This gorgeous, sweet, calm, gentle guy is Augustus. He was rescued as a kitten and then abandoned again in mid life when his rescuer moved and left him behind to fend for himself. He survived the cold winter outside with no food and only his “Mamma Kitty” companion. They found a warm place to sleep in a neighbors garage and were careful to stay hidden. They caught mice in exchange for shelter until it got too cold outside. The owners of the garage called us and with their help Augustus and Mamma Kitty came to the safety, warmth, comfort and love of the shelter. He never complains when people come to love the small kittens in the shelter, he waits his turn and shows unending appreciation for any affection visitors bestow upon him.

Mamma Kitty was the name her rescuer gave her before moving. Our friend Christine who always comes to visit them calls her Fiona. This 2 year old spayed female cat is sweet and quiet and she loves her Augustus! She enjoys a little pet behind the ear from her human caretakers but she will rub her cheek, purr, and roll on her tummy for Augustus. She likes to be outside and with her Augustus they catch mice and explore their outside pen in safety.

This next duo is currently in a foster home and doing well. Gabby is an unique Bengal Lepoard cat. She likes to be “Top Cat”, and she will go to the highest place she can to look down on all her employees. She likes dogs and has shown she can get along with other cats as long as they know their place in her pack! Gabby can suffer from anixety sometimes but this is well managed with a plug-in pheremone product. Gabby would do well in a quiet home who appreciates her unique characteristics and opinions.

Gabby’s companion is Tifa. This shy Siamese cat was originally a feral kitten who has learned to adapt to home life. Her first few months with her foster home she hid in the basement. Then she slowly started coming out when she heard the footsteps of the house “Mom” and would play with her little paw around the corner. After getting comfortable with footsteps from both her foster Mom and Dad she started venturing upstairs to check things out. She is now regularly appearing upstairs and enjoys watching the busy household occupants. One the of resident cats will go downstairs and call to Tifa with a pleading call to come out and visit. Tifa will answer him back with a small mew showing that she hears him. Tifa is well loved by all in her home. Tifa would do well in a quiet home where she can show her true spirit without the fear of busy feet and paws.

Our next kitty is called Midnight. This young spayed female came to us as one of many cats rescued from a small cabin after the death of their owner.  Midnight was captured with five of her kittens from her hiding spot in a nearby shed. All the kittens have found homes. Three of her kittens will always be together is a wonderful home that loves them very much! Midnight is a sweet girl who loves attention and will roll around and soak up the love from her human foster Mom. Midnight feels a little intimidated by other cats and they will chase her under the bed every chance they get. This foster home has many cats and it is not the ideal place for sweet Midnight. She deserves a home that she feels safe in and one that she can come out and get attention and show appreciation for your love in return.

Our last kitty in a foster home is Noir. Noir is the sister to Midnight and she has gone to a foster home because she did not like our little shelter. There is no cooping up this free spirited one. She is about 2 years old and she is spayed. She was captured some time after Midnight as she had no kittens that would freeze in the cold weather. Our rescue lady “Jane” spent countless hours keeping her warm, fed and loved in her original home after the death of her owner. One staff member fell in love with Noir and celebrated each little step forward with her. She would carry Noir around the shelter while she fed the other cats and scratch her behind her ear and down her neck. She even purred her appreciation. Noir will do well in a home with patience and safe access to the outside.

These cats know what it is like to fend for themselves. As domesticated animals they should have never had to find themselves food and shelter, this was our job when we bred them as companions. These cats are so willing to please you and show you appreciation for the simple things you give them like a warm fluffy kitty bed and some good high protein kitty food. You throw in a simple free toy from the vet clinic (our way of saying thank-you for your visit) and these cats feel like they are in heaven. All they need is for you to give them a chance, a chance to shine, a chance for peace and a chance for love.

Call 250-692-7476 for more information about our adoption policies or check us out on facebook at “The Burns Lake Veterinary Clinic” for a day to day report of what is happening at the clinic and shelter.

