Conference misery::feline_v1

    Try the Harvard (MA) Humane Society, maybe they can help...
    Good Luck..

    My experience is that no shelter will take a pregnant cat.  I'd
    take Sweetheart, but I've already got a stray Mom (little Meggie)
    and her 3-week-old kittens living in my guest room.  The babies
    have very little chance of survival outside at this time of year.
    
    If someone is willing to take her in, I'll share in the medical
    and food expenses.  As nervous as I was about Meg having kittens
    and me not knowing what to do, I must admit that it was not a big
    deal (for me, anyhow), and the little ones are the most wonderful
    things on Earth.  Does this sound like I'm starting a home for unwed
    kitty mothers????
    
    Mary

    Oh God, don't give up...Is there any one who could take her in on
    a temporary basis (foster home)?  What about calling Drumlin farm,
    the 4H center, or any similar place with educational services --
    I was thinking along the lines of a "miracle of birth" class project
    for school children, whereby a group might sponsor her, possibly
    some of them adopting the kittens...it may seem like a long shot,
    but it's worth it.  Any one have any connections?

    Try Buddy Dog Humane Society on Rte. 20 in Sudbury, Mass.
  I was there yesterday, and they had a mother cat with some very
  young kittens (too little to be adopted out yet). This doesn't
  mean they'll take a pregnant cat, but it's worth a try...
    Their number is (508)237-4747. They are a no-kill shelter.

    I called Buddy Dog this morning, and they won't take her either.
    
    I've got to tell everybody that this has been one frustrating
    experience.  I give to the Humane Society, and they send me calendars,
    newsletters, membership cards, and pleas for more money.  Yet, when
    I need them, they're all turning me away.  Logically, I know that
    they have their problems, but shouldn't membership have it's privileges
    (kind of like American Express)?  But, I digress.......................
    
    Sweetheart still needs a home.  She's white, with shadings of gray
    on the top of her head.  She's very affectionate (purrs like an
    outboard motor) and comes when called.  She's starved for affection,
    and I just know that whoever adopts her will have no regrets.  She'll
    be a wonderful pet.
                       
    Ask around; tell your friends, relatives, and lovers.  There just
    has to be a home out there for Sweetheart.
    

    While these places might not take the cat now, maybe they can place
    you on a waiting list if you ask.
    
    Deb

    Try the Humane Society in Townsend Mass.  They don't put their animals
    down either...
    
    I would love to take her but I'm already up to my ears in animals
    and my husband has expressed a desire not to get any more...
    
    Good luck and keep us posted.

    I can certainly agree with you about not receiving any assistance,
    as I went through this with Karissa and her kittens.  Like you,
    I donate my money and give, give, give, but when I needed help,
    where the hell were they??
    
    Regardless of the fact that Sterling is a no-kill shelter, the people
    there were extremely caring, hard working, and dedicated.  They
    really DO give the animals a fair chance and will not just put one
    to sleep just like that.  I was very impressed with the staff,
    facilities, and the way the cats were treated.  It is worth a phone
    call, at least, to hear what they have to say.  If they won't take
    momma, pregnant and all, perhaps you could see her through the birthing
    process, socialize the kittens (the earlier the better) and bring
    the whole brood to Sterling when the kittens are weaned.
    
    Don't write off this shelter from your list.  To the best of my
    knowledge, they have never turned people away.
    
    /Roberta
    

    If I lived in your area (I'm in Maryland) I would keep her till
    the kittens were old enough to get homes.
    
    Sorry I can't help -- I'll ask around to people I know in your area.
    
    Cheryl, Shanti & Charlie
    

    Read recently of another no-kill, highly recommended shelter. Don't
    remember the name, but it is in Lancaster, MA.
    
    
    KBS
    

    I called them (the VHS - Volunteer Humane Society), and they won't
    take her.  As a matter of fact, the woman I spoke to on the phone
    reprimanded me for not having the cat spayed (it's not my cat).
    I wasn't impressed; I can only hope she was having a bad day.
    

