Something I didn't plan...

Hi all! Well the feral girls are doing well and recovering quickly. Of my own four cats, only two showed symptoms and are not getting worse thank God!! Hope it stays that way.

Here is my new dilemma. My plan for these girls was to get them socialized and ready to go to the shelter kitten room for adoption. That time has come much too quickly for my comfort. I am quite attached to one of the three and will probably add her to my family of four. Her name is Fern. And Pixie is so brave and endearing I am finding it hard to bring her to the shelter too. She is the first to try everything life has to offer. She is trying to type right now as I sit here posting this. She is very curious despite the rough start in life. It amazes me. How can I let them go? I have never had such an experience like this before and it has brought me such joy to watch them blossom. Is this selfish on my part? How will this affect my own cats? Were these kitties meant to stay with me?

I do know Pixie would get adopted though because she is so out-going. Maybe I should let her go with Avery to the shelter and keep Fern. Fern gets along quite well with the others and my boss cat Pipsqueak seems to tolerate her. Pipsqueak is in the room too and is doing fine with the girls. Even pounced on Pixie's tail. Oh dear what to do. I do have the time for all of these cats and the finances to care for them. I just don't want my own cats upset by this. A
Though they have seen them and smelled them for over a month now so I am slowly getting everyone used to each others smells.

This was not the plan! But is there ever a plan that really goes as planned in our life with cats. I would love to have a life with these special kitty's and the story on how they came to be is amazing to me. Thanks for listening and please send me good vibes while I try to decide what to do. I only have a few days to decide or will loose my spot at the shelter.

So I am replying to my own thread But this just came directly from the shelter There is a lady that just lost her black female cat. She lost the littermate to that one a year ago. They were quite old. She wants to adopt TWO BLACK cats and wishes them to be sisters!!!!!!! So this is a sign/answer to my dilemma!! So I will bring Avery and Pixie to shelter Sunday night. And I am sure I will cry when I say goodbye to these girls.

Here is a quick story from the start and you will see why they mean so much to me.

Last October, I noticed a little black blur run through my yard. I ran to the window and saw a black kitten outside run under the neighbor's deck (a foreclosed home). I started watching daily to see if I could see the little guy again. I then saw a long-haired black kitten and then the mother, who looked pregnant again. But later found out it was just that the kittens were so hungry they kept nursing on her even as old as they were. Anyway, as the days went on and I, of course, started feeding them daily under the bush I realized there were FIVE cats total that I could tell. OMG NOW WHAT. I would see glowing eyes looking at me from under the deck. So that is when we started our relationships. I knew I had to start trapping but needed a plan as to what to do with them as I got them. That is where Animal House Shelter came in. I had a connection there and she would help me get homes for some of them if possible.

In the meantime, I built an outdoor shelter, totally insulated, with straw and an outdoor heating pad as it was going to be single digits. I was sick with worry each night thinking of them freezing to death. But they survived. I borrowed three traps from a new cat friend. And in December spent three sleepless days trapping. I couldn't leave the trap baited without me watching all the time. It was dangerously cold outside. My hands grew raw and cracked from running warm tuna and sardines back and forth from trap to my house. Of course, Pixie went in trap within three minutes. She wanted to be out of the elements. Dixie, the mother, went in at 2:30 a.m. Avery went in the next day just before dark, and then Fern decided to go in shortly thereafter. I almost couldn't see the trap as it was getting very dark. So I was sooooooooooooo thankful she went in when she did.

So from the traps I transferred them into a wire dog crate set-up in my garage with a heat lamp on it. I now had four, one more to go. And he, YOGI bear went in the whole next day just before dark. I had all FIVE and set-up appts for neuters the next day. $$$$$$$ cha-ching. Yogi and Dixie are released back outside. I will allow them to decide if they want to have that contact with me. I see them everyday and they wait to be fed. There are two more in the family that I will have to get TNR. I am sure one if the big daddy tomcat of them. The other is a black long-haired tabby, I think a male too.

So I at least got all the girls done and there won't be any more poor kittens born by them. If I had not done this, that house would have been filled with kittens under the deck by Spring with all of these girls pregnant. PHEW!!

It will be hard to say goodbye to Pixie and Avery. But I know this lady (I hope she really shows up) will give them the time they need to adjust. And Fern well, she will HAVE to stay with me. I Love her chirrups and trills. OH I am changing her name to Magilla. I went with the Yogi bear and friends to name them. Magilla suits her to a T.

I totally agree. This is my first experience "fostering" and it is truly rewarding but extremely difficult to let them go. I will definitely be crying and will never forget them and hope and pray this lady will love them so much. I am sure she will. She kept her other cats their whole life and is sad not to have cats in her home. So I do feel good about letting them go to her.

