My four kittehs (three originally strays, one shelter) thank you for reading this

[DainBramaged]

[rurallib]

1. We have always had shelter cats

they seem to be a little extra loving.

[brewens]

2. All of my cats have been strays/rescues. I lost Fatty a couple years ago to

kidney failure. I had taken him home from my girlfriends cafe. He had been obandoned and was hanging out there mooching. He was absolutely the friendliest cat ever. A big half Siamese. My girlfriend said she told everyone NOT to feed him! After I said I would take him we were buying cat food and she let it slip what she fed him. Busted! I knew it. Not only was she feeding him, everyone else was too! He was getting triple rations of clam chowder and sausage gravy. He may have been on the streets but he was not going hungry at that place!

Now I have Scram. A big ol' feller with hair collored yeller! He's another one my girlfriend saved. He showed up at her daughters house, scrawny, beat up and with an infected eye. She got him healed up and I took him to the vet for everything else. He's a real nice kitty too.

Scram is insane chasing a laser light! The best cat toy ever. Another good one are the stuffed mice with the pull string that makes them vibrate. They are worthless until you hang them from a cord by that pull string though. Then they are quite a bit of fun for a cat. They bat them around, grab hold and pull them in. Then when they let go they snap back and vibrate. It really keeps Scram all riled up and entertained anyway. He's romping around playing with that thing every morning and has absolutely shreded two of them.

[Freddie]

3. All my extended families' cats (lots of them!) are from shelters and rescues

When we got Freddie from the rescue he had goopy eyes and patches of fur missing from ringworm. Couple trips to the vet and 5 years later he's a big orange hunk o'purr, I can't imagine life without him.

[Honeycombe8]

4. I've had two rescue cats. I now have 2 rescue dogs. Excellent post.

I'm looking forward to my retirement years, because if I can afford it, I will take in more rescue dogs. The older ones.

[Autumn Colors]

5. Our kittehs are both shelter cats

We adopted two adult cats from different shelters last Feb. and they're so much a part of our family, it seems like they've always been here with us.

Beautiful words. Thanks for posting this.

[forestpath]

6. I have two rescue cats curled up next to me as I type this...

Love them so much.

[lonestarnot]

7. Oh's no's another tear jerker.

One of my rescues was just chewing up my shoe lace on my relatively new tennis shoe. What is one with a heart to do?

[OneGrassRoot]

8. This is one of my missions as well...

to you and your furbabies, DainBramaged, from me and my babies.

I've devoted a section animals/pets/furbabies at Wishadoo! Here's a blog I wrote a while back detailing how we can use the tools there to help: http://www.wishadoo.org/blog/108/calling-animal-lovers/





K&R!

[DainBramaged]

10. In the mall in Rockaway NJ there is a pet store that still sells dogs and cats

I used to go there in my Adopt with a huge paw print on the front but they had me removed by mall security (snicker), so I'd hang out in front but my beautiful daughter (then) worked at the mall and she was worried that she'd have to bail me out so I stopped. They still 'sell' dogs and cats but they claim they are 'rescue' pets and the money is a 'donation'. Bullshit on them. They sell little mixed breeds now, but they know who I am still and I can't go in.


If they were like Petsmart (the local one has a HUGE rescue area) I'd believe them, and one day they will be gone. I visited PetSmart by me Friday and left crying. I wish I had a farm......

[OneGrassRoot]

13. Me, too....

I dream of having a huge piece of land with shelter areas for homeless and/or injured animals.

The people doing that work are truly the angels among us, imho.

Good on you, DainBramaged! (My daughter has similar fears about me getting arrested, btw...lol) My very first march on Washington was decades ago, regarding animal rights. There are still so many heinous acts perpetrated on innocents every day, of all species.

[Stargazer09]

9. We not only adopt shelter cats

We favor the black ones, which aren't adopted as quickly as others.

[GoCubsGo]

12. My black kitteh and I thank you for that.

So does my black cat niece.

[Stargazer09]

15. One is curled up next to me right now

I dream of having a house big enough for a baker's dozen black cats!

Crazy cat lady? Yes!

[forestpath]

18. My two rescue cats are both black...they are such sweethearts!

[Stargazer09]

26. We've adopted three black kitties so far

One had serious health issues and died before she was an adult; her twin brother is the alpha (only) male here now. Our new black female cat is a sweetheart, too. She loves to play fetch with us, and we almost always find one of her toys on our bed every morning.