    Have you found a home yet?  I might be willing to be a foster home
    until you do.  I would like to check with my housemate and see if
    we can do so until we can find a home for Sweetheart and expected
    family.  I have three cats and two dogs right now and I may only
    be able to keep her in my cellar if the other cats do not take to
    her.  I will let you know on Monday if I can arrange to take her.
    
    Denise
    
    

    By the way, I live in Lancaster.
    
    Denise

No permanent home yet.  It's very kind and generous of you to offer a 
foster home.  I'm still hoping some kind soul will offer her a permanent
haven, though.

By the way, anyone out there got any idea how I can estimate how 
pregnant she is, short of taking her to a vet?  I want to get Sweetheart
situated before she gives birth, but I have no idea how to figure that 
out.

P.S.  I will haul Sweetheart off to the vet before placing her in a 
foster home.  No sense in jeopardizing an existing menagerie.

< Note 1736.13 by ASIC::HURLEY >


    By the way, I live in Lancaster.
    
    Denise

    .13 That's wonderful of you to offer, Denise.  Sweetheart's description
        (white with the dark markings on the head) make her sound like
    	she could be the mom to my "D.P." that I found abandoned in
    	Nashua, NH over a year ago.
    
    .14 Thanks, Donna, for trying so hard on this one.  I think I've
    	reached my max. of 3 cats, 1 kitten, and 1 dog in my 3 rm. apt.
    	now.  (I know, some of us reached our max's at less before and
    	have since added more.  It's very hard to turn a homeless one
    	away so we end up keeping them; they win us over very easily.)
    
    :-)
    Pat
    

    Donna, have you seen Note 1559?  This lady might be able to help
    also if you contacted her.  This cat shelter seems to be located
    in the Worcester area (I don't think Fitchburg is that far away).
    
    Let us know if Sweetheart is pregnant and how far along she is.
    If she's a young cat, she may only have 1-3 kittens.
    
    I remember reading in note 1559 that the cat shelter in Fitchburg is 
    crowded now and that the woman pays out of her own pocket for food,
    etc.  I doubt that she'd turn you away though like the "so-called"
    humane societies do.  It's worth a try I think.
    
    Keep us posted.
    Pat
    
    for everything herself.

    Have you tried calling the vet office in Fitchburg, their name is
    "Dr. Norman Fitzgerald" phone number is 342-5892, and I believe
    they are looking for cats, apparently alot of people come to them
    looking for cats.  Let me know how you make out.  My DTN is 223-2580.
    
    Keep in touch,
    
    Gloria
    

    What's happening with Sweetheart?  Haven't seen anything more from
    .0 on this.  Have you had any luck getting her to Vet for checkup?
    The silence is unbearable.
    

    If you want to know how far along she is you could have the vet
    do an x-ray.  The bones of the fetuses don't calcify until they
    have reached a certain day of gestation (I think 55 days).  If they
    show up on the x-ray (the fetuses) then you could at least guess
    that they will be coming within ten or so days.  Gestation for a
    cat is around 63-65 days.  If the fetuses are already calcified,
    maybe the vet can tell you how soon by the position they are in.
    The x-ray will cost you about $30.00.
    
    jo

    totally off the subject note:
    
    Jo, was it you who asked about one of your cats possibly being named
    after a science fiction character? Kalliste?  I think I said before
    that I thought I recollected that name from Andre Norton's Witch
    World books, but afterwards I thought maybe it's Marian Zimmer
    Bradley's books instead.
    

Earlier this week, I observed a cute little kitten, bearing a remarkable
resemblance to Sweetheart, doing a balancing act on one of the 
nieghbor's windowsill.  Last night I was able to talk to one of the 
neighbor's kids.  It seems that Sweetheart gave birth to two kittens 
some time ago.  Bob, the neighbor kid, says they're keeping the kittens 
but not mom (Sweetheart).  The gist of the conversation was that they 
don't care about Sweetheart, and Bob says they're not even feeding her 
(good thing I am).  Sweetheart isn't nursing because Bob says they've 
taken the kittens away from her.

