Foster Kitten Update
Mr. Bart and Little Mouse got adopted… TOGETHER!!!
Lots of people wanted only Baby Mouse without his brother… but the people who adopted them LOVE BART TOO.
When the adopters came to my house, we spent nearly two hours! We got talking, and the time just flew by! I TOTALLY LOVE THESE PEOPLE… and knowing that MouseMouse and Bart-the-loudest-purrer-on-earth are going to such a loving home is THE BEST FEELING EVER!!!
Do I miss my boys? Of course! SO MUCH!
I miss BabyMouseMouse curling himself under my chin at night, so that every breath I took was chock-full of delicious toasty Mouse smell.
I miss Mouse’s tummy mohawk— his fur is the softest! It comes together in the center of his torso and makes a little tufted mohawk all the way down his belly… and if you say to him: MouseMouse! Show me your tummy mohawk!! He WILL ROLL OVER ON HIS BACK to show you!
I miss Mr. Bart careening through the house (destroying everything in his path) to catch a fly.
The boy LOVES flies.
I miss him squawking to ask where you are; if he cannot see you, YOU MIGHT HAVE DISAPPEARED!!
He does not like to think you have disappeared!
ALARMING!
And you have to say— Mr. BartBart! up here! And then he comes TEARING up the stairs.
I miss ALL the monkeys that have come through my home since Elvis died… they all took a piece of my heart; but I am SO happy to know that they are out in the world carrying it with them! (And it appears that you do not run out of heart to share.)
If you have room for some love in your life… fostering kittens will fill your heart with purrs and fluff and hilarity.
If you cannot foster, there are still so many ways you can help! I wrote a whole post about how you can help your local animal shelter… Lots of ways don’t even necessitate you interacting with animals, or having them in your home!
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Bart and Mouse are the seventh and eighth fosters I’ve had since Elvis died… and I’m feeling like I AM READY now to meet another permanent soulmate— having a relationship with an animal for the span of their entire lifetime is one of the greatest joys on earth!
BUT.
Daily, I get emails from multiple shelters, rescues, volunteer organizations… Asking for help. Asking for fosters. Asking for homes for babies… if no one takes them, they die.
I know that a solution might appear to be: get off these email lists!
But to me, that is EVEN SADDER… do you know what I mean? To simply delete them as though they are of no consequence.
Ignoring it does not erase it.
To me, there is value in ACKNOWLEDGING these little furry faces… in witnessing their existence.
Their lives did not go dark without being seen.
Looking squarely at that which fills us with grief feels counterintuitive… but I think the things that rip our hearts out are the things we are obligated to KEEP OUR HEARTS OPEN TO.
I think that is our Self telling us: THIS IS A THING YOU MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT.
Hence these four munchkin maniacs.
It took them about five seconds to destroy their new home, tear down the hammock, upend the food bowl, SIT in the water dish and overflow it everywhere.
Plus! For extra fun! They are not socialized!
Two of them seem willing to consider humans… the other two are like, NOPE!
There is more on my Instagram stories (which I’ve just started trying to figure out; is it just me or is it NOT AT ALL INTUITIVE?)
I am not changing the world… but for EIGHT animals so far, I have changed their ENTIRE world.
And these four make TWELVE!
#kittenmathisthebestmath
The feeling this gives me is the opposite of hopelessness.
This is so valuable to me, because hopelessness is a place I have lived in since I was 15 years-old: the first time I saw inside a slaughterhouse and became fully aware of the suffering of animals at the hands of humans… these beautiful creatures who share our world but not our language; end their lives in terror and pain so grotesque it defies understanding.
Even all these years later, I struggle to live in a world where humans have embraced the death of empathy.
We say things like– Oh that is terrible. Oh that is horrifying. Oh I cannot stand to look.
OH! DON’T TELL ME!
These responses send me into a cave of grief, defeat, and pure hopelessness… not to mention how it implies that I have some sort of immunity; like I am INTO this stuff because I am somehow LESS bothered than other people… and I should keep it to myself because I shouldn’t upset the nice people of the world who are more delicate than I am.
I promise that is inaccurate (and rage-inducing!)
I engage BECAUSE IT RIPS MY HEART OUT.
I engage BECAUSE WHEN WE KNOW, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Turning away and ignoring our own culpability in GREAT SUFFERING changes nothing but OURSELVES… When we kill our own empathy, are we not ultimately killing ourselves? Killing our ability to fully engage in the world?
Is empathy not the key to every single problem in the world?
Well… empathy AND KITTENS.
Throw back to my very first batch who started it all! (I still suspect I made a horrible mistake in giving them up!!! LOOK AT THOSE FACES!!) you have to turn the volume WAY UP if you want to hear their little baby motors!
June 24, 2017 @ 10:26 pm
Thank you for so eloquently putting into words what I know and feel to be true. It makes my heart so happy to know there’s others out there who get it too. I remember arguing with my mom when I was younger because I wouldn’t look away from roadkill. Because looking away allows you to believe there aren’t effects of the careless ways we approach the world. Thank you!
