I wanted to compare Winston’s shelter pic to what he looks like after a month in our care. See how the light went on behind Winston’s eyes?
INTRODUCTION
On August 15, 2019, this post came across my Facebook News Feed.
This was one of the pictures I saw on my FB News Feed about Winston
Although I was sick with a fever and a sinus infection..
Didn’t have the space or the money..
Already have issues with my indoor cats getting along as it is..
And I had the intention of rescuing Charlie before Winter..
Something about this 14-yr-old kitty who only ever knew one owner and was timestamped to die that evening just GRABBED by heart.
More on Winston’s Rescue to come. Here’s the Facebook post when I left the shelter with him.
On the One-Month Anniversary of his rescue from ACCT Philly, I finally composed myself enough to write a letter to his previous owners…what he knew as his “family”.
To Winston’s former owners:
Note that I didn’t say “former family”. Because family = unconditional love.
One month ago today, at 5:24pm, I took Winston out of that nightmare of an animal shelter where you left him…
Where he sat in a metal cage for 15 days and nights, listening to the never-ending, deafening sound of barking dogs, smelling stench that I cannot even describe.
I got him out of there 2 hours and 36 minutes before he was to be killed.
I want to judge you.
I want to run into you on the street and cold clock you.
But I can’t.
You said you were moving and “don’t have no space”.
I don’t know your circumstances.
All I know is that I saw a picture of your pet online. The look of fear, despair, and heartbreak on his face was so great, I couldn’t bear it.
The heartbreak, despair, and fear are written all over his face.
I could read into his soul in those pictures.
And I could NOT allow that to be his “ending”.
So, even though I truly had no room nor the finances, I had to make it work.
I guess I saw something in your pet that you just couldn’t see.
And, apparently, so did my online friends. Because MANY of them chipped in to help me help your pet.
You reported him to be quiet, shy, and said he likes to hide a lot.
But that he was a “nice cat”.
You stated you didn’t have a vet and he never saw the vet.
You said that you got your pet from a friend. Does that friend know where your cat ended up after 14 years?
Like I said, I, too, had no room, because I already had a house full of forgotten former feral cats.
But something pulled me to him.
Did you know that your “quiet” cat is really quite talkative?
Did you know that since your cat has a nice little cubby in his cat tree that he really doesn’t “hide a lot”?
Winston doing the Happy Stretch to greet me when I went into his room.
Did you know that your “shy” cat solicits our attention every chance he gets?
Did you know that your cat LOVES to play and already has two favorite toys that he places on his beloved tissue paper we set out for him?
Winston playing with his favorite toy!
Did you know that your cat, who never saw a vet, is rather healthy and active for a 14yr old cat now that he’s on the right diet?
Did you know he has a hip problem that makes his right leg bow inward when he walks?
Did you know his mouth is in a lot of pain?
And, be honest with me because I already know the answer…
Do you even CARE?
That’s okay.
Because he is OUR pet now.
I will get him fixed up.
Winston with is new friend, Dr Matt, during his first vet visit in I don’t know how many years.
He knows happiness and love.
Winston on Day 2 of his New Life relaxing in his new room!
He enjoys the fresh air of the South Jersey woods, watching the deer and wildlife in the backyard, and having the kittenhood I suspect he never had.
And if he doesn’t like living with our other cats, I will find him the perfect HOME.
No matter what, as God as my witness, Winston will never, ever set paw in a shelter again.
He will never be homeless and forgotten again.
I made him that promise when I got him out of that horrible place where you left him.
Winston’s Freedom Ride HOME!
And I promise you that, too.
Winston was rescued by someone who thought he was important enough to make it work.
Because he is.
I’d love to say that I hope karma doesn’t come back to you to bite you, but I’d be lying.
And I always tell it like it is.
Signed,
Winston’s FAMILY ❤️
Day 2 of Winston’s New Life and he clearly chose his person – my mom!
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I shared about Farrah so much on our Facebook page that I would have to link to about nine different posts in order to bring newcomers and those who missed some posts up to speed.
So, I decided to write an entire blog post about Farrah.
Her story is certainly WORTHY. As she is.
