daily dose of dogs (aka cats with your coffee)

Goldie

Goldie is deaf.   I certainly did not know that when she first became a Wisher.  She was one of the Florida Hotel Cats.  In May of 2013 we headed to Florida as always.  I had connected with my contact person down there (Cheryl) and the plan was for us to bring home a couple of hotel cats.  The hotel was abandoned and being torn down.  I had taken a few of the cats from there several months before.  Since I would be so near the hotel, it would be crazy not to take a couple more cats home with me.  It wouldn’t solve the problem there, but for those couple of cats, it would be the beginning of a better life.  

Cheryl would grab a couple of kittens or try to trap an adult or two.  I would meet up with her and get the feral felines and bring them home to Winnie’s Wish at the end of our time in Florida.  But things didn’t go well for Cheryl.  She tried for several days to get a cat or two for me, but it just wasn’t happening.  It was literally our last night there; we were mostly packed and ready to head out early the next morning.   I got a text from Cheryl – I got Goldie!  Goldie was a cat she had seen daily as she fed at this feral colony.  She couldn’t touch Goldie (as she couldn’t touch any of the colony cats), but she thought Goldie was especially needy; she wished Goldie could go with me -  back to Illinois and to Winnie’s Wish.  And it happened.  It was almost too late, but just under the wire Goldie was whisked away from the abandoned hotel.  Her life was changed - no more litters, no more fighting for food. 

Here is an excerpt from the blog post – Vacation (Heading Home): 

I met Cheryl to retrieve Goldie early the next morning just before we were ready to pull out. We jumped out of our vehicles and hugged. After months and months of texting, here we were face-to-face. It was a “kindred spirits” moment for sure. I thanked Cheryl for all she had done for the hotel kitties. Whereas I was merely providing a future for four hotel cats, Cheryl was feeding dozens EVERY DAY. She was the one who moved those innocent creatures out of harm's way when the big equipment started rolling in. She was the one in despair as the buildings started going down. She is the one who spends every evening of her life feeding at the colony. I wanted her to know what an amazing service she was providing. We talked for about half an hour. She is a wonderful, warm, deeply caring individual who I am SO pleased to call my friend.

 I drove back to the cottage and joined my family as we loaded the van to head home. There was alot more to get into the van now. Everything we came down with plus extras in the form of souvenirs (a couple of which were large and bulky). Six people. Three dogs. And now – THREE cats. Husband worked his magic and we got everything in. He was a little on the grumpy side as a result of the massive overcrowding inside the van. Ah, but nothing that a large cup of coffee and a sausage & egg biscuit wouldn't take care of at the gas station where we filled up. Then suddenly there we were, heading home. As we pulled onto the interstate I looked over my shoulder at my precious palm tree paradise. It could have been a moment of reflection, or even a sad goodbye. Instead, a cat started scratching in a litter box. Everybody started grumbling and groaning as the van filled with the pleasant aroma. We all fumbled around to get our windows down, and I could feel a chuckle coming on. I grabbed my own cup of coffee, held my breath and took a big swig. What family in the world would travel this way?!   Ha.   Us!

 

Goldie was terrified when she was first put in a cage in my kennel kitten room.  I couldn’t, of course, touch her.  But she was even afraid when I reached into her cage to feed, water, and scoop litter.  This went on for weeks and then weeks turned to months.  I can no longer remember when I began to realize that Goldie was deaf.  But she sure is.  She hears absolutely nothing!  Imagine it.  Living as part of a feral cat colony.  The colony is at an abandoned hotel.  And now that hotel is being torn down.  She couldn’t even hear the equipment or the demolition.  If there was ever a cat who needed to be rescued it was Goldie. 

My dear deaf Goldie has come to love me deeply.  I can’t pick her up, but she begs for attention.  She follows me around.  She meows constantly (her meow is VERY loud and SO cute).  I think about what her life would have been like, and I am grateful that she has a home here at Winnie’s Wish for the rest of her life.

 

 

 

I don’t know how old Goldie is.  She was an adult when she became a Wisher.  She might be 7 or 8 years old, but could certainly be much older.  Goldie - Winnie’s Wisher since 2013.  When you support Winnie’s Wish, you’re helping to take care of Goldie.  When you care about Winnie’s Wish, you care about Goldie.