Our third cat is a diluted tortie. She acts like she owns the house.

[forestpath]

33. Dilute torties are gorgeous - I love torties...took in a stray

tortie many years ago, and she lived happily with me for over 10 years...I miss her.

Basically, I just worship cats!

[Stargazer09]

36. She's a beautiful cat

My only complaint is her predilection for rubbing all over me when I'm wearing black clothing, usually right before I have to leave the house for an important meeting. She sheds light grey fur everywhere!

[tabbycat31]

24. I LOVE black kitties

Never had one, but I also have yet to meet a black cat who is not a total sweetheart. Maybe my next kitteh will be black.

[Stargazer09]

27. I love my black cats!

They really are sweethearts, and I highly recommend them.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with adopting a cat of any color, especially from a shelter.

[tabbycat31]

34. you are preaching to the choir here

Hence my screen name. However, I am not in a position to get kitties at this point in my life. I'm on the road on average for 5-6 months of the year for work, and it is simply not fair to the cat to leave him/her with my parents at that time.

[Stargazer09]

35. I admire you

For thinking about the toll your traveling would take on a kitty. Some people would just expect the cat to deal with the upheaval.

When your life settles down again, maybe you can get several cats to make up for lost time.

[tabbycat31]

37. well if my guy wins a kitty might come to me in the near future

I will be getting at least two next time I decide to get a kitty. I want to adopt two that need to go together.

[Stargazer09]

40. I like the idea of adopting two or three together

Cats do form bonds with each other, and I wouldn't want to break up a bonded pair/trio.

[lunatica]

11. Our cat, King Tut, is a stray who adopted us

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. TWo of my three are shelter cats,

the third is a former farm cat happy not have to live in a barn any more. Of my cats who are no longer with us: two were strays, one was a shelter cat, and one was liberated from neglectful owners.

[WinstonSmith4740]

16. Don't forget the doggies!

I live in a rural area, and right now have 5 cats and 3 dogs, mainly strays and "dumps", and I wouldn't trade them for any "pedigreed" anything. When you go to a shelter, I really think those pets have an innate sense that they've been saved, and you just can't find better pets.

On edit: If you haven't met Henri yet, you must go here!: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=henri+the+cat&mid=74CA1BA08A231CD29B8F74CA1BA08A231CD29B8F&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1

[anniebelle]

17. We now have 7 rescues that share our space.

They've all got their own stories and personalities and we love each and every one. We just got our latest who was a stray hanging around my brother's house for the last few months. My brother, who fed him on his deck, died last month so we felt we had to give him a home. He's a wonderful addition to our 'gang' and so grateful to finally have an indoor home and to be fed on a regular basis.

[DainBramaged]

20. I am so sorry for your loss, but I'm sure he is watching over your crew

[DainBramaged]

19. My Digit the midget, my stray rescue from eariler this year

Absolutely the smartest of all of my kittehs, and I'v had probbly 30 in my lifetime. She is also one of the smallest.

[mchill]

25. Digit is so cute!

Reminds me of on of my tuxedo cats named Emma...short legged. Emma is also smart - she's learned a few tricks. If her owner was smarter, she could probably figure out how to teach her more...she's a sponge. Emma was a feral, from a litter...1/2 the litter was tamed and adopted.

[1monster]

21. Most of my rescue cats never made it to a shelter...

They were rescued from the streets where someone dumped them. Here's the story of one we tried to rescue, and did, for a while...

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/1monster/1

A Cat Named Elvis
Posted by 1monster in General Discussion (01/01/06 through 01/22/2007)
Sat Mar 18th 2006, 09:30 PM
Elvis wasn’t a feral cat. He was likely the unwanted kitten of somebody's pet. Or he was adopted by people who later decided they couldn't keep a cat. Whatever the reason, it became obvious that he had been dumped in our street, coldly, left to become a homeless stray with few survival skills and no support system.

However it happened, Elvis, a snow-white, male cat about three or four months old, was dumped in our neighborhood. One day he was just there. We would see him across the road or down the block usually when we were in a hurry to go somewhere. On the few occasions we tried to gently lure him to us, he'd take off. We weren't sure if he belonged to one of the neighbors or not, so there was no real effort to catch him.

