Foster Kitten Update.
After introducing this pair, I have not written again about these kittens; I’ve been waiting to have a better report… I have it now, and everyone gets a gold star.
These two were SO sick– tiny kittens are susceptible to an upper respiratory infection that you can imagine if you think of the very worst cold you ever had– the kind where you cannot breathe, your nose runs endlessly, your eyes water and everything feels terrible.
Tiny tuxedo kept getting it AGAIN… he’d improve a little, and then it would come roaring back… I now believe that it was a stress response; this little one was different than any other I have had— he was TERRIFIED of humans.
I could not convince him that I was safe and well-meaning… and it did NOT help that I kept stabbing him with needles and forcing him to eat.
It is an awful feeling to watch a tiny helpless little creature with an endlessly crusty face who literally cannot breathe; to not be able to HELP… and worse, every vet visit, every attempt to make things better, was so stressful for him that it put us back to square one.
Square one is standing on the toilet while the hot shower runs, with the bathroom door shut, to create a sauna, (you stand on the toilet to get as close to the ceiling as possible because steam rises.)
It has been rough– it has sucked my entire brain.
Then, I had A DAY– I found myself in a situation where I needed to literally plunge my arms into a bush filled with poison ivy.
You know when you feel ON FIRE WITH FRUSTRATION AT YOUR OWN STUPIDITY… this was all of those times, rolled into one–> WIT’S END.
That night, as I prepared syringes of food; no one wants to eat on their own when they are so sick… and I got towels for the mess-to-come, and heated the IV fluids and got the butterfly needles… I was discouraged and so overwhelmed.
I went over to where little man was curled up– he was exhausted, we had been to the vet for the nine-millionth time; I gave him some pets and said— I am so sorry but I have to give you needles now… and he rolled over and pulled his feet up to show me his belly AND HE STARTED PURRING…. SO LOUD.
PEOPLE.
I did not even believe what I was hearing.
I was… dumbfounded.
THE RELIEF IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT INTO WORDS.
And now?
Oh my gosh.
This little dude is a lovebug.
He does this thing now– he TELLS you he wants you to put your face at his level; then he walks back-and-forth VERY EXCITEDLY while purring AS LOUD as possible and rubbing his face and body on your general head area… you can SEE in his face that he is communicating with you. AND THAT HE IS HAPPY.
If a human can die of love, this will be the kitten who kills me.
I always forget – the ones who NEED you the most?
Those are the ones who GET your heart.
But they are going to need a special family— humans who can have patience.
They are both very shy with new people.
If their new family can be understanding— spend time just hanging out and letting them adjust… playing with them with their favorite toys. They will all be best friends very soon.
What I’m reading: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, by Stephanie Land
Did I like it?
No, I did not.
You know why? Because it is an immersion in tedium— the sluggish grind of poverty… having ZERO OPTIONS. Being judged. Being found lacking… JUST TRY HARDER.
Why?
wHy?
WHY?
Why do we give ALL of the money to rich people?
You’re a billionaire? HAVE A TAX CUT!
Better idea:
Take the money we give ENTIRELY TO THE RICH… and divide it evenly amongst EVERYONE.
Why not make EVERYONE’S life easier?
Why give it ALL to the Koch brothers?
WHY?
While I was reading this, I listened to the Pod Save America interview with Andrew Yang— it is worth your time; dude is smart and thinking about things I do not hear anyone else talking about.
He sold me on the absolute necessity of universal basic income… it benefits ME/YOU/US/EVERYONE/SOCIETY— we will never solve anything; especially climate change, while people are suffering so much in their daily struggle to just SURVIVE.
He has a plan to pay for it… and also the math to explain how wildly it will benefit the economy. Think about it— we are all idiots! Are we going to save that money? No! We are we going to spend it on unicorn pool floats and other frivolous stupidity like car repairs and going to the dentist.
I found him very compelling; he has a lot to add to the conversation– EXAMPLE: I did not know that Alaska ALREADY has a universal income! (for nearly 40 years! including children!) Shocker: Alaskans love it.
I’ve requested his book from the library– The War on Normal People: The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs.
August 9, 2019 @ 1:27 pm
Also Andrew Yang is Chinese….do you people not realize that ever since Bill Clinton we have been outsourcing and supporting the rise of China with our foreign aid and extremely favorable to them trade deals. MOST of the manufacturing in China is done with people, not automated…..soooooo all those jobs were jobs other low income Americans were filling HERE!!!! But we just outsourced them to China and India. The trade war that is happening now is the right thing for your fellow Americans. If you have an ounce of sympathy for people amongst you are will not be Uni candidates then having those jobs back in the US is what the economy needs! Why do you think China is shitting bricks right now? Why is Mexico finally stepping up to the plate to combat illegal immigrants cruising through their country on the way to the US? Because they have the manufacturing jobs courtesy of the now defunct NAFTA to protect. As a libertarian who voted for Ross Perot way back when what is going on now from a policy perspective for low income Americans is the right thing.
August 9, 2019 @ 1:53 pm
Instead of creating a sauna with the shower, get one of those facial steamers. From a lifelong asthma sufferer, and many times stuck in the bathroom with the shower blasting hot water, I hated the waste of water & energy to heat it. Realized the facial steamer uses a fraction of the water & energy & concentrates it to where it is needed. If your kitty doesn’t mind being in a crate, drape a towel over it & the steamer & your kitty can breathe that nice steamy air.
August 12, 2019 @ 3:12 pm
My love for you is only exceeded by the love for animals who need me.