You may wonder who looks after all the kitties in the shelter…each morning one of the staff members from the clinic goes out the clean, feed, water and love each of the shelter kitties. On Sunday’s we have a volunteer that comes to love them all. Her name is Emily and she has been very dedicated to them. It is a quiet job that she takes pride in and although the kitties cannot thank her as I can, I’m sure they give her lots of kisses and snuggles. Thank-you Emily for all your hard work and love, we truly appreciate all that you do!

All of our very young kittens except one have been spoken for. The last kitten is called Izzy, she is very high energy and very fast! She zips around the shelter like she has a rocket tied to her tail. There is no containing this spit fire! This is Michael cuddling Izzy.

Izzy’s mom will be spayed soon, her name is Precious. She is very friendly and easy going. She seems to like other cats and loved little Joe even when he turned her upside down and tickled her belly.

All three of our 6 month old kittens are still waiting to be picked for their new homes. This little guy is Teemo. At first he was the one to come out and greet you at the door with a rub from his cheek. Now he is followed by his brother. He doesn’t liked to be picked up much but loves to be cuddled and pet!

The next kitten is Todd (and my new love!). He is just as quick to greet us at the door now as Teemo is. He is more tolerant of being picked up and this little guy LOVES kisses. He will head butt your nose is you lean in to get a snuggle. He was very good with my boys when they stopped by for a visit and he would make a very loving addition to any house! A young Dalmatian puppy came to the shelter to visit, Todd was very curious and met the pup nose to nose. I’m sure that Todd would do well with a family dog.

Trixie is the last kitten in this litter. She is slowly adjusting to shelter life and although she stays in her castle when people come to visit she will sit and enjoy a good scratch under the chin and down her neck. Give her another few weeks and this kitten will come out to visit us with Teemo and Todd.

As all the kittens get snapped up before they are ready to leave their Mom, our Sweet Augustus and his sister Momma Kitty watch and wait patiently. Augustus is a beautiful deep orange neutered male who is super sweet and loves to cuddle. His purr is so loud there is no mistaking it is him. If you were to adopt Augustus there are no surprises with this guy, you know what his personality is, you know his likes and dislikes are. This charmer will do all that he can to show you how much he appreciates you giving him what he needs to survive in this world.

Augustus would really like to find a home with his sister Momma Kitty. Momma Kitty came to the shelter first and she was very shy and lonely without her Augustus. She will cuddle up to him and snuggle into his belly to show him how much she needs him. This 2 year old girl is very sweet and likes to go outside.

We are still looking for homes for all our kitties in foster care, a 2 year old black spayed female called Midnight who would like to be the only cat, a 2 year old black spayed female called Noir who would like to go outside, a 10 year old spayed female Bengal Leopard cat called Gabby who likes high places, a 10 year old spayed female Siamese called Tifa who is shy and likes quiet places.

Thank-you to Christine for the wonderful idea of putting whiteboards in the shelter to give potential new homes all the information they need to adopt a new kitten! I love that visitors come to the shelter and add their comments to the boards. Your visits are very important for keeping our kitties socialized and engaged. Now you are also helping us advertise them to find them the perfect home with your wonderful comments. Thank-you to all who come and help save these little lives!

Here is Michael during his visit to play with a few of the kittens who have already been spoken for:

Please call 250-692-7476 for more information on all the kitties you see here. Our adoption policy says that if you choose a kitten, you agree to pay for their first vaccination and the Mother Millie Fund pays for their second vaccination (due 1 month after the first). You agree to provide your kitten with shelter, food, water, veterinary care, socialization and love. You also agree to a maditory spay and neuter of your kitten at 6 months of age. The Mother Millie Fund offers you a 20% discount for surgeries done at our clinic. If you choose to adopt a 6 month or older kitten we ask for a donation to help cover the costs of surgery, vaccinations, medications and shelter costs. Please remember that when you adopt a new pet the inital costs never stop at “initial”. Be sure that you have enough extra pennies around to help your new pet if they should need emergency care for an accident or sickness.

Yes, we have kittens! Our first batch of kittens came to us on Thursday. Sweet little round faces full of wonder and spunk! They were rescued by a local, hard working animal advocate who saved them from being released into the forest to fend for themselves. Their mother was spayed and returned to her owner with some loving education about how these tiny domesticated animals cannot survive on their own. Our next batch of kittens will be delivered on Monday as they are only just old enough to leave the safe paws of their mom. In a few weeks this loving mother will be spayed and returned to her owner as well. 2 of our 8 week old kittens have already left their siblings and gone to new homes. We will see them in 1 month for their booster shots and I cannot wait to see how much they will have grown. These are the 3 kittens still up for adoption.

As people flock to the shelter to visit and pick out their new kittens (even before I have them advertised) we tend forget that at 6 months old, cats are no longer as cute as the 8 week old kittens. Have I got the pictures to prove that philosophy is wrong!! The next litter of kittens were born to a stray that was dropped (very pregnant) at the doorstep of a local farm! The owner of the farm has spent the last 6 months trying to find good homes for them but as the time for them to be spayed and neutered approached she decided to let us give it a try. The mother of the kittens has been spayed and returned to live her life on the farm. The first little boy in this litter is called Teemo. He is very affectionate and is the first to come out of his castle and greet you with a tall tail and a purr!

Our second neutered boy (me and Jackie’s current LOVE) …is Todd. He is a little shy but purrs loudly, head butts you and kisses you softly on the cheek when you offer affection.

The third kitten from this litter is a beautiful little girl. She has had a harder time adjusting to shelter life and prefers to hide in her castle instead of greeting you at the door. She enjoys a warm and quiet scratch behind the ear. We call her Trixie.

If you are able to walk into the shelter and pass by those gorgeous kittens then there is little chance you will notice Mamma Kitty hiding. This sweet and shy 2 year old girl was abandoned when her owner moved away. She loves to hang out in the outside pen and she takes her job of stalking mice and mosquito’s very seriously. This girl would love a quiet, routine home where she can be helpful and grateful to you.

Mamma Kitty shares her shelter space with our Augustus. Augustus is a 9 year old sweetheart! He is very affectionate and calm and content. He will roll over and purr if you pet him and give him a little bit of attention.  Augustus likes to go outside and gets along well with other cats. 

As our little shelter was overflowing we were forced to move our beloved Wini into the clinic. Wow, did she shine! She met dogs and cats with a flip of her tail and a quiet “this is my counter, and my people” attitude. She crawled onto our laps and fell asleep as we worked. This weekend she was taken to a new home for a trial to see how she likes it. It is not very often that I do house calls, but in this case….I made an acception. Wini’s first night in her new home she was greeted by a gaggle of girls. She strutted through a crowd of people and swished her tail as she carefully choose the right lap to curl up on. Then she entertained all of us by playing with the dog and rolling on her belly. I hope everything works out for our little Wini.

We still have several cats in foster homes including Noir, Midnight, Gabby and Tifa. Noir is very content chasing mice and having quiet space to herself.     Midnight cannot adjust to her surroundings and is still hiding under the bed. Mignight really needs a home where she is the only cat. She is very affectionate and will come out for a quick pet until another cat chases her back under the bed.      Gabby is feeling a little cooped up as spring is here and her foster parents have contructed an outside pen where she will be safe and warm and have a ton of fun things to play with and interesting animals to meet during the day. They have made her a cat run along the top of the pen so she can climb up high and look down on everything.       Tifa is slowly starting to venture upstairs to meet her parents and check out things around the house. It is slow progress with Tifa but she will get there with patience and love.

This monday we will have three more 6 week old kittens being delivered to the shelter. All of the kittens should have a blast playing together. Bring the kids in for a visit to play with them. Don’t forget our older kitties need a little snuggle here and there too. The shelter can be a lonley place when you are waiting for your forever home and the more people that visit and show they care the better these cats can adjust to home life. We are always accepting donations of opened food that your cat refuses to eat or toys or dishes you no longer use. Think of us when you are spring cleaning. 250-692-7476

Also our local, hard working animal advocte who saved the 8 week old kittens accepts donations of used dog houses that they insulate and repair and give them to homes with animals in need. You can call Val or Alister at 250-694-3696 to donate.

We have a very dedicated lady (Jane) that gives and gives to stray animals in the community. She has donated a few unique items that we have decided to auction off on our facebook site “The Burns Lake Veterinary Clinic”. Here are the 4 items up for bid. Bidding will end at 2:00pm on May 1st. All proceeds go towards The Mother Millie Fund.

