She Knits By The Seashore

One Year Later

This is my baby, Charlie. It is one year ago today that he went to the Rainbow Bridge, and was finally freed from IBD-related intestinal lymphoma. He was about 14 years old.

A lot of times when people post memorials of their pets, I sit there and read and cry with them like a crazy lady. Now that it's my turn, I hope instead you will smile with me at some of the amazing and cool things he did.

When Charlie was younger, we used to put a silk flower on the ceiling light fixture. He had springs in his legs, and would jump higher than you can imagine to knock it off the light and catch it. For some reason, he didn't like cat toys, only people toys. His other favorite was an old braided belt that belonged to Chris. They'd play tug of war with it, like you do with a dog, growling and teeth and all. Then he'd walk off with it between his teeth, showing off his prey.

He ate strange things, including spaghetti. He also loved Thanksgiving turkey.

He once found a pitcher of milk on a tray I had set for tea. When my back was turned, he discovered he couldn't stick his face into the narrow opening of the pitcher. He then stuck his paw in, patted the milk, pulled his paw out, and licked it off. We were laughing so hard we couldn't be mad. Chris captured it on videotape.

He slept on my pillow, and used to knead my neck with the most terrific massage.

What makes me most proud though, is his being Spokescat last year for the Get Your Guts in Gear ride. He was feeling pretty lousy last spring, I imagine, and humored us with the photographs we staged of him and the GYGIG stuff for our blogs and badges. Maybe he knew then that he had an important mission, to help educate people about IBD. I can't wait to see the finished IBD Quilt with his and Chris' squares on it someday. I think his vet is pretty proud of him too.

He taught me lots of things -- patience and compassion being the chief ones. He was declawed by someone before we adopted him, and developed a terrible biting habit when he became afraid. Kitty panic attacks. I believe that's why he was abandoned in a parking lot. Over time, we learned how to manage it, though it still made us angry when it happened, even up until he died. I still have a scar or two on my leg. You can hate someone's behaviors and still love them like crazy, hang in there with them, and learn to accept them and work with them as they are.

Not a day goes by that I don't miss him. It is because of him and all the experience he gave me with medication and so-called special needs that I started volunteering at the shelter, doing animal transport, and have been going to meetings to help animals at a state government level. I think that's what he would want me to do. I can almost hear him say, with his old-beyond-his years-expression, "I've trained you as best I can, now go out there and do it." He definitely sent Rainy and Rosie to keep me in practice!

Every life counts. Every animal that we adopt and love has a purpose, to make us better humans than we are. Someone once told me, "we don't choose them, they choose us." Thank you, Charlie, for choosing us.

The Feline Underground Railroad

Once upon a time, this knitter lived a quiet life. She went to work, played with her cats, read her books, weeded her gardens, and of course, knitted. She and her husband visited antique stores and used book stores, and worked on their old house, and spent many happy days together.

 

But in 2006, everything changed. She got Scarlett, a convertible, and she had not been a convertible person. Her husband had a new road bike, and started bike racing. They started blogs, and made new friends. She started getting involved with helping animals. He went along. And suddenly, life wasn’t so quiet any more. 

 

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Despite my best attempts lately to have a weekend day at home to relax, read at the beach, or ride my bike, something unexpected and irresistible always seems to come along. And it is the last week of summer, when all that is warm and bright and glorious will soon come to a freezing dead end and I’ll be trapped inside my house for six months of darkness and misery (not that I am bitter or anything).  Following the advice of dear Robert Herrick, gathering the rosebuds while we may, I’m going to take all the opportunities for fun and adventure that come our way. This weekend, we had one of the best ones yet.

 

Back in that horrible seasonal darkness mentioned earlier, I first learned of animal transport. A friend showed us a DVD from the Animal Planet channel about people who organize what is an underground railroad of sorts, to get animals from high kill shelters to no kill shelters, or to transport them from their shelter in one state to a family waiting to adopt them in another state. After I saw that DVD, I immediately signed up with the Yahoo groups (click here for your state list), waiting for a cat transport to come through my corner of the world. This was that weekend.

