Thursday, November 21, 2013

Lulu was living her life in a trailer park among many community kitties and a family of raccoons. Her caretaker called Almost Home for help to rescue some of the kittens that had been born into the colony. After arriving at the location, I opened several cans of canned cat food to draw the kitties near to assess the situation.  I noticed a very thin black and white kitty that was trying to eat the food but as she was biting into the food it was falling out of her mouth. She was not able to chew or swallow. She walked away and settled into her bed, an old tire filled with dirt. She was lying in the sun and to my surprise when I tried to get close to her she let me. I was able to get a look at her mouth. I could not believe what I saw. Her gums looked like raw hamburger meat. I knew immediately I would have to take her back to the rescue and get her the medical help she needed. Lulu had most of her teeth removed and became one of the sweetest kitties at the rescue. She also has a very spicy personality but more than anything she loved to crawl onto your chest for loves.

It took us several years to find the perfect home for Lulu. She went home with another wonderful sweetie, named Sweetie! She is a beautiful long haired black Persian princess.  It has been one year since the adoption.  I was so happy to receive a letter from Lulu and Sweetie’s forever home. Carol, her new guardian, said Lulu had to have her few remaining teeth removed and says she is her Velcro kitty. Sweetie took a long time to adjust with baby steps all the way but is now her lover girl. Carol said “In the evening, I sit on the couch to watch TV with Lulu on my chest and Sweetie glued to my side”.  This is such a wonderful happy ending! It makes all our hard work worth it!

Many of you have asked why I haven’t been blogging lately and have asked if I’m okay. The truth is, it has been a tough year. The past few weeks I have had a little set back from the diagnosis I was given several months ago. For those of you that don’t know, I am still recovering from a car accident and the discovery of cancer. So, there may be some weeks that I am not well enough to be able to keep up with the blog and other daily projects. I will be okay, it's just taking time to recover. Please don’t worry about Almost Home. I am blessed with terrific volunteers and Tanessa who is instrumental in the every day operations of Almost Home.  She cares about the kitties and loves all animals as much as I do (or more). Anyway, I will do my best to keep you, our supporters, informed about Almost Home. I am thrilled you are interested in the behind the scenes details of our rescue. I am blessed to be surrounded by such caring, supportive friends, family, volunteers and those of you that love Almost Home!

Several adult kitties have joined the Almost Home population. Alaska is a beautiful Himalayan with bright blue eyes. She was left at the door one morning when we were closed. This happens far to often. I really wish this would never happen. When we are closed it could be hours, even late into the evening before someone goes to the rescue. Alaska was at a huge risk of something terrible happening. Missy, Amber, Starlena, Muffy, Saphee, Cookie, Tyke, Zoey, Brique, Lucy, Snow, Flake, Carmel and Honey are the other newcomers.

Our miracle boy Wyatt is now out of his kitty suite. He is starting to mingle with his new friends. I thought it would be a slow process for him but he is doing quite well! He’s still a little timid with change so we will keep a close eye on him to help him adjust. We want to make sure he is completely healthy, physically and emotionally, before we find his forever home. Wyatt is now ready for visitors so come to the rescue and give him some love!

We had a fun birthday party for Tanessa a couple of Saturday’s ago. After we closed for the day, all the volunteers came to help her celebrate with the kitties. It was a lot of fun. The kitties are so different at night. They were all awake and up running and wrestling instead of napping. They were ready to party too! Thanks everyone for a special night for Tanessa and the kitties too!

Cedar needed to be medicated for a week and boy did he dislike it. He was mad at everyone. But now he is back to his old self and trusting Tanessa again. Eddy and Crash were adopted together. Raj and Howard are teaching the new kittens how to run on the wheel in the kitten room. Snow and Flake were reunited with Honey after being apart for several months. Hang in there Gracie girl (our 24 year old at Almost Home) we all love you so much!

