Friday, January 03, 2014

A Little Help from My Friends

Patches and Javi, two of the Lebanon colony cats, are now tucked in down at their new home outside Oakridge.  And a fabulous home it is, too.
Patches, with Javi behind her, down in her new home.

Patches and Javi's new colony!

Thunder was going to go.  A staff member at Heartland paid for the two going to be tested--Patches and Thunder, since the adopter wanted that done.  Good thing too.  Thunder, the big black dominant male from the colony, was FIV positive.  Chilled my blood.

Patches was negative.  I knew she would be.

For the staff member, to offer to pay for me, knowing I am rather short right now, was a very kind gesture, on her part.  I am so grateful for this help!

I had locked myself out of the house.  I intended to take over three cats, just in case Thunder, the only dominant male I had from the colony, was FIV positive.  Most males in this area, if they free roam unfixed, are positive for FIV by age two, and almost always positive by age three.  That's what happens to cats who live in areas where people don't fix their boys.

FIV is primarily spread through deep bite wounds inflicted when males fight.  It is primarily, but not exclusively, a disease of the big boys, and preventable through spay and neuter.

I didn't lock myself out of the house by locking my keys in.  The latch jammed into the door catch and would not budge even though the door was technically unlocked.  I didn't know if, when I came back, I could get it open to go in and choose another cat, then take that cat back to be tested.  I needed two negatives to take to my friend because that is what she wanted.  I was heartsick too over Thunder's positive status.  I left a message for my friend who runs Odd Cat Out.  I know she is full.  I offered to trade, since she has a place for these FIV positive boys to live out their lives.

I was able to get the door open finally, then cleaned the lock out with WD-40.  I then took two more kitties over, just in case, to Heartland to be tested--Javi and Rosy.  Both girls.  Both negative.  I chose Javi as the companion for Patches.  Why?  For one thing, Rosy is Patches daughter and mother adult daughter buddy ups often are not that cozy.  So Javi went instead, to take any pressure off Patches of having an adult child reverting to kitten behavior, from the stress of going to a new home.

By the time I got back from delivering two cats to my friend outside Oakridge, Odd Cat Out had agreed to take Thunder and one of his friends, so he would be less stressed.    Thunder and Vino will leave me Sunday.  Thank you Odd Cat Out, another friend helping.

It was another old friend I hadn't seen in years who had offered to take two of the cats.  This too was a kind gesture.  Her property is awesome, cat fenced all around with many structures in the field, for cozy napping out of any weather.  I took some photos on the way down! 

I was lucky to have a camera.  This morning, Stiletto knocked it off the top of the refrigerator, where I had set it after taking a photo, thinking nobody could get to it there.  I was horrified and panicked to see it on the floor, not believing it could possibly work after falling five feet onto a hard floor.  But it does still work.  I am so relieved!

Looking west, from I5 South, a few miles south of Albany.  Grass seed production fields carpet the valley.

Looking east from I5 S, a view of grass seed production fields that run to the hills.
On Highway 58, to Oakridge, which is about 30 miles south and east of Eugene.


Almost dry reservoir.


The Lowell covered bridge, with the dam right behind it.



Country roads north of Oakridge, out in the sticks.


And so Patches, the careful calico, along with Javi, a young female, start their new lives.  Good luck girls!  And big stoic and handsome Thunder, with the younger sleek gray Vino, will start theirs this weekend.

What a great road trip I had today.  I saw my friend of years back.  We went to dinner at a very cozy unique bar and grill, in town and you just would not think to find such an interesting place way out there hidden away on a back street in a teensy town. They have scrabble nights there! I had a Tempeh Reubon, in fact!   Delicious!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Dashing

 Got a message this morning.  Was I even really awake yet?   The weather has been really winterish, with winds, pouring rain, cold, even thu...