 

Sunday night, Chris and I met four cats from Pennsylvania on their way to a rescue, NOAH, in Massachusetts:  Blue, Obsession, Polo, and Midnight.

We are at the meeting site, putting the kitties in Scarlett’s back seat. A convertible top is ideal for getting carriers in and out easily. When cats are in the car, I always ride with the top up!

 

The cats were worn out, having gotten in the first car back in PA at 8am. They didn’t meow once! We picked them up at 6:30pm from the driver before us, and dropped them off about 7:15pm to the next drivers after us. They arrived probably close to 9pm in Mass.

 

The transport took only about an hour of our time, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences! If you love animals and have a little time to spare, I hope you’ll consider signing up too with one of the Yahoo groups, and watching for a transport to come your way. You don’t need any special experience, just a driver’s license. You volunteer for what you are comfortable with (we are cat only, but there are many, many more dog transports, both purebred and mix), and can do it as often or least often as is convenient for you. Even once or twice a year can make a big difference in the lives of animals.

 

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 And they all lived happily ever after.

 

 

 

 

Knitting update and Cute Cats

Before:

 

 

 

Now:

 

 

There was a mistake in the left sleeve in the upper photo that I just couldn't get past. I feel like this sweater is never going to be finished. I am so sick of working on it.

The shrug is almost done! I'm starting to put the stitches on the needles for the ribbed border.

I haven't posted photos of the shelter cats in a bit, so tonight I took a bunch to share with you! Sometimes people ask me, "How do you work there without wanting to take everyone home?" Maybe because I adopted two kitties just before I started working there, and two of my three do not play well with others*, I'm not tempted as much as I might be. Honestly, I come home from my volunteer night loving mine more if that's possible. And I have the next best thing: instead of them coming home to live with me, I go to their house to visit them. In my short time there, I have seen the most unlikely adoptions, so it's always a joy to check the "Look Who Got Adopted" board. I'm sure the following kitties will be added there soon!

This is Hope, and she's much cuter than my photo. She's in the infirmary at the moment for a minor infection, having just gotten rescued after being outdoors for a long time. She is very affectionate and once she puts on weight, I fully expect her to find her new persons.

 

 

Here is Que (most of the cats have good names, but every once in a while there is one I do not get). She is a tiny bit shy, but always says hello to me when I go into her room to give Bugsy her medicine. Love her.

 

 

This little girl came up to say hello when I took Que's photo. I couldn't find her photo and name on the board. Maybe she is new, but I will find it out!  She reminds me of my niece cats, Alice and Cali.

 

 

This is Kewpie (she so needs a better name). Adore her. She was found by a local animal control officer locked in a closet. She is missing one eye and is partially blind in the other, but is SO lovable and brave with people, despite her past horror, that I have no doubt there is a home in her near future. And if I ever come across the person who did that to her...

 

 

 

Gabby. Love her too. A petite little girl. I love how she folds her paws.

 

 

Smoky. LOVE him. When he had a runny eye a few weeks ago, he let me give him medicine without flinching. I would take him home in a minute if Tim would let me. Love him, love him, love him.

 

 

Walker and Scarlett. Chaos and May, I'm sorry I don't know the black kitty in the background. I am proud of Walker because when he first came to the shelter, you could tell he wanted to trust people but was afraid. He'd take steps toward you, but if you put out your hand, he'd go back. But this time he let me pet him!! Someone must be working with him and helping him be brave. Miss Scarlett is semi-feral but perhaps she will come around with Walker's help.

Meanwhile, back in the living room...

 

 

Rainy: Do you think she's going to be able to finish this shrug before the Tour?

Tim: I don't know, but I am more than ready for some new yarn to play with. I'm sick of pink.

Rosie: What do they mean I'm like Marilyn on the Munsters?*  Is being a normal, well-adjusted cat a bad thing?

A Celebration of Orange

Thursday is ASPCA day, and they are celebrating Tim's favorite campaign: Go Orange! So please put on a little tangerine and hug your furry loved ones extra tight.

