Adult Animal Rescue Stories | Savannah's Paw Tracks

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HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!

As you already know if you visited me on Sunday Selfie, I introduced a new Paw It Forward series of posts that I will be doing between September and December, with my wrap up post in January 2016.

The series is to bring everyone up to speed on the most critical back log in our current foster care system; the Adult Homeless Foster Cats. And the operative word is ‘Adult’.

Let’s get started with my first guests…Chanel and Coco.

Savannah: “Hiya Coco and Channel! I am just tickled gray and white to be able to have a chat with you both about your current circumstances as Adult Homeless Foster cats.”

Chanel: “Well, first, Savannah…we are tickled black (that’s Coco who is an all-black panther girl) and black and white (that’s me, because I am a Tuxedo lady) to get to have this interview with you.

And yes, we are currently in what humans’ refer to as ‘a foster home’. That means, at least to us, that we have a human who will protect us for as long as they can and feed us and give us as much attention as they are able given that they always have other adult cats, even kittens, to care for as well. But this is not our true forever home.”

Savannah: “Ladies, are you telling me that this is just a ‘temp’ place for you? It sounds like you are sort’ a like houseguests.”

Coco: “Exactly Savvy, that’s it. Don’t get us wrong, the lady here is very nice. She brought us and 3 Mom Cats with their kittens to her home. All in all there were 21 of us counting the three litters of kittens.”

Chanel: *interrupts Coco and starts talking* “Let me tell this part Coco…*Coco rolls her eyes*…before we came here, we were kind of ‘camping out’ in the property of a much older human lady. She didn’t know how to care for us really well, but she did try to feed us.

Chanel steps in…

But then two of the Mom Cats had kittens because the older lady didn’t bother to have any of us spayed; you see we were all girl cats…five of us. And then the kittens started arriving. Thankfully Coco and I were trapped and spayed before we ever had kittens. The older lady finally allowed her neighbor, the nice woman who is our foster, to ask a rescue called Community Concern 4 Cats (CC4C) to come on her property and trap all of us…kittens and adults. We all were given our vaccines, wormed, tested for FIV and of course, spayed.”

Savannah: *leans over and gives each a soft paw pat* “I heard you; you have meals and a warm dry place to live. But it isn’t the same as being able to go around and mark everything with your cheek scent to claim it as your very own.”

Coco: *Coco looks at Chanel; both get pink cheeks* “Coco speaks first; “Savvy, we know we are lucky to be in this nice foster home. The lady even built this very nice catio so we can go outdoors and still be safe and get lots of fresh air whiffies and whatnot. But as you said, we are still homeless because we cannot stay here forever.

I know I cannot live here forever

In fact, the lady is going to have some work done so the room we are allowed to live in will be used for her project so we will be moving to another foster home. It makes us really anxious because we have no idea what our new foster place will be like. What if it is smaller? Or we don’t have a way to get outside, safely, for fresh air? It is a worry for us.”

Savannah: “MOUSES! Just the thing that is tough for us adult cats to handle; being moved around and having lots of changes. Tell me what happened to the kittens. I only see the two of you and then the three Mom Cats.”

Chanel: “Oh, *waves a paw of dismissal* heck, those kittens were all adopted into their very own forever castles fast as can be. But you see Savvy, Coco and I were already about seven months old when we were trapped and now we are about 20 months old. And all three of the Mom Cats are about two years old now. All five of us are ‘adult cats’ and most humans want kittens.”

Savannah: “Oh My Cat! You two are caught in the ‘adult cat’ dilemma just like I was. Once we are beyond the ‘squeeee’ kitten stage, the humans seem to become less interested in us even though we have nine lives filled to the brim with cuteness just for them to discover!.” *Savvy takes a deep breath*

Adult Homeless Foster Cat dilemma

I hate to ask, but why do you think the two of you have not been swept up by a family so you can make them happy and feel loved?”

*Coco looks shyly at Savvy, then looks away embarrassed*

Chanel: *Chanel sees Coco and skootches closer to her to put a paw on her sister’s shoulder for comfort* “Savvy, we are both adults as we have been saying and most humans want kittens. But, even though we are still very playful and kitten like and full of energy, we have another drawback.

Well actually, *Chanel hugs Coco*, Coco has a bigger drawback than even me; you see she is an all-black panther girl and humans tend to look past black cats almost as if they don’t notice them.

Yes, I am right in front of you…and I am a black panfur girl

I at least have some white markings and cute white paws so I was actually adopted a few months ago.”

Cats other than my Sister Coco are a bit scary

Savannah: “Really??!! How exciting. But here you are so what happened?”