And if Farrah’s story doesn’t give you hope and make you cry, well, you must be made of stone!
A Little Backstory First…
I don’t often dream about my Rainbow Bridge kitties. However, Tabby Wonder Cat Wilson came to me in a dream one summer night. Here was part of my Facebook post after I rescued Farrah…
“…I haven’t mentioned yet that Farrah came to me in a dream about five days before I even knew she existed.
In the dream, my late Tabby, my little soul cat of 16 years, came back to me. And I was petting her. When I told my mom about the dream the next day, I described the cat as kind of a brindle pattern but light colored. It was a different cat, but it was Tabby.
Monday when I picked Farrah up from her finder and got a better look at her, I was shocked to realize SHE was the cat in my dream.
Tabby passed six years ago and Farrah is 12-15 years old per the vet, but I have no doubt my Tabby played a part in this girl’s rescue ❤️ “
Crazy, right?
How Did I Get Involved?
September 24, 2018. My house was torn up because of a complete HVAC replacement. The Innies (my indoor cats) were in lock down in ‘safe rooms’ while the work was being done.
I was already stressed out beyond belief with the noise, the cats, Mom… This was the beginning of a two-day job that I just wanted OVER.
While I was sitting outside, trying to decompress and trying not to hear Rascal tearing up the bedroom door, I saw a friend tagged me in a post about a ‘found’ stray cat.
“Oh, no, no, no. Not today. I’m not a rescue. I have no room to help a cat. I can’t worry about this today…” These were the thoughts going through my head.
Facebook Post, “This stray cat is in Franklinville. I believe the cat might be blind. Please share.”
And NOBODY could take her in off of the street.
NOBODY.
I couldn’t leave her out there. She was BLIND. How she managed to survive out there for God knows how long is beyond me! But I had ZERO room to take in a cat. Not with my indoor cats on lock down and the workers making enough noise to raise the dead.
But I had to do SOMETHING.
Later, after I picked Farrah up , I noticed that three other Facebook friends tagged me in different posts about the SAME cat.
Okayyyy, Saint Francis, I Got the Message
I got in touch with Joe, the guy who posted Farrah’s picture on Facebook. He told me she showed up at his sister’s house a couple of days prior. His sister fed her. Farrah was hanging out under a batting cage in his sister’s yard. Since she has dogs and he has a dog, nobody could bring her inside.
They believed she was TOTALLY blind.
His sister was going to take her to a shelter, but Joe was concerned that a shelter would euthanize her. He was hoping to find her owner or someone who could take her first.
I asked Joe if he called around to area rescues. He contacted several and not one rescue could help her. It was near the end of kitten season and rescues are bursting at the seams in September.
I was trying to think of how I could JUST get her inside to safety. My wheels were turning. With everything going on inside my house that week with the construction, I had nowhere to put her.
FINALLY, Someone Stepped Up
I called my friend Linda, the Director of Jersey State Animal Rescue. And she was FULL. Over capacity at that point. We were texting back and forth, talking about how nobody could at least get her in off the street for that night.
I read her next text, “Can he get her here?”
I said, “Linda, if you can take her, I will personally go get her myself if I have to!”
Since I had workers all around my house with my elderly mother and really didn’t want to leave for too long, I did manage to talk Joe into bringing Farrah to a nearby bank where I could pick her up.
Joe set about borrowing a cat carrier from his neighbors and went down to his sister’s house to get her.
I sat on eggshells, waiting for that text that he got her safe and sound. So many things could go wrong…
After what seemed like HOURS (it was 45 minutes), I got the life-changing text message that they were on their way to meet me.
Her Rescue
When I arrived at the bank parking lot to pick her up, Joe was talking to her and petting her while she was in the carrier.
As soon as I saw her, I knew there was something REALLY special about her. But I hadn’t made the connection that she was the cat in my dream yet.
She was an absolute DOLL. Beautiful. And as much as she wanted out of that carrier, she was just sucking up all of the affection she was getting from us.
I assured Joe that she was going to the best possible Rescue and I would keep him updated.
Once I got her home, I was able to get a better look at her.
I could NOT believe it.