Lucy, an 11 year old tuxedo, is living in the office. She was brought to us after her guardian past away suddenly. Sadly she was separated from her kitty companion of 7 years and is having a hard time adjusting to the community. It was her guardians wish that the two of them stay together. Please try to honor this if ever in this situation. Lucy really needs to know she is loved and needs her forever home. Got room for one more?

Donations:

This may seem like a long list but as I have said in the past it is extremely important to me to thank each and everyone one of you that helps keep the doors open at Almost Home.  I’m sorry if I have missed any donations. Please know how grateful I am for your help for Almost Home. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Marlene

John

Jacqueline & Robert

Christine

Grace

Jutharat

Karen

Kari

Michael

Laura

Frank& Lyndell

Becky

John

Erika

Christine

Margaret

Christine

Leanne

Ami

Diana

Vicki

Pat

Gloria

Charles

Kathleen

Harvey

Kaaren

Jennifer

Elizabeth

Margaret

Barbara

Chris

Renee

Taylor

Ed

Alice

Supplies and/or food donations:

Pat

Renee

Bridget

Sarah

Sam

Lanette

Susan &Nancy

Stephen

Ollie

Sherri

Margarite

Joe & Bridget

Barb

Tammy

Mark

Delana

Russell

Elizabeth

Ed &Sandy

Geoff

Lisa

Casey

Chelsea

Kathy

Amanda

Lynette

Dennis

Sean

M.A.

Gregg & Colette

Lindsay

Adrea

Veronica

Bob

Kim

Marjorie

Jane

Rocky

John

Marie

Amy

Maria

Angie

Patti

Joe

Diane

Marilynn

Judy

Lisa

Carrie

Saundra

Samantha

Mellissa

Beth

Eric & Diane

PayPal donations:

Lori

Suzan

Stefanie

Cathy

Twyla

Blackhawk Acupuncture

Tawny

Action Computer

Julie

Patricia

Krista

Delia

Mary

Susan

Alice

Michelle

Bruce

Sandra

Rebecca

Michael

Christine

Kathryn

Laura

Kathy

Alicia

Lucinda

Rikki

Michelle

Cathy

Linda

Jennifer

David

Richard

Aaron

Richard

Renee

Graham

Kathy

Eric

Tracy

Marianne

James

Janna

Pamela

Richard

Catherine

Judith

Meggie

Jessica

Desiree

Brenda

Alice

Jenifer

Stacey

Tracey

Donna

Laurie

Susan

Our calendar fundraiser is off to a great start! Thanks again Becky, Sylvia and Deb. These supporters are a few that have the cute calendars in hand:  Jane, Diane, Jeanne, Vicki, Ami, Alice, Erica, Robert, John, Denise, Barbara, M.A., Christine, Dawn, Pat, and Melanie.  We have lots more so come by the rescue and get your copies!

Please remember to reload your King Soopers cards.

It’s a week before Thanksgiving. Life is good….so much to be thankful for!

Kindness to Critters Always,

Kathleen



The "Wigwamy" Persian kittens in foster care.
Wiggy- orange boy
Wammy- silver boy

 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Last Friday a little 5½-week-old kitten was found and brought to Almost Home. The person that brought the kitten said he had been poisoned and the rest of his litter had died. This little one was very lethargic. In fact, he couldn't stand and laid flat with no movement. His eyes were shut. His temperature was only 90.5 and he weighed only 13 ounces. He should have weighed closer to 2 pounds. He was in big trouble. Tanessa started support care, first by trying to warm him up. One of our rescue center veterinarians, Dr. Lisa, was called and came to help determine what had happened to this tiny little guy. It took hours but then his temperature started to rise and he had some signs of movement. He was given fluids, antibiotics and eventually some kitten milk. We weren't sure he would make it through the night. I’m very happy to say that it has been 6 days now and he continues to get better. He is finally eating solid food on his own. His name is Sunny. We still aren't sure if he was poisoned or not but he is another life saved because of the support our rescue center receives from folks like you.

We have so many great supporters. Whether you come to help at the rescue/adoption center or foster, or help with events, or fundraisers, or enter data, or follow us on Facebook and the kitty webcam, or donate supplies, food, litter,or network, or donate monetarily, you are so very important to us.

