Saturday, December 10, 2011

Wee Update: Scoots & Red

Red has been at the vet's boarding facilities now for a few days, so Beatrice is back to normal (well, normal for her, heh.) This evening (Saturday), I called to see how he's doing. (He's under the name "Odin" at the vet). They said, and I quote, "Odin is doing great. He's eating all of his food and he loves to bury himself in his blanket." Aww, how cute! And I'm glad to hear he's eating all of his food-- he's a big cat (long kitty!) but only weighs 8.59 pounds, so he needs to fill out! I asked if he's taking his medicine and they said yes. And I asked how his eye looks and they said, "it looks a little bit better." So that's all promising. Now to just find him a home. Do you or someone you know want a kitty to snuggle up with you? 'Cause Red is just the kitty...

As for Scoots, he's still himself. Bea's Mom's neighbor has offered to get him fixed this week-- huzzah! So he'll be better off thanks to that. And check out these fabulous seasonal pictures.




I may have to make this second one my profile picture online for the holiday season...

So, things are status quo, but we're still wishing for a home or two. Remember, kitties can get to anywhere in the PA/MD/NJ/NY area (or farther, depending on how far you're willing to drive...) on/after the 20th pretty easily. Anywhere else would take more monies and planning, but is doable. Please to help this loving, loving kitties who have gotten such an unfair, inhumane deal 'til now.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

All I want for the Winter Holidays is a Home

 

I know you're probably tired of hearing about poor Red and Scoots, and I know I'm tired of typing blog posts and pleas on a broken keyboard. But I'm still asking for a Winter Holiday Miracle-- and it's not a fixed keyboard.

Because the extra cat was making Bea's Mom sick and Bea angry and sick, we have moved Red to a vet to be boarded for a few days as a very temporary fix. The vet (University Animal Hospital) is fabulous and they'll play with him when they can and take good care of him, give him his meds, etc. But it's not a solution to a real family or even a foster home. He is a people cat-- he purrs and loves and cuddles.

He was a very good boy at the vet-- in order to board he needed his vaccinations and a check up. This vet hadn't seen him before but agreed with the ministrations mandated by the ophthalmologist. And he seems otherwise healthy. (Skinny, mind you, but he's a growing boy who wasn't cared for.)

He also getting tested for FIV/FLeuk, since his lifestyle 'til now-- thanks to his careless, awful humans-- puts him at high risk.  Thank goodness, it came back negative, so he also got the vaccines against those. So that's a little something to rejoice about!!

The upside to his having gotten his vaccinations is that he would now be permitted to fly. You know, in an airplane, not unassisted. :) Which means that his prospective homes no longer has to be in the Phoenix-drivable area (although it is certainly still permissible!)  The same goes for Scoots-- he's not vaccinated yet, but I'm certain we could scrape up the money to do so. It still has to be domestic (yes, Sir Percy was rehomed to Germany, but the timing wouldn't work in this case) but it's doable. Costly? Potentially as it would require round-trip airfare plus $100 pet fee. On the other hand... I'm already flying into Newark on the 20th.


WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Well, it means if you're within in a logical area of northern New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania (where I'm actually going) or that sort of geographical location, it'd be pretty easy to get you a loving fuzzy half-blind stripey orange cat who doesn't know how to play but gets along with everyone and loves catnip and gooshy food. And/or his adorable fluffy-floofy black little brother who adores belly rubs above all things.

So, I beg of you all, keep spreading the word in the hopes of a miracle-- a family to take in Red and  Scoots (not necessarily just one family for both!) to make them as happy as each of them would make a family.

This last picture was taken at the vet's office just yesterday. Despite having had a thermometer stuck in an unpleasant place, and having strangers poke and prod him, he was interested in the goings on and relatively relaxed. And while the picture isn't great (taken with a phone), you can see that he's healing up, even though he doesn't have vision in his right eye. He's a big handsome boy who, with proper nutrition, will be bigger and handsomer and now he's just waiting for a miracle for himself and his brother.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The Little Brother

 In recent days, this blog has been about Orange Kitty, variously called Reds and now, thanks to his injury and Bea's Mom recently watching Thor, Odin. But I've mentioned before that he's not the only special kitty who needs saving this Christmas, not even the only one in our situation.

Meet Scoots, aka Rascal, aka Loki.
 Loki showed up after Odin did, his "owners" apparently deciding that one cat that they didn't take care of wasn't enough. Both kitties got kicked outdoors once their "owners" decided they didn't want to deal with the neutering.

If possible, Loki is even more loving and sweet than Odin. He follows people around, mewing, asking to be taken home with them.

He'll flop over on the pavement (as you can see) and show his belly, asking for loooove. (Also, sunbeams. 'Cause it's gotten cold, even here in Phoenix.)



So while we seek a home for Odin, we also seek one for Loki.  The two aren't from the same litter, but they are a pair (they'll cuddle and play) so if you're looking for a perfect duo, two cats to entertain each other, these could be your babies.   



And finally, a quick update on Orange Kitty/Red/Odin: He still seems to be improving, although that is a guess from us, since we're not ophthalmologists, nor do we have fancy equipment. Unfortunately, the situation with Beatrice (who is violently angry and making herself sick because there is another cat in her house) and with her mom (who is not angry, but who is getting sick because there's just too many allergens in the house) has reached a tipping point. We are taking him to the vet to be boarded for a few days, in the desperate hope that we can find a foster home for him before either of us leave for the holidays. The vet will be equipped to care for his eye and he'll have a condo with a view (no, seriously, he gets a window.)  He'll also get vaccinated today, so that's a good thing.

But this is a very short term, very temporary fix.  Please, please, please, talk to everyone you know, even if they're not in the Phoenix area, because they might know someone who is, and who could take in this sweet, adorable, loving, injured kitty who has been abused and abandoned and yet is still so cuddly and desiring of human affection, even if just for a few weeks.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Desperately Seeking Foster Home

The generosity of friends and strangers is amazing.  Thanks to you-- those who could donate and those who spread the word-- we've raised enough money to cover Red's first (emergency) vet bill, his first ophthalmologist appointment (yesterday's) and, I think, his ophthalmologist check-up in 9 days.

If he needs surgery... well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Bea's Mom isn't sure if he's doing better or not-- it's probably too soon to say-- but the eye isn't drying out (that's good!) and he's acting normal (that's good!) and she's managing to get ... most of his medicine in him (that's mostly good!)

Unfortunately, having another cat in the house has made Beatrice angry (to the point of making herself sick) and it's making Beatrice's mom sick.  (She's allergic to cats in general, although has gotten used to Beatrice.  Having another cat in the house has pushed her system past the tipping point and she's already gotten a rash and a bloody nose... Lovely, huh?)  And she's leaving town very soon, too, for the holidays.  So at this point, our biggest, most pressing, and most frustrating, need is a foster home.  (A forever home would be even better, of course!)

Please, please, please, if you can open your house and home to this skittish but very friendly and loving boy, let us know. We're in the Phoenix area, and can drive him to you. For a forever home, I'm willing to drive sooper far, but since we'd have to get him *back* from a foster home, I'd say only a few hours distance from Phoenix is logical.  If you aren't nearby or can't take him in, please, please, please keep boosting the signal of this blog and this need?

(Also, while Red's need is immediate, don't forget that his brother, sometimes called Scavenger Kitty, sometimes called Scoot or Rascal, a black medium-haired boy who wants attention like nobody's business, is also seeking a home.  Could you or someone you know be the holiday miracle for either of these boys?)

So, good thoughts that Red can keep his eye.  And good thoughts that we can get him at least a temporary home asap.