 

Before I close, here is what Winnie’s Wish received this past week.  So needed.  So appreciated.

 

Maria – THANK YOU.

 

See you next week.

 

 

 

Quinn

Last week I re-introduced you to Wisher Isis.  She came to Winnie’s Wish in the Summer of 2012.  Less than a year later, another cat came to Winnie’s Wish.  I sure didn’t know then that this kitty – Quinn – would be the lifelong partner of Ms Isis.  They have been best buddies for all of these years, and for many of those years they were the Matriarch and Patriarch of Winnie’s Wish.  They have nurtured many kittens and young adult cats – sometimes even bringing a feral newcomer out of his or her shell. 

Quinn was one of the Florida Abandoned Hotel cats.  You might remember the stories from those years.  When the abandoned hotel was being torn down, a wonderful woman who was working with the feral colony there managed to trap three of the kitties and we arranged to get them here to Winnie’s Wish via The Rescue Railroad.  Quinn was one of those three.  What was so ironic about it was that I had SEEN Quinn in that colony the previous year when I’d worked to get some of the cats there while we were on vacation in Florida.  I remembered him because his looks are so striking.  The story is in my blog in April 2013.  You can read it by clicking on these two links:  The Florida Hotel Cats  and  The Florida Hotel Cats Conclusion.

 

When Quinn first arrived

 

As with Isis, I do not know how old Quinn is.  He arrived here in 2013 but I had seen him the year before at the colony.  He was already an adult then.  So even if he was only a year or two old in 2012 that would make him 8 or 9 years old now (maybe older).  Quinn lives happily with the cats in his building.  He is still best friends with Isis.  He is one of my attention beggars.   He walks around on the edges of the sink counter while I’m filling water bowls or doing dishes.  He bumps me over and over to get the attention he wants.  He loves me and I love him.  But he does NOT love other people.  He is a hider when it comes to anyone other than me stepping into his world.  But that is just fine.  He is warm in the winter, cool in the summer.  He has his dry food and his canned food.  He has his buddy Isis and the other cats he lives with.  He is home.

 

 

About to help me do dishes

 

Quinn with Isis

 

 

The Patriarch and Matriarch

 

 

 

Quinn - Winnie’s Wisher since 2013.  When you support Winnie’s Wish, you’re helping to take care of Quinn.  When you care about Winnie’s Wish, you care about Quinn.

See you next week.

 

The Matriarch

Today’s highlighted Wisher is Isis.  You see that I did not title this post with her name (as I have every other post this year).  And I’m sure you can immediately see why.  It is unfortunate that the word “Isis” now carries such a horrifying image.  It was not the case when I named this beautiful cat.  She became a Wisher in the Summer of 2012.  I fell in love with her eyes the first time I saw her.    Those eyes immediately brought to mind the eyes of Egyptian depictions of the goddess Isis.

 

Not long after she arrived here

 

 

Isis was already a mother when I took her in.  Here is a paragraph from her story:  

I didn’t hear from my cousin’s wife the rest of that day or evening.  I texted her the next morning.  We gotta get that mom.  I can’t take the chance that she will get pregnant again.  I have room for the four new ones plus this mom, but I can’t add another litter to that.  If you don’t get her today, I will bring my trap. She texted back - I just got her.  I told her we were on our way.  Husband went for me as I was covered up that morning with business.  He brought mom calico home and I put her in one of my cat cages in my kennel office.  I fell completely in love with her eyes - stunning.  But she was NOT in love with me.  Completely wild and terrified to be in that cage, she tried to slam herself into the back wall when I would come near. 

 

Her first day as a Wisher

That was over seven years ago.  Isis came around nicely, but was always easily spooked.  She will take all of the attention I will give her now, but she still runs to hide when anyone else comes into her building.  Over the years, Isis became the resident Matriarch.  She mothered kittens, so many kittens, that came and went here at Winnie’s Wish.  She also became best friends with another Wisher – Quinn.  He, too, “mothered” various kittens over the years.  I started thinking of them as the Matriarch and Patriarch of Winnie’s Wish. 

