Welcome Arson Wells!!!

Happy New Year, Friends!!!! Okay, so we are a bit late, but it's still January so it's all good. We hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Ours was quiet and that's just how we like it around here!

Bart has settled in and is enjoying his new life with us. He is very low-keyed and tends to be a loner. He is very sweet and will come seek pets and a brushing, but he isn't a lap cat. He's found a couple of spots where he likes to hang out and sleep. Mom was hoping he might be a bed buddy, but so far it hasn't happened. Mom thinks her bed might be too high for Bart to jump up on. He is an old man and doesn't move fast.

We have some more exciting news! Mom has brought another new guy into the clowder. On January 13, our next door neighbor showed up on the doorstep with a cat in a carrier. The neighbor remodels apartments, etc. She said this guy had been left behind by his person! She and her partner had been caring for him while they were working, but it was time to get him a forever home. She knew about mom and her cats, so she brought him here. He came with a bag of food, a new litterbox, and his bowl.

Mom and uncle took him to the 24/7 vet to get him checked out. That when they found out that the kitty was a boy and had been fixed. He even had the tip of his ear clipped. His age was estimated to be between 3-4 years old. For some odd reason, there was a disposable lighter inside the carrier with him!

Kitty did not have a name and one of the tech's suggested "Arson" because of the lighter. Mom thought it was cute (she is weird) and she loves puns, so the nameless kitty was name Arson Wells! That's a play on actor Orson Wells name, for you younger people. Look up the movie Citizen Kane.

Without further adieu, here is Arson Wells!!!

Arson is so full of love!!! He loves to be petted and have his ears scratched. And he sleeps with mom!!! That makes her so happy. Mom now has three house panthers!!!

Welcome Home Bart!!!

Hi Friends! While watching the noon news today, mom saw a spot for a kitty that needed a forever home. Metro Animal Services had a "empty the shelter" event over the weekend. All of the cats & kittens were adopted...except Bart. You see, Bart is an "old man". He is 15 years old, and he has what humans call a cauliflower ear. It's not clear if his ear was damaged from infection or a fight. Bart is also a front paw declaw.  Mom kept thinking about him so she decided to go take a look at him.

Bart was relaxing in his cubicle at the shelter. Mom was able to open the door and pet him. He was very sweet and that was all it took. She filled out the paperwork and within 30-45 minutes Bart was coming home with her.

Our vet was able to check Bart out. He has a clean bill of health. The vet said Bart should have his teeth clean due to a tartar build up, but we are waiting on the results of his blood work. If that comes back good, then she will schedule a cleaning.

Here is Bart's bio from the shelter's Facebook page. It says he weighs 15 lbs, but that's incorrect. He weighed in at just under 13 lbs at the vet's office. Bart is a long haired chonky boy.

And there were 7: RIP Sable

Dearest Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I must share the sad news of Sable's passing. Sable crossed the Bridge on Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Mom held him through the entire procedure.

Sable joined our family on October 18, 2001 as a "free kitten." Two little girls were trying to find a home for him (his siblings had found homes.) Although mom wasn't looking for another kitty, she felt like she needed to take him. It was getting close to Halloween and Sable was solid black; those two things can end up badly. Mom got a box from the store and put Sable in it. She placed the box on the passenger seat and by the time she walked around the car to get into the driver's seat, Sable was already out of the box and sitting on the dashboard!

Although Sable was a "mama's boy," he would nap with her dad in the afternoon. He would sleep with mom at night and wake her up with his his meowing and poking her with a paw. Over the past year he had started sleeping on mom's head. Seriously. She would get in bed, get comfortable as a side sleeper, and Sable would curl up on her head/face. She always had her blanket over her head when Sable would do this.

Mom knew Sable's health was failing. His kidneys were going bad, his coat wasn't as shiny as it used to be, and he slept more and more. Mom found Sable in the kitchen late in the afternoon on June 4. He was facing the wall between the washing machine and the garbage can. Sable was meowing, but it was a different sound than his normal meow. He would take a few steps forward and bump the wall, the back up and do it again. His hind quarters were slumped and his feet were sliding when he walked.

Mom called the vet's office and told the she thought it might be time to say farewell to Sable. She and her brother went to the vet's office. Sable struggled when mom was wrapping him a bath towel. He eventually worked himself out and pooped on the floor of the SUV. While waiting for the vet to come into the exam room mom noticed that Sable's eyes were 100% dilated. Dr. S. watched Sable attempt to walk (the slipping of his back feet continued). When he sat down, she moved her hand in front of his eyes. There was no reaction. Sable was now blind. That explained the distressed meows and the walking into the wall. It was time to say goodbye.

Sable's loss has hit mom every bit as hard as mine did. She had raised both of use from kittenhood.

Ann from Zoolatry sent mom this beautiful memorial. Please feel free to share it if you want.

August 2001 - June 4, 2019

With much love,

Angel Clarissa

Throwback Thursday...sort of

Kitties! Do you remember baby Poe? He was the little black kitten mom found at work. He had been dumped in the parking lot. She took him home and then to the vet for an exam, then he took a long car ride to North Carolina, and then he took another car ride to South Carolina with his forever mom and dad. Here are a few pictures to refresh your memory:

Who are you?

Where is my dinner?!!!

Are you my new mom?

When mom found Poe the vet estimated his age to be around 8 weeks. That meant that Poe was probably born in June. So without further adieu, here are a couple of pictures of  1 year old Poe:

 

As you can see, Poe has grown up to be a very handsome mancat and house panther! Nancy said he is still a mama's boy and loves to be in her lap or next to her. Mom said that Poe reminds her very much of Sable. Not so much in looks (although Sable is also a house panther) but in personality and behavior. Sable is mom's personal "lap fungus"

Thank you, Nancy, for sharing pictures of cousin Poe with us!