Farrah waiting for the rescue to pick her up.
She Was the Cat in my Dream
I went to get Mom…
I was SHAKING because I couldn’t believe I dreamed about this cat five days before I even knew she existed.
My mind was racing. Was it Tabby come back to me? Where the Hell would I put her? I already have five indoor cats, two of whom don’t get along, and their mama, who I still have to integrate into my household.
All while this was going through my mind, I sat with her while she happily gobbled down Temptations treats and soaked up all the love.
I had no choice but to let her go to the rescue
I knew she would be in great hands there. This is the ONLY rescue that I would trust with my OWN cats. I adopted Penny and Weeny from Jersey State. I know firsthand how well she takes care of her cats…like they are her own. And her facility, even with all of the cats, is cleaner than my own home (and I’m a clean freak!)
Does She Even Have a Chance?
Once Linda arrived, she took her out of the carrier and we both got a better look at her. She was scary skinny and dirty. Her eyes were so swollen they were bulging out of her eye sockets. She couldn’t even close them. Her one eyeball was completely filled with blood.
Farrah when she first arrived at the rescue.
Linda stated she saw eyes that looked like this before. And it was cancer.
My heart BROKE. I really wanted this little star to have a chance.
We weren’t sure if there was ANY hope for her.
I had to take comfort in the fact that she would be SAFE, WARM and WELL-FED for that night, anyway. It’s STILL better than the alternative!
Hope…
Linda said she would take her to the vet that week. Honestly, at this point, we both thought she may not make it through. I posted on Facebook to drum up donations for her vetting since Linda was over capacity and I wanted to help this baby.
Later that evening, when I was in the shower, her name came to me.
Farrah.
Incredible beauty. Strength. A survivor. HOPE.
I texted Linda when I got out of the shower and asked if they could name her “Farrah”. She agreed that was the PERFECT name for this little warrior princess!
MORE Hope…
Linda texted me the next day. She saw what I saw in Farrah. She wanted to give her EVERY chance and committed to seeing if there was ANYTHING the vet could do for her.
Two Days after Rescue-Farrah closing her eyes for the first time.
Here was my Facebook post after her first vet visit..
“Yesterday, Farrah, our sweet little blind girl, closed her eyes for the first time since she was rescued on Monday 🙀
She wasn’t able to close her eyes before because of the swelling 💔…
…Every time I talk to Linda, the director of Jersey State Animal Rescue who so selflessly stepped up to take Farrah, I just get more good news.
Without getting too technical, here’s what I know so far.
❤️ she’s not microchipped ❤️ she’s FIV/FeLV negative ❤️ blood work is relatively normal. Which was a shocker with what she’s been through.
eyes
Vet does not think it’s glaucoma. She has a condition called Uveitis. Often in cats, Uveitis is secondary to another condition. However, vet hasn’t figured out the condition yet. And often, they never do pinpoint an exact cause. So they’re treating the symptoms for now and we wait and see if she responds.
The fact that she could close her eyes less than 24 hours after she started the antibiotic eyedrops, systemic antibiotics, and medication to relax the eyelids shows that she is responding to treatment quite nicely so far 👏👏👏
She has ulceration in both eyes so she will go back for that next week. Once that is cleared up, they will start steroid eye drops.
Her iris adhered to the eyeball and the fluid was not draining. That explains the swelling and the blood in her eyes. 😮
Farrah is blind and likely will remain blind.
She may need eye removal surgery in the future but only if she’s in pain. Linda does not believe she’s in pain.
She told me Farrah is very content and comfortable. And extremely sweet ❤️
I guess so…now that she doesn’t have to fend for herself on the streets, blind and maybe a little hard of hearing, anymore.
This girl is just AMAZING. She’s somebody really special and I’m so glad that Joe (her finder), Linda, and all of YOU see that too!
I’m amazed at this girl’s will to win. She reminds me of my Penny 💪💕
I want to THANK each and every one of you for the prayers, shares and the donations.
She has come so far on her own. She’s not alone anymore. She has a whole army of amazing people making it possible now.
I cannot put into words how grateful I am for all of your help with Farrah!”
there’s just something about her…
Shortly after that post, I went to visit Farrah.
