Two Orphaned Cats - Can you Help???

[czicat]

i want you all to know what a precious little kitty Freddy is. He is a gorgeous shade of light orange, with an orange nose and the green-yellow eyes your momma warned you about. He has delicate little cream colored whiskers, and you know he just loves to give kitty kisses. He is patient and tolerant and so very affectionate, even when not feeling well. A real lover!

He is a strong little cat, and his body has proven its power to heal. (The good news in all this is that his kidneys are definitely working, as he sure had a bladder full this morning.) So we all pray tonight that Freddy calls on that inner strength and spirit he has so amply demonstrated, to once again get him through.

Keep Freddy in your prayers tonight and tomorrow and send him love and strength. Eric will keep us posted on Freddy's progress. Thank you all so much for your love and support.

catherine

[Logan]

Eric, Catherine and the rest of you, who have worked so tirelessly on behalf of Freddy and Puddy, thank you so much. I'm leaving to go out of town tomorrow and won't be able to check in until Thursday. Please know that I will not forget either of them, and will keep both of them in my prayers.

God bless you.
Logan

[Eric]

Our little Freddy had a stable night ~~ NO bad news ~~

{ to answer the Emails, why I can't take Freddy & Puddy} I fell in love with these little guys myself ~ I only wish I afford a Cat nanny ~ I travel in my business, sometimes a month at a time and live alone ~ I have to consider "Quality of Life" I won't keep cats in cages ~ My guys have full run of the house. If I take in any more Kitties ~It's not fair to the ones I have. I am overwhelmed already. ~~ and Mary {girlfriend} has more kitties than I do ~~ We can't even take a weekend off together ~ Believe me ~ My heart hurts over this ~no one really knows how much!!!! I ask myself over and over how can I keep these babies? I just took in two Coon Cats by rescue last month ~ and they need homes also. ~~ They need a forever home ~ please understand I am doing ALL I can do !!! Eric

[sasvermont]

Eric, I too have considered taking in your two puddy tats. I have three and that is ENOUGH for me and the space I live in. I think some of us have different limits and can afford a different number of dependents. My magical number is three.

I have been trying to come up with a solution. There just has to be someone out there in your area.

What about putting/running an article in the paper? We could all chip in if there is a cost?!!!! Isn't there a newspaper around your town, with a section devoted kindness? I surely hope so.

What town/city are they in now?

Thanks...keep us posted....

(Freddy and Puddy - you are in our thoughts and prayers...especially you, the Fredster)

SAS

[moosmom]

Catherine,

Thank you so much for making the trip. If I didn't live so far away, I would've done the same thing.

Freddy has alot of people and furry friends praying for him. With his strength and determination, I just know in my heart that Freddy will pull through this.

Hang in there, Freddy.

Eric,

What can I say?? You are an amazing person. I'm glad that Freddy is in good hands. I believe that having the support, prayers and love that everyone has been expressing is a positive thing for Freddy and will help him get well.

[Bari_d]

Good morning all. Eric, I am glad sweet Freddy had a good night...we're all concerned about him.

There does, of course have to be a limit on the number of pets one can have - for their sake as well as your own. I know we have more than our limit - they just showed up and my husband and I can't just turn them away. Many were injured at the time they found us, some we received calls on because they were hurt and nowhere to go.

We have 10 inside and are feeding Clancy outside attempting to befriend him so we can find him a forever home of his own. We placed a friend of his two months ago in a wonderful forever home.

Then, we learned of Bailee's plight - a 10 year old who had been forced outside 5 years ago and whose family (if you can call them that) was moving and didn't want to take her. I do believe they would have just left her to roam on her own.

If you've visited our web site, you know we spoil each and every one of these guys - the deserve it.

However, Jim and I are near 60. We both work full time. We DON"T travel often (maybe once a year) because we can't find good pet sitters. Yes, we've made arrangements for them in our wills should something happen to both of us - it is very likely some of our furrkids may outlive us, and our children all have furrfamilies of their own!

The purpose of this diatribe??? I don't know when or how you come to your own limit (affordable or otherwise) on cats or pets in general...we used to think 6 was our limit - it was for many years...then we moved here where people discard cats without ever neutering them and guess who got them all. We've placed a few of them. Others (totally feral) were killed by a roaming mountain lion before we could tame them. Money? Well that's another story - but God has always provided for us and all of them too.

We do understand why all people can't have 10 cats! We appreciate what each and everyone of you are doing to circulate Freddy and Puddy's story. But it isn't working. How can almost 300 people have read their story and not one offered to take them?

We need other avenues to reach people, I guess. This is so frustrating - especially for Eric. I really thought once we got the word out in a major way to cat people, we'd find a home easily - they are precious cats!

Thanks everyone for your input, prayers and love!