Chanel: “Savvy, I just was afraid of the resident cats and I kind of, sort of, acted a bit snooty toward them…*cough, ahem*…actually I was aggressive toward them so the humans brought me back.

I didn’t mean to be like that; but with Coco I am really comfy and I know I can trust her to not hurt me. I did not know those other cats so I defended myself even when I probably didn’t need to.”

Savannah: “Oh Chanel, I am so sorry. But tell me more about the challenge with Coco having all-black furs. I think she is gorgeous and black is totally the most slimming color, right?”

See, I am totally your most slimming affect

Chanel: “You are so right Savvy. I mean look at me, I am black but with lots of white markings…*Chanel looks over her shoulder as her backside, then back to look down at the front of her body* ummm…Savvy?”

Savannah: “Yes Chanel?”

Chanel: “Do you think my white markings make me look fat?”

Do I look fat?

Savannah *giggling* “No, no Chanel, not one bit. But what about Coco, I see she is still a little removed from this conversation.”

Chanel *glancing sideways at Coco* “Well, she is, as I said, embarrassed to be all-black because even if it isn’t true that black cats get overlooked the most, it still feels that way to her.

You know Savvy, when Coco and I snuggle together for naptime and at night…I try to rub against her really hard hoping some of my white furs will rub off permanently on her…*sigh*…so far no luck.”

*Savannah sees a tiny tear leak from Coco’s golden eyes and reaches over to gently wipe it off*

Savannah: “Alrighty girls, please, each of you, describe what you hope for in your real human family and what you dream your forever castle will look like.

Coco, will you go first?”

Coco: “Oh Savvy, I am delighted to describe my hopes for a human family and my dreams of my forever castle. First, of course, I want my sister Chanel to go with me. I pray to Ceiling Cat every day that we can be together.

We love and adore each other…best furriends

As for my forever family, I adore talking to humans so I hope they don’t mind me being so chatty. And of course, I like to have humans play with me so I hope they will spend time playing with me each day and brushing me and letting me sleep in their lap. And as for my forever castle…I hope to have access to outdoor whiffies! I cannot live outside; I have become a comfortable indoor ladycat. But I so love having the catio to visit every day; but, an open window with a screen would be great too.”

Chanel: “My turn! First, ditto on being in the same forever castle as my sister Coco. If I cannot go with her, then I really want my very OWN forever castle and family and not have to share with other cats.

I like to be picked up and cuddled and laps are a great place for taking naps. And climbing is literally the ‘cat’s meow’ as far as I am concerned. And the higher the better so a nice tall cat tree will be great.

Oh yeah, and I also like to have interactive time with humans so I simply must have a family that enjoys waving my wand toys.

Do you think we are asking for too much Savvy?”

Are we asking for too much?

Savannah: “No Coco and Chanel, you are hoping and dreaming of all that you both deserve. I will do my best to help bring your hopes and dreams into reality for each of you.

Thank you for sharing your story and your hopes and dreams of your forever family and a castle that you can call HOME!”

Chanel steps in…

See, I am totally your most slimming affect

I know I cannot live here forever

Cats other than my Sister Coco are a bit scary

Yes, I am right in front of you…and I am a black panfur girl

And to my readers, thank you for coming to visit us today. If you would please SHARE SHARE SHARE Coco and Chanel’s story and help them make their hopes and dreams come true, I will be forever grateful.

Both can be found on the following links:

Community Concern 4 Cats: search using their names:click HERE…

Coco: https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33217007

Chanel: https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33217008

If you missed my introduction to this series, click here: Introduction: We Are Adult Homeless Foster Cats…Revealing Hopes and Dreams with Savannah. This post was Part One of a six part series. Part Two will be posted October 26^th, 2015.

PAW PATS. SAVANNAH

15 Apr 2015

48 Comments

Paw It Forward: Spay, Neuter Impact Program (SNIP)

We forgot that today was B4TC ( Blog For The Change: Be The Change For Animals) And so Mom L and I dedicate this blog post to this very important global blog event.

WE ARE THE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS

I pawticipate

HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!

Many of you know that Mom L volunteers once a quarter at a clinic called SNIP (Spay, Neuter Impact Program). This last Sunday is the first one she has been able to do since she had knee replacement surgery. Yes, Mom L does now have not only one, but two, bionic knees!

And no, this does make her any faster in delivering treats and meals…just sayin’…

I asked Mom L to take you through her experience this time because she did something she had not done before and loved it. Take it away Mom!

Mom L:

Thank you Nana. I appreciate you letting me share my experience with your readers.