"Aren't we orange cats the best?!"

The Noni bag is finished! Well, at least the knitting part. Now to do my first felting. I have a top-load washing machine, which makes it easier, and the directions say to sew the top of the bag together a little so that it doesn't flare out, and the stripes will still line up. If you have any other tips, please let me know. I can't decide yet if I still want to make the spider chrysanthemum that goes on the bag. It might be a good learning experience since I've never knit a flower before.

Sorry the pink and green clashes with the orange text. Ick!

The only other project I have started is Caroline. Must. finish. before. summer. And I'm going to start my Cat's Paw scarf with the Charlie's Yarn, now that I have it wound.

  "Do you have to take my picture NOW? I've got my eye on a bird here. And I'm not even orange." -- Rosie

Tonight is the night Anne Perry comes to our local bookstore. There is something about meeting an author that awes me. Maybe it's because, unlike other celebrities whose lives are all over the tabloids, most authors have quiet, mysterious lives. It's intriguing when they come to do book talks, and you meet the person behind the characters. Have you ever met an author? Did that person turn out to be anything like you expected?

"I have a little orange. Does that count?" -- Rainy, the girl who with one look can break my heart every time.

A Guest Post for National Poison Prevention Week

Author Susan Daffron has written a new book called Happy Tabby, about caring for adopted cats. Some of you may have seen the review on Chris' blog yesterday. I hope to do a review soon too, but on first glance, it seems like a handy book to keep on your shelf, whether you are a new pet parent or an experienced one.

I'm happy to host Susan today at our seashore in honor of National Poison Prevention Week. Perfect timing, as some of us are celebrating a wonderful, yet dangerous for pets, holiday this weekend -- Easter. I hope we can all keep the chocolates away from the dogs, and the lilies away from the cats (my Tim will chew on anything green!), so we can enjoy the holiday with our family and friends and not the local vet emergency staff. :) Welcome Susan!

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Thank you for letting me write a guest post for your blog!

My name is Susan Daffron and I'm the founder of the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals (http://www.naprp.com) and the author of books on caring for adopted dogs (Happy Hound - http://www.HappyHoundBook.com) and adopted cats (Happy Tabby - http://www.HappyTabbyBook.com).

This week is National Poison Prevention Week and I'd like to offer a few tips people can take to keep their cats (and other pets) safe from poisonous substances. As every cat owner knows, cats and particularly kittens love to get into things. That old saying "curiosity killed the cat" can be all too true when it comes to poisons.

Cats are hunters and unfortunately people often use poison to kill rodents or other "varmints" in their house or yard. In the world of toxic substances, you sometimes see references on labels about injury or death of "unintended target species." If a cat hunts, kills, and eats a poisoned rodent, she can become one of those "unintended targets." (So can kids, dogs and wildlife!)

Another unintentional way cats are poisoned is when humans attempt to give them over-the-counter medication. For example, acetaminophen, which is used in Tylenol and various cold medications is extremely toxic to cats. Never give your cat Tylenol; one tablet can kill a cat.

Cats are particularly sensitive to chemicals absorbed through their skin, so read labels carefully on the pet-care and household products you use. Topical flea products, soaps, cleaning chemicals, and insecticides you might use in your house or garden often contain chemicals that are toxic to cats, so read the label of any product you intend to use.

Also be sure to "pet proof" your household. Many common houseplants and outdoor plants are toxic to cats. The ASPCA site has a lists of toxic plants and other common poisons.
Toxic Plants - http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_toxicplants
A Poison Safe Home - http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_poisonsafe

Any time you suspect your cat may have been poisoned, get her to a veterinarian immediately. Prompt treatment can save her life. You want your cat to stay healthy and live a long time, so take a few simple steps to keep her safe.

Merry Christmas!

We wish you peace, good health,

happy times with

friends and family,

and lots of love and laughter. May your secret wishes and treasured dreams come true now and in the coming year -- Debby, Chris, Rainy, Rosie, and Tim.