Then one morning about six to eight months after he first appeared in our neighborhood, the white cat showed up on our back deck and wrapped himself, purring, around my husband’s legs.

He immediately called to me to get some cat food. I understood why as soon as I saw the cat close up. Elvis, as my husband named him, was painfully thin. He had fight wounds all over his body and about his eyes. There were poorly healed scars and his fur was thin and rough. Elvis was starving. In his condition, I doubt that he would have lived another week if he hadn't chosen to come to us.

Over the next two months, Elvis came to our home everyday for food and affection. We plied him with premium cat food, tuna, and salmon. Sometimes he would sleep in the flower bed all day and into the night.

He wouldn't come into the house. We had three other cats at the time and he saw them as threats. (Mr. Squeeks and his sister Gatita were our first rescues. Amber was another cat who had been dropped off to fend on her own near where my husband worked. And later, there was Annie, the sweetest-natured cat I have ever known. She also was dumped in the same area as Amber was.)

Elvis gained weight, although he never got anywhere near fat; his wounds healed nicely and his fur became thick and sleek. We decided that the time had come to take him to the vets and have him neutered and immunized. I got the cat carrier out so that it would be handy for transferring him to the vets. Then I waited for an opportunity.

Of course, at this point, Elvis disappeared. He no longer came to our back yard, and though we would catch glimpses of him now and then, he no longer came when we called. Cats are smart. I believe he knew what we intended and decided that there is a time to stay and a time to run.

About six months later, he showed up on the deck to, once again, wrap himself around my husband’s legs.

He was in worse shape than he had been the first time. His coat was very thin and rough, the fur brittle. His eyes were red-rimmed and he seemed sensitive to the sunlight. And there were wounds that were barely healing.

I gave him a can salmon, hoping that these bouts of near total starvation had not weakened him to the point of serious illness. This time, I decided, I would take him to the vet as soon as he showed enough improvement to be able to handle the car ride.

Elvis ate and, in gratitude for the meal, rubbed up against me, purring. Then he found a nice spot in the sun to lie. He was gone in the evening.

He never came back. We had to assume that the damage from the starvation had been too much and he either died from that, or had encountered another animal in the night and had been too weak to defend himself.

Whenever I hear of feral cat colonies, I think of Elvis. Elvis was not born in the wild. He was thrown away by thoughtless owners. These people either had no understanding of the suffering that they caused this cat, or they just didn’t care.

Had Elvis been born into a feral cat colony, he would have been taught by his mother and other members of the colony how to fend for himself. But he was alone.

There are far too many stories like Elvis's in this country….

[titanicdave]

22. I have 3

cats, 2 from shelter (11 years ago) and 1 that strayed here very pregnant........I took her to the shelter and they aborted her pregnancy as I did not want a litter of feral kittens running around my yard......of course, no one claimed her so I adopted her ....... we have all been together for 4+ years now and it is cold here this morning and I have a fire going in my propane stove in the living room and all 3 spoiled brats are in front of the fire after having their breakfast.......all are really great loving cats.

[japple]

23. Bless you, DainBramaged for posting this. As one who works with cat

rescue efforts in my county, I appreciate it. Many, many healthy, adoptable cats and dogs are put down every day in this country. Read about it, spread the word, volunteer at your shelter or rescue group, spay/neuter your pets and encourage others to do the same. I know I'm preaching to the choir here!

[DainBramaged]

38. 7 years ago I was driving home from work and got a tug like I never had before at my heart

The petsmart at the mall had just opened. I had to go. I went to the back and where they have the six kitteh rooms for adoptees I met my Picasso.

I filled out the adoption form and three days later I was approved. I took him home and he became my bud. Got along with my Bullie and my Lab instantly. And every night when I came home from work he was there on my desk to head butt me.


He lived with me for three years. Everyone guessed he was a senior, around 8 or 9. When he started to use a claw to pick at the inside of his mouth I knew something was wrong. I took him to the vet and they discovered a huge tumor growing inside of his mouth, inoperable, and soon to block his throat. There really was no choice. Even though he did not seem in pain, soon he would be. I said my goodbye and we sent him over the bridge while I held him. I miss him everyday.


When you get the tug, go for it, every minute you give them is a minute you will treasure for the rest of your life.