Anyway, just because she's had some kittens doesn't mean that Sweetheart 
isn't pregnant (doesn't mean that she is, either).  I feel like that 
character in "Gone With The Wind" (I don't know nuthin 'bout birthin no 
babies).  

I have two more places to investigate before I call it quits.  One is 
Pat Brody's shelter in Fitchburg and the other is a vet who frequently 
gets calls from people who want to adopt a cat.  If neither of these 
people can take Sweetheart, then I'm afraid there's nothing more I can 
do.

I haven't taken Sweetheart to the vet yet.  It doesn't make any sense to 
me to take her to the vet if she's going to be exterminated.      

    Donna, I just can't believe the attitude of your nieghbors.  To
    take in Sweetheart just to keep her kittens and then throw her out
    when they were finished with her!  Poor Sweetheart, to be used that
    way.  I sure hope that your nieghbors still love the kittens when
    they too become CATS!  
    
    I admire you for your work with this situation and I do hope things
    work out for Sweetheart.  
    
    
    Jeanne, Cali and Sam

At Roberta Waxman's suggestion, I called the Sterling Animal Shelter.  
They are willing to take Sweetheart if I can guarantee her health and 
personality.  Since I can guarantee her personality but not her health, 
If I can't guarantee either, they'll put her to sleep because she's not 
adoptable.

The shelter gave me the name of their vet, and I'm going to arrange to 
take Sweetheart in and have her checked out and put on the road to good 
health.  This means tested for FELV, spayed, immunized, her eye infection 
cleared up, and more than likely dewormed.  

Now, I get to hit you feline noters up for some HELP.  Some of you have 
volunteered a foster home and some of you have volunteered to help with 
the vet bills.  I would like to take all of you up on your generosity.  
I especially need the foster home.  I'll need the foster home for 
approximately a month.  Once I know for sure that she has a temporary 
shelter, I'll make an appt. with the vet (Dr. Bob in Leominster) and get 
the process started.  If you can provide a foster home, please call me 
or send mail.  It'll cost me approximately $100 to make this cat 
healthy.  If anyone wants to make a donation, I'll accept with thanks.

Kuddos to the Sterling Animal Shelter and Dr. Bob!  Both were very 
friendly, helpful, and a joy to talk to.  Finally, during this long, 
frustrating process, I felt that someone in a position to help cared.

Thanks, too, to the feline noters.  Their support and caring about this 
waif kept me looking!

-Donna

    Well, I *really* don't think aja would put up with an even semi-feral
    cat in her house, so I can't extend a foster home offer.
    
    But...
    
    ...if you tell me your mailstop or home address there'll be a check
    in the mail to help defray costs poste haste...
    
    If you believe in heaven, I'll bet you get a good seat because of
    your efforts...
    
    Edd

    S&H will send along a check once you post your mailstop.  elf doesn't
    seem to have it.  It will probably take a while to get to you from
    the West Coast.
    

    I'd like to send a check too.  Also think it would be a good idea
    for anyone contributing to let others know amount so we'll know
    how much to send toward the $100.00 Donna mentioned.
    
    
    Pat
    

    
    If you don't mind waiting for the post, and let me know the address
    I've got $20 you can have towards everything.
    
    Brian (who's annoyed about the party on the 23rd cos it looks like
	    he ain't gonna be able to be in Merrimack till the week after...
    	    yea that's right... all the way from Germany too...
    	    never mind maybe next time...damned expensive meal anyway...)

    8^)} 

    Donna, I'll be sending you a check for $20 to your home address
    toward Sweetheart's expenses.
    
    I'll also check around for a permanent home while she's in her foster
    home unless you find one before I do.
    
    Pat
    

Just wanted to let everyone know that Sweetheart has an appt. with the 
vet at 11:15 tomorrow morning.  He's going to test her for FELV, start 
her immunizations, and check out her health.  Immediately after the vet 
visit, I'll be taking Sweetheart to her foster home.