Most of you that are involved with this organization know we are very particular when it comes to adopting out any of our kitties. Often we will get potential adopters that either want to declaw or let their kitties outside without supervision. Neither of these is in the cat’s best interest and is against our policies.  It is only after these folks are denied the adoption that they have something negative to say about Almost Home. In particular they try to discredit Tanessa or myself. I’m not writing about this to whine but instead I’m hoping this will help continue our mission of educating better animal guardianship.

Oh, I’m not saying it doesn't bother us. It hurts a lot to hear these negative comments. Especially since we know exactly what it took to take care of each and every kitty at Almost Home. Our kitties are here from the streets of Colorado or they are saved from death row at municipal shelters.  We wish these people who are complaining would follow us around for 1 week and foster 1 kitty that came in needing critical care. Watching what the kitties go through and watching what we go through to get our furry friends to an adoptable condition and keep them in this condition is a 24/7 job. I promise you those that really care would change their mind if they walked in our shoes. We want only the best for each and every kitty that depends solely on humans for their care. So we do have the right to deny. It does not matter how much money they have, how big their house is, how many animals they have had in the past that went outside (really? how many lived a long, healthy life?) or how many were declawed with no problems, (really? then let’s cut the human's toes off!). Our adoptions have never been based on how many we can adopt. Our adoptions are based on responsible guardians and loving homes. 

Also, when potential adopters are disappointed that they may have to wait for the adoption process, please understand we have lots of kitties to care for and the care of the kitties always comes first. We limit our adoption counselors to those that have exceptional knowledge of the kitties that are waiting to find a loving home. This definitely helps with the matchmaking. We also know if a kitty needs to go home with a friend. This is the main reason we have a high retention rate. Please be patient. This is potentially a 20-year commitment! We are serious about finding really good homes. Thanks for understanding.

Wyatt update!! After Wyatt’s eye surgery we thought it was best for him to go into foster care.  It was clear he was not adjusting to his surroundings at the rescue. We will try again after a few more weeks of recovery. Wyatt is eating, maintaining his weight and he is getting used to living with his slight disability. We are so proud of him. We love him with all of our hearts. I think he knows he is the “poster kitty" for kitties left in foreclosed homes.

Chris and Eric were able to move all the donated litter from storage to the rescue center and Chris was able to make room in his garage for a large portion that wouldn't fit at the rescue. Thanks guys!

Maggie and Shiloh have caught the cold crud that has been going around. They look like they feel pretty bad but they are getting medicated so they should feel much better real soon. We named the new adult Persian that came in Annie. She got her tangled hair shaved yesterday. It was just too mated to comb out. Tanessa put a nice sweater on her so she doesn't get cold. Surgery day this week went well. Altogether, 9 were spayed and neutered. Erica was able to make a couple copies of our spay/neuter books for us. Thanks Erica!  Cali, Valerie, Bristol, Lorenzo, Sheba, Pumpkin, are a few that went home this week. We're happy Tanessa is feeling better!! We received a message that our volunteer Marge has the flu. Get well soon Marge! The 2014 Almost Home Adoption kitten calendar is here and it is kitten cuteness overload! Get your copy at the rescue/adoption center for a donation of only $20. 

We have some very sad news; we lost an incredibly sweet kitten Monday to severe mega- esophagus.  Gemma may have been born with this horrible condition. It is very rare in cats and can be very painful. Without a doubt, Gemma received much love from her foster mom Candi. Tanessa and I were with her, continuing that love until the end. She is now free of pain and is busy chasing after butterflies :-). Bless this baby, and thank you to all that put forth extra effort to help Gemma.

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”  -- Winnie the Pooh

Kindness to Critters Always,

Kathleen  

Sunny when he came to Almost Home :-(

Sunny today!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Wyatt is all settled in to his new home at Almost Home! What a nice welcome party we had for him! Volunteers gave the rescue an extra good cleaning, Sylvia made a really cute poster for us to sign, Robert had the webcam ready, Tanessa brought pizza, a cake was donated and lots of people stopped by the rescue to say hello. Thank you for making this a special day!

