I went completely mad & adopted 4 in one day

[Lizzie]

I just arrived home with 4 (four) FIV+ cats from the Purrfect Pals shelter. The shelter staff couldn't believe it, I still can't believe it, and there are four cats in the front bedroom who can't quite believe where they are.

Although I set up a room for the two (hah!) cats I planned to bring home, I now have to set up an isolation room downstairs because Thumper will join the downstairs cats. I can't wait to see this new perpetual motion pest meet LOS, my established perpetual motion pest. Anyway, I have to run so just had time to post this and put in links so you can see the cats on the shelter web site.

http://216.122.146.242/RP_AdoptMe.asp?aid=174
http://216.122.146.242/RP_AdoptMe.asp?aid=177
http://216.122.146.242/RP_AdoptMe.asp?aid=180
http://216.122.146.242/RP_AdoptMe.asp?aid=194

Thumper is actually only about four years old. I think there are quite a few age errors on the site. Black Sheep/Blackberry is in shock and will need plenty of time to adjust, but he is a sweetheart who loves attention but is obviously used to coping without. Faline will go to my vet next week because she is breathing hard, though she ate two bowls of food in the first half-hour so she isn't really sick. I have to be concerned for Newcat who will go for her radioiodine treatment in three weeks. I don't want a cat cold delaying things.

Off to prep another isolation room and wrap everything in plastic that isn't already since I know Tom will react by spraying.

[Laura's Babies]

GOD BLESS YOUR HEART! I know that shelter was thrilled to death when you walked out with those 4!! Goodness, I am so thrilled for YOU and THEM! Poor babies, they needed a home and their own human to love and to love them. Good luck with the settleing in and adjustments for everyone...old and new. They are all wonderful but that THUMPER, I LOVE how he looks, that face is something else, so much character..... I can't wait until we get to know his personality and see if he is a character!

Did I read it right, that anything related to their health problems they have when you get them, the vet bills are covered? :eek: EXCELLENT!

[Catty1]

AWWWW! Bless you and I hope everything turns out fine, as in Tom STOPS peeing!

They all are gorgeous! I love Faline's face, she looks so sweet.

But Thumper - now THERE is a character to be reckoned with! :D LOOK at that face!

hugs
Catty1

[jenluckenbach]

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

What wonderful news. :D :D :D :D

That shelter will be talking about you for many years to come. ;) Too bad you don't live near me. (LOL)

Thumper is gorgeous but Dallas is my favorite. And 2 precious blackies.

You will certainly be quite busy with these new additions.

It makes me want to go out and get a few more. :eek:

Congratulations.

[Karen]

Oh my! Bet that earns you a mention in the shelter's hall of fame! Four at once - that ought to keep you busy! Hope everyone's transition goes as smoothly as possible!

[jackie]

My hat is off to you!

Are they fosters? Or are you the furever home?

[catnapper]

How utterly amazingly wonderful!

I'd have to say you now hold the record for most cats adopted in one day! :D

Congrats!!! Now how many kitties do you have?

[catmandu]

Thats Such Fantastic News As Those Are Wonderful Cats,but Cats That Would Have A Terrible Time Finding Themselves A Furr Ever Home.
The Found Cats Want To Send You Some Big Mice As A Love Offering,and They Are Yours,ounce You Pm Me Your Address.
What A Wonderful Thing To Do.

[Lizzie]

They are not fosters. In fact, on the part of the form where you have to put a reason why you would give them up, I put "my death" because that's the truth. All the time I was in the garden (just got back in and visited them before coming here), Diamond Dallas was in the window looking as though he has staked out his place. Blackberry had moved from crouching in the litter box and looking rather wild-eyed to under the rattan recliner which I've draped with blankets. Thumper wants to be out and about and he'll probably be downstairs in his own room by tonight. At the shelter they called him "Thumper the Humper" because he acts as though he hasn't been neutered. ;)

I now have ten cats which is how many I had at this time last year, so not bad at all.

I'm most concerned about Blackberry and really looking forward to working with him and helping him adjust to being in a home. I'll take it very, very slowly. He's been in a cage for most of the past 5 years since the shelter only just opened up the special room for FIV+ cats.

Thank you for your comments, everyone, but I simply chose the cats that I felt "connected" with and it's an aside that they are FIV.