I was IN LOVE. As thousands of my FB followers and Jersey State’s FB followers are!
When I first walked into their intake cage room, I didn’t even recognize Farrah.
My view of Farrah as soon as I walked into the intake room during my visit.
SHE WAS CLEAN!!
She cleaned up so well in just a couple of days and already looked so much better! Just a few days of good food, love, safety and a clean place to rest made all of the difference in the world!
She could not get enough love from me. She would have had me there for HOURS petting her if she had her choice! I’d like to think that I’m special, but, apparently, little miss Farrah is like this with everybody!!
And this girl is a PURRRRRR MACHINE!
If I had a room to put her in, I would have taken her home THAT DAY!
Lovin’ on Farrah during my visit with her!
A Setback…
After initially improving with treatment, Farrah’s eyes were swelling again after they started the steroid eye drops.
Since Farrah was already completely blind, the vet and Linda decided it would be best to remove her eyes if Farrah was to have any kind of quality of life. Farrah’s health was otherwise stable and she even gained 2lbs in the few weeks she was at the rescue! There was no good reason why they couldn’t do this surgery at this point.
She couldn’t continue to be poked and prodded and doused with eye drops just to have the painful pressure and swelling return.
Especially since her eyes were never going to regain sight anyway.
I agreed with their decision to remove her eyes. The goal with our pets should ALWAYS be quality of life!
Farrah Found a Home!!
Farrah and her new mama, Alison, the day they met and fell in love!
In the meantime, Linda told me a girl named Alison was coming to meet her that weekend.
My heart stopped. I figured now was the time to tell Linda…
I told her that if it didn’t work out with Alison, if Farrah couldn’t find a home once she was cleared for adoption, or if at any time the vets decided there was no hope for her, I would take her here on hospice care.
Farrah deserves to have a HOME before she dies.
She didn’t survive out there and go through all she had gone through for nil. She HAD to have a home again before she died. Even if only for a short while.
Linda replied, “You got it!”
However, Alison, like ALL of us, FELL IN LOVE WITH FARRAH. And the deal was sealed. Farrah will be going HOME with Alison once she’s cleared for adoption!!
it worked out the way it was supposed to…
Farrah’s new home will be much better for her than the P&K Estates. We have five very energetic, rowdy indoor cats. They still run around like kittens. The Innies have free reign of the basement. And although I cleaned the basement and it’s safe for cats, the twelve floating steps leading down to the basement may not be the safest for a blind senior cat who has Lightning Legs aka Patchy running past her at 100 MPH or Dennis the Menace aka Rascal jumping OVER her on his way down the steps…
Her new mama, Alison, has a partially blind special needs kitty already. So her house is SAFE for Farrah. And Alison probably knows better how to care for her than I would.
Alison cannot wait to bring her home. She’s already SO in love with Farrah!
I truly believe it was Meant to Be for Alison to adopt Farrah!
One Step Closer to Her New Home
The day of Farrah’s eye removal surgery, I was on EGGSHELLS.
Farrah waiting at the vet office.
I stalked my phone.
Stressed.
And I PRAYED.
It felt very much like the day Penny had her emergency dental while in a “crash” from her kidney disease.
There’s ALWAYS a risk with anesthesia. But for senior cats, even more so.
When Linda texted me at about 2pm that afternoon, I cried with relief!
“Out of surgery. Waking up. On my way to pick ‘queen’ up.”
Farrah was one step closer to going to her new HOME.
she had trouble adjusting
I didn’t share this on Facebook, but initially I was concerned about Farrah’s recovery. Linda told me that she had some trouble adjusting to not having two heavy, swollen, ginormous eyeballs weighing her head down anymore. I imagine it all felt very different to her.
It’s amazing how we adapt to discomfort and pain.
Linda had to assist feed her the first two days after surgery.
Just as I was really starting to worry, Linda texted me and told me that she just ate two entire bowls of food by herself!
I then figured maybe Farrah was having trouble clearing the anesthesia because of her age. Which happens.
