HELP! 11 cats from house fire need new homes

[phesina]

It just breaks my heart!! WHY can't he fix up a room just for the cats and let them live in peace right there!! Ladies will come and go in his life, those kitties will always be there when he needs company!

That was the plan at first, or so I'd been told.. that one of the basement rooms would be fixed up to be the cats' room. I don't know how or why he could have let himself be so easily or quickly swayed on this. I would come and look after them every day.

[phesina]

Oh dear, I can't tell you how many requests I receive like this every day. It's so heartbreaking and they just keep on coming. I have the space, just not the finances. I'm doing ok but w/Cgirl and Yodie, I just never know how much the next vet bill is going to be. I'm sorry this is happening, Pat, and I can at least offer my prayers. Keep the faythe.

I'd chip in for the vet bills, even!

Thank you for the prayers and good wishes, Mary. I'm keeping the faythe.

[phesina]

I got an e-mail from Simon saying there's no other web site or information out there about this. And it sounds as though Chauncey has already gone to his new home. (If so, I hope HOPE HOPE these are good people.)

I sent Simon the link to the awful Craigslist story that Melissa posted about, telling him this is just the kind of thing I'm so worried about. And I asked him if he would please consider keeping at least some of them, especially the four old girls, because they'll be the hardest to adopt out and will be traumatized the most by the upheaval.

I asked about his earlier plan to make one of the basement rooms the cat room and said I'd come over once every day to feed and clean, and he wouldn't even need to pay me, that I love them all very much and want them to be all right and happy, wherever they wind up.

I even told him I'd just gotten a small grooming kit with the idea of controlling mats on his longer-haired ones! That was the SCAREDY-CUT kit posted about here on PT recently, and it just arrived today.

[phesina]

I'm sorry to hear Rita laid you off. This has turned into one miserable winter for sure

You know, or know of, Rita, Gretchen? I gather she and Peter are quite well known (notorious?) around these parts.

[Grace]

You know, or know of, Rita, Gretchen? I gather she and Peter are quite well known (notorious?) around these parts.

I know "of" her. And notorious is an apt description. Our neighbors went to an open house at Mosaic many years ago, looking for a cat. Georgia left in tears after Rita got done castigating her for allowing her cats to go outside.

I also heard that she once stole a cat from the local Humane Society. Walked right out with the cat under her coat.

I applaud her work at her shelter. Her attitude could stand some adjustment.

[phesina]

Rita is notorious for speaking her mind at any time, saying anything at all that crosses it to anyone around. She does not have the slightest grasp on the concepts of "tact" or "diplomacy."

[jennielynn1970]

Wondering how these poor kitties are faring. Are there any left homeless yet?? Any with special needs or older kitties?? I'd hate to see any left to go to a shelter or anything like that.

[phesina]

Some of them have been adopted. Rita, the owner of the Mosaic shelter (from which I and three other workers were fir-.. uh, "asked to retire" last month) took four of them, including two of the very oldest (up to 20 maybe?) and two very shy ones. It is a no-kill shelter, and they will be safe and cared for.

There are three others still left, two mid-life boys who might be getting new homes.. yesterday Simon was meeting a family interested in them. And then there is Poppeia*, the oldest, maybe as old as 20.. and I will probably wind up with her too.

Lavinia is no spring chicken, or kitten, either.. she's something like 15 to 17.

* I am not sure of the proper spelling. The name is from a figure in ancient Roman history (I have the idea she was associated with Julius Caesar ..?). Originally she (the cat) was the beloved companion of a renowned classics scholar at the University, Kristine's first husband who passed away many years ago.

[Grace]

And then there is Poppeia*, the oldest, maybe as old as 20.. and I will probably wind up with her too.

Lavinia is no spring chicken, or kitten, either.. she's something like 15 to 17.

* I am not sure of the proper spelling. The name is from a figure in ancient Roman history (I have the idea she was associated with Julius Caesar ..?). Originally she (the cat) was the beloved companion of a renowned classics scholar at the University, Kristine's first husband who passed away many years ago.

Poppaea Sabina - the second wife of Nero. info from Wikpedia.

Fascinating how some pets, and people, get their names

[phesina]

Thanks for the history, Gretchen. I remembered the name from long ago but not the exact spelling or history.

I tried to get my sister and her partner to consider adopting Poppaea. They had both been Classics majors at the University. Professor David Shackleton Bailey was well known to them, but they weren't there when he was.

I told Mary Kay (my sister) that Poppaea used to belong to him and of course channels him now. "Just think of the conversations you could have," I said, "in ancient Greek and Latin, no less!" (But they weren't up for another cat .)

A few days ago I asked her if she knew the exact identity or proper spelling of Poppaea, but she didn't remember either. I will pass on the Wikipedia info.

[phesina]

I see Lavinia is also a character from ancient Rome, mythological rather than historical: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavinia.