The Almost Pet

Today turned out to be a sucktastic day. Weeks of talking about taking in a couple of strays. Finally setting aside money for vet costs (a.k.a. pulling from future financial relief). An appointment is set. Even managed to go to bed EARLY to wake up EARLY so I could be able to go out and catch one of the strays. And then for it all to come to such a disappointing and for me at least (probably Mom too) heartbreaking end.

Now that I think about it, we probably should have known. Mom felt an urgency to getting Licorice inside. She said she had a feeling he was sad or depressed. He didn't seem to have the same spirit he used to have when he would meow (endlessly) outside our door. Someone MUST have talked to him A LOT because he is a HUGE talker. Since he always talked to me, I didn't notice anything off about him but she had a gut feeling about it. It just turned out to be the wrong warning.

With Mom's feelings of urgency we started turning talks into actions. Money was withdrawn in advance to be set aside for the appointment. The laundry room was mostly cleaned out in case we had to quarantine him due to minor stuff like parasites or lil infections. I MADE myself go to bed super early (for me, so like before 2a.m.) so I could wake up and shower before it was time to feed the strays when it was light out (6:30a.m. usually). Okay so I got up a smidgeon later than planned but I was out of the shower before it got light anyway. I stayed outside after kitty feedings to wait for Tundra to leave and so Licorice wouldn't have to spend ALL morning in the carrier. Well I stayed out as long as I could and since I can't stand or crouch outside forever and it was kinda nippy it wasn't too too long.

The easy part was getting Licorice in the carrier. I put a lil dish of treats  in the back and since he already lets me grab him, I just scooped, guided, and let him walk into the carrier. He was so distracted with the treats he didn't even care that I closed the door behind him. That was the easy part.

The moment the treats were gone, he started crying....for the next two and a half hours! He paused for breath or when I reached in to pet him (which was every so often or when he got super loud while Mom was working). In between shush/pet sessions, I ate breakfast, packed snackage (for both of us), a book, and the paper I'm writing the draft of this on, and got ready to go. Mom's break was at 10:15a.m., so she dropped Licorice and I off for what we thought would be a longish visit. Oh and wow, I thought Oreo hated car rides! Maybe he still does, but Licorice was louder than Oreo ever was! Or maybe it just seemed that way. Poor traumatized Licorice.

Licorice is a 10lb, neutered, 4-5 year old male that did surprisingly well in the vet's office apart from the crying while in the carrier. But it still wasn't meant to be...

....

Friday, October 14, 2011

AND that's where I left off. I don't remember why I stopped. Maybe texting too much with Mom and Dad about how she was almost off work or maybe just too upset to continue.

Licorice was tested positive for Feline Aids which isn't as bad as Feline Leukemia but would still lead to regular medical care and costs we weren't able to deal with or afford, not to mention the testing and vaccinating we'd need to keep up with our own cats. I spent a couple hours at some tables outside the nearby Starbucks writing that and crying that we couldn't keep Licorice. After an hour of continued cry-meowing, Licorice finally settled and tried to sleep. When Mom picked me up, we took him straight to the shelter. If someone adopted him who could afford to, great. If not, at least he wouldn't suffer outside anymore or unloved for too long. I meant to call back and see if someone had adopted him, but I was too afraid of the answer. And they'd told us no black cats were allowed to be adopted during October (to prevent sickos from taking him to be cruel or something for Halloween) if he was still around then. The fact that he was infected is means Snickers is likely infected too. We will eventually take them all straight to the shelter now....

Cooking? Baking? What's that?

Okay, so pretty much since we left Anaheim, I've done more of the cooking than Mom and that was never super often. But like now? This past year alone it's become almost nonexistent. And by cooking I mean simple meals, pasta, chicken and some simple rice or pasta, easy skillets, pre-made lasagna, etc,... All super easy meals with little to no prep required. Once in a while Mom'll cook something. And baking? Well, that's been a no go for like years now. :-(

Anywho... Now that we've survived the heat of summer, maybe I'll look into cooking again even if it is just simple stuff. But more importantly, this holiday season, I'll take up the mantle and bake one of Mom's traditional cookies. Well maybe. I still may chicken out of it for fear of screwing it up. :-P But every Christmas I MISS her variety of unique cookies. I may not make a lot, but I'll make enough to enjoy and if I'm successful, I may even make more to share with Nana.

