Thursday, June 08, 2017

Lily

I overslept this morning.  I am usually up by 6:30 a.m. and sleeping in does not make for a good day usually.

I woke up at 9:00 a.m.  I couldn't believe it.  Half the day gone, seemed like.

I then spent a long time trying online and by phone to find help for the remaining Mountain Shadows cats.  I felt alone with the whole thing and defeated and stressed.

I'm not really alone in it just feels that way.  FCAT has taken four or five cats from there.  A friend in Portland has helped and one in McMinnville, by taking in cats.  Felines First has taken in a couple.

I guess what I wish I had help with is rounding up the cats who need out and holding them, til places can be found, and also other people involved in looking for places they can go---homes, or rescues, shelters that can take them.  That's what so hard.

And all the driving, clear up there to Sweet Home over and over, then to vet appointments for them, then to take them wherever I find for them.  Rounding up intake fees or donations for shelters or sanctuaries, to offset their costs.  It's killing me.

I've been seriously stressed and distracted the last few days.

Tomorrow, Siletz and Angelo leave.

 Lily, the tame torti, from Mountain Shadows, is now in my bathroom waiting for somewhere.

I found a shelter (Pixie Project) willing to take her if she is fully vetted and negative on FIV/Felk and doesn't have a mouth full of bad teeth.  It's way up in Portland, but if I can get her to a friend north of Salem next Tuesday, she'll take her the rest of the way.  She'll get the checkup, spay if not spayed (I bet she's already fixed), test, chip, all that, on Monday at Heartland.
Lily


I spent all morning contacting shelters and rescues.  Pixie called me back right away.  I was very relieved and happy that even one cat could be placed.   I didn't hear from any other shelter until later in the day when the local no kill shelter called me back.  I was really very surprised to hear from them.  I'd contacted them about the Mountain Shadows cats.  They said they will, when they have space, take in one or two of the cats at a time, intake fee waived.

I have to get the cats tested, however, for FIV/Felk first, and they must pass a rather stringent behavior challenge.  A stranger must be able to pick up the cat and hug the cat to their face without the cat striking at the person, hissing or biting.    Right now they don't have space though.   This torti, Lily, would easily pass that friendliness test.  She's really wonderful.

I was stressed in part because my car was becoming difficult to shift into park or reverse. Been the last few days, maybe a week its been doing that.  I googled that problem and found out its usually caused by low transmission fluid, which means a seal leak somewhere.  But the fluid level was fine.  So I spent hours tonight, removing the drivers seat and the cover over the gear stick and linkage.  I figured the lever itself, that shifts, might be sticking because something was impeding movement.

When I finally pried the cover off, I jerked back, in shock.  Shoot!  Old gunky coins, pieces of old candy and many unidentifiable objects, gunked and corroded with age, plus inches of all kinds of dirt and debris began to cascade down once the cover box was off. I was embarrassed to see such filth.  How did the shifter even work?  14 years that collected under there.

The only things I didn't find under there might have been a dead mouse and a litter of kittens.

I vacuumed out everything loose, then spent another hour with a toothbrush and rubbing alcohol cleaning it.  It was dark, raining off and on, and I'd eaten something that didn't sit with my stomach so bending over to work at cleaning made me want to vomit.

I didn't take it for a test drive because I just finished about 11:00 p.m.  I'm sure the hard shifting problem will be gone when I do.   And now its back to bed even though I got up really late this morning.  Feeling pretty happy about hopefully solving that one little problem in my life, that little worry.

Took this after I cleaned it up

8 comments:

  1. I hope you have solved the problem. And get a good night's sleep.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too, and got a great night's sleep, thanks.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous3:24 AM

    Could have fooled me about cleaning up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha, Andrew, yes, today I shampoo the car carpets, and clean it up much better.

      Delete
  3. I'll have to remember your fix if I ever have a shifting problem. Also, it sounds like you need some down time. Everybody needs a break to recharge including you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Should be a clear weekend for nothing but relaxation!

      Delete
  4. Wow! You're so industrious, if in part due to necessity it's still very impressive. I hope you feel good today after the rough patch. Your attitude at the end of this post is awesome. ~hugs~ I hope you can enjoy a little rest and rejuvenation (just talking on the phone can stress and exhaust me, let alone all the driving and physical efforts!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Getting it done! All extra cats will be gone by afternoon as Heartland Humane is taking in Lily. This is such a huge blessing! Siletz and Angelo just left for their new home.

      Delete

Round Up

Today is cat round up for tomorrow's five spots.  Two more came up from the vet student in Harrisburg late this morning.  Over 60 fixed ...