As for future rescues. Of course I will always help lost cats. It is hardwired in me. I just have to know the good I am doing for them and know my own cat limit I would do it all again in a heartbeat all I tell myself is that a month ago these kitties were wild outside in the elements and all the danger. We have a lot of fox around. So now they will never have to fend for themselves again!! I feel lucky to have had this experience. I am looking forward to Magilla's new life with us and our other cats. She will bring more joy into my life and hopefully my other babies.

That is my plan and hope. Will keep you posted on the next chapter in this saga!!!!!

I know that there has to be a limit to keeping the fosters. But I cannot let Magilla (fern) go. She is a gift and brings me much joy. She is a very gentle and kind soul and she reminds me of my Beloved Winky whom i had for nineteen years. I pray I am making the right decision to keep her but anything less than seems wrong to me.

I thank you for your comment about Gods gift to humanity. And I believe in that and that will put my next rescue in that light and put me in the frame of mind that I am the stepping stone for the next stage in life.

I love this site and all the caring cat lovers out there. The support is amazing

I LOVE that quote!!

PS.. I am trying to post my photos to my profile and having so much trouble figuring it out. Who can help with that????

Yes, I still do have the two places left for any fosters

AND OMG!!!!!!! You won't believe this Winky (date) connection and I wouldn't have thought of this if you didn't bring up about seeing if there was any connection and there is. And I am not kidding or making this up, I promise.

I found Winky in a parking lot, she was about five weeks old and totally on her own (she was my first cat) It was two days after my honeymoon back in 1985. I remember dates extremely well, my mind is a date computer. It was October 14, 1985. So I went to look in the cat diary I keep on of all of my cats and their antics. I knew the date would have been close to the first day I saw the feral furry (Magilla) kitten run through my yard. (I am getting goosebumps ) Guess what that date was: OCTOBER 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What great names! Thanks Laurie, BTW my name is Lauren
I am going to try to get pictures up. Working on it.

I can't thank you enough for all of this info. If I go one step at a time I can figure it out!! Thanks a bunch (of kittens :-)

It is not nonsense it makes perfect sense to me and I thank you for your insight

Well tonight the girls are in the kitten room at AHS. Of. Of course I cried but I know they have a good chance at a new home with this lady. I guess she is coming tomorrow to see them. I left them with their toys and blanket and they have a nice big cage with two hammocks. It is a nice room with other cages and kittens. Very quiet in there and the girls seemed alright. I will see them tomorrow or the next day because I volunteer at the shelter.

Magilla has her room to herself now and I let my cats in to visit her. Presley loves her but plays way too hard with her and I had to pull him off of her I am looking forward to making more progress with her now that she is alone. I plan to spend a lot of time with her this week and I am so thrilled to hVe her as a new family member. Although Perla has other thoughts. My boys have all accepted but the little princess has other ideas about her new sister. I am sure she will give in as the days go on. Magilla is so sweet and non aggressive that Perla won't have any reason to feel that her throne is threatened. Magical just wants to be loved

That Magical was a typo!! My IPad puts in words that it thinks should be right and it picked Magical when I typed Magilla. Isn't that cute She is magical and just today she crawled into my lap. My heart filled with JOY!! Gosh, I LOVE Magilla.

Perla is getting TONS of attention too. She did sneek in the room today while I was playing with everyone. She actually went up to Magilla and sniffed her paw then proceeded to HISSSSSSSSS and walk away with her nose up in the air! Perla cracks me up. And I know she will come around in time. She is loving the extra meowmy time and I think is helping

I went to the shelter today to volunteer and saw the girls. Pixie is doing alright but Avery is having a hard time. She is hissing and growling. I will be going every other day to work with them and the volunteers said they will help bring her along too. The lady who was going to adopt them decided on two other more "colorful" kittens. if anyone wants to see their pictures and story you can google Animal House Shelteri in Huntley, Illinois. Just click on adoptable cats and go to Pixie or Avery's picture and click again.

It is hard to see them there but at least they are warm, getting fed, and receiving lots of pets and hugs and not outside wild fending for themselves. They are safe. I just hope Avery turns around at the shelter so she can get adopted with pixie. Avery has regressed. This is to be expected though. They have been through so darn much this last month and really have made huge progress. I just hope someone gives them a chance.

On an up note. Magical Magilla is sooooooooooo incredible. She and I have bonded deeply. She now meows her sweet girlie mew and smuggles on me when I go in her room. She loves to play. My other cats come in her room and play too. Even Perla is slowly accepting her. Today they were napping near each other on the bed. Perl a woke up and Magillas paw was too close so she hissed and spat at the paw. Magilla just laid there. And perla didn't even get up to leave. Perla was disappointed that her threats are not working on Magilla anymore. In fact Magilla is used to it and doesn't run to her tent and hide!!!! She is such a special girl and I look forward to seeing her each day. Oh. Princess Perla is getting lots of meow my time too. I think it is helping her feel happy and secure that Magilla isn't taking her meow my away.