 

 

I don’t know how old Isis is.  I assume she was pretty young when I took her in.  But even if she was only a couple of years old, that would make her  8 or 9 years old now (maybe older).  She has a home here for as long as she lives.  My beautiful  Isis - Winnie’s Wisher since 2012.  When you support Winnie’s Wish, you’re helping to take care of Isis.  When you care about Winnie’s Wish, you care about Isis.

 

 

 

See you next week.

 

 

 

Just a Quick Word

It’s been a busy week, and I wasn’t able to get the pictures and story together for another Wisher update post.   But I do want to mention this.

Winnie’s Wish received this gift in celebration of Finn’s one year adoption day!  Finn was a Winnie’s Wisher who was adopted by Nikki and Justin a year ago.  He joined Annie (now Luna) who was also adopted from Winnie’s Wish!   Here is what the note with the gift said:  HAPPY ADOPTION DAY FINN (September 18)!!  Thank you to Winnie’s Wish for bringing us our rambunctious baby boy!  We are so grateful for Chrystal and all her work and dedication!  Because of you our house is now complete with two babies!

 

Finn

 

Finn and Luna

 

Nikki and Justin – THANK YOU.

 

See you next week.

 

Four Friends

In June, I did a Wildlife Wednesday post that included a joyous story about Older Daughter’s four fawns that she raised this year.  They were successfully released.  Then one day in May all four walked out of the field into the edge of her yard.  It was so touching.  We see lots of deer out here in the country where we live.  From a distance there is no way to know if any of these might be one of the four Wild Angels.  There’s also no way to know if the four have stayed together or set out on their own.   But a couple of weeks ago, Older stepped out of her house, and all four of her babies (now beautiful young adults) were standing at the edge of her yard.  This is the kind of thing that brings a smile . . .  a gigantic smile.

 

See you next week.

Halo

Halo came to Winnie’s Wish in the Summer of 2011 as one of fifteen cats and kittens from the same location.  I won’t retell that story, but if you haven’t read it or have forgotten that group (the largest group I’ve ever taken in all at once), you can read it by clicking here:  Rescue – Fifteen Cats and Kittens.

This group became known as the Fantastic Fifteen.  Halo was one of this group.  (She is the only one from the group still here.)   She was a young mom kitty at the time, probably a couple of years old (no way to know for sure).  So she is at least 10 years old now but could be older.  She has been adopted from Winnie’s Wish twice, but is back here to stay now.  I won’t put her through any more big changes.  She will live out her remaining years right here.

Halo was extremely shy when she came here.  She never did get completely over that.  She is still shy today but SO sweet.  The problem with Halo is that lots of things scare her.  When she was returned the second time, I tried moving her into a dog-run-converted-to-kitty-condo.  But she was so afraid that she stopped eating.  I kept her there anyway, thinking that after a few days she would start eating out of compelling desire for food.  But she did not.  And on the fifth day I moved her back to the cathouse.  I have two enclosures in the cathouse.  The larger one in the third room was occupied by Fannie.  So Halo moved into the small one in the middle room.  She settled in and started eating immediately.  Her life in that enclosure, however, made me sad to the point of tears.  What kind of life was that – in a small enclosure day in and day out.

 

 

I wanted to try her again  (I’d tried this before her second adoption) out with the other cats in the room.  But Halo is so timid and so fearful that she does nothing but hide when she is out in the population.  In the middle room, she lives under the couch – not coming out to eat, drink, or use the litter box.  In the third room, where there is no couch, she goes onto the outside deck and never comes back in – not to eat, drink, or use the litter box.  So I knew I had to move her into the bigger enclosure even though Fannie was living there at the time.  Since Halo could NOT live in one of the kitty condos in my kennel, I decided to try Fannie there.  It took a while, but Fannie adjusted and is now VERY happy with her new digs.  Halo moved into the large enclosure in the third room of the cathouse where she finally feels safe and seems to be happy.  I still brainstorm on a regular basis to come up with an even more perfect arrangement for Halo.  The best I can tell myself is that she is safe and healthy and that she feels protected and knows I love her.

