The Babies and the hurricane... Toby update also

[Laura's Babies]

They did a lot better than I thought they would given they were taken out of their home and to a strange place. I was most worried about Boo since she has made so much improvement since being here living with me and having to uproot her from the surroundings she has learned to love and have been so happy and safe in. She did better than I expected but I am just going from what I saw. They were very outdone that they didn't have my big bed, their favorite perched and beds and didn't know what to do with themselves. I took Giz's purse and she did play with some of the toys in it but she was really lost without her window perch. I have noticed since being home that they are all EXTREEMLY jumpy at the slightest sound... I feel so bad for them.

Samantha seemed the most needy, wanting to just cling to me all the time and was just wanting to be on me all the time. They handled all the noise of the generators, power saws and heavy equipment but it was a thunderstorm that scared poor Giz in the middle of the night. She got on the bed, on my chest and woke me up screaming at me. She never gets on the bed and never has been scared of storms before but this one must have scared her.

When I brought them home, first thing Boo did was make a b-line to the kitty bunk bed and laid on the top bed a few minutes, then to the middle bed where she stayed for a long time, like she was just wanting to assure herself that she was back home and things were GOOD again. Amy did what she usually does whenever she has had to leave and come back, she ran right to the feeding station to assure herself that it was still there. Samantha was just looking for a lap to get in and someone to love on. Giz checked out all the counter tops and she was happy too, seeing there were things she could get into again at last!

I got to spend 6 to 7 days with Chester in his perfect world and I got to see first hand the way he is at Rie's and why everybody falls in love with him. He is just a BIG sweetheart that expects everyone who comes in that house to love him on demand! What a real charmer he is there, so darn sweet and adoreable for a big boy.

Let's see. At Rie's, there were 7 cats and 2 dogs, 6 adults and 2 kids so there was a housefull in the house when the tree fell on it. (See thread in "Other, General" with pictures of the damage done to Rie's house). My 4 and I were in 1 room, Rie's grandkitty was in the laundry room when the tree hit it, Chester and Rie's Annie were just loose in the house and so were the dogs.

Now we are watching the new hurricane Ike. I will leave the area if that one heads at us.. no clue where I will go but me and the babies will load up and get out of here. Ries house has to much damage to withstand another hurricane.

[Bengalz]

Poor babies, please keep them close. They need your love and your comfort first and foremost and I know you have it all to give:D

It is wise to consider an alternative should this next storm intensify. I wish you weren't so far; it would be my pleasure to offer safe haven to you and your precious ones.

Please stay safe :love:

[Catty1]

Laura - lvpets2002 (Helene) posted twice that she was available in Texas if you needed a place to go. You might want to see about setting up a Plan B with her.

HUGS - and I am glad your girls came through so well, with all the favourite and familiar things at home! :)

[NoahsMommy]

Oh Laura,

When I saw that you and your babies were in harms way I was so worried for you all. I'm SO glad to see that you're OK!!!! YAY!!! While I HATE to see that my kitties have been traumatized over a displacement, its always interesting to see what they do when they return home - to see what makes them feel safe and loved, huh?

I wish I could offer you a place, but CA must be the last place you'd want to drive all the way to...AND, I'm bunking at my parents house for approx 1 month and you all know it is not a cat-friendly place. If it were MY place, you'd be MORE than welcome, my friend.

Keeping you ALL in my thoughts, prayers and heart. I hope your friend Rie and her family is OK as well. I'm hoping and praying Ike just goes the heck AWAY!!!

Love, Kelly, Noah, Basie, Phoebe & Micah

xoxoxo

[cassiesmom]

Thoughts and prayers for Laura and the babies, Rie Rie and family :love:

[Felicia's Mom]

Keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers!

[catmandu]

WE ARE SO GLAD THAT THE WONDERFUL CITY OF NEW ORLEANS WAS SPARED, AND THAT YOU NAD YOUR CATS ARE SAFE AND SOUND, IF A LITTLE NERVOUS.
THATS GREAT THAT YOU HAVE A PLACE TO TAKE THEM IN AN EMERGENCY, AND THEY WILL CALM DOWN, ONCE THEY GET USED TO THIER NEW PLACE.
:love::love:
THANK GOD YOU ARE ALL OUT OF DANGER :love::love:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/catmandu/new%20photos/4c9cfef7.jpg

[catfamily]

Oh Laura
I'm so sorry all your babies and you had to go through that,and maybe again with Ike.
I'm also so sorry to hear about Rie's home.
I hope everyone is ok,that you know,relatives,friends,furfriends.:(

Prayers on the way

[momcat]

Hi Laura! I can't tell you how happy I am to hear from you and know that all is reasonably well. Your kitties must have been very happy to return to their familiar surroundings and with you to love and care for them they'll be just fine. Poor sweeties must have been scared and confused between the storm, unfamiliar noise and strange surroundings. My thoughts and prayers are with Rie and her family that their home can be repaired quickly and their lives will return to normal very soon. Many prayers are being prayed that Hurricane Ike will fizzle out long before it poses any danger.