In the month or so that it takes to get Sweetheart's health all squared 
away, I will continue looking for a permanent home for her.  Just this 
morning, as a matter of fact, I sent mail to some DECie friends about 
Sweetheart.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Sweetheart's mom has granted me visitation privileges, and I'm going to 
try and take some pictures of Sweetheart, in case any of you want to see 
what a doll we've been agonizing over.    

-Donna

    Donna, I have a check for $25 all filled up and sitting on my desk.
    Where shall I send it? 
    
    						=maggie

Thanks to Edd, Pat, Karen, Brian, and Maggie, we've collected enough 
money for the anticipated vet bills.  Thank you all for your kindness.  
I'm sure if Sweetheart could talk, she'd say thank you too.

I'll let you know Monday how we make out at the vet and what Sweetheart
thinks of her new digs.

    I think we've hit the $100, although maybe more will be needed.
    Calcs in a hurry: ed 10, me 25, shipley 20, murphy 20, maggie 25
    

    I'll be out on vacation next week, and then start my new job, so
    it'll probably be awhile before I get back into FELINE::.
    
    Feel free to contact me at home (Millbury, MA) if you like. (If
    aja answers just hang up. She's had her phone privs revoked due
    to abuse of the 1-900-HIKITTY hotline....)
    
    See ya's!
    
    Edd

    Edd -
    
    Congrats on a new job!  Where will you be?
    
    Gary

Sweetheart is now vacationing in scenic New Hampshire. :-)  She will 
have at least a temporary home with me and my three cats. She has her 
own room with all the comforts of home (food, water, litter, bed, toys, 
cat and people furniture), sunny windows with a view and lotsa lovies. 

She will be kept isolated until I know that she does not have anything 
contagious, especially feline leukemia. I recently lost one of my cats 
to this rotten disease so am waiting to have my other cats retested 
(they were negative the first time), about Oct. 1st.  I certainly don't 
want Sweetheart to catch anything from my guys either.

Saturday morning Donna took Sweetheart to her vet in Worcester for a 
checkup, shots, and feline leukemia test. The vet said Sweetheart appears 
to be healthy and he didn't *think* she was pregnant. He will have the 
results of the leukemia test this (Mon.) afternoon. Please, everyone, 
keep your fingers crossed! She has a bacterial infection in her eyes 
and I have to put some goop in them for a week.

After the vet visit Donna brought Sweetheart to my house in Nashua. We 
showed her her room and litterbox and (with my cats in the basement) let 
her explore the house.

Sweetheart certainly lives up to her name -- I've never seen such an 
agreeable cat! She rubs and purrs all the time, doesn't seem to be fearful 
of anyone or anything, but is a little cautious. She is very well-behaved; 
in exploring the house she hasn't once jumped up on the counters or table. 
She is very tolerant of humans handling her.

Sunday morning I clipped her claws -- no problem. She was fairly grubby, 
since she had been living outdoors or in Donna's neighbor's basement, so 
I gave her a bath. Sweetheart resistsed being put in the washtub on the
counter -- she seemed terrified that I was going to drown her. Poor 
thing, her heart beat so wildly! I managed to get most of her body wet
with the soapy water and wiped her face with a wet washcloth. When I put 
her in the sink for the rinse cycle she calmed right down and sat 
perfectly still while I poured water over her. When I began to towel her 
dry she started purring, then took over the drying job herself. She is 
now a few shades lighter -- definitely a white cat -- and her fur is 
more silky.

Sweetheart doesn't seem to miss the outdoors. She has no interest in 
sneaking out or even sitting in the window, at least not yet. She appears 
not to mind being confined to her room.

Sweetheart says thank you from the bottom of her sweet little heart to 
all the wonderful Feline noters for their concern and financial and 
moral support.

Will let you know what happens.