Cookie of choice: Chocolate-pecan Acorn Cookies

(hopefully mine look like this)

"Remind me of this feeling"

Mom's words to me yesterday as we discussed for the millionth time how much our hearts hurt seeing strays or former pets at our door, crying for more.....everything. Remind her of how awful we feel at not being able to do anything for next time so we don't start up with a new batch of strays (that is if we move). "Can't we just adopt them, we're already feeding them?" I swear if we were well off we'd probably adopt them all. If it weren't for vet costs, I'd probably give in to her and say yes.

We'd take them to the shelter to be adopted or put down, except the one who needs help the most I'm afraid to touch or try and catch.. Tundra, who's been here since we got here, is so messed up looking now and I don't think she can see well anymore so she's so defensive of anything approaching her. Every now and then someone cleans her up though (her ears get all chewed up looking and bloody), so she must trust someone. Wish that person would take her into the shelter if they can't adopt her completely. She used to be such a beautiful white and fluffy and friendly kitty. Now? She's so thin and always looks depressed and her ears and eyes are bad... I know it's terrible, but Mom and I actually pray for God to put an end to her suffering.

Snickers is friendly but so skiddish again lately. Don't know why she's so scared again. So she'd be difficult to put in a carrier. Which sucks, cuz I think fleas are like eating her alive. That or she's got what feels like scabs for other reasons. And now she's all thin. Not that I expect strays to be plump, but we are feeding them regular meals almost every day so they should at least not be losing weight. Wish we'd adopted her when we first saw her. Now I'd be too worried of the parasites she'd inflict on my own babies.

Praline is not friendly, but he's thin and I wish we could at least take him in so maybe someone could be taking care of him. Praline and Snickers supposedly belong to a neighbor down the street (not sure where exactly). "Rescued" from the shelter for the daughter so she could have "a kitty". But the stupid mother relies on her daughter to be the sole person responsible for taking care of them. o.O Yeah, cuz kids make super judgement calls without parental supervision. Sharing in the responsibility is one thing, but she was so flippant about even taking advice from me about pet care. "Oh well tell my daughter." o.O Excuse me? YOU tell your fracking daughter! So yeah, they let their cats wander the streets, which I get some people do, but they also apparently don't feed them enough (if at all....). They're covered in fleas and carrying who knows what else.

Licorice... He/she's a beautiful black cat who talks A LOT. Mom says, he had to have had a loving owner once who talked to him/her a lot cuz he/she learned it from someone. Licorice still has a collar on (albeit a very dirty one). But he/she's thin. And now something's wrong with an eye. Infection or something? :-( Yet another baby, I wish we could adopt. We want to believe he/she somehow got out...that there's a concerned owner looking for their lost pet or waiting for Licorice to return....

Tundra was probably fed or cared for by the previous renter (the owner said her son had a cat?) since she was here practically from day one. Praline and Snickers were adopted by morons. Licorice is lost maybe.... Why do people take in pets if they don't intend to care for them? If it's too much, take them back! Maybe someone else can do better. Or even if no one else adopts, they'll be humanely put down and suffering will be prevented....

Soon as we're more on our feet to afford vet costs, we'll try and bring them to a vet or shelter depending on if we think we can adopt or if we think we can't handle long term vet costs... Pray with us that they either get rescued, end suffering, or are granted health and strength long enough for us to get financially better equipped. And pray their cries don't break our hearts anymore than they already do. Oy, and that no more strays find us! Ugh... Next time, when I tell her I don't want to feed strays, maybe she'll listen.... I'll shut up now....