Item #1. This is a Hudson’s Bay Blanket from Eaton’s. It is an all wool, vintage 4 stripe, genuine trapper point blanket. We currently have a bid of $100 for this blanket.

Item #2. This wool blanket is believed to be from war time when ladies used to pull strips from other blankets and weave together new ones as wool was not plentiful.

Item #3. Bid on this medium size Bison Wool sweater.

Item #4 is a wool blanket from St. Andrews East Que., Scotland. Made at St. Andrews Woolen Mills Ltd., moth-proofed and dated 1952.

We have a new sweet face at the shelter. This beautiful tabby cat is called Wini, she is spayed and vaccinated and looking for a new home. She is very loving and when I opened her kennel door after her surgery she followed me around the clinic. I opened a cupboard door and she peeked her little nose in! I opened the exam room door and she ran through ahead of me! My little shadow. A couple of young ladies came to visit her on Saturday and she rolled around on the counter and purred like their belly rub was better than catnip! She may be my new love! It is easy to love a cat who is so grateful for the small things like shelter, food and water. Sometimes I think we need to be inspired by this, and be grateful that we can provide for ourselves. Call the clinic if you are interested in adopting a cat at 250-692-7476. Check out our facebook page under “The Burns Lake Veterinary Clinic” for more information (we also have a few things up for auction to fundraise for The Mother Millie Fund).

Working at the clinic allows me work very closely with Dave and Yvette from Turtle Gardens. We spay and neuter and vaccinate all sorts of dogs of all sizes and shapes. I admire the hard work and commitment these wonderful people do. They have given their lives to help stray dogs that others throw away. They love them, nurse them, train them, rehabilitate them, feed them, shelter them, socialize them, fund-raise for them and find them their perfect forever homes. I thought long and hard about becoming a foster home for them. My final argument with myself was how can I not? How can I not foster one when they foster so MANY! I am determined to help and the hardest part for me will clearly be to let them go. But I cannot help if I don’t let them go because I cannot adopt them all.

Meet Tug! He is a 5 month old Husky Shepard cross. Dr. Martin thinks he may have some Great Dane in him. He is going to be a big boy! Dave brought him to me yesterday and as soon as we got home he was introduced to my “pack”. He sat quietly and met the other dogs with no concerns. My young dog Koda (a Turtle Gardens rescue!) instantly engaged him in play. She romped around him and turned in circles to get his attention. He calmly explored the property and then started romping with her. We invited him into Koda’s sleeping area that is enclosed with a short fence. After a few times of correcting him he understood his boundaries, flopped on his bed and fell fast asleep. I woke him up in the morning to his first walk with my pack and that of a friend. Her pack is a pack of 8 dogs, all rescued! He stayed close during our off leash hike through the bush and enjoyed falling into line with the other dogs. He doesn’t know his name yet but comes quickly when I whistle. Here he is kissing Mercedes.

Please contact Turtle Gardens if you are interested in adopting Tug.

One of many reasons I love my job so much is that I get to learn something new everyday. The great thing about this blog is that I can pass along the things I learn. This week we had a little dog come in with a mammary tumour. Did you know that there is almost 0% chance that a female will develop mammary tumours if they are spayed before their first heat (6 months of age)? The logical side of me has to reason it out and compare the cost of a $160 spay at 6 months of age to an $800 spay and tumour removal at 5 years of age. Not to mention the lengthy recovery time for your beloved pet after such an involved surgery. Surgeries performed when animals are young are so much easier for them. I wonder what they would choose? The choice for me is clear.