The SNIP clinic is run by an all volunteer organization and funded through donations and some grants. The vets, vet techs and the ‘staff chef’ and all others are volunteer people who want to make a difference in the numbers of stray, feral cats in predominately our east county. I so enjoy the time I spend here. This time I could only manage a half day; 7:30 AM – 12:30 PM. I had to take a two hour nap when I got home!

Let me tell you why.

I started with being on the intake table for all the rescue organizations who trap the cats to bring them to this low cost clinic. We spayed and neutered 109 cats Sunday and about 60 of those came through my intake table. I write on their trap tag their assigned tag number which will follow them throughout the whole process and I also note their color/breed. I work with a woman who is expert at identifying the color and breed.

This all requires standing for about 2 1/2 hours straight! But I get to see so many beautiful feral cats; even the large Tom cats with cuts and scrapes from so many fights are wonderful to see up close. Although, I always keep my fingers well outside the traps as those Toms and even females who were born feral can be very agitated.

We have a wonderful woman who brings in this fabulous spread of food and snacks to keep everyone fueled. I did not get a photo this time, but her lunch always has vegan, vegetarian and gluten free selections!

After admission was gearing down, I was sent to do ‘transport’ of the cat from the weigh station to the operation prep area. In the photos below, you can see the area where the cats receive their anesthetic injection. It is loaded with 3 types. There is a DVM present who always gives the injection while a volunteer rattles a pen or something on the trap to get the cat’s attention. As they are feral, they usually back against the back of the trap and ZZAP!!! they have their anesthetic.

Then they are lifted when asleep to the scale, weighed, get a pretty thorough examine by skilled volunteers who look for flea conditions, dental needs, wounds etc. They receive a pain med shot at this time to help them through recovery.

Then it was time for ME to do my new assignment. I got to scruff them with one hand, then scoop their butts with the other to hold them somewhat away from my body as I carry them about 50 feet down a hall to the surgery prep area.

Let me tell you, a cat weighing 7-14 pounds, while asleep, is very dead weight! I must have carried about 30 cats over about 2 hours.

I had a very fulfilling day. We had one beautiful Tom I fell in love with; he was a lovely dark brown tabby with polydactyl front paws. I hated to think of him being released back to his colony.

And that is the crux of this work. Can you believe we have so many cats who look like these??? (hover to view captions)

Asleep; at peace

Really? a feral?

She is gorgeous

Most of the cats Sunday, and every clinic, have luxurious coats which tell they get fed and have some safety. I cannot describe the joy of knowing that I was one of the few humans who may ever touch these cats. Each and every one of them is special. Each and every one of them need humans to help them survive with some resemblance of care and love. Even the beat up Toms tugged at my heart wishing they had never needed to know such a life.

If you have never volunteered at a local rescue during a spay, neuter clinic…I highly recommend it. It is an honor to be able to do something for these feral, stray cats who are only in this type of life due to humans.

During the time the cats are out of their traps, the trap is lovingly cleaned with fresh paper and disinfected. They also receive flea treatment, vaccinations and even a quick dental extraction etc if needed.

And then they are released back to the same place where they were originally trapped. Please send positive energy and healing purrs for all our ferals.

Thank you for reading until the end, Mom Linda

This is our Blog 4 The Change: Be The Change For Animals.

I pawticipate

Posted in Adult Animal Rescue Stories and tagged Blog 4 The Change, paw it forward, SNIP

07 Jan 2015

23 Comments

Another Look: Real Rescue Cats Are Talking

This is my fourth re-post in a series of four. The first was published December 17, 2014 the second was published December 24, 2014, and the third on December 31, 2014.

This was one of two interviews I did with former breeding Queens. Yes, there really ARE kitten mills just as there are puppy mills. While Nellie was never bred, her life before rescue was fraught with abuse. Most of you know Nellie, aka Queen Penelope, so you know she has a Happy Tails ending. First published February, 2013..click HERE

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEW WITH SAVANNAH

I just know you are all going to help me welcome this marvelous ladycat…she is one of the bestest ladycats around!! You all know her…and I am so grateful that she agreed to join me for this interview so she can share her whole rescue story with you.

PURRlease…give a hearty welcome to…

NELLIE!!!

APAWS!!! APAWS!!! APAWS!!!

Savannah: Hiya Nellie!! Thanks lots for stopping by and having a meow with me. I know you aren’t new to doing interviews…but I am so proud to have you join me today…

Nellie: Hi Savanna. It is sure nice to gets out and visits with one of my girl cat furiends. Yous looks marvelous today darling. Thanks yous for letting Me tells yous my story. Yous want to know how old Me is? Me is going to be 15 in or around May but Me could has been as early as this month. Nobody knows.

