Foster Love: Slade the Daredevil Kitten

It was a calm afternoon at the Animal Welfare League with only a few visitors roaming the halls, the laundry machines loaded, and dishes almost done. While taking attendance in the cat-room, I noticed that one of the "trouble kitties" was not in their kennel. This meant that they were either adopted (hallelujah!), having a wellness visit, or in the retaining area receiving some TLC. On a whim, I decided to take a peek into the retaining area to see if my furry friend was doing okay.

As I glanced over the names on the kennel doors, I couldn't help but notice a six month old kitten listing. Come on people- who doesn't want to see a kitten? I crouched down to admire the little lady named "Slade." There she was, playing with a toy in the back of her cage without a care in the world. Her ears perked as she realized that she was being watched and turned to face the creeper at her door.

That's when I did a double take.

Slade's eyes were not.... doing so great. I will spare you the details but medically speaking she had severe conjunctivitis in both eyes. She had been brought it in by a good samiritan who found her in the middle of the road emaciated and sick. Aside from her painful looking ailment, she was just as spry, cute, and playful as any other kitten.  I broke protocol and offered her a treat which she gently ate from my hand. My heart melted in her paws. As soon as I got home, I told my husband all about my chance encounter with Slade.

A few days later, a call went out looking for a foster to watch over Slade post-surgery. The medical staff had made the recommendation to remove the source of her pain as the infection refused to subside after a month of treatment and monitoring. It was compromising her quality of life as she endured eye drops every day with no success.



I leaped at the opportunity to help the kitten who tugged my heart strings with such ease. What was supposed to be a two week recovery period in our home turned into a long-term foster situation. It has been quite the experience having a blind kitten in the house and we've shared some special milestones. Slade had to learn how to walk down the steps (going up wasn't the problem) and get down from the bed. The biggest conquest by far is pictured above - mastering the couch. This was a tedious exercise that required a pillow and a healthy dose of restraint. We shared a roller-coaster of frustration as she meowed for help while I had to fight the urge to do so.

Now, at about eight months, Slade is a lean mean kitty machine! She run laps around the living room and vaults the couch for fun. Her favorite place to play is the stairs and she loves to stalk and pounce from under the bed. Our greatest amusement is when she battles the invisible leprechauns- better known as her own tail.  She's still a kitten and we do our best to keep up with her active lifestyle.

Slade is an amazing creature who is happy, playful, and sweet. We currently divide our time between her and Autumn, our senior cat, who requires special care. It would be wonderful if Slade could get the full spot-light that she deserves. There have been a handful of potential adopters but nothing serious as of yet. We are keeping our fingers and paws crossed. Slade cannot wait to find her forever home!

If you or someone that you know would be interested in adopting Slade, please contact the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Plea for Penelope

You can imagine the distress when I heard Mike say, "babe, you better come outside. I think this cat has one eye." There she was, sitting on the sidewalk in front of our home eager to be petted. She ran up to Mike with no hesitation and as I came closer, it became clear that she did in fact have two eyes, one was just irritated to the point of being shut. 

We have no idea where she came from but left food and water out the next few days hoping her owners would reveal themselves. She was too friendly to be feral and had obliviously once enjoyed a more glutinous lifestyle as her excess tummy skin sagged from her frame. We put up flyers in the neighborhood, contacted the local shelters in Springfield/Alexandria, and posted her on craigslist. 

To my surprise, I received the sweetest voice message from a woman who had also tried to rescue this black and white kitty. She had spotted her in the sewer of the Walmart parking lot, about a mile down the road. She had tried to lure her out because her eye appeared infected but had no such luck. She was relieved to know that the lost lil soul wasn't so lost anymore; her kindness and empathy radiated through the speaker and it was hard not to cry.  

That was all the persuasion I needed to decree that the stray be moved indoors, specifically the guest room. If she had an owner, I couldn't bear to explain "oh yes we saw your cat... we just left it pass through." Heaven forbid Autumn was in such a situation (again) with nobody to take care of her. This is our plea for Penelope. 

And so. 

