More Webster and his kittens… *video*
I wasn’t planning to write another post about the kittens… but it became clear to me I was not CLEAR: I cannot keep them all until the glorious day when someone also wants Webster.
Webster’s kittens are going to the adoption center tomorrow.
I love them.
As much as you can imagine.
I would give anything to keep my flopsy Elvis monkey.
Baby Sprout and her tiger stripes.
But they do not NEED me.
I had room for them.
Because I gave up the ones before.
Others are waiting.
If they wait too long, they are euthanized.
If you would like to be the new family of TWO rambunctious furmunchkins.
Sprout and young G.I. Elvis, must go together.
Otherwise, they will drive their new family crazy.
If you’d like to also adopt an old-man lion… you could be the hero of the internet and also me because I am going to be pelted with rotting fruit.
Sprout— I could tell people that Sprout is a ferocious animal who will eat your face… and people would still be like omgcanihaveher. The most beautiful cat I’ve ever fostered– her fur gets more amazing by the day. She is as sweet as she looks… but not as brave as Elvis.
Elvis— ELVIS LOVES THE WORLD. She runs right out into it HULLLOO WORLD I LOVE YOU. Her tummy fur and under-chin fur and also her sleeping-pterodactyl-noise-if-you-disturb-naptime… will fill your heart with ALL THE LOVE.
Also, she suffers from extreme flopsy-ness.
When you hold her— she just FLOPS INTO YOU… like kitten spaghetti.
She has zero bones when sleeping.
OG Elvis suffered too.
If you are unfamiliar— OG Elvis is here.
Not The King.
I like him too.
But not as much.
Elvis is an entirely new level of love existence.
Holding her soothes my brain.
But.
The BACK rooms of animal shelters are full of cats.
Waiting.
NOT the ones you can SEE.
The OTHER ONES.
Most of them are adults.
They need help before they can even be seen by potential adopters.
That is why I took Webster: to see if I could help him.
If I had kept the previous adults.
I would not have had space for Webster.
No one would have learned that he does NOT hate other animals… But RATHER is a giant lovelicker who adores his Sprouty SO MUCH that sometimes I am worried he is going to remove ALL of the fur from her body.
Here is the post where everyone fell in love with Webster and his kittens.
This cat was a LUMP.
Now he COMES DOWNSTAIRS and PLAYS with his friends.
He LOOKS ferocious when he is GETTING them… but he is SO careful– he is not actually getting them.
Also. He GETS them in the most comical rusty Frankenstein: I AM GETTING YOU.
I made a stab at editing the first 30 seconds of the video… but decided to let the end of the song play out to Elvis and Sprout doing the I’m-sleeping-but-cleaning-but-also-killing-you… because who am I to decide how much kittens and Webby you’d enjoy this morning?
Of course, I would love to send them all together.
But hitching Webster to the kittens will change how fast… if ever.
Not fair to the babies.
Also… sigh.
Webster has done himself an unfavor.
I know about these.
But this one.
I wish I could just text you.
I wish I didn’t have to tell you here, publicly.
Because after my mother reads this next part, she is going to send the police to my house and have me arrested.
At Webster’s umpteenth home, apparently, a member of the family moved back in, something something, brought animals, something something… and Webster started going outside the litter box.
If you think I am just Catlady Buddy the Elf— oooooooh! THAT SOUNDS FUN!
No.
Fostering is part being an interpreter.
Part being a PR agent.
I wasn’t sure I wanted this client.
But when I looked in his face.
Such sadness.
I WANTED to help him.
I am deeply thankful I did.
Webster is a lovely houseguest.
And the very best nanny.
But he still believes the garbage truck is Satan.
He has been perfect with the litter box; with the added bonus that if you have kittens that need cleaning, he will devote himself.
He is sweet and kind and has not even minded that two lunaticpoopers have pooped up his box… EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE PROHIBITED.
I would be lying if I omitted how I was very concerned that Webster would have an issue sharing his litter box with the kittens. But trying to keep kittens OUT of something that is PUBLICLY AVAILABLE is a fool’s errand.
So I was on extreme hall monitor duty.
But once again… the kittens were instrumental in understanding him: he loves to share with his friends.
Webster DOES ask to sleep near you at night.
And day.
And also afternoon.
And evening.
But he will settle for whatever time you have for him.
He will not bug you.
But also if you want to scratch his head all day that is preferable.
But also if you want to give him kittens, he will be eternally grateful.
Also, he has an occasionally itchy ear which I have attacked with endless vet-appointed-drops-ointments-etc… no difference, just me driving us both nuts.
I am now certain that Webster would love ANY animal who wanted to be his friend.
And that is extraordinary!