The last few weeks at the Burns Lake Veterinary Clinic has been very busy, so I have been told. As I was away in Mexico with my children the girls were working very hard for me. I brought them all back a little bit of the beach to thank them:) A few things have changed in my absence at the shelter. Mr. Manny has found a home with a sweet young girl to watch over him. Noir has gone to a foster home as she felt very unhappy in the small shelter. A kitty called Brandy who was adopted from our clinic has again found another loving home, one with a little more space for her. The next is a story I have been patiently waiting to tell you…

There was an elderly gentleman who lived alone in a small cabin just outside of town. He had no family and very few solid friends, but he did have his cats that he loved. Last summer he passed away leaving behind his precious pets with no one to claim them. Our local kitty advocate (we will call her Jane:) rushed up to his cabin and fed each and every cat daily making sure that they were safe, secure and well looked after. Jane worked very hard all summer despite her own health issues and did not leave one kitty behind. The first batch of cats to make their way to the shelter was a mother cat and her 5 kittens. The mother cat had run from the cabin to the safety of a neighbors wood shed to have her kittens. The neighbors called us for help and we called Jane. Jane ran up there with her live trap and worked day and night until everyone was safe and sound. The kittens were about 8 weeks old and already very frightened of people. These kittens needed some socialising before they were ready to be adopted. As the shelter was (as usual) overflowing, we called in the help of another kitty advocate who fostered all 6 of them. They called the mother cat Kuro and the kittens Onyx, Callie, Abbie, Lizzie and Shadow.

Late in October when the shelter had room for them, they came to stay with us. Two of the kittens were social enough by this time to make their way to new and patient homes. Shadow was adopted with another stray kitten to a family with two little boys. Lizzie was adopted to a local family with an older cat who needed company. The last three kittens needed a lot of work before anyone would adopt them. They made their way to a dedicated foster home who had loved and rehabilitated several cats before them. The kittens spent all their time under the bed and came out only at night to play in the bathtub! They were renamed Blackie, Hissy and Whiteface. Within the first month the kittens were hopping up onto the foot of the bed for their naps. Whiteface was the first to attempt a pet from her loving foster Mom and Dad. Slowly she felt comfortable enough to ask for attention and even sit on their laps. Hissy still does not like to be pet. She likes things on her terms in black and white! Blackie is slowly becoming a lap cat as well as Whiteface.

These kittens have come so far, from terrified, feral kittens to content (and confident) lap kittens. Their foster Mom made them a huge floor to ceiling roost that they love to climb on. Soon it was time for the kittens to have their surgeries and consider being adopted. Their foster Mom and Dad stomped their feet and said “Nope! We love them too much, they are staying with us!”  They have all been spayed and neutered, loved and cuddled. They will continue to live in their peaceful apartment with two people who love them unconditionally. Who could ask for anything else? Way to score guys!

The other cats that have been rescued by Jane from the small cabin just outside of town include Willow and Noir. Willow is doing well in her new home. Noir has gone to a foster home so she can hunt quick little mice. Kuro was taken in by her rescuer Jane and renamed Midnight. Midnight is a solitary kitty and likes to be the only cat. Unfortunately Midnight now lives with many other cats that Jane has rescued. Midnight will continue to hide under the bed until she finds her perfect home where she can have all the love and attention she deserves.

A quick update from our foster home who have Gabby and Tifa. Gabby has completely mellowed out since coming to stay with her temporary family. She is interacting with the other cats and in true Bengal fashion, loves to hide around corners and pounce on them! She totally adores the resident dogs and likes to cuddle during quiet time with the family. If you create a tent out of a blanket she will curl right up under it, her foster Dad says this so cute! Tifa is still hiding out and she is having a hard time trusting the man of the house. When her foster Mom comes down the stairs she will come out and stick her paw around the corner for a bit of play but she knows the different footsteps and will not come out for her foster Dad. Both these lucky girls are welcome to stay in their foster homes for as long as it takes to find just the right home for them.

I know the love and committment it takes to be a foster home. It is a quiet, selfless, rewarding experience to watch a scared stray turn into a loving loyal companion. Sometimes the hardest part is letting go and this is most often how we loose our loving foster homes as they become new owners. Please call the clinic (250-692-7476) if you are interested in becoming a foster home to an animal in need or call Turtle Gardens (250-696-3188) if you would like to foster a dog instead of a cat.

Well our staff photographer has been busy again and she always impresses me. I must share her gorgeous pictures with you. We took Mr. Manny outside in my arms. I did not let him down but the pictures turn out so much better in the light of day. He squirmed a little, looked around in amazement, purred and asked to return to his kitty castle. Augustus was a little more nervous and a little less curious about being picked up, so we did the best we could inside his room. He loved it when I scratched under his chin. Noir is getting used to being handled and will not purr yet when I stroke behind her ears but I know when she closes her eyes that she enjoys the attention. She scooted outside into the fenced yard and Denise snapped a great picture of her. Thanks Denise!

