  He was the most courageous creature I had ever met.  He had more strength than I ever gave him credit for.

Bodhi fought a losing battle against something that was unknown.  It started in October when he developed an upper respiratory infection.  He had the typical signs of runny eyes, stuffy nose and sneezing.  As soon as he got over that he developed a severe internal infection.  Also, at this time he started having tremors.  He would shake,  his ears would twitch, his teeth would scrape together when he ate wet food, and when he ate dry food his bottom jaw would shake.   The vets were at a loss and, needless to say, I was frustrated with the lack of knowledge of Bodhi’s condition.  One vet did tell me on several occasions that she believed he had a neurological disorder that he was born with that couldn’t be cured.  And, the vet at St Francis Veterinary Specialists echoed that.

As the weeks went by Bodhi’s condition was like a roller coaster – up days and down days.  He got so bad at one point that I had to force feed him and give him subcutaneous fluids everyday.  Bodhi never gave up, though, which gave me the strength to continue to care for him.  Then, one day he just started eating.  It was a miracle!  He ate a 3 oz pouch of Weruva everyday in addition to kibble.  He seemed to have gotten better.  He even gained a pound!  I was cautiously optimistic.

My optimism was short-lived.  In his final weeks he lost control of his bladder.  His walk became more clumsy and wobbly.  He could no longer clean himself.  He looked like he had a feline version of multiple sclerosis.  Bodhi, being the amazing cat that he was, never acted like he was dying.  Every single day he looked forward to following the sunlight.  He looked forward to cuddling with Rocco.  He even looked forward to his wet food in the evening.  He knew his name and would follow me down the hall excited to get his Weruva.

Bodhi was content.  I decided that as long as Bodhi ate and was engaged in life and looked forward to something everyday then I would let him continue on.  Bodhi fought to enjoy each day, so who was I to take that away from him?  I never had to make that decision.  When I arrived at Camp Kitty Sunday morning I saw his lifeless body laying on the floor of the kitty camper.  It broke my heart, but I was at peace knowing that he went on his own terms.

Bodhi wasn’t the only one battling an illness.  His sister, Olive, who lived in the cat room at AARF Pet Central was also sick.  And, just like him, she had her ups and downs.  Bodhi and Olive were separated from each other in August.  It was odd how they both got sick around the same time while in two different places.  Olive passed away 10 days prior to Bodhi’s passing.  The folks at AARF and I concluded that the two silver tabbies just weren’t particularly healthy felines.  They were found in a box outside of a shelter without their mom.  For all we know she could have died from a disease or received vaccines while pregnant.

Take some lessons from Bodhi and enjoy today and tomorrow and everyday afterward.  Bask in the sunlight.  Hold close those you love.  And, fight for what means the most to you.

Thank you to everyone who donated to Bodhi’s and Olive’s care.  A huge thank you to Bodhi’s two wonderful “aunts”:  Paula and Julie.  He was loved by all who knew him.

The last solo photo taken of Bodhi on December 31st.

Rocco’s Christmas Vacation Album

Rocco’s back at Camp Kitty.  He acts like he never left.

I believe Rocco enjoyed his holiday meeting new critters and snuggling in a warm bed at night with humans.  He’s really hoping that 2012 will be the year he finally finds a forever home.  Until then here’s some photos from his vacation he would like to share.  All captions provided by Rocco.

Me under the Christmas tree. It's a great place to hide from rowdy dogs.

The velour tree skirt is cozy.

I think I like Christmas.

Here I am relaxing on New Year's day.

Who's that handsome guy?

Up close

My kitty hostess Birdie. She wasn't always the nicest.

Me and Birdie enjoying our Weruva canned food dinner.

I think my foster mom got the hint that I wanted to play when I brought my favorite toy to bed.

Me and my dreamcatcher wand.

Me with Birdie and Linus.

Rocco’s Christmas Adventure

Rocco left Camp Kitty on Wednesday, December 21st, to go to my house for Christmas.  It was out of necessity.  Since Rocco cannot be trusted to roam freely at night I have to put him in a cabin.  Camp Kitty was completely full last week, and is still full, so no room for Rocco.

Taking him to my house was a great opportunity to see how he would do in a home environment and with dogs.  I also wanted to see how he would act in the “territory” of another cat (that cat being Birdie).  Would he hide?  Would he be submissive?  Would he enter like he owns the place?  Or, would he have common sense and proceed with caution?