Bari et al

[Abbie]

Bari, It sure wasn't a diabtribe, just a fact of life. We've had as many as two dogs and six cats (inside) at one time. It gets overwhelming. As of the death a month ago of cat #1 we're down to two cats. I'd take Freddy and Puddy in a flash but for the fact that I am an older folk with a hubby with congestive heart failure and I just have my hands full.

One of the things I suggested to Eric -- but hasn't happened probably because he has his hands full and we don't know yet if Freddy will be okay -- was to put an ad in the classified section of www.petfinder.org. In addition to the various search features and listings by shelters, there is a section where an individual can place an ad for adoptable animals. This would certainly give Freddy and Puddy more exposure.

All we can do is keep trying!

[Bari_d]

Abbie, you are exactly right - I believe we have to know the status of Freddy's health before Eric or any of us can put the right kind of "ad" out there for these two. Petfinder.org is a great idea, and one I know Eric agrees we should pursue when Freddy is stable.

I do so appreciate, as I know Eric does too, your imput and help. Keep the ideas coming! We'll need EVERY one of them!

I wish you and your furrfamily well. Bless you, cat friend!

B

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

The other day when Edwina's Secretary (Sara) found new kittens by her house, I called a nearby shelter to ask questions. The lady was extremely nice and helpful, so I thought I'd call her about this.

I didn't mention that Freddy & Puddy were from Ohio because I don't know if that would make a difference (I thought it might) in whether they would accept them or not. Turns out they are a very small shelter and are actually over full as it is, so she was reluctant to take them. Said she had a waiting list for situations like this and the waiting list was 5 months out!

She was again very helpful though, and pointed me to a list of shelters in all of the surrounding communities. Once we know Freddy's status, and if those "in charge" here would like, I will start at the top of the list and call every shelter on the list to see if we could get them in. The problem is that not every shelter on the list is a no-kill, so that would have to be one of the first questions - right after "can you take them." She also mentioned that some of them are very large and might have the capacity, but then I told her that they are very shy cats and we were leary about a large shelter. She suggested that we mention that when we call and they might have suggestions. She said that some cats adapt quite easily and some take it very hard. Seeing as how Freddy has been through so much already, I don't know if I could stand seeing him in a large shelter - just another anonymous kitty.

She also mentioned that when we drop the cats off, we make the largest donation possible. She said the majority of the no-kill shelters get no public funding and are funded by donations alone, so this might make a big difference for Freddy & Puddy.

One other thing she asked was if they are de-clawed. She said that will usually make them easier to adopt since the new owners don't have to worry about their furniture.

She was very sympathetic to the situation and would have loved to have helped, but like so many out there, she is already over-full. She did say, however, that the circumstances might help because they are not our cats, this is a rescue situation and we are trying to help - not just dump our own cats.

So, just thought I'd let you all know what I found out.

[moosmom]

I made a bunch of phone calls before Freddy got sick to shelters in the immediate area who were no-kill shelters. Unfortunately, because it's kitten season, all of them were full to capacity. I also inquired about fostering them together. No on called me back. Tubby and Peanut's Mom, I hope you have better luck than I did. I would love nothing more to add them to my already full household, but unfortunately I have 6 and my landlord has put the max on that number. Besides, I also think that they need a quieter home with no other pets but themselves, considering everything they've gone through.

I wish there was more I could do from my end. If there is, please let me know.

[Abbie]

I spent some time this afternoon looking at petfinder. org going through the classified ads listed by people that WANT pets. Didn't find anything of interest but went back as far as July 30th. That way in the future I can just search the new listings each day and perhaps someone will turn up who wants two adult cats. There are lots of listings but they want kittens or are very specific about certain breeds, colors, spots (good grief) and so on.

I just know that if we all try everything we can think of we will find a forever home for Freddy and Puddy when they are ready. I hope Puddy is doing okay all alone.

I wonder too if it would help -- when the time comes -- if we contacted senior citizen organizations. Through them we might find an older person (like me, like me) who would like two cats and Puddy and Freddy could live the quiet life.

[Eric]

Hi My friends ~~~ I spoke with the vet at Sharon Center Veterinary Hospital In Medina Ohio and Freddy is one sick baby ~~ They will hold him til Monday ~~~ he is STRONG and his Kidneys are working ~ But he has been through so much~~ and we just don't know if he can find the extra life force ~~
I would give him some of mine ~If I knew How ~~~
Thank ALL of you for your efforts, I will find room for him ~If no one else will ~{not that I don't love all of you for your efforts} so don't worry about his Home now ~ just send him your prayers ~ Please !!! ~Eric

Puddy is doing very well.....

[Abbie]

Eric, God bless you my friend. Still praying for Freddy, and for you and Puddy too. I hope he makes it. He certainly seems to be trying to hand on. Thanks for the update.

[czicat]

come on, orange man, come on--we need you so very, very much

[Eric]

Freddy is resting and healing in Guarded condition ~ holding his own