More Kitties Who Need Adopting

Uh-oh, I sense a trend. I got an e-mail from someone who said she heard I might post pics of kitties that need adopting on my blog. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a whiskered face. And you never know what person will read at the right time and give a great home to a little cat. So here's a new batch of little furry ones that need a home filled with love:

"Some one dropped off a female torti in our cul-de-sac about a month ago.  Of course she was pregnant and now we have 3 kittens also.  We have 1 outdoor neutered cat that we put food out for and have an igloo for him in bad weather.  The female is not feral but we can't afford any more pets.  The kittens appear to be about 2-3 weeks old.  2 of them have eyes that are not opening fully and need medical attention also that I can't afford  There are 2 orange tabbies and 1 torti that looks like the mom.  The mother took over the igloo about a week ago bringing the kittens we believe up from the woods.  I have called several places and no one seems to be able to help.  I hate to take them to the shelter as I am getting attached to them of course. and I believe they would make someone a great pet.  I don't know what to do and this has made me very emotional.  I have Multiple Sclerosis and am having a hard time knowing what to do??  Can you help?  Call Michelle at 336-841-0040 (High Point, NC)."

Adorable Kitties for Adoption

A friend sent me an e-mail, asking if I might pass on a photo and information on to anyone interested in adopting a kitten. A stray gave birth to these cats near an office. The friend of my friend rounded up all the kittens including the mom and paid for all the vet services including spay/neuter. She is asking for references to make sure the cats go to good homes.

Stupid allergies! I want the kitties! Look how precious... I miss the kitten stage (she said as the black and white blob on the floor stared resentfully up at her.) Anyway, here is the picture and info on the kitties is below.

Starting at the front and moving clockwise...
 
MooMoo - Male. He is small but has a very curious and playful personality. He is friendly and loving. He has short hair.
 
Asia - Female - Solid Gray - She is the one who was never afraid of people at all. On her first night at home she was rubbing against my leg, letting me pet and love on her, sticking her little tale and butt in the air and purring like a motor boat. She is the leader of the pack and is setting the stage for the others that people are good. She is short haired.
 
Jessie -  Female - Gray/white - She is the runt. She is cautious still but loves to have her legs massaged. She will lay on her back in my lap and go totally to sleep. She is short haired.
 
Smokey - Male - He is becoming more trusting everyday. He watches and sits arms length away to be touched and gradually petted. He has a very sweet, timid personality. He has medium length hair.
 
Gaicomo (pronounced jock o mo) - Male - He is the big boy of the bunch. He loves to play, he's still a little shy but loves to be petted and also falls out when he gets a leg massage. He is a beautiful boy and has medium to long hair.
 
Casper - Male - larger gray/white is of the last litter we trapped and found homes for. He was the only boy and remains at large. His Mom was smart enough to get them through a tornado that ripped through our parking lot when he and his sisters were just 3 weeks old. He inherited her sensibilities. He is a friendly feral and knows his name but he will only come so close and has watched us trap so he's very aware of what the contraption is...

I don't have the woman's permission to post her e-mail, so if you or someone you know would like more information, e-mail me and I'll get the contact info to you.

Going Vegan... Maybe

I stopped eating red meat and pork in 1988. I initially did it on a trial basis, just to see if I could. Surprisingly, I never missed it and never had any desire to go back.

Cutting out chicken and turkey, which I did around 1995-96, was harder. Blair and I ate a lot of chicken-based meals together, finding food at a Wendy's or McDonald's became more of a challenge and frankly, Thanksgiving without turkey meat sucks. (I tried Tofurkey which is similar in taste and texture to regurgitated stomach snot. Don't do it.)

I always planned to either cut out or ease back on seafood, which I haven't yet. I love me some crabcakes and lobster! But I watched an episode of Hell's Kitchen where chefs had to drop live lobsters into boiling water and I was all but screaming at them, "Don't do it!" A little hypocritical, considering I eat lobster (dunked in hot butter... oh yum.) So I think I'll start easing off on seafood by no longer eating crab and lobster.

But I've been getting a lot of signals from the Universe lately about vegan. A friend of mine read "Skinny Bitch" and he and his wife are trying Vegan for a month. I'm waiting for him to report back to me. I've recently met several vegans and am semi-following a vegan blog.

Vegan scares me. It seems like a lot of work. But I might compromise (off-putting to the true vegans, I know.) I'm not so much one that believes it's wrong to eat animals as I am someone who believes it's wrong to torture animals before we eat them, which is exactly what happens with standard meat, eggs, etc. I don't want to eat tortured animals from a moral standpoint, but also from a health standpoint. I don't think eating something raised in suffering can be good for me.

Which is why I'm quite interested in the "natural" food wave that's sweeping America. Blair has made some inquiries to local farms about buying meat and eggs. My understanding is these farms raise animals the "old-fashioned" way, with pastures and room to roam. I'd forgo vegan and eat dairy and even chicken/turkey (red meat just no longer appeals to me) if we bought from them.

Still thinking things through. I'd like to read Skinny Bitch and some nutrition books and do more research before committing to anything. But giving up meat has really not been difficult and soy-meat products are MUCH tastier now then they used to be and I would assume they will continue to improve. So stay tuned...

Temporary Halt on Animal Shelter Volunteering

Someone asked me the other day how my volunteer work was going at the Rockingham County Animal Shelter and I realized I'd never updated my blog about what happened.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've stopped going. It was a combination of  circumstances and just... weak will. I think the last time I blogged about the shelter, I mentioned that parvo had hit and the shelter manager had to put down almost 60 dogs, many of them puppies.

I'd been volunteering on Friday's. I was out of town the week after the parvo disaster, but showed up to volunteer the following Friday. Only the shelter was closed, because the manager was at an out-of-town conference. I returned the following Friday only to find the shelter closed again, due to the manager being out sick.  I was gone the next Friday and then the Friday after that I drove in only to find the shelter closed again for some reason I don't remember now.

It's a 30 minute drive to the shelter and although I feigned frustration at having wasted so much time and gas money, I was secretly relieved each time I drove up and found the shelter closed. I felt good about my work at the shelter but it was hard, both physically and emotionally.  I never felt like I really got the hang of the work although admittedly, I didn't stick it out very long. It was also a big time commitment, going 12:30 to 4, then coming home and showering and being exhausted and a little depressed.

Bottom line, I can come up with every excuse I want, but I just chose not to return. Being there was hard, and it was easier just not to show up. Easier not to have to think about the animals or deal with their reality. Like I said, I'm not proud, but that's the truth.

I hope I return someday soon, or at least volunteer in a different capacity--maybe grant writing, PR, or something of that nature.