Happy New Year!

Wow - another year has come and gone!  For us this one has been much better that 2013.  We have had fun reviewing products, visiting other bloggers, celebrating Gotcha Days and remembering our kitties who came before.

Let's skip thru 2014 and reminisce on the fun we had - in January we all enjoyed hamming it up for Rubber Ducky Day!

Darby

In February we got a free consult with a pet psychic.  Nancy talked to Ivy, Darby and Albert.  It was very exciting and Mom learned some fun facts about each of us.

Ivy with bunny ears.

In April we all got silly wearing bunny ears for Mom!

In May we joined Black and White Sunday for the first time with Mom's shot of Mamacita snoozing on the chair next to the TV!

Pop and Al

Pop had surgery in June but came thru with flying colors.  He is cancer free and doing well.

We had an unusual visitor in our yard in July - a turkey!  She stayed around for a week or so, eating from our bird feeders!  Great bird TV for us!




In September, Callie volunteered to do the Mice Bucket Challenge in honor of Mamacita and Rosa's Gotcha Day!

Lil Bit and Gertrude at Marg's

November was a super fun month - Callie celebrated her first Gotcha Day with us and then the beans went to visit our friend Marg of Marg's Animals.

Georgie (left) with her momcat Lily.

December brought some changes to our household of cats - Georgie was diagnosed with diabetes and now has to have a special diet and insulin shots.  We had a auction for her vet bills and are so very grateful for all the help we got!

We had a good year ...all of us are still here and doing OK.  So many we know have lost beloved pets and people - we know that heartbreak.  Let's send healing thoughts to those who are ill and sympathy to those who have lost loved ones.  Our wish for you all for 2015 is for a year filled with love, laughter, contentment, and most of all... peace.

As New Year dawns may it lead you to the path of beautiful tomorrows. 
I wish you happiness and blessings of the New Year.
~Unknown

Wishing You a Peaceful Holiday!

Lily here (that's me in our holiday card) to thank you for all our ecards and snail mail cards.  Due to the illnesses of both Georgie and Snowball during the past weeks, Mom didn't get to post your cards on our blog.  She sent some out and emailed some (many came back for lack of postage!!!) - if she didn't get to you, please take our card with sincere apologies.

Georgie is still not well - she is not eating or "doing her business" in the litter box.  Nothing showed in her blood work or during the exam.  If things have not changed by Friday she will be x-rayed at the vet, hopefully showing some reason why this is going on. Meanwhile Mom and Pop are taking turns assist feeding Georgie to keep her blood glucose up and to prevent fatty liver disease from not eating. Please purr for her to get well.

Me, Lily under our tree.

The holidays can be tough on those who are having upsetting things going on in their lives at this time.  With this in mind, our wish to you,  is to have a peaceful Christmas filled with the love of friends and family, both two and four legged..

Santa Kitty Toy Hop: Dec 12-19, 2014

In an effort to inspire pet lovers to help out our the homeless dogs and cats in local shelters during the holiday season, Summer from Sparkle Cat Blog  and her mom have established this week long event .  Bloggers and others are invited to donate toys, treats etc to their favorite shelter, local or otherwise and then write about it.

Winnie's Wish kitty Sienna, a beautifully marked poly dactyl cat needs a home.

Our local shelters get plenty of community support so this week we are focusing on Winnie's Wish , a private shelter (meaning she foots the huge bills herself) run by Chrystal Parker .  You may know her from her blog - Daily Dose of Dogs, (AKA Cats With Your Coffee).  Chrystal, along with her daughters and husband, rescue and foster abandoned animals, many with medical issues, caring for them and nursing them back to health.  It is a never ending job but she loves it and the animals she encounters.

One way you can help out this shelter is to give them something from their Amazon.com Wish List.  This list includes wet and dry cat food, laundry supplies, trash bags, paper towels - all things needed when caring for as many cats at they have.

Or if you are feeling really generous, go to their blog page  Daily Dose of Dogs and click on the donate button and give a gift of money via PayPal.  Being a private feral cat sanctuary ourselves, we know how much every little bit helps.  Even a a few dollars goes a long way for food, litter and medical supplies.

You can also help Winnie's Wish by sharing this page so that many others have the chance to donate in some way to help homeless pets during this season of giving!

Purrs and Prayers for Snowball

Georgie at home

Georgie is home and doing well.  She will now get sub c fluids twice a week. The vet thinks that dehydration caused her constipation.

