daily dose of dogs (aka cats with your coffee)

Giving Tuesday

Today is Giving Tuesday.  I love this day.  I think it reminds us that the holidays can be a time to help others.  I always participate in Giving Tuesday.   SO many people do.  It renews my faith in humanity.

 

 

Today I want to show you what it looks like when someone GIVES to Winnie’s Wish.  Maria, a regular supporter of Winnie’s Wish, sent this Thanksgiving gift to the Wishers.

 

Maria – THANK YOU.

 

In addition, Andrea is currently in the middle of her Holiday Auction Fundraiser for Winnie’s Wish.  The cats here have a heated/air conditioned home to live in.  Heating and air cost money.   There are constant purchases of dry and canned food (including some specialty foods), kitty litter, cleaners, laundry detergent, paper towels, trash bags, supplements and medications, and of course, vet care when needed.  Sometimes, Winnie’s Wish is blessed with a delivery from the Wish List wherein some of these items arrive here - so needed and so appreciated.  In the case of Andrea’s Holiday Auction, Winnie’s Wish will receive a chunk of money to help with these constant costs.   Those of you reading here cannot imagine how wonderful it is to receive help with the costs of caring for these Wishers.  So on this Giving Tuesday, let me say how grateful I am to all of you who are participating in Andrea’s Auction – for Giving to Winnie’s Wish!!  And of course, as always, deep gratitude to Andrea for this auction.  It wouldn’t be happening at all if not for her.

 

You can still visit the auction by clicking on the link at the top of side bar.

 

 Happy Giving Tuesday everyone!

 

Thanksgiving

It’s Thanksgiving week.  I am thankful that all of the animals on this property are safe and healthy in this moment - donkeys, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats cats cats!

I am also thankful for Andrea’s  Holiday Auction to benefit the cats of Winnie’s Wish!  Andrea’s Auction runs through December 11^th.  There are new items being added throughout the auction.  Lots of great things are in this auction, but definitely the big hits are Andrea’s own creations.  She has round crocheted beds in awesome colors.  She has crocheted toy sets that are just SO cute.  And she has her puffy beds – big, soft, gorgeous, and reversible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrea is amazing! And so are all of you who are bidding on items in this auction!

 

Before I close, let me share with you that even though I’ve been unsuccessful in trapping the tabby cat that I’ve been watching for months now, I did have another sighting.  And this time it was right across the road from my house, in the same field where I finally trapped Theo in December a few years ago.

 

Arrow points to where the tabby was.

 

 It was yesterday morning about 7am.  I looked out my kitchen window and thought I saw an odd shape in the field.  I stared for a bit, but there was no movement.  So I got out my binoculars and sure enough – there was my tabby cat, just its head above the tall field grass.  I grabbed a jacket and stepped out onto my front porch.  I called to the cat and it immediately went flat, down into the grass so that I couldn’t see it.  I kept calling while I was trying to think what to do.  But even as I cautiously went down my steps, it dashed away as fast as it could.  It was twenty-something degrees outside; so bitter cold that I was immediately sad for this kitty.  If only I could get it in my trap.  I will continue to try.  Fingers crossed, my Friends!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

 

Andrea’s Holiday Auction THIS FRIDAY

After I posted to my blog yesterday morning, I received an email from Andrea (Celestial Kitties).   She said she was doing her Holiday Auction to benefit Winnie’s Wish and that the auction would start THIS Friday, November 19^th!    I’m so so so excited!    I had just told Andrea NOT to do her Holiday Auction this year because she has recently battled through some health problems and I know this auction is A LOT of work for her.  But guess what?  She’s doing it anyway.  Bless her heart! 

As I’ve mentioned, Winnie’s Wish is still home to 32 cats.  Their care costs a fortune as I’m sure most of you know by taking care of your own groups.   Andrea’s auctions are always such a success.  I’m just thrilled that this auction is about to take off and SO grateful to Andrea for doing this.

I hope you will visit her auction.  Here is the link.  You can come to this post and click this link at any time.  Or you can click on the auction graphic at the top of the sidebar.  You can also go to Andrea’s blog and find the link to the auction.   And I will post it on Facebook.

 

Link      https://winnieswishauction.blogspot.com/

 

 

Here’s to a super successful Holiday Auction put on by one of the biggest supporters of Winnie’s Wish ever! 

 

Another Elusive One

I’m not blogging every week anymore for the reasons I’ve mentioned here before.  Going from a shelter with a revolving door to a sanctuary means there are no stories of cats leaving (being adopted) or coming in as new rescues.  But as I’ve said, that doesn’t mean things have slowed down here even a little bit.  The 32 Winnie’s Wishers are still here.  There’s lots of activity, but very little to write about.  And at the moment, all is well.

Today’s post is about this extremely elusive cat that I’ve been telling you about for months.  I believe my first sighting of this cat was last February.  That would mean that I’ve been periodically glimpsing this one for nine months now.  I think the last time I posted about it (him/her?) was in the Summer.  Since then, Older Daughter has seen this cat twice, her husband has seen it once, and I just saw it this past Saturday night.  I was leaving Younger Daughter’s house, and as I slowly drove up the gravel road I spotted eyes just off to the right in the field.  If you don’t live in the country, you might not realize just how dark it truly is at night.  It is pitch black and I only saw the eyes because my vehicle headlights reflected off those eyes for an instant.  I immediately turned my vehicle towards the eyes and drove a few feet into the field in the direction I’d seen the eyes.  My headlights lit up the perfect portion of the field and there went my tabby cat. 

It was quite disappointing.  Our temps dropped into the twenties at night over this past weekend.  I drove the rest of the way up the hill thinking about where this kitty goes for shelter. 

The traveling area for this cat seems to be the same as it was for another stray cat a few years back.  Do you remember the story of Theo?  In fact, he got his name (ThEO) from being The Elusive One.  My first sighting of him was in June one year.  I saw him sporadically after that over the months.  And then, that December, I was finally successful in trapping him.   He was hiding in my yard the first time I saw him.  After that, I watched him cross the field in front of my house.  I watched him hunting.  I set my trap in numerous spots but never got him.  Then just a few days before Christmas (and before a terrible winter weather event), he FINALLY walked into that trap.   He is now a very happy, healthy Winnie’s Wish cat.

Well, my tabby cat has been straying through the area for even longer than Theo did.  I’ve set my trap for long periods in various locations.  No luck.  But seeing this tabby gal or guy again the other night has me determined all over again.  We are headed into the coldest time of year.  Oh how I wish I could trap this cat right now.  Starting on Sunday, I’ve been setting the trap between the gravel road and one of the ponds.  This area is very close to Younger Daughter’s home.  So I’ve been setting the trap at dusk and having her venture over at night before she goes to bed to check and trip the trap.  I cannot imagine what it will take to get this kitty.  The reason I still have hope is because of what happened with Theo.  Maybe there is a day coming (soon) when I will have this tabby in my trap – and he or she won’t live in the fields and woods all alone anymore.

 

This is the picture I snapped in the summer when I accidentally walked up on the cat.

 

 

I’ve tried to magnify the pic enough for you to vaguely see him/her.

 

Friends – keep your fingers crossed.

 

ADDENDUM - I just heard from Andrea and she told me she is doing a holiday auction to benefit the kitties of Winnie's Wish!!!!!!  I'll be back tomorrow with more details!!!!  YIPPEE!!!!!