Love For Kittens

I was feeding a very feral kitty on my back deck for several years. One day, I went to put his food outside and noticed he had brought a friend. This pretty kitty was friendly and very hungry. I fed both of them and they disappeared.

To my surprise, that pretty kitty showed up again the next day and ate voraciously. It appeared that it might have worms, so I couldn’t bring it in, as I had seven cats of my own! However, I promised myself that if the cat showed up the next day I would corral it and take it to the vet for a checkup. Sure enough, it was back the next day, so I packed it up and off we went to my vet to get the kitty checked out.

Imagine my surprise when the vet told me not only was this kitty relatively healthy but also quite pregnant! Now I had a dilemma. I couldn't let the poor thing give birth outside, so I sectioned off my basement with everything she needed, including a birthing box, and waited.

About two weeks later, Grace gave birth to six beautiful kittens, three boys and three girls. I named them Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Lucy, Bernadette and Penny. Once they were weaned, Mama Grace went in to be spayed. But when it came time to adopt out her babies, I couldn't do it. I simply didn't trust anyone else to take good care of my new little family. So all six were taken to the vet to be spayed and neutered and then brought home to stay. With me!

I had just moved into my first apartment as a single mother. I was feeling very alone and guilty that my daughter had no one to play with. So I decided on getting a cat, so we would both have a friend.

After browsing the newspaper's I came across an article that read "15 kittens please help!" I called and drove over that afternoon, newly purchased cat carrier in hand.

After looking at all the orange tabby kittens I was having a tough time choosing, when a kitten, much smaller than the rest, and only an empty socket where an eye should have been, appeared. I specifically wanted a female kitten, but the other female kittens wanted no part of me or my rambunctious preschooler. Can't say I blame them. We were quite the package.

I asked about the small one-eyed kitten and was told, "Oh, you don't want that sickly one. She's the runt of the 15 kitten litter. Nobody wants a one-eyed cat. We're just going to put her to sleep."

Knowing how it feels to hear you're unwanted, home with us Dixie kitty came. Four hundred fifty dollars' worth of veterinary care and four years later, Dixie is still here and my best friend. She put up with my daughter dressing her up in baby doll clothes and never so much as hissed or struggled to break free of the silly outfits. She put up with me crying late nights, comforting me. She even put up with my new husband, our new house, and a great new cat condo.

Dixie has been constantly by my side, during my lowest times and my happiest times. She was there on my daughter's first day of kindergarten. She was there on my wedding day. When loved ones passed. She is the most patient cat I have ever known. She truly is my best friend. I believe that day, Dixie saved me, just as much as I saved her. Plus, who doesn't want a winking cat?

One frigid February morning, my co-worker asked if I would take a cat that needed a home. I already had two and told her I could not. But she told me that the cat had been locked in a basement for months, and then thrown out after it killed the owners ‘pet’ toad, also kept in the basement.

She said the kitten kept trying to get into the nearby church on Sunday mornings, trying to get someone’s attention for help. I was incredulous that not one of of these church goers ever did help this helpless kitten.

After hearing this story I agreed to get the kitten, but I would not be able to drive to the location for three days. My co-worker called the kitten’s owner, who said the cat would be kept on the back porch until I could come. Naturally I assumed that by back porch she meant an enclosed heated shelter. I could not believe what I saw when I came three days later.

On a freezing February morning with howling winds in southern Michigan, there was this tiny terrified kitten on an outside concrete porch step in a tiny wire cage. This kitten had to survive like this for three days, exposed to the cold and wind with no protection. When I opened the cage, the kitten climbed to the top of my shoulder, desperate for help.

I did not attempt to confront the owner because I was so angry I did not know what I might do. So I grabbed the cat and left. She is sweet and quirky and still has multiple issues from her early dismal treatment. But she is safe and loved furever now.

Animal Humane New Mexico took in 59 shelter pets evacuated from the Ruidoso area that has been impacted by wildfires.

The South Fork fire destroyed more than 17,000 acres and burned over 1,400 homes and buildings. The shelter pets at Humane Society of Lincoln County were evacuated just in time as the smoke and flames inched closer.

The shelter survived the fire and flooding that followed with minimal damage and opened their doors to displaced pets.

Thanks to your generous donations, the evacuated dogs and cats were comforted with new toys and tasty treats at Animal Humane New Mexico.

Christmas Eve, I was home late from a family party. My horses had given up on me for feeding, so I was walking through my back woods looking for them when I heard a meow. I have barn cats, but this wasn't a familiar meow.

I called, and there was a little cat I could barely see in the dark, hovering around me about 10 feet away but afraid to come close. I led her back up to the farm buildings, where there are several barn cat feeding stations, and plugged her into one.