Then I remembered how LOOPY Penny used to get while taking buprenex, which is a pain medication. I mentioned that to Linda and she agreed maybe that’s why Farrah was acting a little strange….because she was hopped up on dope, basically. Once they adjust to the medication, they start acting more like their normal selves.
She’s improving every day and definitely back to her sweet and loving self!
Almost There…
Linda texted me over the weekend that they removed Farrah’s stitches and she likely would be going home this week.
She looks so much more comfortable now.
I’m writing this before Adoption Day because I want it ready to post on Facebook with her adoption. Then I can edit with her “HAPPILY EVER AFTER”.
I asked both Linda and Alison (Farrah’s new mama) if I could join them on Adoption Day so I could kiss Farrah “goodbye” and take lots of pics.
I’m so excited for her, but I’m going to cry like a baby. It’s bittersweet because she was almost ours.
But, like I said earlier, her new home is where she belongs. God and St Francis just used us as the pathway to get her there.
Adoption Day is HERE!!
I will fill in this part when Farrah’s adoption is complete and she’s en route to her new home with her new mama.
Inspired…
Farrah touched our souls deeply. So deeply that I cannot accurately put it into words. Anybody who met Farrah or has been part of this journey the past three months understands what I mean.
Farrah and her story are INSPIRING. FULL OF HOPE. And, most importantly, full of LOVE.
Saying that she’s “special” is an extreme understatement.
I’m a writer and I can’t find the words to describe what it is about her.
More than the fact that she survived out there for we don’t even know how long without all of her defenses.
And despite whatever she endured out there, she still has the ability to love and trust so completely. It blows my mind!
There’s a quiet strength and serenity about her.
Linda said when she picked her up from my house, “Man, I wish I knew her story.” So do I.
Farrah during our visit. I stopped petting her to take a pic and she still had her butt in the air waiting for more free pets!
Farrah’s Lessons…
If you’ve been following our stories, you know I believe we learn lessons from these precious babies that enter our lives. Here are a few of Farrah’s lessons:
Survival. Cats are survivors as are all of God’s creatures. Their ability to adapt to change and survive against all odds simply amazes me. Much like the Human Spirit.
Never Give Up. I’ll repeat what I’ve heard a million times in 12-step recovery. “Don’t give up before the miracle happens!” It’s a good thing Farrah didn’t!
Don’t Let the World Break You. I imagine somebody let Farrah down in her little life. She doesn’t move around much so I don’t believe she traveled a great distance before arriving at Joe’s sister’s. They really tried to find her owner. Either someone left Farrah behind or they dumped her. Sad, but true. But that didn’t stop Farrah from being open to loving and trusting other humans. We can ALL learn a lesson from her on that one!
Stay Tuned…
Farrah has thousands of fans from all over the world on social media!
Since I became Facebook friends with Farrah’s new mama, I will be following her progress and her life, every step of the way! And I’ll be sure to post updates on our Facebook, so if you haven’t followed us yet, do it now!!
Her rescue and healing would not have been possible without all of YOU. This was TRULY a group effort.
It warms my heart to know that we have a TRIBE of like-minded, amazing people who are so willing to offer support, prayers, and donations to save a special girl like Farrah. We hear of SO much “bad” in the world, but I always said that for every person doing bad things, there are a hundred doing good things.
And for Farrah, the “little bit” that every person offered was the difference between life and death.
Please don’t ever discount the part YOU played in her rescue!!
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**This post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products that we use and wholeheartedly believe in!**
All treatments, foods and supplements mentioned in this blog are based on my own research, experience and done with my vet’s knowledge and consent. Consult with your vet as necessary.
“My mother had not had a hot meal for herself in 15 years…” – Ralphie, “A Christmas Story”.
I can relate.
How is it that I have LESS personal time NOW than I did when I was married with joint custody of two step kids, two cats, and managed a staff of 25 at Commerce Bank?
Oh, that’s right…I have a hell of a lot more than two cats now.
And it’s a good thing I work from home. Or, rather, I get brief “power hours” to squeeze in work in between cat servantry.
Here’s what a typical day at the Penny & The Kits Compound looks like!
