Not a Bad Way to Start the Season

Happy Labor Day!  I hope this means that some of you who have weekends off are enjoying a long one.  As I mentioned last week, September always makes me think Fall.  Here in the Midwest, it still definitely feels like Summer.  But Autumn things rush to mind every time I look at a calendar or hear the word “September”.  I always find Fall to be a time of re-organization and goal-setting (or as I call it, HOPE-setting).  


Last Thursday, I took five kitty boys to have their neuter surgeries.  All went well.  We now have those five boys, Isis the calico with the beautiful eyes, the long-time cathouse crew, and a little bitty Jo-Jo (who isn’t big enough to move to the cathouse quite yet).  I’ll need to do a big adoption push again very soon.  There are FOURTEEN cathouse kitties - enough to call the place full.  WE NEED HOMES.

The two things that every rescue needs are HOMES and FUNDS.  I was once just this ONE person taking in a stray dog here, some puppies there, cats and kittens - only as I could accommodate them in my own home.  I eventually had a shelter area for dogs.  And just before I started blogging, we built a small cathouse.  Of course, those areas filled up, too.  After starting my blog, I slowly met some great animal loving folks.  The blogosphere connected me to a whole new group of friends and a very different world in terms of what people were willing to do for animals.  I started getting help from my blog readers and before long, we were adding another room to our cathouse.  If you read here regularly, you know that I have a two-room cathouse that can comfortably accommodate at least a dozen homeless cats.  I don’t take dogs (permanently) anymore due to an inability to find homes.  I had the same seven “shelter dogs” for years with no one being chosen, thus never opening up a spot for another homeless dog.  I have been MUCH luckier with cats.  Due in large part to you cat lovers in the blogosphere, I have been able to place TWENTY FOUR cats into their forever homes!  THAT is amazing.  And THAT is the pay-off for me.

HOMES are still needed.  I never mind asking you to consider adopting a cat from me.  I never mind asking you to spread the word that we need homes.  I never mind asking you to look high and low (and even into your own heart) for a wonderful FOREVER home for a Winnie’s Wish kitty.

But the other thing every rescue needs is funds.  I have come to realize that I cannot continue this work without outside help.  I have been extremely blessed by the many, many, many ways you wonderful people have supported me.  I have learned to be less distressed about asking for financial help.  Well, I haven’t actually become less distressed about asking.  I’ve just had so many people offer with such love in their hearts that it has made it easier for me to accept.  As much as I would love to be rich and fund this operation all on my own, I’m not and I can’t.  So I will continue to hope for your help with funding.  There are fourteen Winnie’s Wish cats at the moment.  There are foster dogs in and out, one or two at a time (or a bunch sometimes).  It’s a small operation, but still meaningful.  We (you and I) are making a difference in the world.  There are animals who have a shot at the good life because of us.

Now let me acknowledge some of my most recent help.  You know about Andrea’s FUNdraiser.  So far it has been wildly successful.  This is SO wonderful for me.  And I can’t even begin to tell you how happy you have made Andrea. The Winnie’s Wish kitties get all of the benefits, but you’d think Andrea had landed in Heaven each and every time she receives an order.  Andrea plans to keep FUNdraising throughout the month of September.  If you haven’t ordered one of her packages of toys, I hope you visit her site and do so.  Here’s MY post about how my own cats received her toys - *click here.  Or you can click on the FUNdraiser graphic in my sidebar which will take you right to the actual FUNdraiser.   

Andrea ~ THANK YOU.


Next, you might remember how Jan (Milo & Alfie) got me started on Facebook.  Absolutely could not have done it without her.  Well, now I have another helper with All Things Technological.  Cheri (cats of wildcat woods) is helping me with ways to get noticed.  The more people who know about what I do, the bigger the pool of potential forever homes and funds.  I need my daily dose FB page to be seen by loads and loads of people.  It would also be nice to have a video or picture “go viral” - we have an idea for that.  Take a look - Cheri has helped me get Twitter and FB buttons in my sidebar.  She informs me that this makes me (the blog, the rescue, the book, the kitties) easier to find.  She has put hours and hours into helping me over the last week, and continues to do so.

Cheri ~ THANK YOU.


Very recently, I met someone on FB by the name of Cathrine Garnell.  Out of the blue, she offered to review my book.  She did that review on Friday, August 24.  I hope you will visit her blog *Cathrine Garnell’s Blog.  Keep scrolling down to Friday August 24.  She did a beautiful review and I’d love for you to read it.    Her cat, Basil, also has a blog *Basil the Bionic Cat’s Blog.

Cathrine ~ THANK YOU.

I remember how exciting it was to read the book reviews at Amazon when they first started showing up (great reviews from some really great people).  I have another book review at Amazon - this one by Mimi M.  The more good reviews the book gets, the better the chances of a sale to a random person who happens upon the book while shopping at Amazon or Barnes & Noble (dot) com.

Mimi ~ THANK YOU. 

Tomorrow I will be introducing you to a little gal who had no place to go.  And believe me - this one needed a place to go.

Comments

[Random Felines]

Hope you can take a moment to enjoy the weekend. :)

[The Poupountte]

It is wonderful to see how a community of friends all over the world has come together to work with you in your corner of Illinois to rescue and find homes for abandoned creatures. Just love it!

[Ginny & The Fur Family]

Catherine wrote a wonderful glowing true review or Chrystals book. Thank you Catherine and thank you Cheri for helping Chrystal to get the word out about the book - I really think it is a good book to read and tells a story of the rescues of the family going back to the first and up to the date of now. Once you start to read it you have to keep taking it to bed with you and reading it every night until you end, and still you want to read more. That is the kind of book I love to read - the kind that leaves you wanting to read the next chapter of the next book. We had bad weather here the other night. We here at the fur family home thought of Chrystal down at the kennel, and said a prayer for the safty of all. Sirens were going off and warnings to go to a safe place. We took our dogs and kitties into the bed room near the back wall where we had no glass windows. They were all so scared. Animals sense danger before we do and let us know sometimes that storms are coming and we need to learn to read their signs. Thankfully all was well at the kennel and here. Remember to buy this wonderful book and to try to adopt a kitty for your home. Remember Andreas Fun fun fund raiser. She has a fun blog.. Check out that fund raiser and all those neat toys. Your kitties will love you for the toys. Have a great day. Ginny & The Fur Family

[Andrea and the Celestial Kitties]

Trust me, I know how hard it is for Chrystal to ask for, or even receive help! I had to write her a seven page letter to get her to let me do this FUN FUN FUNdraiser! LOL But she did and I'm glad because I want to help! I want to be part of what she's doing because it's an amazing thing!

Every time you help spread the word, find homes, buy a book, brick or donate, you, yes YOU, are joining in this rescue work! it's an amazing thing to be involved in, saving lives that otherwise would not be saved, bringing healing, taming ferals, showing love, giving hope to hopeless kitties!

Let's keep that in mind and keep on helping!

[Sweet Purrfections]

We hope the financial support continues for the wonderful things you do.

[meowmeowmans]

What a beautiful way to start the season, with the knowledge that your friends and family love you, and firmly believe in what you are doing. And that we are in this with you together. :)

[replica Gucci handbags]

Looking at by way of a person's great content material, helps us to accomplish and so sometimes.

[Jan (Milo and Alfie's mom)]

I put your book on Pinterest on FB ~ if other Pinterest members would do the same and keep sharing it would keep the book in front of a wide audience.