We are still waiting for a local family to capture a black and white female kitty who was abandoned outside with Augustus. She is currently living in their garage and will flee the second they approach her. Keep your fingers crossed that they catch her soon and bring her to safety.

Wednesday was an interesting day at the clinic. We helped a client find a new home for the adorable black and white kitten that she had taken in. Her older cat did not like the new kitten. She surrendered the kitten to us and we had a few hours to hold and cuddle her before her new home came and picked her up. Good luck guys!

We have had a lot of people buying the “Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory” Chocolate Bones in support of Turtle Gardens. This is a picture of Keith and Jacegrey as they made off with their prize! I think they had to share with Mom and Uncle too!

For anyone who follows us on facebook or Turtle Gardens you will no doubt have heard about the 7th annual Mother Millie garage sale and silent auction we held this year in February. The Mother Millie fund was named in honor of our beloved clinic cat. The Mother Millie fund operates Simond’s Sanctuary and helps with the medical and surgical treatment of stray animals in the community. We had amazing support this year and with many hours of volunteer help and dedication we raised $6604.71. I don’t know how we are going to top this next year but we have some very big shoes to fill!  Thank-you to everyone who helped, donated and sent loving support. Every little bit helps.

As this blog is about the clinic and the stray animals it helps, I would like to tell you a story about a special stray named Diego. Diego and his two brothers were rescued by Dr. Martin and brought to Simond’s Sanctuary, vaccinated and sent to a foster home. Diego and his brothers needed socialising and my home was perfect to help prepare them for life with a family. Soon they were ready to venture out from under the bed and be adopted. A family was interested in adopting a kitten and he choose Diego. Moses and Aaron stayed with me until I couldn’t think about giving them up. 6 months later Diego returned to clinic as his family had to move into an apartment. As soon as I spotted my little Diego all grown up, I knew I had to take him home to his brothers. Soon after bringing him home I noticed a little wobble in his step and after testing we found that Diego had FIV. Diego’s disease caused paralysis in his hind end. Last week we had to say goodbye to Diego just short of his second birthday. I would like Diego’s story to show how one cat can bring so much love to this world. There is an empty spot beside me on the couch while I drink my morning tea and I am so thankful that I knew him. How much I would have missed without him. Thank-you Kathy and Dr. Martin for Simond’s Sanctuary and thank-you to everyone for the Mother Millie fund that gave me my Diego.

Well… this little blogger is off on a very much deserved holiday for a couple of weeks. I may not have a chance to blog until my return but I will be thinking of all of you while I am sitting on the beach in Mexico! Adios!

Well it has been a very busy week at Simond’s Sanctuary! We approved a home for our sweet brother and sister pair Little Black and Little Smoke. They made their way to Vanderhoof on Thursday. They are a little timid with their new family but are slowly settling in. Their family has renamed them Peter and Wendy (sooo cute!). We were very happy to see both these kitties find a home together, they briefly stayed with a foster home who said they did everything together. The Foster home nicknamed them Silken, as her fur is like silk, an amazing brown/charcoal mix, and her brother: Licorice, or Korish for short.  We were told he was a bit of a lobster when it came to his water-dish, taking his claw to want to pull it right under his chin:).  Their foster mom said “A most rewarding addition to any household, as they purr the second they are close to you.” We hope their new family loves them as much as we all did.

Earlier in the week we had another successful placement with Lucky. Lucky was our long term polydactol resident who had a hard time finding the right home because she didn’t like other cats. A young man from Houston came in and said Lucky was perfect! He says that he is still waiting for her to catch a mouse but we know once she is settled she will jump in with all six claws!

Another wonderful match was made for my sweet Willow (I called her Misty in the last post…some peas fell off my plate that day!). I was very sad to open the shelter door Saturday morning to find Willow’s box empty and no purr to greet me. As soon as I was done visiting and caring for the other shelter cats, I ran inside to phone the new family and see how my precious girl was doing. Willow’s new Mom says she is a little shy and hiding, which is Willow’s way. I was very happy to hear the family is letting her take her time to get adjusted to her new environment and soon they will see the beautiful girl we all saw.