I cannot sleep in. Although my cats “let” me to a point, if I’m not up by 7am, Patchy comes to “visit”. And my eyes will peep open. And I roll over to go back to sleep but I think of the STARVING orphans outside whose food was stolen overnight by the Creatures of the Night that GUILT prevents me from snoozing for more than a few minutes.
So I get up, and after explaining to Penny, who is a social eater so will starve all night rather than eat when I’m not sitting RIGHT there next to her, that I have to “pee like a racehorse”, I do my business and then go sit on the floor next to her so that she can eat her crunchies.
This is my view every morning while impatiently longing for the coffee that just brewed.
After she’s done, I am now “allowed” to pour myself a cup of coffee.
But…
Oh wait! Princess Penny wants water out of the bathtub now! Even though she has a ceramic cat fountain and five, yes count them, FIVE, other water bowls in the house, she MUST have bathtub water! And because she’s stage 4 kidney disease, she pretty much gets what she wants.
Then I finish preparing my cup of coffee. And I start to prep the food to take outside to the feral cats.
But…
Oh wait! Penny wants crunchies again! Because she can only eat four pieces at a time! She convinces me that “grazing” is good for weight management. Which is why she’s STILL slightly overweight despite being stage 4 kidney disease!
After greeting the other indoor kits, and making sure Penny is squared away with food and water to “hold her over” till breakfast, I make a quick escape outside as soon as little Bossy Poo isn’t paying attention.
And I’m greeted by Trouble, Oreo, Fluffy, Big Orange, Domino, and Blacky, the neighbor’s outdoor cat, waiting outside with hungry eyes, while Shadow lurks at the back of the yard, patiently waiting for his meal.
After tripping over Trouble zig-zagging between my feet for the 25′ walk from my back steps to the shed door, I finally make it in there in one piece and silently thank Tony Horton for incredible balance from doing P90X Yoga.
I prepare their food. Then I take care of Orange, the feeding station at the back of my yard for the more shy ferals, and back to the shed to syringe Trouble his L-Lysine supplement in a tasty base of Fancy Feast broths. Which are NOT cheap. But he enjoys it and I do realize a feral cat is ALLOWING me to squirt medicine in his mouth via syringe, after all!
I finally get back inside to the Indoor Masters…after spending a half hour with the Outdoor Masters because Miss Fluffy is ALSO a social eater so I must stand out in that shed regardless of the weather so that she can finish eating…MUST cuddle Oreo exactly 2 1/2 minutes and I’d BETTER have some treats for him…and change the water bowl in the shed since the raccoons like to use their water bowl as a dipping bowl overnight.
Feeding Her Magestette ON her heating pad so she doesn’t have to eat on the cold floor.
So, now to feed the Innies their wet food. Which means watering down Penny’s food and sprinkling the kits’ wet food with freeze dried raw or else they won’t eat it. And they will look at me with sad, sad, sappy eyes if I don’t feed them EXACTLY what they want the way they want it!
Once they are finally done, I am now allowed to wash their food bowls and prepare Penny’s AM blood pressure pill and supplements for her kidney disease. Which means MORE Fancy Feast broth (yes, I realize I should buy stocks in Purina) as a treat after her pill because that is the ONLY way Penny will allow me to shove a pill down her throat!
Oh, and Penny wants more crunchies again!
After she is done with me for the moment, I must prepare “cheesy snacks”. Which is actually Mischief’s Prozac (more on that to come) wrapped in the cheese so that pilling Mischief is a TREAT and not a tragedy…for ME, that is. Once he gets his cheesy snacks and I give Penny extra cheese off my fingers because she has been in her ‘last days’ for the past 17 months and I will do whatever she wants, I go outside to change the rest of the water bowls for the ferals, give out more free treats (in case anybody is wondering why I have the fattest feral cats in town), cuddle Oreo and Trouble some more and I MUST sing to Fluffy or else she will not let me leave without taking a chunk out of my ankles.
So, finally, after coming inside to scoop the litter boxes…
But, wait! Patchy wants to cuddle, climb me like a jungle gym and lick my pants first!
