Blog 12/01/14 to 12/07/14     

Relocations and In Take

Our Cats after Release

November Closeout 

Bad Calls/Emails:   Mess in Fort Worth:  Update 

BMG (Bitch/Moan/Groan):  Family Input on Cat Selection  

OMG (Oh My God):  NO MORE KITTENS! 

Memorial for Rambo

 

Relocations and In Take:   Placed 14 this week with intake at 7.

            2          Barn in Waxahachie (JB, Berry)

            4          Barn in Whitewright (Star, Snowball, Kenny, Lucky)

            2          Barn in Bartonville (MacGyver, Chet)

            1          Adoption Group (Happy)

            2          Terrell (Hansel, Gretel)

            3          Bonham Rescue    

Our Cats after Release:   Picked up in 4 locations but only saw one cat in Gordonsville.   

1.      Terrell – 9 from Aledo hoarder were placed at this barn.  Owners report NO MORE RATS – GREAT JOB! 

2.      Wise County – Domino, Skitch, and Sister were placed in this barn.  All are still around.

3.      Franklin – Larry, Curley, and Moe are being illusive in this barn situation…but the food is disappearing…so good news. 

4.      Gordonsville – Peter, Tigerette, and Gray Boy are now living in this barn close to the Red River.  I saw Tigerette – she ran when I opened the barn door.

I placed 4 in Whitewright with Great Pyrenees Rescue AND I got pictures of two of our cats that were placed there in the Spring of this year.  Four Paws is the tabby/white and Dusty is the black/white.    

           

November Closeout

We placed 52 last month for a yearly total of 716.  We placed 720 in 2013.  There is still one month to go so we shall have our best year ever in 2014.  November cats were placed in 7 North Texas counties:

   Collin    Cooke    Fannin    Grayson    Kaufman    Robertson    Wise

Bad Calls/EMAILS:  Mess in Fort Worth -- Update

First 6 received on Friday.   They are from a location at Weatherford and Trinity.   At least one is friendly and two others may be….but….will need to evaluate. 

BMG:  Family Input on Cat Selection

Every member of a family should have input on the selection of a new pet for the home.  Now every cat (or dog) is good with kids – or dogs – or other cats!  Also, tell the adoption agency representative about your home environment and let them suggest a suitable pet.  Most groups do foster-homing.  Those cats (dogs) have been in their homes and they know how that animal will react in your home.  Everyone just wants what is best for the animal! 

OMG:  NO MORE KITTENS! 

Once again this week I had the discussion with a guy that does not want to get a pregnant cat spayed.  OK – but you are multiplying your problem and everyone else’s problems.  You had that cat and let her go – now she is pregnant and YOU KNOW WANT TO SPAY HER NOW – REALLY?  OK – you deal with the problem then.  Barn Cats does not take kittens anyway.  They can be carried off by a hawk in the daytime or an owl at night in a barn environment. 

Memorial for Rambo

On October 1, 2009, Nancy and I went to a home in Garland.  A “friend” had alerted us about a hoarder situation – mom and daughter.  The mom was now in a hospital and died before Thanksgiving that year.  The daughter had lung cancer and she died the next June.  There were 22 cats in the house.  6 were feral and in medium dog kennels.  The friendly cats were in rabbit cages stacked one on top of each other mostly in what used to be their family room.  There was junk stacked floor to ceiling with paths between rooms.  The smell was terrible and made worse by damp weather outside.  There was no running water in the home.  The daughter put the friendly cats into our clean carriers but we had to carry out the ferals in those nasty carriers.  The 6 ferals all were placed together (after vet work) in a barn in McKinney.  The others were dispersed as follows:

   1      Went home with Nancy – her Smitty is a wonderful cat.         

   1      Passed away – heart condition

   11    Went to adoption groups for safe indoor homes

   3      Stayed at Barn Cats – too old to place (Crinkles, Tinker, Rambo)

Mr. Crinkles passed away in 2012 and we lost Tinker last summer.  Rambo was the last one.  I came home from Whitewright on Friday to find him mouth-breathing…never a good sign.  Rushed him to the vet and discovered a heart problem.  I had him put to sleep right after the x-ray.  Loved that feral orange tabby!   He had bedroom-eyes!  Rambo:  Stay away from hoarders in your next life – PLEASE! 

 “Thanks” for following the Barn Cats Blog.  See you all next week.          Peg

Blog 11/24/14 to 11/30/14     

Relocations and In Take

Our Cats after Release

Bad Calls/Emails:   Mess in Fort Worth

BMG (Bitch/Moan/Groan):  Confirm Then Not Attend 

OMG (Oh My God):  “Meadow” is Back Home

Memorial for Cindy

 

Relocations and In Take:   Placed 0 this week with intake at 6.  We did a fundraiser the Friday after Thanksgiving so no cats were placed.         

Our Cats after Release:   Also, did not pick up any equipment this week either but received a picture of 2 of our cats in Gunter. 

         

Bad Calls/EMAILS:  Mess in Fort Worth

I have heard that there are about 100 cats at a location in Fort Worth where the property is going to be renovated.  The situation has been on TV.  I originally received a call from the new head of Animal Services in Fort Worth.  I get the first 6 of those this week.  I will take as many as I can when I can but 100 is just too much for anyone at any one time.  

BMG:  Confirm Then Not Attend

I am really tired of folks that confirm for an event and then do not show up.  I guess they have never put an event together.  You plan on seating, drinks, and food based on the confirmed number.  7 different people confirmed and then did not show with NO phone call and/or email. 

One couple confirmed for the DINNER and then did not come…this is the second time that had happened with that couple – so NO MORE INVITATIONS FOR YOU GUYS!  

OMG:  ‘Meadow” Is Back Home

About two years ago, I placed several cats in a barn but one turned out to be friendly.  The property owner took her in but she soon broke out of a screen on a window.  She saw her around the property for the next year, ate food, and even stayed in a light-bulb-heated igloo during the winter.  They decided to try again to catch her about a month ago and LO AND BEHOLD she got into the trap.  Now we know why:  She has become almost totally blind.  BUT – she made it home and is now back inside the house.  You never know…

Memorial for Cindy

Really sorry to have to write this one….

In 2008 we received 2 cats that had been abandoned outside a municipal shelter in either Mesquite or Garland.  Both were friendlier so one went to an adoption group.  The other, a buff tabby about 7 or 8 years old, had a serious medical problem:  she was born without eyelids!  We did the surgery to correct the problem as best we could and Cindy stayed with me.  She slept with me each night and was tolerant of other cats that came and went from the bedroom.  When I returned from a trip the first week of September, she was drooling.  I took her to the vet thinking it was a bad tooth – the usual.  BUT – not with Cindy – it is always something unusual.  She had a tumor in her mouth.  The clinic wanted to euthanize her that day but I asked if we could wait.  They gave her a cortisone shot and an antibiotic shot and sent her home.  Every two weeks, we returned to the clinic for two more shots.  She made it an additional 3 month which I think is great.  Tuesday she passed away.  I really miss her.  Like I said this one was hard.  I hope she reincarnates into a better body – one with working eyelids!  RIP Miss Cindy. (sorry could not get the picture to come over to the blog - maybe another time)

“Thanks” for following the Barn Cats Blog.  See you all next week.          Peg