On Rocco’s first night he explored the bedroom area becoming familiar with the feeding station and litterboxes.  He tried to stay away from the hissing, black cat.  After a few hours he bravely entered the living room where he encountered, for the first time in his entire life, dogs.  He seemed a bit nervous as they sniffed him, but he didn’t hiss or run.  That night he slept in the guestroom.

The next day he continued to explore the house.  In the process he learned house rules like not jumping on the counter or the kitchen table.  But, he also discovered things like the cat door that leads to the basement:

He even bravely approached Birdie who finally let up on her hissing.  He was getting comfortable in his new environment.  He no longer had to be locked up in the guestroom at night, which leads me to bedtime with Rocco….

Rocco had never slept in a bed with a human.  The first thing he did as soon as I crawled under the covers was pounce on my feet.  That feline game never gets old.  He did that for a few minutes after I turned out the light and then realized that I had drifted to sleep.  I’d wake up in the middle of the night to see him curled up next to my waist or with his head next to my shoulder.  Yes, it was as cute as it sounds.

One thing Rocco needs to work on his is internal alarm clock.  It goes off at 3:30 am and he seems to think everyone should be up at that time.  I don’t care how cute you are I don’t appreciate getting pounced on in the wee hours of the morning.  His shenanigans were not tolerated and he was quickly ushered out of the bedroom.

Overall, he and Birdie seem to be getting along.  They play chase and wear each other out.  Rocco is getting more confident, which is evident in him perching himself at the top of Birdie’s cat tree.  But, payback is a b*tch:

Rocco’s first Christmas was a successful one.  He got to experience a home and a tree and dogs and snuggling in a bed with humans.  He even got to enjoy opening up a gift:

If anyone is thinking about adopting an amazing cat for 2012 Rocco is the one to get.  Having him at my house has been lots of fun, but I think Birdie is ready for him to leave.  If you want to meet Rocco in person he won’t be back at Camp Kitty until Tuesday, January 3rd.

Thief!

Stella is really a Labrador Retriever in a cat’s body.  She loves to fetch.  She loves to roll over.  Most importantly, she loves to eat human food – just like a greedy Lab.

If I’m sitting on the stool in front of the computer eating something you can always bet that Stella will be on the counter staring at me and subtly trying to get my food.  She recently succeeded.

The other day I was eating Baked Lays.  I was sitting on the stool and Stella was standing very close to be on the counter.  As I’m crunching on a chip I pull another out of the bag and hold it in my fingers.  Stella saw this as her big moment to steal my chip.  She literally stole food out of my hands!  She was naughty, but bold.

Meet Stella

I once described my dream cat as a long-haired, black cat with thumbs.  Thumbs?  Yes, thumbs.  These cats are polydactyl or more commonly known as Hemingway cats because Ernest Hemingway had a bunch of them.

Well, that dream cat ended up at Camp Kitty at the end of September.   Stella started out as a boarder at the camp.  Her human got a job up in New York and was unable to take her so his plan was to board her while he tried to find a new home for her via Craigslist.  (If you ever need to rehome your pet please be very cautious of Craigslist especially if you plan on giving away your pet.  Craigslist is notorious for shady dealings.  People will take free pets and then sell them to laboratories for research.)  Of course, this made me cringe not only because of the fact that she may be sold for research purposes, but also it was the month of October and I didn’t want anyone to harm the black cat before Halloween.

Weeks went by and poor Stella was absolutely terrified.  At first, she was frozen in fear as I petted her.  Then, she started hissing and swatting as I fed her and cleaned out her litterbox.  You have to understand that Stella spent 10 years of her life, ever since she was a kitten, with one human.  She lived with one other cat briefly.  Her life was turned upside down.  She lost her human and her home, and was now living in a place with a stranger and multiple cats.  My heart broke for her and I totally understood why she was lashing out.

Over time and with some play therapy she began to trust me.  We are at the point where she greets me in the morning and she lets me give her kisses on the forehead.

While Stella was getting used to me and her new home I debated whether or not to make her an AARF cat.  I didn’t want her human to get off the hook so easily.  He really f*cked up her emotions and mental state.  Frankly, he really pissed me off.  I couldn’t punish the cat because I disliked the human.