Savannah: Mouses!! Nellie you are lookin’ so good…very svelte…we ladycats all need to take some beauty tips from you gurl furriend…

Nellie: oh Savvy, yous is so sweet to say that…hope you don’t mind, but I brought my own chair…it’s special and I likes it…

Savannah: Here, let me just move mine over…(scrape, scruff, scruff…)

Ok…that’s good. Now would you share with all of us how you arrived in your furrever home?

Nellie: Sure Savannah. Me shall starts at the very beginning. Me is the product of a cattery that breeded purebred Siamese. The owners would sell the “seconds” to anybody. Me hates to say it, but Me was less than purrfect, so Me was not registered and Me was bought by some peoples who wanted to breed Me for my babies so they could sell them and makes some money.

They had never had a cat before and they did not know what to do with a tiny rambunctious kitten. And the lady did not like Me because Me would scratch if their boy held Me too tight or pulled my tail. Me was not fed cat food and Me did not has any toys to play with.

(Big sigh)….Me has trouble talking about the things that happened…Me was pretty tormented by the boy and his Mom… but during that time, my Daddy did meets Me. He knew the peoples did not know what to do with Cats and he said to them if they ever did not want Me, they should gives him a call….

They did not. When the lady gots pregnant, she gots really mad at Me and Me was hit lots and she gived Me (for money) to some other peoples. They was really nasty. They had little dogs they was breeding. They said Me had behavior problems and they disciplined Me with sticks, they burned Me too with cigarettes. Finally, they tooked Me to the dog pound.

Me hated everybody! To Me, peoples meant pain. The peoples at the pound had to sedate Me to assess the damages and Me had some broken bones that had not set quite right, and some old and some new burns. Me was seriously underweight and they could not tell how old Me was because Me had not growed right from being starved. Me attacked everybody and the Pound was going to puts Me down as they said Me was unadoptable!

The first man who bought Me found out Me had been taken to the Dog Pound and he called my Daddy. Daddy called the pound and finded out that Me had been there for a week and they was going to puts Me down as Me was to awful to adopts out! Daddy said, “Wait, I’ll come and gets Nellie!”. And he did. He gots Hissy Old Licorice’s cat carrier and he went to the pound and he tolded them what he knew of my story and that him and Mommy had another cat and a dog and they let Daddy save Me!

Savannah: (reaches across to softly touch paws with Nellie)…you take your time…our readers will wait…..(purrs softly for Nellie)

Nellie: Yous is so sweet, thanks yous. When Me gots to my forever home, Me would not lets Mommy near Me. Me did not trust ladies. Me would attack peoples. Mommy and Daddy would talk quietly to Me and Hissy Old Licorice took care of Me like Me was his baby. Me was bad though. Me did not know that the garbage can was not food. Me did not know that the yummy tuna was for Mes (and Hissy Old Licorice). Me did not knows what the litter box was for.

Mommy and Daddy tooked Me to their Vet. She was a very nice lady, but Me would not let her touch Me! She keeped Me all day and she weighed Me and accessed all the damage and putting together what Daddy knew, they figured Me was over a year old, but Me was still the size of a kitten because Me was malnourished. Me had to waits until Me was more healthy before they coulds give Me my shots or my gardenectomy.

Savannah: Oh Cat! Nellie…when you are ready, will you maybe meow about how you got to trusting you Mom and Dad and let them see some of your REAL SELF.

Nellie: Mommy and Daddy was very patient with Me. Me attacked anybody who came near Me and Me attacked with claws and teeths! Mommy and Daddy was still so very nice to mes though. They loved Me, feeded Me. They never hurt Me. It tooked a long time before Me would even sit on the sofa with Daddy, purrhaps 6 months and even longer for Mommy! And even then, if Me did not want yous to pet Me, Me would attacks yous!

The hardest was the petting. Me would sit on laps and Me really wanted to be petted, but the minute a hand was on my back, particularly around my back near my tail – boom!!!! Me would see red – go crazy and bite and claw…..

Savannah: Nellie, it is hard to make new memories, huh? Especially, when the old memories are so cruel; they get in the way of making new ones.

Nellie: Savannah, Me had so very many issues. Me yowled—for no reason, Me shredded furniture and Me totally ruined Mommy’s 1950’s vinyl Dinette set! Me has shredded 4 sofas! But the absolute worst was my potty habits. Me had none. Mommy putted 4 litter boxes out. One in the living room; one in the kitchen by the foods; one in the bedroom and one where the litter box usually was. Every time Me would start to goes where Me was not supposed to, Mommy would puts Me in the box. But it tooked Me a furry long time to gets the litter box thing figured out almost 2 years.