So it is time for my new love….Mr. Manny! This mature neutered male had to be surrendered because his owner was facing eviction. A little like Willow this large strapping young man is a little shy at first but opens up with TONS of love! I brought my 4 year old son Joey in to help me take pictures this week and I am always a little careful about how new cats will react to small people. No worries with Mr. Manny! He took to Joey with wild enthusiasm. Joey picked him right up and Manny purred and cooed! I called him Mr. Man because I didn’t like the name “stray”, but Joey says we must call him Manny like the Mammoth on Ice Age (strong, big and sweet..it fits!) Mr. Manny has a cute, slightly crooked ear that gives him the tough look of a large cat although he is anything but! Manny has had some kidney issues in the past but is currently stable and he would be the perfect addition to any family. Future medical requirements will be covered by the Mother Millie fund.

We had a few new additions this week as we said goodbye to others. A young lady who used to rescue stray cats has now abandoned two of them.  A concerned neighbor has contacted us to see if we could help. Augustus is a gorgeous orange tabby cat with remarkable coloring… he is a very dark orange. He is a little nervous in the clinic but purrs and shows affection when we go to visit him. I cut a few mats off of his back and he took it with a grain of salt. We vaccinated him and he was content to get some attention from loving hands. We believe Augustus to be about 9 years old and neutered. The neighbors are now trapping his sister who is a bit more skittish. We believe her to be called BW, a long haired black and white female. I hope the neighbors have luck so we can get this little girl into the safety of the shelter.

We had an update from our foster home who has taken in Gabby and Tifa after their owner was forced to move due to medical issues. Gabby is a mature spayed Bengal Leopard who has a hard time adjusting. This unique kitty got to her new foster home and started literally pulling her hair out. Her foster family is happy to report that she has adjusted and settled into a comfortable routine and has stopped with her hair pulling. She likes to be boss and tells the boy kitties this every chance she gets! She has become used to the other girls in the house and really likes the dogs in her foster home! Tifa is a beautiful siamese who was originally a feral kitty who would hide when company came but loved her Mom with lots of affection. In her foster home Tifa is having a hard time adjusting and prefers to spend time by herself. Her foster family is being patient and kind by giving her the space she asks for. We hope that soon this kitty will come out of her shell and not be afraid. Perhaps the best place for her would be a home where there is a lot of quiet time so she can retire in peace.

This is my first attempt at a blog without Stan on the phone coaching me… Here we go….

Working at the vet clinic has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Working so close to the shelter is not only very rewarding but it is also very dangerous! The longer a stray kitty stays with us, the more we all fall in love. We plot with each other how we can incorporate that latest love into our already large cat families. My current love is Misty. She hides in her little box until I say her name an then she opens up like a spring tulip. She kneads and purrs and kisses without fear. Although she only sees me twice a week she is already comfortable enough to jump off her perch and kiss my nose as I am cleaning her area.

Olivia was a long term resident of the shelter. She was rescued by the local soft hearted woman who makes it her mission to save the lives of unwanted cats. Olivia made it clear in the shelter that she did not like other cats. She was adopted a few months after arriving at the shelter but ran away and was found at a nearby campsite. She was returned to the clinic where her owner came and picked her up. A short time later she ran away again, this time ending up with a neighbor who opened her door and fostered Olivia. The foster home had to keep her separated from the other cats and so Olivia made her way back to the shelter.  A mature gentleman stopped by the clinic one day asking for a kitten, a cat he could train. He wanted a lap cat. He had no other cats and had lots of love to give. He told us just pick one out and he would be back on Wednesday. As I searched for the kitten who would be the perfect fit, Dr. Martin said simply…”He wants Olivia.”. Dr. Martin was right! He phoned a few days later and said over and over how much he loved his new kitty. He named her Smokey. She came home and made herself queen. She follows him around the house, greets guests at the door with perfect manners and has even pushed him out of bed!

What a great feeling it is to know that after such a long struggle Olivia a.k.a Smokey has finally found the home and the love that she has waited for for so long. This is why I love my job!

Working with Stan….

Having fun!