Wyatt had his eye surgery Tuesday. I want you all to know we didn't have a choice. The eye was causing him pain and would have continued to be infected. We had his mouth checked while he was under anesthesia and he did have a small cyst removed from the back of his mouth behind his last tooth on the bottom. He really dislikes the cone he has to wear but other than that he is doing well. I told him he is almost done with all his vet visits and we can focus on showering him with love!

I wrote about Starlina and posted a picture of her in a past blog with her damaged eye. She was one of the lucky ones. Medicine and time helped heal her eye. She is back to normal and is taking good care of her kittens.

Kittens, kittens, kittens everywhere! Thank goodness for all of our fosters. Fostering is an amazing labor of love. Most of the fosters work, have families and yet they still find time to help these innocent homeless babies. It is such an important part of the rescue work we do. You are my heroes. I often hear folks say they can’t foster because they would want to keep them all. Well, it is true, you will want to keep all of them. Most of our fosters have failed at least once!

I read this recently and it is so true… "On the fence about fostering? I would rather cry watching them leave our home to live a life of happiness and joy in a loving home than cry because no one stepped up to help them and they died alone, frightened and sad in the kill shelter."  Fostering saves lives! Thank you fosters everywhere!

A big, big Thank You for supporting Almost Home!

Jutharat

Lynne

Kari

Henry

Jim

Glenda

Yasminie

Ronald

Mia

Hugo

Donna

Kusta – food

Melanie

Patty

Diana

Sam

Tina & Sharon

Dawn

Jeanne

Luke –food

Sherri – food, supplies

Sharon – food, supplies

Marcia & Cash –food, toys

Nancy & Mary –food, supplies, toys, donation

Hank – food, supplies

Katelyn & Chris – toys, bed, food

Nikki  - supplies, toys

Linda & Jean

Jeff, Jen & Lily – food

Dan & Bruce

Jennifer

David

Richard

Michelle

Alice

Cathy

Susan

Mary

Deila

Krista

Julie

Patricia

Action Computer Technology

Tawny

Blackhawk Acupuncture

Twyla

Stefanie

Cathy

Suzan

Just about every day we get calls regarding found kittens. It is sometimes upsetting where these little ones are found. Like the call we got Tuesday. A kind lady left a message saying she had a load of wood delivered that morning to her home. She planned to use it this winter in her fireplace. A few hours after the delivery she heard the tiny mews of kittens. After searching through the wood pile she made the shocking discovery of itty, bitty kittens, 2 weeks old. We returned her call and of course, we had her bring them immediately to the rescue. One was critical and sadly did not make it through the hour. The other is out of harm's way now recovering from her traumatic experience. I’m bottle feeding every few hours and she has a soft warm bed instead of wood to sleep in.

A mom and 3 kittens were reluctantly surrendered after one of our volunteers noticed the horrible care they were receiving at a filthy house.  She said they were not being fed on a regular basis and when they were it was milk dog biscuits. The adult kitties were eating rats! This is unacceptable! Its easy folks, don’t get animals if you are not prepared to care for them! They are living, breathing creatures from God. We should be good stewards in the care of His creations. They have feelings, they have pain, they have emotions. Almost Home will give these sweeties everything they need and unconditional love.

We also have a new adult kitty. She had been roaming the streets for months.  She is a beautiful black and white flat-faced Persian. We love her already. She is very mated and desperately needs a hair cut. I have a Persian girl and she needs to be groomed almost daily. I tell her that her hair is very pretty but it tangles like cotton candy.  Our new girl will need a home where she will get lots of love, where she will never be let outside on her own, and she will need the daily grooming Persians require. We have some ideas for her name and I will let you know what we decide.

Angola, Topaz, Michone, Maggie (the kitten), and Sophia went to loving homes. Thank you for opening your heart and home to a new furry friend!! We had 14 spay and neuters this week. All are doing fine.