So, after REALLY FINALLY scooping the litter boxes, I have to weigh Penny and see if it’s okay to give her sub q fluids (again, the kidney disease), warm her fluids, change the five water bowls throughout the house, top off the five crunchy bowls throughout the house, and THEN, after singing The Penelope Song to Penny while she gets her fluids, the next couple of hours are mine.
Unless Spunky, Rascal or Mischief want to help me work out. Or if it’s the day I have to test Penny’s blood glucose (more on her diabetes and remission to come…). But only AFTER Rascal sits in my lap for 5-10 minutes while I sing to HIM. And I must be careful not to scare Mischief while I’m exercising since he likes to sit on my bed and watch. Which means not jumping too much and OMG NO I CANNOT drop the weights!
I get a little time to feed myself and work…
So, it’s now 4-5pm and it’s time for their next wet meal! I don’t overfeed my cats. They get several mini-meals throughout the day to keep Penny’s blood glucose levels stable even though she is currently in remission from her diabetes. But, God forbid I feed Penny and NOT feed the others! So mini-meals it is!
Then it’s BACK OUTSIDE to the feral cats for their evening meal. Which they hardly eat anything because they had been free-fed all day, but since the Creatures of the Night will come steal their food overnight, I must make sure. And NO MATTER THE WEATHER, I must play with Trouble and Fluffy (and sometimes Orange). Although, he’s SOL if there’s lightning around.
Then it’s back inside to REALLY bang out some work for two hours. But ONLY AFTER Penny has some crunchies again…and then I MUST sit on the couch in the living room on my laptop to work so that Penny can take a nap next to me. And if I don’t, you ask?
She will take one of her fuzzy balls in her mouth and wander around the house howling loudly until I do what she wants me to do.
In the evening, when I’m done my “to do” list for work, I SNEAK into the shower while all the cats are passed out…but if they CATCH me, I have to distract them with toys so I can lock myself into the bathroom and shower, unsupervised.
Then it’s time for more Fancy Feast broth and Penny’s Pepcid (kidney disease). Which she BEGS for because the broths are “forbidden food”.
8pm meal time is usually pretty quick because by now, they are ready for evening play time. And if I have more work to do, or just tired or, God forbid, sick, it doesn’t matter. They will hover UNDER FOOT while I’m scooping their litter boxes once more until they ALL get some interactive play time with Mommy, and sometimes Grandmom. Even though they have EACH OTHER to play with! And even though they often blatantly YAWN in my face or Mom’s face while we knock ourselves out to entertain them!
Then, and only then, after they are spent, I’m “allowed” to eat. Although, Penny usually wants water or crunchies or attention JUST when I’m fixin’ to sit down to eat. Hence the quote at the beginning of this post.
Bedtime is time for Penny to have one more wet meal (again, the kidney disease…I will get into her regimen). After I hook Penny up with some tuna water and prepare her Snuggie next to my bed, and if Penny is not in one of her attention-hogging moods, I’m allowed to settle down and do some reading or watch “The King of Queens” before retiring for the night.
I doze off while listening to Rascal run around for NO GOOD reason chatting it up, hoping to get one of the girls to play with him.
Or Spunky chirping and giggling and squeaking while she tries in vain to drag her favorite wand toy up the basement steps. Or…
Oh! Gotta go! I’m LATE for Penny’s pill and she’s practically doing cartwheels at my feet to get my attention! I’d better snap to it!
Spunky holding my lap hostage before bed.
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All treatments, foods and supplements mentioned in this blog are based on my own research, experience and done with my vet’s knowledge and consent. Consult with your vet as necessary.
I met Penny (nee Penelope) at Pet Smart when my late cat of almost 16 years, Tabby, passed away. I was heartbroken and devastated, but I had been seeing a very shy and detached 9-month old rescue kitten at Pet Smart who was not doing very well up there. She had been living there for MOST of her life and was definitely too shy to be on display like that all the time. I decided that since I had a home and she needed one, I wanted to meet her and see if it would be a good fit.
When I went to meet Weeny (nee Irene), Penny was looking at me with those EYES from her cage and I studiously avoided eye contact with her because I KNEW I was in trouble if I so much as LOOKED at her. I put in an adoption application for Weeny, continued to avoid eye contact, and left Pet Smart.