[jamesatemple]

28. One of my cats hitched a ride to town on the undercarriage of a pickup truck.

A country boy came into my wife's small business in this little East Texas town. Just after entering her shop, he told her that he discovered two feral kittens had ridden to town with him...riding somewhere underneath his truck! After he had stopped in front of her store, both kittens ran out from underneath the truck. He was able to catch one and put it inside of the cab but he explained that he was unable to catch the other. He left his 'phone number and promised to come and retrieve the kitten is she located it and gave him a call.

An hour or so after dark, my wife told me that she could hear a kitten crying out in our carport. It turns out that the little tom cat had just changed vehicles, going from her customer's truck to mine which was also parked in front of her store at the time. I couldn't coax the coal-black little feller out from under the truck so i just placed food and water near it. Next morning, I was treated to the sight of a black streak dashing across the front yard and up a tree stump that was covered with wisteria. He found a suitable spot and spent the next month there.

Well, I won't go into the amount of time and effort spent by that furry ink spot in training me to provide food, shelter, toys, vet visits, litter scooping and doorman duties over the next year. But, I gotta tell you, he is truly a joy to my family...a quite independent joy, I might add. I named him Wiley due to the wiles displayed by him while he took over my home.

I thank you for your post and heartily recommend that folks consider a used cat for a pet. It won't take long at all for that feline to re-train a new family.

A loving act ~ spay and/or neuter.

[Bluenorthwest]

29. Our shelter kitty sends her support along with my own...

nt

[MadHound]

30. Living in the country I don't have the option of adapting shelter cats,

I have cats and kittens dropped virtually at my doorstep. That is how I picked up four of my cats. The other two were urban strays that showed up on my doorstep. Cats know a loving home/sucker, when they see one.

[hifiguy]

31. Thank you for this, DB.

Both mycats were shelter kitties. The first, Max, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge two years ago, had lived a very hard life. When I inquired about him, the foster told me I was the only person who had asked about him in the year he had been with her. I cried after I hung up the phone and knew he would come home with me. Max was with me for five years and two weeks and I loved him more than words can say.

When I was ready for another cat I went back to the same shelter and a big ol' Turkish Van boy picked me out. He too was an older kitty and he's a great cat.

Give a gift to yourself and to a cat who needs a person. Adopt an older kitty. You will never regret it.

[catbyte]

32. All my cats have found me

During my life I only had 1 cat I bought--a Scottish Fold I fell in love with at a cat show in 1986. Best bud ever. My husband and I have rescued 68 cats in our 28 years and have cared for a dozen ferals. I can remember one Christmas my father-in-law and his wicked witch of a wife gave us $100 for Christmas then they wanted us to tell everbody what we bought. Well, we spent it patching a hard core stray called Eddie's Father (we had Eddie & the rest of the litter). The wicked stepmother was horrified. Most satisfying holiday ever, lol.

Bless all the kitties. I wish I could save them all, sigh.

[DainBramaged]

39. Hugs to all

[jsmirman]

41. ADOPT - I cannot fathom how one can buy - and spay and neuter!

I had someone in the rescue community the other day say how nice it was to know that a man cared so much.

Now, I know a lot of other men who give a damn, but there are some ridiculous notions out there - I'll be damned if there's anything unmanly about caring about animals.

Real men care about the defenseless and those in need.

Real men might put one on you if you think picking on animals or the defenseless is funny. Or not giving a shit about animals is funny.

[MichaelSoE]

42. My wife and I lived in Aruba 2005 - 2010 and we started Aruba Kitten Rescue.

Since we moved back to the states we still do coordinating to help visiting tourists take kittens home with them. We have a website that gives more info.
http://www.arubakitten.org

Aruba has a dreadful feral cat problem that I can not even begin describe. To compound the problem dogs get preferential treatment. There are several dog rescue programs. We were the only cat rescue. Since we had limited resources we specialized in kittens that needed to be bottle fed. (Abandoned, mother was killed, poisoned, etc). Also visitors contacting us to say they found an adorable cat at the hotel and could we do something. "Sure, we'll can provide a carrier and do the paperwork required so you may take the adorable cat back with you and give it a good home." Many people did. During our stay there we rescued over 150 kittens and "hotel cats".
Some pictures of the 7 we brought back with us when we returned. (the Maine Coon was ours in the US prior to our move to Aruba) in the photography group.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10367881#post12

Cats are the best. Rescued cats are even better than that.

[myrna minx]

43. Rescue kitties!