I hope our volunteer, Michelle, had a terrific time on her trip to Africa. I can’t wait to hear about it. It was really good to see Bruce and Dan. I miss those guys! It was also very nice to see Cathy B. on Saturday. Her allergies won’t allow her to volunteer at the rescue but she has offered to help with projects outside the rescue. Thank you Becky for all the cookies you have been bringing in and I’m very sorry to hear about your car. Happy Birthday to my nephew Joshua!  We love and miss you!

The calendar will be here in a week or so. They will be available for a $20 donation and all proceeds will benefit the kitties here at Almost Home. Don’t forget they make nice gifts for your friends and family!

Kindness to Critters Always,

Kathleen

This cutie pie says "Thank you for saving me."

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Today we will welcome Wyatt to the rescue!! Please stop by for a visit, we have a cake for us humans (and Paris!) and tuna for our furry friend Wyatt. It will take a few weeks for Wyatt to adjust to his new family at Almost Home. He has been extremely traumatized from his ordeal. He has grown very fond of Tanessa, Vicki and I but he is pretty timid with others. Being at the rescue will allow him to meet lots of new friends and it will allow us to show him lots of love, so one day he feels safe again.

We will continue to update Wyatt’s followers with his progress. He has gained nearly 6 pounds this past month and weighs about 11 pounds now!! His tremors are gone and he is eating normal amounts of food now. We will help him gain more strength with physical therapy several times each week. His eye has not responded to treatment and is going to be removed next week. It is causing him pain or we would not do this. I think other than his eye issue; he will soon be a great kitty for someone to love. Wyatt’s recovery is truly a miracle!

If you are not able to come to the party you can join us on the webcam, click on the Kitten Cam at the top of this page or at  http://ustre.am/REUt at 1:00 pm. See you there!

  

Ruby had a dental yesterday and had to have several teeth extracted. I think 11!! Hopefully, this will make her feel much better. Thank you Rich, for taking such good care of Ruby. Heather took our FIV+ kitten, Vivian, home so she will get lots more love and attention. Thanks Heather!  Eric picked up the King Soopers donation as he does monthly! Thanks Eric!! Sherry worked very hard on getting some much needed paperwork submitted. Thanks Sherry! 

We had a visit from a gentleman that works for a cat food company and he wants to help us get donations of food from them for Almost Home. This would mean we could feed the kitty’s really good food! Please keep your paws crossed that this will happen!

We had many calls for help this week. There were 3 different community cat situations.  We can trap, neuter and release at 2 locations but at one location animal management is going to trap and kill if someone doesn't help. We are going to try….

Forever homes for more kitties! Shelby, Kirby, Jimmy, Sapphire, Kenya and Azula now have warm laps to curl up in! We had another spay/neuter day and we also had several intakes too.

  

I love watching the kitten webcam. It is so cute to see how the older kittens teach the younger ones how to run on the wheel. They have quite the playground including the new caterpillar tunnel.

  

Wishing for a great adoption weekend and wishing you a wonderful weekend wherever you are!

Kindness to Critters Always,

Kathleen

"Pumpkin" our classic orange tabby that was stuck in a tree!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Happy Monday! We had a very happy Sunday! The last of the 160+ Colorado Springs hoarding kitties, Elliott and Dandi went home.  I can’t help wishing we could have kept all 23 that we helped. But that wouldn’t have been fair to these kitties as they were healthy, sweet and young. I will say again they had a good momma; she just let things get out of control. All these kitties went in pairs! They had only known life with each other so it was a shame to hear the other groups that helped rescue them didn’t have this same policy. Thank you to all of you at Almost Home that saw this need and appreciated it. Patience is a virtue!