The next day I brought my folks to meet Weeny. I was living with them at the time and my dad had gotten very close with Tabby in the four years since I had moved back home, so I wanted them to be on board with giving Weeny a much-needed home.
THIS time, all the cats were in the room behind the cages for their “free time”. Weeny was busy playing with the other cats. So, Penny had the opportunity to introduce herself to us and basically THREW herself at us and BEGGED us to get her OUT of there.
She made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. So a SECOND adoption application went in for Penny that day, and we adopted both kitties that week!
Penny was 3 1/2 when I adopted her from Jersey State Animal Rescue. She was one of their show cats and actually won ribbons in the Domestic House Cat Division. If you Google their logo, you will see that unique diamond face at the top of their logo. She is our retired show cat, our poster child, and our little hairy human!
Penny hasn’t had an easy life. She was bullied at the rescue. She was being bullied by one of the other cats the day I decided to adopt her. And she has her issues as a result. She’s a social eater and suffers some separation anxiety. Knowing how she LOVES people, I imagine her life at the rescue was pretty lonely with being bullied and not having as much human contact as she probably craved. They did their best, I’m sure, because they take VERY good care of their cats, but that’s no replacement her very own home and her very own humans.
She thinks she’s one of US and she thinks she OWNS me. She told an animal communicator that she thinks I’m HER pet. Which I already knew! She’s most content next to me (and Mom if I’m not around) and being adored 24/7! She’s charming, congenial, and VERY, VERY patient…until it comes to food!
She’s had her share of health issues over the years. In 2013 she was diagnosed with Feline Diabetes. We achieved remission in just six weeks (read about her journey here Feline Diabetes-Penny’s First Remission). She held remission for 14 months before she had to go back on insulin and also picked up a diagnosis of spinal arthritis along the way. She spent ten months in glucose toxicity/insulin resistance before we got her diabetes regulated. Six months after we got her regulated, she achieved her SECOND remission from diabetes. But, unfortunately, along the way, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney disease in February 2016 (more on that to come, as well).
Penny’s SECOND “OTJ Party”…the day she was officially “off the juice” (insulin). She didn’t want to wear her party hat…lol
But that has NOT stopped her! She has been living her BEST life yet since that kidney disease diagnosis! She runs and plays like a kitten, eats enough to choke a horse, and honestly, some days if I didn’t see her litter box or her blood work results, I’d never believe she was so sick. I couldn’t have asked for ANY better quality of life for her than she’s had the past 17 months!
Penny was sent to me to teach me SO many lessons! Not just about cat health, nutrition and care, but LIFE lessons…such as my limitations exist only in my mind, when something is THAT important to me, I’ll FIND a way to make it happen, and that I should NEVER, EVER let external forces get me down. She truly is an angel here on Earth!
I don’t know what tomorrow, next week, or next month will bring, but since I thought 17 months ago that she would only have a couple of months (at best) left, I’m enjoying every last second of this “borrowed time” with her!
Nicknames:
Precious Pup, Smelly Penelly, Gentle Giant, Sasquatch, Boss Paws, PITA (Pain in the A$$), Diamond Girl
Songs:
“Isn’t She Lovely” – Stevie Wonder
“The Penelope Song” – John F Hooven (my dad)
“Earth Angel” – The Penguins
“Every Breath You Take” – The Police
“Hungry Eyes” – Eric Carmen
UPDATE: Penny earned her Angel’s Wings on November 15, 2017. She spent her last conscious moments squirrel watching on my windowsill while I sang “The Penelope Song” and “Earth Angel” and trying not to cry. If you follow us on Facebook, you will know that she has made herself known to us in many ways since she crossed The Bridge so I have no doubt she is still here. Penny and I will continue to save the lives of diabetic cats, cats with kidney disease, and other special needs cats through this blog.
Penny’s legacy will carry on…
Penny, her second day in her forever home.
affiliate disclaimer:
**This post contains affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products that we use and wholeheartedly believe in!**
All treatments, foods and supplements mentioned in this blog are based on my own research, experience and done with my vet’s knowledge and consent. Consult with your vet as necessary.