[jenluckenbach]

Well anyone who up and adopts four at once is certainly a hero (especially to those four) :D

I've got to tell you, the most I have ever adopted out to one person is 3 cats at the same time (2 times). It feels GREAT!

I'll send Blackberry some special VIBES so he can understand the benefits of a home over a cage. :)

[prechrswife]

Wow! :eek: Congratulations on your new additions! :D

[orangemm]

OMG, I cannot imagine how happy and grateful these sweet cats are!!! What a wonderful gang of kitties you have adopted!!!

They must have been speechless at the shelter! :eek:

Bless you for saving these lives.

[rosethecopycat]

May you have peace, tranquillity and love enough to go around in your house and for your new
'special' family members.

Bless.

[QueenScoopalot]

WOW!!!! You have a heart of pure GOLD! Blackberry especially must be so amazed to finally have a furever home after forced to live in prison so long. :eek: Congratulations on your new instant fur family! :D Keep us posted on how they adjust. ;) :)

[kb2yjx]

When I read the title of the thread, I wondered what happened at the shelter to upset her so much that she wnet ballistic??? WOW!!! You should be nominated for the BEST CAT HUMAN OF THE YEAR!!!! May ALL of the cats live many years and you all have much happiness!!! Sandra

[moosmom]

Lizzie,

Ya got my eyes leaking here. What wonderful news!! I know those sweet babies will love being in a furrrever home.

[gini]

God love you! What a wonderful Sunday morning story to read.

Please keep us posted and tell us how they all are doing.

[jazzcat]

That is wonderful!! You deserve many gold stars! Congrats to all!

I have to say, just from the picture I am in love with Thumper. What a gorgeous boy!!!!

I hope everything goes smoothly and these fortunate kitties are all settled in quickly.

BRAVO!

[shais_mom]

wow
beautiful kitties!!
Looking forward to uppiedates!

[Uabassoon]

They are all so lucky to have found a wonderful home with you!

[Lizzie]

They all had a good night and are eating well. One thing I did find out this morning was that they are not used to people trying to drink a cup of tea while sitting with them. My "regulars" are used to keeping their heads, paws and tails away from my cup. Dallas and Thumper bumped it, smacked it and tried to stick their heads in it.

Blackberry continues to hide under the chair but he will look at me as I sit near him and talk to him.

I've decided to keep Thumper upstairs since he's a very loving cat and no match for manic Los downstairs. I'm about to move litter boxes out of the litter room into the shower room, and convert the litter room to one for Thumper and Dallas so leaving Faline and Blackberry in the original room. Thumper needs room to race around and I might keep them in isolation for two weeks to make sure they aren't carrying colds.

Faline has a chronic URI and I'll be taking her to my vet tomorrow since I noticed when I slipped my finger across her nose to see if there was discharge that I'm getting a slighly brownish discharge from one nostril. This may be from sneezing although she hasn't sneezed since she's been here. She's a very noisy breather and often keeps her tongue stuck out so I want a thorough check by my vet.

I am totally confused by some of the records from the shelter, especially on Blackberry and would really appreciate some input from those of you who work with rescue shelters. Blackberry's front page record states that he has been at the shelter for 5 years but it is Thumper who has been there for 5 years, he was neutered in 2001. According to Blackberry's record, he's 13 or 15, a long time/5 years resident, but it also states that he arrived in March 2005 and was neutered then. He does not look like a tom cat who wasn't neutered until he was 12. When I asked questions about their history at the shelter, they appeared to think I was being too fussy. So, was I being too fussy? I would like a complete medical history for the time they've been at the shelter, do you think this is reasonable or possible? Is the fact that they are FIV+ the reason the records were not particularly well kept, because they are less likely to be adopted? Thank you for your input, in advance.

[jenluckenbach]

My personal thoughts are that records should be WELL kept.

My personal experience is that it is impossible to keep up with ALL the kitties coming and going.

In my own rescue group many different people initially bring cats into the shelter, which means each cat would go to that person's local vet. And then later, the cats may move to a different foster home and end up going to a different vet. And sometimes more than once.

So while it is nice to know, it is sometimes "lost in the shuffle." All you can do is ask for the best account of their records as possible, and leave the rest to chance (just like if you attained an older cat directly off the street.......you would know nothing)

[orangemm]

Somehow Blackberry tugs at my heartstrings. I'm so happy he has a furrever home!