An adorable little five-week-old Snowshoe Siamese kitten was transferred to us from another group because she has tested FIV+ (feline aids). Most of the adult feral cats in her colony were euthanized. She has to be confined without other kittens to play with. I’m not trying to make us sad but instead I want this to be a reminder about how important it is to keep our kitties inside. Although most kitties can live a long life with feline aids, it is a contagious virus. Kitties with this virus should be homed with only FIV+ kitties. We will test her again when she is several months old hoping she will test negative. If not, we will have to try extra hard to find her a forever home. She’s is pretty darn cute so maybe it won’t take too long!

Thank you so much to the following people for helping the kitties at Almost Home:

Kim

Amanda & Josh- food

Cara

Elaine – food

Kari & Ryan- food,supplies

Pam

Lee Ann – food

Beverly

Emily- food

Kelly – food

Georgie

Morgan

Jim

Tony

Louise –food, litter

Amy

Donna

Diana

Dan

Deborah

Martha

Kimberly

Friend from Basalt

Shirley

Mila & Brandan

Laura

Joanne

Kathryn

Lori

Carrie

Ed

Brenda

Tracy

Marrianne

Sandra

Christine

Jacky

Stephanie

Speedking

Michael

Lisa

Herlinda

Patricia

Cat Clothing

Maureen

Margaret

Patricia & Mark

Louise

Joanna &Gene

Brenda

Patricia

Colleen, Collin & Keria – food

Marco – food

Sedona, Finnie, Ennek, Kiernyn – supplies

Margaret – supplies

Brenda – food, supplies

Barbara

Joanna

Jean & Joel – in loving memory of Ann

This Wednesday, September 25, at 7 p.m., I am going to a showing of a documentary called “The Paw Project” at the Sie Film Center in Denver.  This educational film is directed by Jennifer Conrad, DVM. “It is an inspiring David and Goliath story of a grassroots movement to protect felines, both large and small, from the cruelty of declawing, and how the movement has prevailed, despite the efforts of the well-funded professional veterinary associations. These are animals we love, and whom we share our homes. Why aren't we being told the truth about what the declawing procedures involve?” You can see the original trailer of the documentary, ticket information and location of the Sie Film Center at

http://www.denverfilm.org/filmcenter/reserve.aspx?fid=75&id=31555.

Two little puppies were brought to us after being found in a storm drain down the street from us, next to Toys R Us. It does happen, we get the other revered species and it is always a treat!  We love all the critters here at Almost Home.

I am truly grateful for those of you that are interested in Wyatt’s outcome. He is a remarkable little guy that is one of the lucky ones to have this fan base. So many kitties come to us needing intensive care. It’s great that Wyatt has become somewhat of a poster kitty for foreclosure cats.

Wyatt is ready for a new adventure!! He is being transferred to the rescue to continue his recovery. His confinement has helped him learn to eat again and gain the strength he has so far. To further develop his muscle recovery, he will start physical therapy at the rescue. This will also help in his mental and emotional recovery. He will meet new human friends, new kitty friends, and be eased into his new feline friendly home. He has a few more weeks before he sees the eye doctor.  A huge THANK YOU to all his caregivers for helping us achieve our goals for Wyatt. And we could not have done this without the donors; your donations have made this all possible. THANK YOU!!  

Yeah!!! Rhythm, Merle, Daryl, Merie, Serina, and Claire went home!  We did eight spay and neuters this week, including little Pumpkin, the kitten that was stuck in the tree.  He has the best loving, playful personality. He needs a good home now, as do the 30 plus kittens at Almost Home. Anyone thinking about adding to your family come on in, I’m sure we have a kitty for you!

I previewed the Almost Home Adoptions, 2014 Kitten Calendar! It’s amazing again! Get ready to get yours and tell all your friends and family it’s almost here! I’ll let you know as soon as we get them!

Kindness to Critters Always,

Kathleen



Flower waving "Hi" to all of you!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I just finished bottle feeding, and I’m in love again. I think I will name this sweet baby “Flower."  She has the absolute cutest face. It looks like the petals of a sunflower. Her eyes opened today and she is eating more at every feeding. She eats every 3 hours now instead of every 2 hours and then it is nighty-night time again!