We ended up being a foster home. (Another again). After agreeing to do no such thing until after the wedding. Huh boy. Mike lovingly nicknamed her "Sewer Kitty" because that's where she was hiding out when they first met- the sewer next to our mail box. I felt that it didn't quite... suit her. That adorable pink nose needed something with a P and the name "Penelope" sprung to mind. As a compromise, her full name Penelope S. Kitty (the S is for sewer). 

After washing her eye for a week, the infection vanished and she was able to look at us with wide eyes. She has displayed no aggressive behavior and is very mild mannered. Penelope is not big on playing with others but gets all sorts of buck when left to her own devices and a mouse toy. She enjoys it when people speak to her and acts like she's following the conversation. I must say... she does have a bit of an affection for kitty cocaine (cat nip). It was a sad sight watching Mike and I try to giver her a proper bath. He did all the work while I was petrified that she'd suddenly flip out and turn into a demon cat. Thank God for that man. 

My favorite thing about Penelope, however, is her hellos. Some cats drool a little when they're happy. It's a great sign of love and affection. Penelope doesn't drool; she slobbers. We're talking dripping like a faucet sink, boundless ecstasy, funny as all get out, water works. The first time it happened, we were stunned. She's left alone all day in the guest room so when we do sit with her at the end of the day, it's a make out fest. She licks your nose, your hands, anything in her reach for a few moments. It is an incredibly endearing and entertaining trait. 

Please. If you or anyone you know is interested in adopting a sweet, loving companion, do not hesitate to contact us! She is going to the vet this week for a quick check up and will be posted on local foster sites soon. She deserves a loving home. Seriously, this is one low maintenance kitty!

For questions about adopting Penelope, please contact me at: misqrl@gmail.com. 

Special thanks to Mike for making the beautiful flyer. 

Wanted: A Warm Home for Kittens

It is with great joy and a heavy heart I introduce two of the world's finest kittens: Chamo-O (ying yang) and Kit Kat (icee).

 

Last year, we began volunteering with animal non-profits in hopes of helping those in need and enriching our own lives with positivity. The boy and I both have soft spots for animals, though truthfully he's more of a dog person. I'm an equal opportunity lover of living things (well minus most bugs... and sharks...). We hitched our wagon to Homeward Trails and got the idea to be a foster home. There's a guest bed room upstairs that is rarely used- why not turn it into "kitty hotel?" It's better than forcing an innocent animal to live in a cage. Last week, we received our first assignment: a pair of 7 month old brother's from the DC Petmac location. We were told that they were cuties. Talk about false advertisement...

They are so much more than that.

They are 2 beautiful souls.

Chamo-O's adoption name is ying yang- take a wild guess why.  Every time you pick him, he says "hello" by slamming his adorable face into yours in a funny "kiss punch." He is initially a reserved gentleman that's cautious and curious. It doesn't take long for him to want to play and bask in attention. We called him Oreo until one night, we heard the strangest soft sing-song sound. It was the cat, meowing at curtains. He sounded like a whale! We jokingly called him "Shamu." It turned into "Shamu-Oreo" which sounds like the Portuguese word Chamo: you call me. With that, he became Chamo-O. "You Call Me O."

And then there's this little guy... Kit Kat, known as icee. Where they came up with icee is beyond me- there's nothing cold about him. Maybe that's the joke? This guy is so sweet it will give you diabetes. It doesn't matter what you're doing, he will climb into your lap and cover you with kisses. Literally. He was weened from his mother too early and find's comfort in suckling your arm. I've seen cuddly creatures- but this brown kitty takes the cake. We like to say he's training for the Kitty Olympics high jump division cuz boy has ups.

They are a joint package as they are brothers and were raised together. It would be too cruel to separate them at this point. They are very low maintenance. They are playful, cuddly, chill, and in great health. They have been raised as house cats so no outdoors! Remember, they're only 7 months old and agile so you need to kitten proof the house.
 
If you're interested in adopting them, check out their page: YingYang & Icee

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or Homeward Trails if you have any questions.

PS Happy Anniversary to the love of my life! Many more to come- you're my inspiration and heart.