The next morning, Christmas Day, when I went out, she wasn't there at first, but when I called, she popped up from a corner of the garage, and I got my first good look at her in daylight. Small tabby with boots, very frightened, very hungry. She was too jumpy to pet but was happy to eat.

After morning chores, I was eating breakfast myself when she suddenly landed on the front door and started climbing it, absolutely howling. After a few minutes of this, I opened the door. She walked right on in. From the first, she was obviously an experienced housecat. Knew all rules, used the box, friendly with my housecats. She was instantly tamed inside, no longer jumpy at all, and she hopped straight into bed the first night. Being outside was what had her panicked.

I advertised for a lost cat, but it's a very rural area, no houses nearby. Nobody has answered in over a month, and by now, I'm sure she was driven to the country and dumped. I took her to the vet to be spayed, and they said she is just under a year old. I named her MagnifiCat, in honor of Christmas, and call her Maggie.

This animal below isn’t a huge spider but a calico cat with several pounds of matted fur on her. This poor animal was transferred to an animal shelter by the people of Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center after her elderly owner passed away.

When the people in the center saw the cat’s condition, they were shocked by the amount of matted fur on her and they were surprised how this animal was even able to walk around.

The fur had “developed” what it looks like dreadlocks to us, all this thick and dirty mass was probably putting in danger the animal itself as the cat was unable to clean herself for a long time, more like years. The team then decided to free her from her matted prison.

The cat had to first be sedated in order to make sure that she would stay immobilized during the shaving process, and probably because she wasn’t used to be around so many people. Soon enough, they started shaving the poor animal and getting rid of the dreadful dreadlocks.

The result as you can see is incredible, as it is like a whole new animal was hiding beneath this heavily matted fur. Finally, this beautiful calico cat will be able to move around freely and start her new life with a whole new look!

The cat will soon move to her new house as a distant relative of her previous owner seems to have volunteered to adopt her and offer her a new and happy home.

One of the most important things in this video though is the final message that the video’s creator wanted to share with us, “please remember to not only check on the elderly in your community but also check on their animals to prevent heartache like this”.

And how true this message is as the animals are living beings too and especially the domesticated animals who depend a great deal on their owners. So, if you ever find yourself doubting the living conditions of an animal and you see them neglected, don’t hesitate to contact the appropriate services and save a life!

UPDATE: THIS CAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED 💜

Meet Luna. The young feline was involved in an accident that would have resulted in her death.
Luna arrived at the shelter paralyzed from the waist down with an open spinal wound. They told us, "Her hind legs and tail were immobile and cold, but she could still feel them—our hearts were breaking. Luna's eyes were full of pain and exhaustion. Luna couldn't defecate on her own and was on the verge of euthanasia, but we decided to do everything we could to save her."

The medical team fitted the sweet cat with a stabilizing brace and started her on pain medication and antibiotics.

Luna will need physiotherapy and electrotherapy to help contract her muscles and prevent atrophy. This adorable feline is a fighter and refuses to give up.

She has already started to sit up on her own and is moving her tail. The staff also reported that she can use the bathroom on her own. Previously, they were having to manually empty her bladder.

Pets receiving critical care facilitated by an Emergency Animal Medical grant may not be eligible for adoption until they have completed their course of treatment. If you would like to inquire about adoption of a specific animal, we strongly encourage you to visit the shelter’s specific website first as that is often the most up to date place to learn about available pets and review the adoption policies and process.

Would you spend time comforting an animal after surgery?

We already had three rescue kitties at home from a local rescue that was awesome, but they had recently been forced to disband. We'd always hoped to get another kitty or two through them, but had not been able to before they had to close.

The former director of the rescue was driving home one day in a rural area when a little ball of fluff ran across the road in front of her. After stopping, a tiny little girl came running to her. That little kitty had no idea she'd just hit the lottery!

After lots of food, love, and good medical care, she was posted for adoption! My husband and I were having dinner when we first saw her picture. All he said was "She's a cutie!", and that was it. We were discussing names before dinner was over and had contacted our new baby's rescuing angel to let her know she was wanted!

We brought her home for the first time just after Thanksgiving, and our three previous rescues became instant big sisters.

She's still a tiny little thing and always will be, but she's healthy, and the joy she has in playing, loving and just being warm, safe, loved, and content rolls off of her like a tidal wave! The odds of her finding her way across that lonely rural road in front of her wonderful rescuer's car were astronomical. But boy did we all hit the jackpot when she did!

Our family is now complete, and we can't wait to spend as many years as possible spoiling her and her big sisters rotten!

Would you give a second chance to an animal others gave up on?