Update!

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

It's been a while since I updated..... quite a lot going on, some good and some not so good:

Good thing #1: I've got a job. Signed on the dotted line today!

Good thing #2: Am attending induction training in MELBOURNE next week, so may be meeting up with a couple of PTers.

Now the not so good:
- Will have to be away from Cali for a whole week - I KNOW she will be fine but I've never been away from her before
- W is still job-hunting - hopefully he will find something soon!
- I am having some HUGE health issues at the moment - my RA has flared up, I am also losing hair, and my eczema has flared up too. Also for the past two days and nights I have been having terrible chest pains. I KNOW it's all just stress, so I am TRYING not to get worked up by it, but it's sore and very upsetting Next month when my medical aid kicks in I will go to the doc for a full check up, get my blood tests for the RA done and get back on my Meds - can't wait till I can afford to start poppong the pills again

Thanks to all of you who have given me advice and support, it's been a very trying time - I'm hoping we are slowly moving towards a quiet normal life again!!

[Karen]

So where are you living now, and what is the job that you're attending training in Melbourne?

Congratulations, and hopefully the hurting stops sooner than later.

[lizbud]

So where are you living now, and what is the job that you're attending training in Melbourne?

I was going to ask that too. Sorry you seem to be falling apart lately
Hey, can't afford to do that now that you all are finally getting good news
for a change. Stress sure can do a lot of strange things to your body
but I hope ,when everything settles, you will feel so much better.Take care.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

We are actually back in Bahrain. (When we moved to Lagos we stored all the stuff we hadn't sold) so it hasn't been like "starting over", but still a LONG way to go before we are back to where we were before.

The job is with a Aussie company (hence the training in Melbourne). I will be the Business Development manager for Bahrain, which is a wonderful opportunity as it allows me to move out of my previous technical-based pre-sales role and get into pure sales / account management. I've been wanting to make this move for YEARS, but till now have had no luck at all!

Of course some of you may know that the LAST place in the world we want to bring Cali up is in South Africa, so in the medium to long term I am hopeful that if i do well with the company, it could be the way we ultimately get into Oz!

Thanks for the good wishes!

[Karen]

Oh, okay! Say hello to the camels for me! You'll be in our prayers, and I assure you, Cali WILL survive with you away. But now, with cell phones et al, you can call her every night!

[Felicia's Mom]

Hi, it is good to hear from you again!

[Killearn Kitties]

I'm very pleased to hear that you finally have some good news! I hope the training goes well. and I can't wait to hear if you have a PT Meeting!

[jennielynn1970]

*BUMP*

Just wondering how you are doing and what is going on since we haven't heard from you since September.

Are you still in Bahrain? Are you still training in Australia? Hope the holidays went well. Just checking in for an update.

[Lizzie]

*BUMP*

Just wondering how you are doing and what is going on since we haven't heard from you since September.

Are you still in Bahrain? Are you still training in Australia? Hope the holidays went well. Just checking in for an update.

Using this thread for an update from you, Jenn - do you still have Allie or was Julie able to take her back now she's back in Bahrain?

[Catty1]

Lizzie - both cats are still in the USA. Ally is with Jenn, and Connor with emilythespoiled.

I don't recall any talk about her taking them back...but I guess it depends what is going on with them. They don't want to stay in Bahrain, and hope to settle in Aus.

So...maybe not a good time to get their kitties back, or even to get kitties at all.

[jennielynn1970]

Here's part of the problem.... I need to place Ally somewhere else. My friend, who has no where else to go, is going to be moving into my 3rd floor on the 31st of Dec. He's subletting from someone who just told him that they are moving out and breaking the lease. He doesn't have a legal claim to the apartment and is not on the lease... sigh. He has absolutely no where else to go. I have to place Sassy and Frankie back in the shelter this weekend, and I have no where to go with Ally. I don't know what to do.

The last I heard from Julie was in Sept. and she knows the issues I've been dealing with with Ally, and even said if worse comes to worse I should have her PTS because Warren won't pay for her to be shipped back basically. He wouldn't pay for her to be shipped here to begin with, and would have been PTS over there.

I do not want to have Ally PTS. That is not an option in my mind at all. The shelter I volunteer with can't take her because she's so aggressive with cats and people. There is a no kill that I'm going to try to get her into, but other than that, I don't know what to do. Jen L. can't take her either... so I'm really, really screwed.

My friend who is moving in has super allergies, which is why he's going on the 3rd floor away from my cats. I have to literally scrub everything down up there in the next 2 days, throw out the curtains, and let the windows open to air it out. He's going to be using a HEPA filter as well as being on numerous meds while he's in the house. Thankfully he works 3 jobs and won't be here all that much, but enough that he reacts within about 30-45 minutes that he needs to take the prescription meds.

I will not put her to sleep. I just can't do that. I just am not sure where to go with her at this point since Julie can't take her back. I don't even know when that would be possible in the future... I don't think Warren wants Ally back.

Julie and Warren were reimbursed for Ally's flight here, but there still is some money left after food, litter, and tons of Feliway. I have no idea if anyone can take her in, but she can be shipped if that would be a possibility. I don't know if anyone wants to take in a very aggressive cat... she does, and will bite. You cannot handle her without wearing gloves (like for wild animals) or wrapping her in a towel to restrain her. She bites whatever she can get ahold of... toes, ankles, calves, thighs, hands... you name it, it's fair game and I've been bitten there.

I'm really at a loss about what to do...

[trayi52]

Good to hear from you. Happy about all your good news. Hope the rest turns out okay, and your hair starts growing back. They say it will grow back fuller.

Hugs,
Willie

[jennielynn1970]

I just emailed Julie and asked for a bio of Ally to give the people at Best Friends of her history from when she got her.... hopefully that will give them some insight and get her some help.

[Kirsten]

I just emailed Julie

Good idea!!! Hope she can help....

Good luck with Best Friends!

Kirsten

[Catty1]

I also went through some of Julie's posts and copied/pasted some note and sent them to Jenn.

Of interest: Ally joined the family when she was 4 weeks old. She would 'squeak-talk' and other stuff.

The 'issues' started when they brought Connor home. In one case, Ally glared hatefully at Connor - then turned around and bit Julie!

Connor would fight back if Ally picked on him - Ally once got an abcess that needed AB's.

There is ONE person Ally never bit - WARREN.

Hopefully this will give BF something to work with - I don't think they are saying no, they just need more info to ensure there is a therapy they can use with Ally.

A minor thought - I wonder if it was worse for Ally because a) she 'lost' her mommy, being adopted at 4 weeks, and b) she could not communicate with Connor as he is deaf. Psychotically frustrated because 'no one understands'?

PT Prayers for all involved.