Dickens Gets a Home

The Silverton cat ladies took in Dickens several months ago, to adopt out. Finally, he got a great home. I am thrilled. And grateful.

They have offered to take in another adult cat from here. I am thinking either Teddy, from the homeless camp, Slurpy, from the Save the Kittens colony, or Starry, from the N. Albany swamp. They might be nervous at first but all three are very social cats. When one leaves from here, that means I have more time to socialize the others, making them more likely to get a home. Since the tortis hog me and my bed at night, it might be best to send one of them, which would probably create a more suitable vacuum for socializing others.

Of the two, I think Slurpy should go first as she is so wonderful.

I would like to send the Quirkies, as they are so fantastic and interesting and unusual, but they need just the right home, because of their natures. And although they are not as bonded to one another as they used to be, they're still bonded. Fantasia is highly bonded to Teddy, for some reason. They both used to love Fat Zach, but Fat Zach left us, to go to a home.

I hate to separate Slurpy and Starry, as they too are closely bonded. But if not Teddy, due to his close bond to Fantasia, or Slurpy or Starry, because they are highly bonded, then who would I send?

I have someone interested in either Sage or Valentino. I'm hoping she takes Valentino, as he needs out of here due to a flea allergy, but when she meets Sage, I don't know. Sage is awesome.

Whomever goes needs to share a cage with a young male. Torti's are very dominant in nature, so it would probably be safer to send Teddy. Teddy is gorgeous and gets along with everyone. He'll be nervous and shy at first, but he'll get over that.

I was updating my list of cats here this morning. I can't believe I have only four of the cats I moved here with five years ago: Electra, my elderly tabby (13 years old); Vision, my extremely elderly Corvallis river cat (17 years old at least); Comet, one of 17 kittens I took out of Heatherdale trailer park in 2005 and the only one who did not get a home. Can't believe he's six already. And Deaf Miss Daisy.

I knew things were bad with animals in this area, but I didn't know they were as bad as they are. I never in my life dreamed I would have this many cats. All but four have resulted since living here, encountering cats who otherwise would die, when out "fixing" situations.

Of the four I have still, that I came here with, two are from Linn County: Comet and Miss Daisy. Comet is, like I said, one of many kittens I took out of Heatherdale trailer park in Albany, while my back was so painful I could often not walk more than a few feet.

Miss Daisy was tossed from a car on Seven Mile lane in the blistering heat of summer. She had burns on her paw pads from the searing asphalt and a damaged jaw and teeth from being thrown from a car.

Only later would I help an upscale Tangent woman with cats, mostly calicos, who described instructing her employee to dump cats at the Koos warehouse on Seven Mile. I believe Miss Daisy was one of those cats. She had described the last one her employee dumped along Seven Mile, as pregnant, young and a faded calico and the timing with that dump and when Miss Daisy was found, was so close I considered it a match.

I was horrified when she told me this matter-of-factly. I wanted to punch her in the face, on behalf of the cats, and to think of all blessed Miss Daisy had endured in trying to survive that horribly cruel act of violence inflicted upon her. As I mentioned, this woman was relatively wealthy, and she was also an extreme proclaimed Christian.

I had to swallow my outrage and horror, because I wanted to remain on her property until I got the rest of those cats she still fed, fixed, to spare them such horrors. She had controlled her population by having employees dump the younger cats.

Miss Daisy had nightmares for years. She would start running in her sleep, growling and crying piteously. When this would happen, I'd awaken her and pull her close to my heart to comfort her.

Do people realize the animals go through such suffering? If they did, would they stop what they do or is empathy a value, a trait, of weakness in our day and age?

Anyhow, I'm happy for Dickens. It can take a long time to find an adult cat the right home. Now, do I take up Teddy, Slurpy, Starry or someone else?

I am grateful for this help! They have taken in two tame strays I trapped in my yard who were not claimed, when I advertised them, and found them homes. They took in Zuli, the Siamese, from the Lebanon 5th Wheel colony, and found her a home. They took in Brighty, a calico kitten living under an Albany apartment complex and found her a home. They took in Dickens, abandoned with his mom, Sage, and brothers in Lebanon, and now have found him a home. That's five cats that were here, whom I could never have placed, now in homes.

How cool is that? I am grateful. Who will be next?