Where’s My Home? (human speak)

Published on by Service Cats U.S.66 Comments

Meowllo and Happy Humpday to you all.  (Mommy wrote a poem at da end of meez posty, hope yous like it.)  First me wants to tell yous sum good news.  A foo postys back me told you all ‘bout a cute little Bengal boy dat wuz missin’.  Him IS Back home now fankfully and da lady dat bwought hims home didn’t want da reward so it wuz donated to udder kitties in need.  Him had been catnapped by a neighbor man acwoss da way and da nasty man had even we-named him.  Anyways, Cheetah’s home and hims mommy be welieved.  Fank all of yous who shawed him and prayed fur him.  But dat kinda leads us to todays posty. Cat face  It’s gunna be one of those serious ones where we speak human so evewypawdy can unnewstand. And so wiff out further adieu,   

 

Lexi and Dezi named

I wanna talk a bit today about adoptions and surrenders.  Seems like lately we have read about more and more older kitties being surrendered to shelters.  Oh there’s a myriad of reasons, from behaior problems, to illnesses and relocating of the human family.  The reasons are as varied as the cats and never cease to amaze us.  As you all know, cuz we tell you all the time; sis Lexi is 15 years old and doesn’t have very many teeth anymore.  She drools when she get happy (course she always did that) and before she takes a drink, she sticks her paw in the water and then shakes it off slinging water all over the place, and anyone or thing that happens to be in the vicinity.  

As for me, again as you know, I have began to piddle outside the litter box ‘bout 60% of the time.  So it’s not like we don’t have our issues that mommy has to take care of, and we know some of you deal with a lot more.  And yet, each and everyday instead of making the trip to the local shelter to surrender your problem cats you deal with them. 

So are you and our mommy saints?  Is there something special about you?  Do you know something that these other people don’t?  Well if you ask me and sissy we of course would say absolutely yes to all of those questions.  But the truth is that you are just like those people with one exception, you treat us like members of your family and not just animals.  Truth is there a quite a few things that set you all apart, but me would be here forever and this would be the longest posty ever if me went into all of it.  Some of you purchased pure bred animals and some of you adopted pure breeds and/or mixes.  Doesn’t really matter, how you got your fur family, you love us.  And we in turn love and adore you.   

Truth is a lot of the behavioral problems kitties have are either due to an illness or human neglect.  By neglect we don’t necessarily mean abuse, but a cat that scratches the furniture probably hasn’t been exposed to the proper scratching post or surface.  Or perhaps it’s even more simple and it’s a Persian kitty purchased or adopted because it was popular and looked so pretty with all that fur and smashed face, but now it’s all matted up and smelly and fights and bites it’s humans when they try to brush all those mats out. 

If peeps would do a little research before adopting or buying maybe they would find that kitty that looks so cool in the photo doesn’t really fit their lifestyle.  Or the Bengal or Savannah that makes you feel like you own your very own wild cat is too active or destructive because you don’t have the time to spend socializing and exercising them.  Come on peeps, all us kitties want is a forever home where we will be loved and taken care of.  But all of us need a little extra care depending on breed.  Even mixed kitties have a dominant breed that will sometimes determine their extra care.  Or maybe it’s what they were exposed to before coming into your life.  Certainly me doesn’t wanna suggest that you not adopt a kitty, cause you should!!!  But you should educate yourself a little first.  Make sure the kitty you’re looking at fits your lifestyle and that you have adequate time to provide them with the appropriate care. 

And then we get to those who turn in that older cat cause the family is moving and the new house/apartment doesn’t accept pets.  OMC ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!!!  Just who do you think you are?  Abandoning a living, breathing, feeling family member?  One that has been devoted to you and loved you and been there for you through the years.  Guess where most of those kitties end up.  DEAD!!!! Me not going to sugar coat it for you, or give it some nice politically correct term.  The shelters kill them!! Kittens are far more adoptable and run to the edge of the cage at potential adopters.  All the while your “beloved” former furry cowers in the back of the cage wondering what it was that they did wrong and where you are. 