Sweet, adorable Stella is now an official AARF cat.  She likes to play fetch and bat around feathers.  She loves to eat table scraps.  Her favorites include cheese, salami, and pork tenderloin.  Yesterday, I had leftover grilled shrimp for lunch.  After I was done eating I set the plate next to me.  Stella jumped up and started eating the shrimp shell!  Oddly enough, she doesn’t like grilled salmon.

Stella doesn’t really care for the other cats.  She tolerates them, but will swat at them when they annoy her.  She’ll have to go to a home where she can have a human all to herself.

You’re probably asking yourself “Gwen, if Stella is your dream cat why don’t you adopt her?”  I wish I could, but there is one huge obstacle and her name is Birdie, my 5-year-old cat.  If wasn’t certain she and Stella would murder each other I would definitely beg my husband to keep Stella.  But, Stella and Birdie are both equally sassy.  Sassy + sassy = TROUBLE.  Instead, I will care for Stella until a forever home that will love and cherish her comes along.

Stella is not yet on the AARF website because I’ve been pretty slack in emailing her pictures and profile over to the AARF web goddess.  If you are interested in meeting her, please pop by the camp.

Also, please don’t get any ideas on abandoning your cat at Camp Kitty.  I know my regular blog readers would never abandon their feline family members.  I’m talking to those who have stumbled onto this blog or who have googled “best places to abandon loving cat.”  Not cool.

The Elevator Game

Rocco’s new favorite game is one we call the elevator game.  He climbs on top of the cabins via the chicken wire on the cabin doors.  Once on top, he takes in the view or takes a nap.  When he’s ready to come down, though, he starts crying. 

He can come down on his own.  But, hey, that’s no fun, right?

The elevator game began when he got stuck on top of the 7 1/2′ high cabins (there are three of them that were built initially because the contractor wasn’t sure if I wanted 7 1/2′ or 6 1/2′ high cabins.  I wanted the latter) .  I’m a whopping five feet tall so even standing on a stool I couldn’t help him down.  Oh, what to do?  I placed an orange bin on the top shelf of an adjacent standing shelving unit hoping he would understand to jump in.  He did, and I slowly brought him down.  And, he’s been addicted to the elevator game ever since. 

AARF Guest: A New Kitty Without a Name

I’ve been involved in animal rescue for many years, and often times I get frustrated by people who don’t take care of their pets, or give up their pets for trivial reasons, or treat their pets like objects rather than living beings.  I complain about these people so much so that my husband got me a shirt that reads:  “I love cats.  It’s people I can’t stand.”  It is quite cheeky and gets a good chuckle from my fellow animal lovers.

But, every now and again humans amaze me with their generosity and their kindness.  One such person was the woman who saw a kitty get hit by a car and then pulled over to rescue the hurt feline.  The worst thing that happened to that cat also happened to be the best thing.  The woman took the cat to the vet to get examined.  Soon the cat was having surgery to repair the damage the car had done.

This kind person couldn’t keep the cat so she contacted AARF who agreed to take her.  Many rescue groups don’t accept pets from the general public (AARF included), but how could you not help out someone who has already done so much for an injured, stray cat?

So, meet AARF’s newest kitty…

The woman who saved her named her Cici, but AARF already has a Cici in the program.  At first I called her Genevieve and then shortened it to Ginny.  Her name may change again.

She’s only boarding at Camp Kitty for a short time and then she’ll move to the cat adoption room at AARF Pet Central before Thanksgiving.  She is such a sweetheart.  She looks pretty beat up, but she has high spirits and happy eyes.

AARF Guest: Marble

Marble, who got his name because his classic tabby swirls resemble a marble, is a new AARF feline.  He was a non-feral hanging with a feral colony.  What was a cute, brown tabby kitten doing with a bunch of homeless misfits?  Who knows.  He made nice with the lady who cares for the colony and was able to get himself indoors before the cold weather set in.  While his foster family is out of town he’s boarding here at Camp Kitty.

Did I mention that he’s really cute?  He has a big head and expressive eyes.  I’m also a sucker for his white mittens.  He’s approximately 9-months-old and nearly the size of Nip.  He’s going to be a big boy.  He’s also sweet and curious.

Marble and Rocco are getting to know each other.  It began with hisses, but now they seem to be fine.   They’re a good-looking pair.

He’s not yet on the AARF website, but if you are interested in giving Marble a forever home in time for the holidays then submit an application.