It has been five weeks now since Magilla's introduction to living inside!! I have been carrying her out of her room (which I keep open now during the day, she still sleeps in her room at night) and we sit together on the couch. She loves to snuggle close to me when we sit, right next to me, but not on my lap. She will jump down and look around and then retreat back to her room. About a week ago, she started coming out all on her own.. I couldn't believe it when she ventured out and walked past the couch to join the other cat's playing. Her favorite spot now is on one of the dining room chairs so she feels safe under the table and is still up off the ground.

She LOVES to eat, and it so cute, when I feed her she likes it when I stay with her while she eats. For her bedroom door, I have a large plexi-glass piece that I use as the door and just slide it to open it and close it. That way she can see out when she is in her room and the other cat's can see her too!! When I feed her, I pet her for a bit, but then have to leave to feed my other kids too. She follows me to the plexi-glass and sits there and watches me. I have to go back in there and sit with her and then she eats, chirrups and pushes her face on mine when she eats. I crouch down by her bowl while she eats and she loves that..

Magilla is starting to accept my DH, as far as his presence in the room too. She won't take off and run for cover anymore. But she doesn't like it when he looks at her. She is very shy. She has finally decided it was safe for me to be very close to her face and look into her eyes. She will allow it for a few seconds now and that is huge progress.. She also now accepts me standing up and walking about and she just follows me and does her chirrups and trills. She is quite endearing and I treasure her.

She loves the other cats so much, and even Princess Perla has FINALLY accepted her after five weeks!!!! Perla will still hiss if Magilla bumps into her when they are playing with the interactive toys, and Magi just looks at Perla and backs off and then Perla is a happy camper. Luckily, Magi is not a dominant cat and Perla is more than thrilled about that. So I think we have peace . Soon enough, I will leave her room open 24/7, I just want to make sure Perla is totally ok with her new sister.

It has been such an amazing experience seeing this kitten go from totally feral, never had human contact until five weeks ago. Now she loves to have me pick her up and snuggle her, trusts me now to collect her up wherever she is to bring her to her room for feeding, knows her name and responds to my calls to her, loves to be brushed (good thing, since she is long-haired), and has opened up her heart to me.

Her room has a window that looks right out to the next door house where she was born and raised by her mom. I have a cat tree right in that window and she can look out to the deck, bushes and yard where she used to play. She might even see her mother or brother who come over to eat at the outdoor shelter. I wonder what she thinks??? Part of me thinks she has forgotten about her life out that window. I think she is soooooo alive and safe being inside a warm, loving home with me that she has pushed that rough start in her life to the very, very back part of her mind. I can't ever imagine her surviving outside now. She is every bit an indoor cat as much as any of my other cats. There is no going back EVER. Here are some pictures of Magical Magilla!! The first picture she is on the bed right next to Princess Perla!!!!

Well, I have to report, Magilla has really truly come out of herself!!!!! She is more affectionate to me than any of my other cats, well, except Pipsqueak. But, here is the difference and what she is now doing.

She has full run of the house now, twenty four/seven. Perla has finally accepted her after almost three months. So, it does take time. I even caught Perla licking Magilla on the head (only two licks though) the other day. Magi plays with the other cats, and Presley and Magilla are very close. They play together the most. Magi always comes on the couch now when I sit down. She always beats me to the couch too because she can't wait for me to sit down and snuggle. It is the sweetest thing. She crawls all around my neck and rolls around on my lap all the while chirping and trilling. Just so endearing. She is very, very persistent with demanding affection though. It is like she has missed out on so much of it in her first few months that she is almost afraid of when the pets will stop!!! She even goes so far as to bite lightly and hold on to my hand and arm. She only does this with me. If my DH is home, she usually still hides or will come out and hide under the dining room table when he is home. She is very attached to me and wants to be with me all the time now. I have never had a cat so pushy with wanting attention and affection. Pipsqueak will always be near me too, but is more relaxed and not as persistant as Magilla.

Also, this is new. I usually leave each day for a few hours for work and/or errands, I am only gone for about four hours at a time. When I return home, Magilla shows herself to me and I go to pick her up and she is shivering. This just started two days ago!!! It is almost like she was panicked that I was gone. After I hold her for a few minutes, she stops and then is just fine. It does worry me that she is that attached to me, and not sure how to make her less needing of me at the moment or if I should even worry about this. It might just be part of the socialization process and her still feeling unsure about things, especially if I am gone.... I guess she LOVES me

All in all, she is doing marvelous, has put on weight, plays like crazy, and just wants to be part of everything that I do and the other cats do. She is very happy and loved

Presley and Magilla love to rest together


Presley and Magilla cuddling


Magical Magilla


The whole gang on the bed in Magilla's room