August 14, 2019 @ 11:36 pm
I highly recommend the book by Rutger Bregman called Utopia for Realists.
Communism is not the same as Socialism.
With AI coming and jobs being shipped offshore, we have to do something.
For a strong economy, you need a broad middle class. Get rid of the middle class
and you have “them and us” which ends in revolution.
For a worked example, look at South Africa: rich people living behind gated communities inside
houses with dogs and internal, lockable doors so that when they go to sleep at night, their things get stolen,
but their family don’t get killed.
Thank goodness there’s always kittens. Nothing better than coming home from work for a cuddle with my ragdollish moggy.
August 18, 2019 @ 12:30 am
No one “gives” money to the rich unless you’re talking inheritance. Which I’m sure might make the giver pleased. And if you take it and give to “everyone,” that’s stealing. Not pleasant. BTW, I’m an Alaskan, the money (around $1000/yr) is often blown on toys and booze. Not exactly noble.
August 20, 2019 @ 12:41 pm
Hi Victoria and everyone else who has commented!
First and foremost, so glad the kittens are better 🙌.
Secondly, i love that you dropped a bold political bomb at the end of the “kittens good yay” story!!!
I have been reading the comments with interest! For what my opinion is worth, i do not think one should ever decide that “i worked for everything i have and noone gave me any handouts”. That is almost never true (even if you do not consider yourself from a privileged background) if you take into account the impact of having stable, helpful and knowledgable family members who are physically around for you. Not necessarily two parents, but a supportive someone who has the time and means to take young people to interviews, provide food, clean clothes, transport, encouragement, good advice, a phone – all the things needed to for a young person to get and keep their first job. Obviously there are always exceptions, but when talking to people this is often true. Poverty singles people out in so many ways and young adults start their first jobs already not on a level playing field. There are also far fewer opportunities if you dont have a college degree and dont live in a big city. I am in the uk – we have our own problems at the moment – but some similar economic issues (lack of productivity, university education increasingly expensive and needed for a greater proportion of jobs). Even without touching on racism, disability or the impacts of addiction etc, just a lack of transport options and high property prices really do limit a lot of peoples options.
China and Russia are communist rather than socialist and obv these are extreme examples but i take the point that things can go too far (uk unions in the late 1970s spring to mind). But this argument works both ways. We can see by looking around now that pure capitalism is not good for society either. Look at the car emmissions scandal in Europe, the sub prime mortgages scandal/global financial crisis, mad cow disease, the love canal case in the US, the tobacco industry 1970 – 2000’s or the countless other known issues over the years if you think corporates, often operating under voluntary or outdated rules, can be trusted to do the thing that is right for society. In all these cases laws and health codes etc were changed once the harm was realised, but this is not a quick process and the damage is already done. The exception is the EU emmisions thing where the car companies were just blatantly lying – the lesson here is enforcement and checking!
Perhaps we could do with a rebalancing? Universal basic income would be just that – basic! Anyone who wants to go on holiday, buy a big old victorian house or a collection of flamingo/unicorn/pineapple pool floats will still have to get a job. It is simply meant to give people the luxury of financial breathing room, not being one pay check away from disaster is very mentally freeing. It could mean that people will only need to work ONE job, instead of two or even three in order to support their families/pay their healthcare debts/college loans. It will also give people a choice where there was none before; to be a carer, a stay at home/more present parent, an artist, writer, musician or anything that has an arguable value to society but definitely doesnt pay and means availability for work is erratic or limited. More people working minimum wage jobs doesnt further our society in the same way.
End of rant 😅 and again very happy the kittens are well.
October 4, 2019 @ 11:15 am
Checking in to see how you are. Did the kittens find a nice home? Any progress on the kitchen? How are YOU? It’s been awhile and I miss seeing you here.
December 8, 2019 @ 10:28 am
You should stick to GFT books and kittens. Don’t ruin your blog with politics.(esp stupid ones) You reach a lot of people therefore kitties are saved. I made 5 feral cat shelters this weekend much to “my Pauls” grumbling before submission. I did it because I saw your post. However after this one I lose a little of the sparkle I came here to find.
Let someone else take on politics. You are so great at the kitten thing. Start another blog if you must do the political thing. I am very politically active. I read, study candidates and vote locally and nationally and everyone should. It just sucks when it takes over everything and the little things (kittens) start to lose their voice. Of course this is my opinion and being free you are entitled to yours.
I spend every extra dime I make on cats. I have 11 rescues that were destined to be put down. I live on a farm and they are from feral to farms. A local organization. My toy barn is now a cat barn. I work my butt off. My husband has 2 jobs. He is a firefighter and a mechanic. I want to use my money for cats. Not give it to the government to give to someone who could be working. If my husband can have 2 jobs…they can have 1. (Excluding of course disabled etc.)
I put those cat houses outside of 5 convenient stores in my area where I see and feed feral cats. I just had not thought about it and it is a pretty mild climate here. No snow but they do need a warm place to snuggle. Thank you for that reminder.
Sorry ranting over.
Shelley
11 oldies. 5 teen cat. 3 kittens. 2 dogs. 6 chickens. 2 roosters. 3 humans plus an assortment of possums who love to eat cat food. I live on the funny farm…. all cats/ dogs are fixed (I am too) vetted chipped and spoiled.
Dogs love raw eggs much to a hens chagrin.
I would have 100 cats if I could afford it.
Yes I am nuts and I talk too much…mostly to cats cause they never tell you to be quiet…