Or even worse, you surrender the older kitty with a chronic illness.  Sure enough he/she is dead.  He/She was dead the minute you walked through the door.  Shelters don’t have the time or staff to take care of the sick older far less adoptable kitties.  Guess what you’re teaching your children and/or grandchildren?  Someday when you become too old or too much trouble they’re going to drop you off at the old folks home and never come back.  That is if anything in this universe is fair!!! 

You know you wouldn’t move to the house or apartment that told you your children weren’t allowed.  And for you younger set, there really used to be properties/landlords that said that, until the government passed a law that forbade it.  If you have a cat, DON’T move somewhere that you can’t take them!!!  It shouldn’t be okay with you to give up a family member just because it has fur and walks on 4 paws.  We have feelings and we love you.  We don’t understand when you dump us off somewhere scary.  And more often than not we don’t stand a chance of finding another home.    

Please, if you’re going to adopt/buy a cat or kitten, do some research first to make sure you choose the right breed or mix.  And be certain that you’re ready to keep us until it is our time to go.  And please, make some preparations for us in the event you can no longer take care of us due to death.  As we and that includes our mommy; see death the only reason you can no longer provide a home for us.  These days there are so many options there’s really no excuse.  We didn’t intend to offend or hurt any body’s feelings with this post, but this is something we feel very strongly about.  Please don’t leave us wondering “where’s my home?” 

                    FUREVER

Mommy: I love you with all my heart and soul.

You make my days brighter and fill my nights with joy. 

When you came into my life it was forever,

And not just until I found something better. 

Kitty: I will be by your side and in your lap,

Cause for me you are my hero, my world. 

I will love you and cherish you till the light dims in my eyes,

For a loving and forever home my heart cries.

Mommy: Together forever and ever we’ll be, 

Till the good Lord above shall take you from me. 

We’ll meet again on the other side,

Where the light again will shine,

     in both our eyes.

 

©2014 {Audra High} All Rights Reserved

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses    

Dezi

Funday Monday!!!

Published on by Service Cats U.S.67 Comments

Meowllo evewypawdy, awe yous all enjoyin’ da long weekend?  Yous know, hoomans nevew cease to amaze me.  Here it is Labor Day, a day celebwatin’ da Amewican labor movement, and yet most evewypawdy’s got da day off.  In udder words, they’re not workin’/laborin’.  What’s up wiff dat?   Oh well, Happy Labor Day to yous all and enjoy yous day off.  Course now dat weez liv in a 24/7 society not evewypawdy got da day off.  Maybe they be da ones weez oughtta be celebwatin’.  MOL  Well meez not gunna write a long winded posty today, but me did wanna shawr sum pawsum fings wiff yous.  And no dat dusn’t mean weez got good news, or any news fur dat matter ‘bout da floors in ow pawtment.  Not suwe ifin weez kuld pull mommy off da ceilin’ ifin weez had good news ‘bout dat.  Yous know hers wuld be way past ‘cited.  

Well da udder day, ow furiends ovew at 15 and meowing had a contest fur a subscwiption to Countwy Livin’ magazine.  And meez won it fur mommy.  Dat wulda been pawsum nuff in itself, but Miss Ellen went one better and sent Lexi and me a kupple toys too.  Hers sent us a handmade, cwocheted wiff luv catnip apple, and a catnip mousy.  Fank yous so much Miss Ellen dat be so fawtfull of yous and weez weally do purreciate it.  As weez told yous, mommy unpacked sum stuff so there wuz enuff room fur hers to make a video of me playin’ wiff da mousy. Hers got fotos too dat weez will shawe wiff yous. 

 

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Weez also been gettin’ sum boxes of goodys fur mommy fwum sum of ow furiends.  And of course lots of them included fun fur us too.  Weez got noms and toys and tweats.  Weez suwe do purreciate all of yous fur dat.  Weez luv ow mommy so vewy much and hers takes pawsum cawe of us and sees to it dat weez got evewyfin’ we need even ifin dat means hers goes wiff out.  And hers nevew complains.  Dat be what a mommy is and duz.  As yous know, mommy nevew had 2 legged childwen, so weez be hers only childwen.  

And member when me told yous weez wuld be writin’ wegulaw fur The Daily Mews?  Well ow first awticle as wegulaws is out.  Don’t fur get to go and check it out and subscwibe so yous not miss an issue.  It’s completely fwee and there’s a little sumfin’ fur evewypawdy.  There’s even an occasional contest or two.  So purrlease giv it a look see.  Paw da foto to go to da home page of The Daily Mews, and paw da word “awticle” above to be twansported to ow posty there. 

DAILY MEWS LOGO COLOUR2

One mowe little fing.  Weez been gettin’ lots of questions ‘bout how Lexi and me be duin’ in da middle of all da chaos.  First let me say Fank yous fur yous concern.  Weez purrawly handlin’ it much better than mommy.  You see, bein’ Service cats weez kinda used to a little chaos.  And mommy also we-awwanges da house (da fings hers can safely move) evew so offen so weez get used to change.  And of course we go out wiff mommy and get exposed to all kinds of fings and smells and peeps. 

We awe a little stir cwazy cuz ow house wuz packed up so tight weez didn’t hav room to get wound, but havin’ boxes evewywhere dusn’t fweak us out.  And all of ow toys wuz packed away cuz mommy fawt it wuz just posed to be fur dat one day.  But mommy has unpacked a lot of stuff, taken out most of ow toys and given us a foo to play wiff.  And weez got sum new ones fwu da mail dat mommy lets us hav, so weez playin’ again.  Da smell isn’t gweat and da wet isn’t gweat, but we awe managin’.

Mommy on da udder hand, worries ‘bout us and gettin’ sick and wantin’ all ow stuff put away where it belongs.  Cuz altho’ weez okay wiff it all mommy finks weez wuld all be better off once fings go back to normal fur us.  Altho’ da only move meez evew made wuz fwum da yucky bweeder to mommy’s house (me wuz dopted da same day we wuz wescued),  sis Lexi has moved a lot in hers lifetime and sez mommy wuldn’t go anywhere wiff out us.  So me is takin’ sum of meez cues fwum her.  All da boxes not bodder sis Lexi so there’s no weason fur them to upset me.  And me is a cat after all.  And as such me luvs boxes.  

As fur da motel they’re talkin’ ‘bout puttin’ us up in,  since we awe used to change, so long as mommy be there, we awe okay wiff dat too.  Weez won’t lie and say weez walk wight into da room and own it, but it only takes a kupple hours and weez awe okay and actin’ like weez at home.  So, fur all of yous wunnewin’ out there, weez okay, but fanks fur yous purrayers.  Mommy can suwe nuff use them cuz hers not okay wiff any of this, and hers be fed up!!!    

So, here’s to a Funday Munday hope yous plannin’ sumfin’ gweat.  

(Hover ovew da foto to read da caption)

Dezi  

Til da nex time…………….Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses   

Dezi and Lexi

Blest Sunday – We Too Grieve pt. 2

Published on by Service Cats U.S.47 Comments

Meweek evewypawdy.  Hope yous weekend has been a good one.  It’s been a busy one fur us, but…we get an extwa day!!!  Isn’t dat pawsum?  Well me dusn’t wanna take up too much time wiff updates and such cuz me weally finks ow gwievin’ series is purrtant, but me knows yous awe curious.  Weez still hav no word as to when da work might get stawted on ow pawtment and as me sed this be a long weekend so weez won’t hear anyfin’ til da earliest Tuesday.  So mommy decided to unpack enuff of ow stuff so dat we kuld get wound a bit better and hers kuld take fotos of ow stuff to make suwe it comes back and in da same condition it wuz in when it left.  After all, da movers awe bein’ hired to pack, store and bwing back and unpack.    Weez also kinda took da weekend to west, as mommy wuz just exhausted after unpackin’, and hers got a foo mowe fings hers wants to get too.  So we will be visitin’ yous all again stawtin’ today.  Now, altho’ we know most of yous unnewstand dat us animals gwiev, it’s always pawssible dat sumpawdy be readin’ ow blog dat dusn’t.  And there may be sum fings ‘bout it yous didn’t know or fink ‘bout so dat’s why weez writin’ this series.  So wiff out further adieu, here’s Lexi. 

Thanks Dezi.  Yes in our short time in social media we have encountered a lot of loss.  And we’ve heard all kinds of stories about how you help your animals through it.  Some are good and some not so much.  But it’s not your fault when you do the wrong things sometimes. It’s not like we can talk and tell you something isn’t working or what you should have done.  So we hope with these posts and walking you through our grieving process can help some of you understand us a bit better.  Altho’ remember all animals have their own individual personalities, and these are just our tips, tricks and experiences.

(hover over the photos to read the captions)

Lexi and Lucky  

After losing Devon, Lucky and I grew even closer.  We were only 28 days apart to begin with, and now it was just us and mommy.  Things were great.  And then almost 4 years later Lucky got sick.  It was sudden and overwhelming.  His smell changed and mommy would take him out and when he came home he smelled even stranger.  (I still react badly to the smell of the vets office) He pulled away from me, but I didn’t care.  He didn’t smell like my Lucky anymore.  I would scream and hiss when he came around.  This didn’t last long as he died so quickly after getting sick.  Not even a week went by and he was gone.  My anger turned quickly to fear and grief.  I began to search for him around every corner and in all the places he used to hide.  I would pace on the bed at night and meow almost non stop.  I spent a lot of time with mommy and didn’t want her to be out of my sight.  She was sad too and I could feel it.  I didn’t eat.  Mommy recognized what was going on and gave me extra love and would talk to me in that loving and gentle voice that says everything’s going to be okay. 

Lucky and Lexi

The one thing mommy did that helped me get through it, was to change her grieving process so that I didn’t feel her sadness as much.  As many of you know we animals sense your emotions and behave accordingly.  Now that doesn’t mean you can’t grieve your beloved furry family member.  It just means that you avoid obsessing about it, especially when you are in direct contact with us.  Remember we are still here.  Try to appreciate us. Play with us and speak with a slight lilt in your voice. 

We know things have changed and we’ve gotten by now that our housemate isn’t coming back, but we don’t truly understand death.  You see in the wild we would see and smell the illness and then the death.  Yes, death has a smell.  But being domesticated often death happens outside of our presence.  As does many times the illness.  In the wild we would avoid or push away the sick member because they are weak and would possibly draw predators to us.  But in a home as domesticated animals we often show empathy to the sick and weak among us.  And then suddenly they’re not there anymore. 

Bringing home the body and presenting it to us to smell does not work!! The body has the smell of the vets office and medication, not that of death.  Since most of us (especially cats) aren’t crazy about the vet we don’t understand what you’re trying to tell us.  We communicate through smells more than vision, so instead of helping us say goodbye, you are causing us to feel more trepidatious about the vet and those at least yearly visits.  If our house mate was undergoing treatments of any kind before death, even though they die in our home, the body doesn’t have the true smell of death. 

The best way to help us is to allow us to grieve but don’t let it linger.  We know you need to grieve as well, but around us you have to present a strong front.  If we appear to find a blanket or favorite toy that belonged to our house mate comforting, then allow us to have it.  You don’t have to completely erase their presence in the home, but a shrine isn’t good for either of us.  Mommy believes that with the death of a beloved furry somewhere out there is another furry looking for you.  A new furry WILL NOT REPLACE the beloved furry that left you, but they will help fill the void and offer lots of love.  And even if we act out and don’t seem very accepting, it is occupying our mind and re-directing our grief.  Just watch an make sure nobody gets really hurt.  And as most of you know, when you want to stop an unwanted behavior re-direction is often the best way to go about it.  And although we don’t really speak the same language, mommy has found that if she sits down with us and explains that our house mate has gone to heaven (or whatever you believe in) and isn’t coming back we seem to calm down.

 

Dezi and Lxi

We know these are not the only ways to deal with grief in your furry family members.  These tips are based on our personal experiences and mommys’ experiences and knowledge from being a vet tech.  We hope this has helped some of you understand our grieving process a bit better.  We didn’t cover every minute or action, but enough of the highlights to convey the emotions.  Although we wish nobody or animal had to experience loss, death is a part of life.    Mommy loves wholeheartedly and losing a fur baby is very hard on her too.  But thankfully she learned a long time ago that she can talk about her grief with others for comfort.  But I have no one but her, and my health depends on how quickly I can bounce back and let go.  We love you all dearly and are grateful to have met you even though it’s only online.  You are as much a part of our family as we are to each other.  

Fanks sissyfur fur shawin’.  As Lexi sez weez suwe hope yous can find sum tip to take away wiff you.  Gwief is a natural purrawcess but you can’t live there and neevew can we.  Ifin yous need help copin’ wiff da loss of a luved one, purrlease ask.  Sumtimes we all need a little help fwum ow furmily and furiends. 

 

Til da nex time…………….Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses  

Dezi and Lexi

Grief Up Close (human speak-pt.1)

Published on by Service Cats U.S.62 Comments

Dezi:  Well here it is Furiday again and what a week it’s been.  Blogville sed goodbye to a favowit cat blogger   and hello to a foo new ones.  And wiff dat bein’ sed, weez fawt dat we wuld do a short series on grief and your fur family members. Weez fawt we wuld  do one of those educational postys we purrawmissed you wuld see.  Let me stawt by sayin’ dat there awe tons of web sites and books and all kinds of resources out their on gwievin’ inpets, so stead of wepeatin’ and copyin’ them, weez gunna tell yous ‘bout ow own expewience wiff gwief.  And because me has not lost a furmily membew thank God, sis Lexi will be writin’ todays posty, and in hooman speak.  So sissy take it away.

Lexi:  Thank you Dezi.  As a lot of you know I have lost 3 brofurs during my lifetime.  Since I came into mommys house immediately after being born, this is the only life I’ve ever known.  And when I arrived there were already 2 cats in residence.  Devon, a 4 year old Himilayan, and Lucky a 28 day old Siamese.  Of course there were plenty of fosters, but they came and went so quickly I never got attached.  Not like I did with Devon and Lucky.  I was a little over a year old when Devon took ill.  I had grown up with him acting much like a father to Lucky and I.  Suddenly one day out of nowhere He attacked me while I slept.  Mommy of course intervened, but I was stunned.  An hour later he was acting like normal again.  I loved him and wanted to comfort him so I went to lay down next to him and so did Lucky.  Things were fine until a few days later, and again out of nowhere he attacked me.  Again mommy intervened, only this time she took Devon to the VET.  After an exam and some tests mommy was told he most likely had a brain tumor and that treatments would cost a small fortune and would only prolong his life a short time. 

 

(Don’t furget to hovew ovew da fotos to read captions.)

 

Devon

Mommy made the hard decision to say goodbye to Devon and return home alone.  Lucky and I were very confused.  We didn’t understand why Devon wasn’t with mommy.  None of us had ever spent the night away from each other. Lucky and I didn’t eat dinner that night.  Instead we both kept going from room to room and meowing for Devon.  We also spent time sitting with mommy who had leaky eyes really bad.  This kind of behavior went on for a few days.  The only thing that changed is that Lucky and I began to eat a little.  After about a week mommy sat down with Lucky and me and told us that Devon wasn’t ever coming home.  He had gone to heaven where he was no longer sick.  Although we didn’t completely understand all of mommys words we did understand she was talking about Devon and that she seemed as sad as we were.  But she held us and comforted us and spoke softly and made us feel as though everything was going to be alright.  We continued to look for Devon for a few more weeks, and during that time mommy increased our play time and treat time, and kept us occupied while we were awake.  And at night she would sing to us as we massaged her to sleep.  Eventually we quit looking for Devon and moved on.  

  Devon, Lexi and Lucky

Lucky and I became even closer through the years until the day he said good bye.  We will save this for the next post as our relationship was much stronger.  Please stay tuned for more on grief in pets.  We hope to offer you tips and tricks and ways to deal with it and help your fur friends cope and adjust. 

Til da nex time……………..Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses 

Dezi and Lexi