[Laura's Babies]

I am sure Rie's whole kitchen and dinning area will have to be completely gutted and rebuilt. Her house is smelling musty from the water damage already, her kitchen cabinets are hard to open also. Not sure how much of the roof will have to be replaced or if repairs are all that is needed on the roof. They are going to get a POD and move everything out before construction begins.

I have a niece in Alexandria, Lousisina and I am going to either call her or email her to see if Ike comes towards us, if I can go there with the babies and stay with them. That is a lot further inland than we are...

OH! For those of you that asked me about Toby, the shop cat here.. I asked the manager how he was after the storm. He said Toby has gone, he vanished or was stolen about 3 weeks before the storm. Maybe he has gone to find his way back home now or his owners found out where he was and came got him.. He was so friendly that anybody could pet him so someone also could have just taken him.

[Catty1]

Awww....I know Best Friends did tons of pet rescue...Toby either went with someone else - but he could still be at one of the shelters waiting to be reunited with his family (ies).

Your manager has enough to do at the moment without checking the shelters - but if he wants to see if Toby is around, that would be a good bet, even if someone did take him.

HUGS - I hope you all stay well.

To paraphrase an old slogan: "We DON'T like Ike!"

[catfamily]

About Toby...MAYbe being stolen?:(
I absolutely cannot stand when people think they can take somebody else's cat...a healthy friendley cat...take it..put it their car...claim it or bring it to the shelter thinking it doesn't have a home.
If they are healthy looking...they have a home.
It burns me up so bad if someone does that.
There are sooooo many healthy cats sitting in cages waiting years for homes...missing their family,and their family missing them.
i never would of thought to check a shelter for my cat if it got out...when i only had 2 living alone.
I just never thought of it,not really exposed to them(shelters)at that point in my life.I was stupid,but so are many people not knowing to check shelters...3 towns away???terrible!
So i really grieve for cats/familys,when this happens.:(

oh,by the way...i know in hurricane rescue attempts it is different,but when theirs no reason to take the cat,i feel so bad for both partys.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

You & your family (+cats) went through so much this time Laura! I am so sorry for all the damage done to Rie's house...:(. I hope she can recover the repair costs from the insurance?:confused:

I am happy you are all safe !

[lvpets2002]

:) Yes Laura & I have been talking back & forth.. Yes we had plans on her & the babies coming to my place in Texas.. However her niece is closer & is now going to take her & the babies in if needed.. In fact the hurricane is to miss LA altogether now thank goodness.. Laura is going to go ahead & get on her boat for work Wed 10th.. All looks good in her direction.. She has been told she & the babies are welcome at my place anytime for sure.. Oh by the way Ike is hitting the lower part of TX & Mexico now.. But will miss me & Laura for sure.. We will just get some rain maybe.. Thanks all for good thoughts & prayers..
Laura - lvpets2002 (Helene) posted twice that she was available in Texas if you needed a place to go. You might want to see about setting up a Plan B with her.

HUGS - and I am glad your girls came through so well, with all the favourite and familiar things at home! :)

[Laura's Babies]

I am not getting on the boat tomorrow... I want to make SURE it is not going to turn before I leave this house, Maybe Friday I will go get on the boat if I can.. Our news here is still telling us not to turn our backs and forget about Ike.

We had a thunderstorm yesterday, winds and heavy rain. Rie got more water in her house even though the roof was covered to what they thought was good. Her husband had to work yesterday but got on it as soon as he got home nailing down more plywood on the roof and caulking around it this time and adding extra a tarp over the ones they already had up there. He already had 2 tarps over the holes in the roof and water still got in! So now there are 3 tarps over those holes, triple layers and big plywood and caulking!

This week end, he is going to pull the celing down in the kitchen/dinning rooms and nail up some salvaged plywood from the part that fell over the carport.

Boo came got in my lap for the storm yesterday until it was over and I couldn't find Giz anywhere, she went and hid somewhere. So, now I got 2 that are tramatized and scared of storms?

[catfamily]

Thinking of you and your family in these times of crisis.
More Prayers.We are so sad and hope things get better around there.

[lvpets2002]

:) Well now the Weather people are saying if a cold front comes thru at the same time of Ike hitting that it could pull as much as 10" to 14" rain up here where I am at.. Also with winds of up to 45 mph.. MMmm They say the weekend is to be a rough one.. We shall see..

[Laura's Babies]

Aww Geez! I wondered how/if it could effect you. They are still telling us to keep our eyes on it here, it could still turn towards us if it slows down any once it gets back out in the gulf. The front that is pushing it towards Texas will be moving and that could open us up to getting it but as long as it moves 10-12 MPH, we should be safe. That is what is so scarey about these things, so many things effect where they go/don't go.. any one thing change and it's path changes. I hope you are up on a big hill and not prone to flooding! That's a lot of water!

[pitc9]

Thinking of you all!

Stay safe!

[lvpets2002]

:) Yup the street I am on is in a high spot.. All the rain goes down hill from my house.. I found that out when we got 10-12" about 2 years ago.. Yup there two low fronts coming down from the high west coast CA air thats suppose to effect on if it meets Ike to make it pull up high into Tx with the rain & wind..

[phesina]

Prayers and good wishes that all you folks and kitties stay safe and sound and warm!