Sheltered

I've cast on a new project which I'll share when it's a little larger. In the meantime, I hope you will not mind if I share a few thoughts on our furry friends with you.

Chris and I visited almost ten shelters and foster homes before we found our new girls, Rainy and Rosie. Some were modern, spacious, and clean, where the cats were allowed to walk freely (unless they were sick or new Moms). Others were in houses or rooms in houses where quarters were tight, and the needs of the cats seemed to overwhelm their caretakers. Cages were stacked on cages, because the weather had gotten cold, people had turned over stray cats they'd been feeding outside on their back doorstep all summer, and the shelter or foster home just couldn't say no.

I have a tremendous admiration for the volunteers who must see all manner of atrocities, and work so hard to give these animals a better life until they can hopefully be adopted. I know everyone is busy during this time of year, but I want to ask you, if you can spare a few minutes or resources, to please encourage the volunteers at your local shelters and the pets they care for. Here are a few ideas:

• a small check is a big help in covering veterinary costs for newly rescued pets

• a gift card or certificate to a local pet supply store

• cans or bags of food, cat litter, treats, bones, leashes, toys. Most shelters feed their own residents with donations, but the shelter in our previous city also had a pet food bank where seniors with tight incomes or people out of work could come and take what they needed. The shelter staff told me that many, many times when people found a new job they'd come back and replace the food to give to someone else. If you know someone out of work who has a pet, you could also gift them directly.

• old towels and blankets. The animal control officer in our new town cannot get enough of these, for bathing new rescues, and making those cages a little more comfortable. This one is easy, doesn't cost anything, and you get the benefit of more room in your linen closet too.

• There is a group on Ravelry called Helping Hands for Homeless Animals. They knit or crochet blankets and toys to donate to their local shelters, and there is a KAL going on now through spring. A great way to use up those leftover yarns.

Thank you in advance for anything you can do, before or after the holidays. It will be greatly appreciated!

 

Our nativity set got a little crowded this year (click to enlarge)

Coming Up Rosie

I like to think that every time another pet is rescued and adopted, a bell rings in heaven and there is much rejoicing.

One must have rung Sunday night, when Rosie came home to live with us. She had been dumped off with her kittens at the shelter by a previous owner at the end of September. The kittens have all been adopted, and now it's time for her, only a year old, to be a kitten herself.

She's still getting over a cold, so we have to keep her separated from Rainy and Timmy. Hopefully we can let her out of her room this weekend. She's anxious to explore her new house!

Ah, the stripes. I miss those.

"Hi Everyone!! I'm finally home!! YAY!!"

If you would like to join us on Saturday morning, 10-12ish,  at Mystic River Yarns in Mystic CT for the knitting meet-up, please do! Please RSVP to me at adamsdebra AT sbcglobal DOT net or to Kristen at Audioknits. We would like to make sure we have enough space for everyone -- the shop is on the small side.

Rainy in the napkin basket!

We wish you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving with your loved ones, furry and otherwise.

It's a Rainy Day

My name is Rainy. I was adopted from Forgotten Felines on Tuesday night. I'm about 6 years old, and a small girl, due a little bit to being hyperthyroid. Now that I'm on medication, I'm doing much better.  The shelter person who rescued me gave me my name because I was found on a rainy night.

My new Persons came to the shelter looking for a gray striped kitty like their Charlie, that was talkative and affectionate. I'm not gray striped, but I am very talkative and affectionate, so I went up and introduced myself to them. What did I have to lose? When they left the shelter, they couldn't stop thinking about me [she is one of the sweetest girl cats you would ever want to meet!], so they made arrangements for me, and now I have this great new place to live. Which just goes to show you that sometimes if you take a risk, you just might get what you want.

One of the many nice things about a new home is that my female person bought special things just for me. I don't have to share them like I did in the shelter. Want to see what she got me?

I think she is happy that she has a girl kitty, don't you?

Irreplaceable

Our Charlie cat passed away yesterday morning. Chris and I are heartbroken but it is a relief not to see him suffer anymore.

Please hug your furry loved ones extra tight today for us, and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.