Snowball with his family

UPDATE - WED AM - The vet took an x-ray before surgery to see what she was dealing with since he had passed something during the night.  She felt that she could manipulate the rest of the mass without surgery and did - it was fur.  A big glob of fur was blocking his intestines.  I still don't know if it is still mega colon or if this was what caused all the problems.  We will take him home today.Thanks so very much for all the purrs and prayers for him.  So glad he did not need the surgery.

Snowball has megacolon and  is still at the vets.  They have tried enemas and manual extraction but he still has a mass in his colon.  If nothing has changed by Tues morning, they will do surgery to remove the fecal mass.  Hopefully if all goes well, he will come home on Wed of this week.

Please rev up your purrs and prayers for him.  He is a very special boy.  All his whitesters  are very upset that he is gone.  They are acting like totally lost without him..  He is their benevolent leader and father figure and they miss him terribly.

Thank you so much - you will never know how much your support means to me.  Your advice, donations, bids on the auction - we would be lost without all of you!

Remembering Joey and Yoko

Snowball here.  This will be a long post cuz we have lots to tell you besides remembering our Angels Joey and Yoko.  Anyone squeamish, should stop now and skip down to the fourth  paragraph!

I have been very constipated and many of you may remember last year I had to be taken to the vets just before we lost Yoko.  Well I guess I am re-enacting that at the same time of year.  Pop noticed me straining at the litter box and luckily with some extra butter, bran and other stuff I was able to go some on my own.  I am still not feeling great but Pop is hopeful we can finish this at home. (UPDATE - will be taking him to the vet at 3pm today.)

Meanwhile inside the house, Georgie has not been feeling well and Mom kinda thought she was constipated too.  Well off to the vet with her since she just got diagnosed with diabetes and she was vomiting too..  They had to leave her there since the enema did not help much.  I know it took two for me to get it all out.  We are still waiting on word from the vet when to go get her. (UPDATE - Georgie is home but not much better - may have to go back to the vet today.)

This would have been a tough weekend anyway  - it is the anniversary of the passing of both Joey and Yoko.  Joey left us for the Bridge on Dec. 7, 2012 and Yoko went on Dec 6, 2013.

We all miss them so very much.  They each had such a unique personality.  Joey was a lover, a snuggle kitty who had to be literally in the middle of everything.  He was everyone's buddy and got along with us all.  He welcomed any new kitty with open paws.

Yoko

Yoko was more reserved but she had a soft spot for Pop and a few selected other kitties - Joey being one of them.  Towards the end of Joey's last year, they often slept together.  Two sweet tabbies in one bed.  Yoko loved Christmas lights and would love to sit under the tree,  looking at the lights.

Joey

It is so sad to have another Christmas without our two wonderful cats here to enjoy it with us.  We know they are watching over us like the angels they are.  We think of you and sending you all our love,  Joey and Yoko.

P.S. The auction for Georgie's Vet Bills will end tonight at midnight so get your final bid in while you can.  Since our beans don't have a credit card, they have to pay with cash or borrow money to pay the vet bills as they come in.  It doesn't leave them much to live on for their expenses.  Our Giveforward  graphic will remain up until the end of this year. We don't mean to get sick but all of us are now senior kitties and things do come up.  Thank you all for all you do for us - sharing, commenting, posting, donating, giving and bidding!

Thankful Thursday with Georgie

 

I am feeling so MUCH better these days.  I want to thank all of you who have shared, donated and bid on my Giveforward fund raising page, and my Medical Fund Auction.  It will help us pay off a good piece of the vet bill and medical expenses for my insulin.  There are four days left on the auction and new things are added daily so don't miss out.

I got shaved on my legs and neck and got jabbed a lot but I was a good girl.  Everyone told Mom how sweet I was.  I had to back to the hospital for a day last weekend to do a BG curve, whatever that is.  Mom got me low carb food and gets my blood to test everyday and gives me Lantus insulin injections every morning..  I don't mind cuz I do feel better.

I am still adapting to living in the house without my whitester brothers from the cat house.  I miss them a lot but I know I will make friends with the other kitties inside. My momcat Lily and litter mate Woody and sister from another litter Tabitha are inside with me.  We will be BFFs in no time. I venture out of my room for short periods but when it gets too much, I run back and hide in my cup bed.  Mom feels bad she had to move me inside with her but she can monitor me better this way.

Lily, Woody and Tabitha sleeping outside my room.

Your purrs, prayers and get well wishes thru all this have been so very welcome - and Mom appreciates all the advice, links and  chats with others who have diabetic cats.  We love each of you and are so very grateful for your help.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Georgie watching TV with Pop

We are so very thankful on this day for our Georgie.  She was in pretty bad shape last week and we were afraid she might not make it.  Mom feels awful that she didn't see anything amiss with her before she did.  Georgie is adjusting to her new home inside with us but we think she misses her brothers, the whitesters.  They seem to be missing her too, out in their cat shelter.  Pop told them she was fine and in with us.

Lily, who lives in the house with us,  is Georgie's momcat and she has figured out how to open the door to Georgie's room and visits her often.  Georgie seems to remember her and head bonks her and makes biscuits.  All our other cats will have to adjust to her as a newcomer.

Thank you for your support, donations and bids on Georgie's Recovery Fund Auction.  This is a big expense for us - the 5-day vet hospital stay and all her insulin, needles and blood glucose test strips - it would be very difficult without all of you helping us out..

We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!  We are blessed to have all we do! Wishing all of you stateside a warm wonderful day of thanks

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice." ~Meister Eckhart

 P.S. Our auction for Georgie runs thru Dec 7 and new things have been added - check it out over the weekend!

A Visit with Marg

Missy

 

Earlier this month Mom and Pop went to see Marg of Marg's Animals.  They try to get there once a year.  This time it was a cold day so they did not spend much time outdoors where most of the kitties hang out.

Mahoney in Mom's camera bag

 They said it was good to see Marg and all the cats.  Maggie and Ande loved Pop and wouldn't leave him alone.  Mahoney just zoomed thru the room - zoom, zoom, zoom.  Back and forth.

Maggie getting loving from Pop

 Little Mom, Tip Tail and LP were outside when they left - waiting for supper.  They also saw Tees, Ohs and Lucky too.  Mom hopes she got the names right - at least on the photos!

Little Bit in front with Gertrude.

Sweet woofie Ande

Splitters soaking up some sun.

UPDATE on Georgie - she is home but still not eating on her own. Mom is force feeding her.  Since they changed insulin after she got home to Lantus, the vet is hoping it stabilizes her and she feels better.  It has been very nerve wracking for Mom. P.S. Georgie ate for Mom on Sunday night - and her blood sugar was way normal!

The auction is up and going with new things added daily so do stop by. Thanks to Ann of Zoolatry for making this super graphic for us.  Feel free to take a copy to use on your blog or Facebook page!  If any of our readers would lie to bid on an item in the auction but don't blog or have a paypal account, please email us - we can work something for you.

Update on Georgie and Auction for her Vet Bills

Vintage potholder from auction

Georgie is still at the vet's and may be home today. She is improving slowly.  I have been working so Don has been running over there to see her and help feed her. She is now eating on her own and things look good.  She was a VERY sick girl.  With her diabetes we have decided to move her inside the house since she was living in the cat shelter with Snowball and the others.

Our bills are mounting incredibly fast for her and I have a couple of other sick kitties at home.  Rosa has a UTI and Ivy still needs fluids and special  for her CRF.  Please consider shopping with us at her auction this coming week. - we have lots to offer.

At auction - new handmade pottery ornament

The auction is running thru Dec 7, 2014 to give everyone time for holiday shopping.  New, vintage, gently used and handmade items are listed.  Please stop by our auction ( Wildcat Woods Vintage Treasures) often as I will be adding things daily. Share  if you can't bid.  I can use any and all help with this!  

Thanks so much.

Purrs and Prayers for Georgie

11:20am Mon UPDATE - Our Georgie has diabetic ketoacidosis and will be getting IV fluids for 3 days at the vet and then they will regulate her insulin!  Didn't see any symptoms of this other than drinking a little more.  Our finances are a bit stretched due to Ivy's constant need to go to the vet so we will be having an auction this weekend - on Facebook and another on my blog.  Will keep you updated.  Thanks for caring!

Our sweet Georgie is not feeling well today. Mom noticed she  had lost a little weight and was being a finicky eater.  Changing foods and more attention seemed to help but this morning she did not want to eat anything.  She is also sitting by the water bowl a lot.  Those are the only symptoms - weight loss, lack of appetite and drinking more - all signs of Chronic Renal Disease.  She is only 8.  Mom gave her a couple of homeopathic remedies and she seemed to perk up a bit.

One of our vets opens at 3pm on Sunday so we will see how she is doing.  If things don't look any better, Mom will bring her in today rather than wait until Monday.  Please keep her in your thoughts and send lots of purrs!

Thank You To Donna!

Baby Doll

For our Thankful Thursday post this week we want to give a shout out to Mom's friend Donna who adopted the feral cat Panther from SC and also took in Marg's Baby Doll.  Mom got to visit her recently and saw how well both cats are doing in their new home!

Panther checking Mom out with Annie below (another rescue)

If you don't recall the details about the sleek black cat Panther - he was almost put down twice at a shelter in SC and then they scanned him for a microchip.  A call was made to the woman who had placed him and his journey began.  Our pal Brian from Brian's Home took up the quest and one thing lead to another and Donna wanted Panther.  His story is here.

Panther watching Baby Doll get loved up.

Panther's turn to get some love.

It took months but Panther has blossomed.  He is still a bit shy at first with newcomers but will come out for Mom Donna to be loved up and petted.  He has the run of the house now and his best pal is Baby Doll!  Mom even got to pet Panther for a tiny bit.  It is amazing how well he has adjusted to his forever home.  Mom Donna says he looks at her with such love in his eyes that she just melts.  He is her loverboy. We know he is soo very grateful for her and his new family.

Baby Doll was being fostered at Marg's of Marg's Animals but she did not get along with other cats so had to have her own room.  Donna saw the post about Baby Doll on Facebook and said she would take her.  Baby Doll adjusted pretty quickly to her new home.  She prefers to stay on the upper level and still gets put out when the other cats invade her rooms.  She does, surprisingly, let Panther hang out with her. They both eat in the same room.

Baby Doll has her Mom time when Donna puts her make-up on in the bathroom  Baby Doll sits on the counter and lets Donna smush her face, talk to her  and love her to bits.  Funny how they all have their quirks.

Senior kitty Simmee

Donna has a magical way about her with problem cats.  They blossom under her care and love.  She has a big generous heart too. She also took in three senior kitties - Simmee, Grayson and Annie -  that were left at home when their owner went into a nursing home.  They had been living in the basement of his house.  Again, it took patience and lots of effort but they now are part of the household and interact with the other cats and people. 

Annie showing off with Grayson photobombing.

Donna also cares for a colony of feral cats that live in the fields behind her house.  Thank you Donna for all you do for your cats  and critters everywhere.  The world is a better place  with you in it!

Dona Nobis Pacem - 2014 BlogBlast 4 Peace

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."

Buddha

For the BlogBlast 4 Peace, Mom wants to share with you what she and Pop did over the weekend - a traveling tour of relics of Buddha Masters was in Asheville for three days.  Here is the link for the Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour.  (All photos below from this web site except the on of the Buddha statue which is mine).

Minneapolis, MN - Table with the relics

Small and I mean tiny remnants of many Buddha Masters were on display - most were almost like tiny pearls that had been  found in their ashes.  These pieces are believed to embody the master's spiritual qualities of compassion and wisdom and to have been deliberately  produced at his death to be recovered in the ashes.

Relics of the Buddha - offered by HH Dalai Lama

The relics are displayed on a huge table and the visitors walk slowly around the table to view and pray over the relics.  When I walked up to the table initially, I saw the Dalai Lama's photo (he donated many relics) and my eyes filled with tears - not sad but just extremely emotional, yet feeling incredible peace too.  I cried for the whole time I was there in the room. 

A blessing from Australia

After I viewed the relics I went for a blessing. The relics are in a container called a stupa, which was placed on my head while a prayer is said for  me and for all people in the world to be released from all suffering  and to find true happiness.  When the stupa was place on my bowed head as I knelt in front of the monk, I felt a warmth in my crown that spread down to my whole body.  It was wonderful.

Pet blessing in Portugal

The Dalai Lama wanted these relics to tour the world to give  everyone a chance to see and experience their blessings - and to connect with real peace and love.

Before we left, each person was given a bottle of blessed water to take home to drink..  If we never completely empty it, but add more water to it, it will remain blessed for as long as we do that.

One of my Buddha statues

It was a very moving experience to have been able to go to this.  If any of you have the opportunity to view the relics in your city - do go. It is a profound experience.  Wishing you all Peace.

Prayer of Lovingkindness

May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to
the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.
 - Metta Prayer

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