[Lizzie]

Jen - I know what you mean about "just as if I'd picked him up off the street", and I've done that, but I'm frustrated that they have the information but it might be lost.

orangemm - There was something about the way Blackberry came over for attention while I sat on the floor, leaning into me and really enjoying it in a quiet way, needing but not demanding, that made me turn to him and say "You're coming home with me". I was there for another hour after that moment, torn between one cat and another, but I didn't change my mind about Blackberry. I feel as though I want to saturate him with love and attention.

I know I can say this here and no-one will think I'm silly. When Thumper was walking around the back of the love-seat last night head-bumping me, he started getting hold of my hair and washing it. This is something Ted had done from the time he was a kitten to the day before he died; I even cut off a lock of my hair and put it between his paws before I wrapped him in a blanket and took him back to the emergency vet. When Thumper started washing my hair, tears started rolling down my face and I understood that Ted had "sent" me to the shelter that day. I hadn't planned on going so soon, hadn't planned on getting more cats, most certainly hadn't considered replacing Ted, and even that morning I kept thinking the trip could wait. But something kept saying to me "now, now", and so I went. And I didn't think of adopting Thumper until the last minute, it was a very spur-of the last-moment decision. Ted was an all-grey cat too.

[momcat]

Four special needs cats at one time!! :D :D You have certainly earned yourself a place of honor in the Cat Lover's Hall of Fame!!! After seeing their pictures, it's easy to see how you fell in love with each of them so quickly. They are beauties!!! You have done a beautiful thing. My prayers and best wishes that they each enjoy a long, healthy, happy life with you. The love you're giving them will make a tremendous difference in their lives and general health.....

[catcrazylady]

Lizzie you and I have not had the pleasure to meet. I have belonged to PT for some time but due to major computer problems I have been out of commission for a while.
I too work at an animal shelter and I know I would fall over backwards if someone came in and adopted not one or two but FOUR special needs cats!!! I can't thank you enough for what you did! You are a wonderful and very special person and I have no doubt that those babies will reward you ten times over for giving them a chance to have a loving home.


!GOD BLESS YOU!

[Lizzie]

Lizzie you and I have not had the pleasure to meet. I have belonged to PT for some time but due to major computer problems I have been out of commission for a while.
I too work at an animal shelter and I know I would fall over backwards if someone came in and adopted not one or two but FOUR special needs cats!!! I can't thank you enough for what you did! You are a wonderful and very special person and I have no doubt that those babies will reward you ten times over for giving them a chance to have a loving home.

I admire you for working at an animal shelter, something I don't have the emotional ability to do, I know.

I am already becoming attached to them all in their individual ways, and they are starting to show their own personalities. Thumper is a litter box tipper, something I've never had to deal with before though I've dealt with many other litter box issues. I don't know how I'm going to deal with this since I have about 15 litter boxes for the upstairs cats and when they are all in together, he could cause absolute chaos.

Thumper is the only one who isn't hand-shy in some way, so I'm wondering if they were at least partly feral when rescued. I've figured out from the records and having Thumper's age assessed at about 4-5 years old that he's been at the shelter since he was a kitten. I decided to reach under the chair today to fuss Blackberry and, to my relief, he pushed into my hand and purred. When I went back into his room an hour later, he was in the chair for the first time and, although nervous about me being in the room, stayed on the chair as I shuffled forward on my knees to fuss him. I'm looking forward to cuddling with this cat when he's ready.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

WOW, 4 cats in 1 go :eek:
I wish you all the luck with your newbies :)

[orangemm]

Please give Blackberry extra scritches for me. I know that boy thinks he is in heaven.......and he is, thanks to you.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

This whole thread makes me want to cry!!!!

You are truly sent from heaven.. You are such an ANGEL to adopt those four precious babies. I CAN'T WAIT to see more pictures of them.

The story about them interested in your cup of tea made me smile. Those babies are so lucky to have you!!! :D

[Laura's Babies]

I do not think you are crazy for thinking Ted sent you to Thumper. I think my RB Samo sent me Samantha and always have. It is like they leave little clues to let you know they sent them too... the "special things" that only they did. Sambo was a very clingy cat, the only clingy cat I ever had and Samantha is getting to be VERY clingy and just the fact that she sat on MY doorstep, begging to come in for 2 years, she KNEW she belonged here, not at that other house. I think Sambo led her here and told her this was where she was to live and to sit there any cry until I let her in. Give Thumper time and he is going to blossom with you like Samantha has with me.