Linda

    Poor Sweetheart!  I used to work as a vet. technician at a shelter.
     I had to quit.  Just could not take it.  In defense of the shelters,
    they ask for financial support to support the literal thousands
    of cats and kittens that come thru the doors.  For every 100 cats
    that come in looking for fammilies, only 3-7 get adopted.  At the
    shelter I worked at, we were lucky to see 5 go in a week.  Every
    one of out cat crates (65 in all) were full all the time.
    
    Believe me, it is not because nobody wanted to turn Sweetheart away,
    they did not want to have to put her to sleep.  It's hard to put
    down a cat and it's less than the pits to kill a pregnant one. 
    But, when there are already too many cats and not enough homes,
    what do you do with a litter of 6 or more and the mom?
    
    No more shelter work for this lady!
    
    BTW:  I have 5 cats, 2 dogs and lots and lots of birds!!!  All pound
    refugees!
    
    Good luck!@
    
    Jean
    

    Try "Kitty Angels" The Nashua Humane Society has the #.
    the shelter # is 603/883-8512, they will be glad to help you place
    Sweetheart and/or babies---thru Kitty Angles!
    
    Jean
    

I want to thank all of you who agonized with me over Sweetheart.  She 
now has herself a permanent home with a wonderful woman who finds 
Sweetheart just as endearing as I did.  Sweetheart's mom plans to post 
a note to this topic, and I'll let her update you on what's happened to
Sweetheart recently, how she is, and her good fortune.

-Donna

P.S.  I took pictures of Sweetheart, and I'll be sending a picture to 
all the generous people who made donations toward Sweetheart's health 
care.

    Re: .38

    There was an ad for Kitty Angels in the local paper awhile back. It 
    caught my eye because it mentioned "recycled cats and kittens". I 
    thought I would go to them when the time was right for me to get 
    another cat because their cats are healthy and already spayed or 
    neutered. But I never seem to get to a shelter -- I get caught by 
    FELINE Notes orphans first!

    Re: .39

    Yes, Sweetheart is staying! The results of her feline leukemia test
    were negative, and my cats were retested this weekend and were negative
    also, so now there is nothing to keep us apart. :-)

    I had really been resisting getting attached to Sweetheart in case I 
    couldn't keep her, and because I still wasn't ready for another cat 
    after losing Fuzzy. But now that she's well on the road to recovery and 
    will soon be ready to go to the no-kill shelter, I can't do it. She's 
    just too nice a cat. Someone recently entered a note about a cat(s) they 
    adopted from a shelter that had been there for two years. No way is that 
    going to happen to Sweetheart! 

    Sweetheart was spayed last Friday -- she wasn't pregnant, fortunately,
    although I would have had it done anyway, as long as it didn't endanger
    her health. There are just TOO MANY unwanted cats and kittens as it is.
    She also had a tooth removed. After I first got her from Donna, I noticed
    that the lower half of her upper right canine tooth was broken off and
    the lower right canine tooth (if I'm using the right terms) was leaning
    forward at an odd angle and the gum at the base of the tooth was black. 
    The vet I took her to said she had "suffered some trauma"; it looked to 
    me like she'd been kicked in the mouth. At the vet's recommendation, I 
    had him remove it when she was spayed. Now all that's left is to have
    her stitches removed and have feline leukemia shots.

    This brings up another point. Since Sweetheart is going to be my cat,
    I feel it's only right that I be responsible for her medical expenses.
    Many thanks to you generous people who contributed to the "Sweetheart 
    Fund", but I'd like to return it. If you'll send me your addresses and 
    the amount you gave I'll refund your money.

    Linda

    P.S. As I mentioned before, Sweetheart is a very nice cat, quiet, docile
    and....good. Maybe *too* good. Probably the naughty Cub will teach her
    to steal sponges from the kitchen sink and play freight train up and
    down the stairs. But to ensure that the house is properly ransacked by 
    an adequate number of cats I've decided to also adopt -- well, read note 
    1828 and see for yourselves!