 

 

Halo -  Winnie’s Wisher since 2011.  When you support Winnie’s Wish, you’re helping to take care of Halo.  When you care about Winnie’s Wish, you care about Halo.

 

Before I end this post, let me send out some thanks.  Usually, I do my thank yous without further comment.  But today, let me just say this to all of you who continue to help with the cats of Winnie’s Wish – It is WONDERFUL to have your help.  Transitioning to 100% sanctuary has not changed the costs here at all.  It’s the same amount of space to heat and cool, same amount of food, litter, flea prevention, vaccinations, cleaning supplies, etc.   So THANK YOU to all of you who continue to help these Wisher sweethearts.

 

Andrea – THANK YOU.

 

Heather – THANK YOU.

 

And Ginny – THANK YOU.  (Wild Angels thanks you, too.)

 

Speaking of Wild Angels, I have only one picture to post tomorrow.  There are no new stories to tell as Older has fewer and fewer in her care this time of year.  But she did send me a picture that is pretty great.  See you then.

 

 

 

My computer died. So I'm trying to compose this blog post on my phone which is very difficult for me. I hope to be back next week.

Bunny

Last week I highlighted Kizzie – a bobtail, tabby, one-eyed Wisher who showed up here in 2014.  He was an older, feral kitten who literally showed up at the front door of the cathouse.   He was the first.  There were three more to come after him.  I eventually put together what I believed was the family connection.  Kizzie and Bunny were littermates.  Yardley and Nisha were mom and aunt, respectively.  Luckily, Yardley and Nisha were adopted (together) and continue to live The Good Life.  Kizzie and Bunny will continue to live their lives here at Winnie’s Wish.

I reminded you last week of how completely strange Kizzie’s coming truly was.  Of course at the time, I assumed that he was the only one.   Then Yardley showed up.  Then Bunny.  And what a story it was.  (You can read it by clicking here – Another Kismet.)   An excerpt from that post will serve as a reminder of how Bunny joined the ranks of the Wishers:

What happened next is just as unbelievable as discovering Kismet (Kizzie) right underneath the front step to the cathouse.  If I was reading this somewhere else, I’m not sure I would even believe the next part of the story.  Which is why I am THRILLED that I got a picture when I did.  There’s no denying it.  I have the proof.

About mid-morning, I stepped out the back door and took a quick peek through my binoculars at my empty trap.  I went down the steps, started a conversation with Arnold the Pig, and was about to step through a gate and head to the kennel when I stopped dead in my tracks.  I sucked in my breath so hard it made Arnold squeal at me.  I wasn’t seeing things.  It was true.  There was the white cat.  Sitting ON the front step to the cathouse!   I turned directly around, heart pounding, and went for my camera.  I knew my evidence would probably be gone by the time I could get back out, but nope - there it was.  My hands were practically shaking as I fumbled for my zoom.

Bunny is a bobtail just like Kizzie.  This brother and sister pair remain close.  They live in a room together with four other cats.  Those six get along great.  Bunny lets me pet her and hold her for a few minutes at a time.  I do love my Bunny.

Here are some pictures of Bunny.  The first one is right after she got here (skinny and sickly – she ended up hospitalized not long after).  I’m ending the post with a couple more pictures of Kizzie.  This is because I couldn’t help but get tickled by some of the comments on last week’s post about what a chubby boy the Kizmet is.  Well, here’s the weird part about that.  Kizzie is only chubby in the winter.  Every year he slims down in the spring and fattens up in the fall.  The pictures in last week’s post were of Kizzie last winter.  The pictures I’ve included today show his slimmer summer physique.  Bunny tends to do this a bit, too, but not nearly so noticeably as does Kizzie.

 

Bunny, with mom Yardley

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bunny -  Winnie’s Wisher since 2014.  When you support Winnie’s Wish, you’re helping to take care of Bunny.  When you care about Winnie’s Wish, you care about Bunny.

See you next week.

 

Wildlife Wednesday – Raccoon Life

At this time of year, Older Daughter is releasing the last of her wildlife babies.  They have been in outdoor enclosures, and she has given them everything she can to assure their successful return to the wild.  Older often sees her wildlife babies (now on the road to becoming adults) out in their natural habitat.  It’s a nice reward for all her hard work.  This time, it was me who got to experience that joy.  I’ve been lucky enough to see some of Older’s raccoons living life as happy, healthy, wild raccoons.  First, Husband and I were walking and exploring at the river (about a mile from our house).  I saw the raccoons playing on a driftwood pile and hoped my phone camera would be enough to zoom in and get some pictures.

 

 

Then, I was at Older Daughter’s house doing a favor for her.  I walked over to a tree at the edge of her property because there was quite a commotion up in the branches.  As it turns out, it was two raccoons playing.  They froze when they saw me. 

 

 

As I walked back to Older’s house, I passed by a den where a mother groundhog had raised her family back in the Spring.  Out popped a little head.  I still had my phone out after taking the picture of the two in the tree.  So I quickly snapped this, before it disappeared into the underground den.

 

 

What a joy to witness the success of Older Daughter’s hard hard work.  Raccoon Life in the wild – nice!

See you next week.

 

Kizzie

Back to the sanctuary kitties of Winnie’s Wish!

The highlighted Wisher of the day is Kizzie.  He became a Wisher almost exactly five years ago.  His given name was Kizmet because it means fate or fortune (I will remind you of why he received that name).  But he quickly became Kizzie and that’s the name he comes to and goes by.  Here is how he got his name.  (excerpt from the 2014 post, which you can read by clicking here) 

Last week, on Wednesday, there was an “occurrence” here that was initially horrifying.  My dogs let me know that something was happening in the area between my house and the “shelter area.”  I was creeping down the gravel walkway trying to discover if a rabbit or some other little creature was in the blackberry bushes.  What I discovered instead was one of my Winnie’s Wishers sitting underneath the front step to the cathouse.  I was frozen there staring at this tabby face with my mind racing.  Only a few seconds went by, but it was plenty of time for me to flash through the pictures of full-on calamity.  If one cat was out, they could all be out.  I went nearly dizzy thinking about all of these Wishers having scattered into the dense West Woods.  Frozen there, I stared at the cat under the step.  It’s an enclosed wooden step, so quite dark under there even though it was a bright sunny day.  The face was looking up at me but was hard to see as my eyes tried to adjust to the dark area.   My brain finally told me to squat down and call to whoever this was.   Even though a lot of my Wishers are easily spooked, I had to hope this one would just come to me.  The barking of the dogs had to be scaring him/her.  I was emerging from the shock and beginning to devise a plan while trying to identify which of my tabbies this was.  I bent down and said my first Kitty, Kitty.  Just in the moment when I was questioning the identity of this hard-to-see-under-the-dark-step cat, it turned to bolt away from me.     And there was the second wave of shock.  NO TAIL.  Wait.  WHAT?!  There are no tabby bobtail Wishers.  WHO WAS THIS?!

Now a new flood of thoughts poured all over me.  There was no tail.  This was NOT a Winnie’s Wisher.  Thoughts were competing with each other.  So I haven’t lost a cathouse full of kitties, long gone into the deep West Woods.  Relief.   But here’s a cat.  SERIOUSLY???  Under the front step of my CATHOUSE???  What are the chances that a cat would COME TO THE FRONT DOOR OF MY WINNIE’S WISH SHELTER?!?  This was what the dogs saw.  They certainly aren’t used to seeing a cat scooting around outside.  Bobtail.  Crazy.  Must Think. 

And that was my introduction to Kizzie.  You can see all of the pictures of his sweet little kitten self by clicking on the link at the start of this post.  But here is one of those pictures.

 

 

The story only got crazier as the days went by, but I’ll save some of that for when I write about Kizzie’s sister Bunny.  They are still friends and live in a room together with four other cats.  Those six get along marvelously.  Kizzie lets me pet him and I can even hold him for a few minutes before he starts to get ancy.  I love my Kizzie Cat.  And he loves me.

 

 

 

Kizzie with sister Bunny

 

Kizzie -  Winnie’s Wisher since 2014.  When you support Winnie’s Wish, you’re helping to take care of Kizzie.  When you care about Winnie’s Wish, you care about Kizzie.

See you tomorrow for an update on Wild Angels.