Then, when Me did figure it out Me became the very bestest litter box digger in the world!! Me is very good at flinging litter everywhere with my digging! Me spends hours rearranging the litter in the box.

Savannah: Well, purrhaps you are just trying to make sure every piece is in its most useable place for next time???…just a thought…Anywho…meow a little about how you feel about all the paws forward you made over time…you know…how has your recovery come along??? Does your REAL SELF show more?

Nellie: Me thinks Me has been wonderful in my recovery! Me has trained my pawrents exactly as to what Me likes, when Me likes it and how Me likes it! Me likes Fancy Feast in the morning mixed with warm water and Me likes tuna at night with warm water.

Never the other way round or Me will MEERRROWWW.

Me likes my heating pad, and Me likes to sleeps beside Daddy. Mommy will do, but Me much prefers Daddy. Me still has a “circuit” Me walks and yeowels when Me is purrturbed.

Occasionally, Me will put the bitey on when Me is dissatisfied, and Me still is furry free with my claws. When Me wants attention, Me goes and gets it. If Me does not, Me will let yous know with a growl and they backs off.

Savannah: ummmm…Nellie…I think efurryone would also like to know about why Kozmo came to live with you

Nellie: MEOWWWWWW!!!…pffftttt!! Silly Kozmo…ok, but I’ll tell it this way…

Savannah, first lets Me tells yous about the great love of my life—Hissy Old Licorice! This is before the brat Kozmo…just listen Savvy…

Savannah: (lies quietly, crosses paws in front of her)…you take all the time you want Nellie…I can see this is impawtant to you…go on…

Nellie: Me loved him and he loved Mes. We was inseparable. Yes, wes did has arguments, but after he gots the Thyroid and the Kidney diseases we never fighted at all.

Two weeks before he was 18, hes stopped eating. We all knew he was ready to goes over the bridge to sees our before dog—Kokanee (they was bestest furrends). Me was laying with him when he passed.

After, Me was despondent. The picture of him and me was taken the day before he went over the bridge. Me lost weight and me was furry listless. Me meowed around the house and me laid where Licorice used to lay.

Every time Mommy or Daddy went to the door, me would run and see if he was there. After about 3 weeks, Mommy and Daddy went shopping in Kelowna and comed home with a small black and white cat!

Me hates him at first sight and we does not has a furry great relationship. Wes fights lots and but sometimes we surprises Mommy and Daddy by being furry friendly.

Hes been living with us for 2 years (he came on December 23, 2010). Me calls him the brat and me HATES sharing Daddy with him.

Me and my hairy slobbery sisters gets along well. Me loves Bob lots, but she is afraid of me because she came when me was still nasty. [UPDATE: Nellie’s beloved woofie sisfur Bob passed about 18 months or so after this interview]

But Cinnamon and me is bestest buddies! Me is trying to teach her to be the Dog From Hell!

Savannah: Yeowzers Nellie…you had so many fears when you first came and then you lost Old Licorice. I won’t keep you much longer…do you have any advice to our readers to help them…furramily and hufamily both…work together to help the furramily member create new memories?

Nellie: Patience, Patience, Patience. It was over 9 months before Me would sit with Daddy. And another 6 before he could pets Me. The claws and teeths is defense mechanisms. Pet us when we comes to yous, but don’t chase us.

One can never has too many litter boxes.

Routine. We need predictability.

Lets us have our own little space. Mommy made Me a cave out of a computer box (they was big in those days) and she cutted a hole in it that was Nellie size. Hissy Old Licorice or the hairy slobbery sister Kokanee could nots get in. She put it under the kitchen table. Mommy puts a furry blanket in there and she would put crunchies in a bowl in there. The litter box was right beside my box. Me liked my special private place, but Me slowly gots used to being outs and abouts and did not worry about the other animals.

Hissy Old licorice was good for Me. He acted just like a Mommy and it was what Me needed. This might not work for others, but it worked for Mes!

Savannah: This was great! Any last thought or words of wisdom you want to share?

Nellie: Savannah, thanks yous so much for letting Me shares my story with yous. Me knows Me is furry long winded. Can Me kiss yous now?

Savannah: oh Nellie (shuffling paws back and forth)…why don’t you come over here with me while I wrap up…I can scootch over for you…

Nellie: Oh thanks yous Savvy…(leans down and gives Savvy a soft smoochie)