June 25, 2017 @ 9:04 pm
Hi Victoria Elizabeth,
This is the first time I’ve answered your email – but absolutely couldn’t help myself!
Can’t believe I once put you on Spam, but immediately regretted the terrible mistake! And now, I read your messages first of all.
My black cat Minou is an SPCA rescue who lived with me 6-7 years in Montreal and here in Toronto 5 years. When a kitten, she walked off our 4th-floor balcony and survived (I hadn’t plugged an opening in the mesh fence). She doesn’t like my daughter’s rescue terrier although they’re definitely curious about each other.
And I love her.
June 27, 2017 @ 12:39 pm
Hey VEB – you are doing great work and making such a difference! One small suggestion that might help with socialization. You need to spend periods of 1/1 time with each kitten. As long as they are all together, they will seek each other out for comfort and if they get scared and you want them to learn to seek humans out for that. I’d recommend taking each one for an entire day at a time and put them in a room with you, without access to their compadres. Over time, they should get more comfortable with you and realize you are a good substitute for one of their own. You can also introduce other human subjects so they don’t just see you as the only acceptable of our species! Good luck!
June 27, 2017 @ 3:12 pm
I love your big, breaking, empathy filled heart!
June 27, 2017 @ 3:14 pm
I love your big, beautiful, feeling heart!
July 3, 2017 @ 8:31 pm
Re: pets catching flies on the wing. My husband just told me about something a friend had posted on FB. She calls those flies “sky raisins.”
July 11, 2017 @ 5:37 pm
Those are some adorable kittens, and it’s wonderful that you’ve been able to foster them! I’ve always adopted my cats from shelters, but fostering is an additional step I haven’t yet taken. Scritches to your kitties!
July 27, 2017 @ 5:57 am
Unusual, I didn’t read this blog when it showed up a few weeks ago. Had no idea the content, but purrfect timing. Just when I was feeling like I couldn’t take one more heartbreaking tragedy, or in-your-face animal abuse/rescue, constantly popping up on social media, you remind me to remain broken. Thank you. I had no intention of having any more inside cats, but never say never. Right now we have six innies and three outties-until they are trapped/soon. All rescue/strays needing forever homes. We’re breaking the bank having them fed and fixed. Time necessary for socializing has delayed the inevitable – parting of ways…along with the guilt-feels…the painful heartSTING of letting them go….terrified they’ll ending up in the wrong hands. Recently gave up three to a local rescue, all re-homed now, but the struggle is real. Are they safe, did I do the right thing…are they ok? We’ve ‘invested’ heart, money and soul to sick and dying cats that have showed up on our deck (they know a feeder and a bleeder when they see one) but how can we say no? One died in my arms after three days of trying to save him…he was the worst case scenerio-sickest-most wretched looking cat I’ve ever seen. Sorry to be so graphic, but how does this even happen!!? Sadly I do know, and am trying to be part solution to this epidemic nightmare.
We also have four dogs, all rescues. Three dachshunds and a white retriever. Did I mention the bird? ; ) God help us!!
I say all that to say this; I FEEL YOUR PAIN!! God bless you, dear one! You are a prize!!
July 27, 2017 @ 6:05 am
Addendum> Oh my goodness…flies = sky raisins!! I really want to hit ‘like’ to some of the comments on here!! : D
August 19, 2017 @ 8:56 am
Hi Victoria,
Always love seeing your posts in my inbox! Your stories and writing style are fabulous!
I had marked my calendar to attend the Columbus Country Living Fair taking place September 15-17 because you would be there. I just checked their event calendar and did not see you listed. Are you still planning to be a presenter? If so, I am going to drive up from Cincinnati and fill my car friends to see you.
VEB Fan Club Member.
Amy Q
August 19, 2017 @ 9:17 am
Yup! I’ll be there! (They didn’t update the Rhinebeck calendar until nearly the week before.) As of now I’m scheduled for Sat 16th, but I don’t have an exact time yet. Looking forward to meeting you!!!!!!! xoxo
August 31, 2017 @ 8:22 am
What sweet little dears. We’re coming up on our 1st anniversary of being kitten foster parents and it is some of the most rewarding work. Helping a small adorable creature go from near death to perfect health, and totally feral to climbing up into my lap already purring, has pulled me out of a funk and into a deeper joy for the life I’ve been given. It also might be the only respectable way I can have this many cats at once. #notacrazycatlady
September 17, 2017 @ 12:23 am
Bless you…and I agree, adopt and don´t shop…ALWAYS
December 1, 2017 @ 10:10 pm
Victoria, bless you for your kind heart to these little darlings. I am trying to foster a couple of kittens and have sent one application out. I found a couple in Philidelphia I would love to foster but they told me I had to bring them there for their vaccinations and check ups, etc. It is just too far for me to drive and the traffic Ugh. I hope to find some in my area in Chester County. You gave me the inspiration to do this so what you do really touches peoples hearts. My cats, Janie and Jazz, were brother and sister and died a couple years ago. Jazz first at age 17 and Janie at age 20. They were such sweet friends. I will keep trying until the right kittens come available. On one sight I found a darling cat with only one eye and I can’t find her again. I would love to give her a home. Love your blogs.