Okay, my goal was at least 2 blogs a week. Where does the time go? I keep thinking if we had a little more help, I would have a little more time. I really enjoy connecting with you via this blog, Facebook and our kitty webcam! If you are finding yourself with free time, come and volunteer at Almost Home.  We welcome all of you kitty lovers!

It seems like whenever we have a weather change we are bombarded with intakes of homeless kitties. We admitted 8 in the last few days. A little orange boy was found in tree. After waiting 2 days for him to come down, a caring person actually climbed the tree to get him. He is now safe at Almost Home! A construction worker found 4 older kittens in a flooded shed. Three of the babies had died. He rushed the live one to us to take care of and she is doing very well!

I have thanked the young couple that brought Wyatt to us several times. But I still feel a need to thank them again. They didn't hesitate to do the right thing. Some of the neighbors were aware that there was a kitty in the closed up house and they did nothing. One neighbor knew about him and at first said she called authorities. She said that animal control would not come. She has since denied this.  She is ultimately the one that flagged down the couple that was care-taking the lawn. They immediately sought help from us! Wyatt could have been saved weeks prior if these people would have stepped up and done something. I hold them just as accountable. Knowing an animal was in trouble and doing nothing or not doing enough is inexcusable. We have a video of him to show all of you what progress he has made. But it won't download for some reason. It's probably the two people trying to do it (me and Tanessa!). Help Sylvia or Becky! We haven't had his eye looked at by the specialist yet. He needs to gain more strength before we put him through the exam. In the meantime, we are medicating it to help with any pain it may be causing.  He is a miracle. 

I’m watching my granddaughter, Gabriella, crawl all over my loving dog, Buddyboo. He is so gentle with her. She has a favorite kitty too! Lexi is her name. She is a rather large Maine Coon weighing 17 pounds. (Her brother, Lambo, weighs 25 pounds!) Lexi has shown an unexplainable love for Gabriella even when she grabs a handful of Lexi's beautiful fur and pulls it. We don’t allow her to do this but as a 10 month old that crawls faster than a Grey Hound runs, she sometimes manages to do it anyway. She also lays all over her. Lexi is very accepting. All the other kitties run the other way!

Please remember to reload your King Soopers cards. It’s a great fundraiser for us! Paper towels, laundry soap, paper plates, mops, brooms, bleach are some of the supplies we are always in need of. If we get them at King Soopers we benefit twice!!  You guys are so thoughtful to bring these supplies. It warms me inside to know so many of you care about what we need to care for all our kitties.

Ruby, Pearl, Wyatt and Gracie are on the kitty prayer chain this week. Ruby is not eating, Pearl had blood coming from her rectum, Wyatt is still suffering internal injuries to his liver and kidneys, and Gracie is dealing with all the symptoms of a senior, senior kitty (24 years old).

We had lots of adoptions! - Shelly, Peewee, Ollie, Connor, Silver, Venus, Chessie, Jazz, BeBe, Susie, Tippy and Peanut!  And two more Colorado Springs kitties found their forever home, Baxter and Lil’ Alex. Elliot and Dandy are the only 2 left. Elliott has been a little depressed since the last two went home. Let’s get these two fantastic, lovable kitties a home ASAP. They deserve nothing but the best. We love and miss all the gorgeous kitties rescued from this hoarding situation.

Agnes, a very dedicated volunteer, has “treat time” every time she comes to help us. Here’s a big THANK YOU, Agnes, from me and all your furry friends at Almost Home and thank you for endlessly scooping the boxes!

Again I extend my sympathy to all that were affected by the severe weather we have had. I am extremely grateful to God for protecting us. My son, Tony, said it so well on his Facebook post: “Gratitude in the midst of fallen trees, vanished fields and flooded paths...Thankful for my many blessings and praying for those who are suffering.”

Kindness to Critters Always,

Kathleen


Tipper thought It said 'Nappers" instead of  "Snackers"!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

It’s been a tough, tough week. It’s not easy waiting for kitties to recover from wounds, a virus, diseases or whatever misfortune they may need us to help them with. We knew Wyatt would not have a rapid recovery. He was too emaciated, dehydrated, and infested with fleas. I don’t know how many of you know that fleas can kill. The damage done to Wyatt’s little body is more than most could handle, but I have to say that Wyatt is a true fighter. I believe his will to live and our prayers have helped him get through these first couple of weeks. His progress is steady and he is starting to trust that he does not have to want for food or love. His outside appearance continues to improve; however, his insides are still very much in trouble. Imagine every organ being depleted from hydration and protein. Imagine his kidneys, his liver, his heart…everything shutting down getting ready for death. Even though he looks better and is gaining a little weight, he still needs long-term medical and support care to redeem his body from such horrible conditions.

We are kitten overflowing right now. It happens every year. Most municipal shelters and humane societies kill kittens under 2 pounds. This is why Almost Home does not say no to a kitten that is brought to us for whatever reason. Remember, it is not the amount of adoptions we do but the match that is made for our kitties and their new forever family. Have you had a chance to watch them on the kitty cam? Just click on the Kitten Cam tab at the top of this blog. Got room for one more? 

Mr. Winkles, a little one-month old baby, is having a problem urinating. If he is not doing better tomorrow he will probably need to see the kitty doctor. He is so darn cute. He needs our prayers too! Huck, a kitten from last year, may be coming back. He has crystals in his urine and his current family is not able to care for him.  We also had a very sick kitty brought to us to be tested for FIV/FeLV (kitty Aids and Leukemia) and his test was positive for Leukemia. He was in his last days and sadly for his family, they chose the right thing to do taking him to the vet to be euthanized. No more pain and suffering. Bless his sweet heart.

I deeply appreciate your donations.

Jason-food

Chris & Jessica-food

Kelly, Mark & Gary-food

Calvin & Riley –food

Bobbie & Rochelle-food

Mike-food

Diana-food

Michelle- boutique sale items

Jane

Melanie

Marty

Judith

Barbara

Susan

John

Marian

Vicki

Leda

No Kill Colorado

Charles

Shannon

Anthony

Albert

Dolores

Mary & Ken

Marie

Erika

Melanie

Patricia

Marie

Michael

Deborah

Alice

Carrie

Candace

Fred

Sarah

Alicia

Jacqueline

Anne

Lucinda

Colleen

Scott

Jane

Shawn

Sarah

Diane & Dennis-food, supplies

Jeff-food

Mark

Jean

William

Jennifer

Marlene

Barbara

Sharon

Kari

Laura

C.K.

Marie

Teresa & James

Leda

Lynne

A caring person found a newborn kitten in her front yard, and because mom was nowhere in sight, she brought it to Almost Home. We told her to be on the lookout just in case there were more kittens. Before I turned in for the night I checked voice mail and sure enough she had found 2 more. She said they had been found covered in flies and stuck in the bushes. I asked her to meet me with the babies. It was after midnight when she gave them to me.

I warmed them and syringe-fed them during the night, and by morning I realized there were fly eggs stuck on their modest furry bodies. These eggs are extremely hard to see. As I was bathing them I noticed tiny little maggots coming out of their ears and their rectums. Their stools were very bloody. I knew they were in critical condition. They only had a slight chance to live, but I knew I had to try. After intensive care for 1 1/2 days, I am sad to say I was only able to save one. Her siblings didn't die alone, cold, and hungry. I held them and gave them love until the end.  

Yes, it has been a tough week. I like to be more positive, but sometimes it just isn't in rescue. But we must carry on. Not because we have to but because we love the animals and rescue work. Last night, when I was down for the count, a message was left by a nice person far away in Wilmington, Delaware. Lonnie has been a cat lover for over 40 years and had heard about us helping Wyatt. Lonnie was so, so happy we helped Wyatt and wanted to let us know it is a great thing we are doing! We care, and I went to bed knowing that you care too!

Please stay safe.

Kindness to Critters Always,

Kathleen

Starleena has made a full recovery!