But for me to bring in OTHER adult cats— sick, nervous, have been through SO MUCH; and now in a NEW place… with the presence of some unknown adult cat lurking around.
I am trying to MINIMIZE everyone’s stress level.
Mine included.
I am a swamp person.
In my world, stressful situations have a way of compounding themselves; I don’t know when to STOP WADING INTO THE MUCK… so… I just KEEP GOING… until I have eight cats in my house and fourtysevenhundred outside and TNRTNRTNR until I want to go lie in the street and hope someone runs me over.
I am attempting to remember:
simplicity.
Also:
all of this is a terrible system.
but it’s the only one.
i don’t have better.
just keep trying?
or accept that nothing matters and give up?
either way is awful.
so i choose the way with kittens.
So.
I need to find Webster a forever home.
Let me tell you a little bit more about him:
Webster is not at all aggressive; his instinct is to RUN and HIDE if he gets frightened.
Easily startled— terror is his default.
But a big love– his favorite is just sitting with you.
He LOVES to play with the kittens; but before they were with him, I tried to play with him– with some string– and he LOST HIS MIND WITH TERROR… which, fair enough; why would someone just THROW STRING AT YOU.
I call him my old-man lion because his fur shoots out from the lower sides of his face… giving him a look that IS lion-y, (although, a disheveled, partly-toothless lion).
But ALSO because he also does this thing where he throws his head back while rubbing his face/mouth all over your hand.
While he is doing this, he opens his mouth so that he is purring and breathing through his open mouth and the noise is just the funniest thing— like a grumbling lion.
I call it The Mauling.
A hundred times I thought— this cat is about to CHOMP me.
And he has never even thought about it.
When the suffering of another creature causes you to feel pain, do not submit to the initial desire to flee from the suffering one, but on the contrary, come closer, as close as you can to her who suffers, and try to help her. — Leo Tolstoy
July 21, 2018 @ 10:27 am
Olive oil for the ear.
July 21, 2018 @ 10:31 am
To be clear – there can NEVER be too many cat posts or videos! I love each and every one. Just so you know, I stopped eating red meat a year or two ago because of your blog. I have not given up everything but it is a start. Just wanted you to know that you ARE making a difference. <3
July 21, 2018 @ 10:35 am
Wow! I made the soul crunching mistake of clicking on the farewell to Miss Elvis and I am now back to the original sob fest I had when I first read it. I agree completely with your need to move the ones you are saving to their forever homes to allow for a steady stream of helping. The pets you move on will be loved and cared for-it’s not like you’re sending them into the wilderness, so happy ending for all.
July 21, 2018 @ 10:41 am
Oh gosh, sending prayers and good thoughts for new homes popping up for these wonderful kittens and cat. Makes me cry. Good for you. I’ve got two adults, a kind of grumpy older lady and a full of spunk young guy who really wishes he was the only cat. All my cats have found me. There is nothing more wonderful than a loving cat. Tearing up now – best wishes for the babes and old man lion.
July 21, 2018 @ 10:50 am
Keep Webster. He can help you with the future foster kittens. The videos would be wonderful to watch with Webster nurturing the kittens. Kittens need adult cats to guide them, something humans can’t do.
July 21, 2018 @ 11:36 am
YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
July 21, 2018 @ 1:41 pm
Please, please keep Webster! You have given him a purpose in life and you cannot give that up.
July 21, 2018 @ 11:39 am
PLEASE keep Webster!
July 21, 2018 @ 11:56 am
IMHO-I think the glitch in keeping Webster is trying to save other older Cats with socialization deficits, even if Webster accepts them would they challenge him? If a home for Webster became available with the adopters keenly aware of his idiosyncracies I would jump at it. Fingers crossed that happens.
July 21, 2018 @ 12:36 pm
bless you
July 21, 2018 @ 12:41 pm
You must keep Webster. PLEASE!!! He needs YOU, not just any forever home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My heart is breaking.
July 21, 2018 @ 1:07 pm
I am writing with tears streaming down my face….
I too have a house full of rescue cats. I understand!
My heart is breaking for Webster. How will he respond to the loss of the life he has found with you?
July 21, 2018 @ 1:13 pm
OMG!
You are such a GROWN UP!
How you can give the three of them up is beyond
me, but alas, I am not grown up. Old but not wise.
I love what you do and I love why you are doing it.
I will trust that you know best.
But crap! It is soooooo hard!
July 21, 2018 @ 1:14 pm
You should keep Webster! He will nanny all your fosters! He helps the rescues , so he earns his keep! Can he handle being moved again?
July 21, 2018 @ 2:40 pm
I understand your dilemma. The best solution, imo, would be for you to keep the whole lot. They’re all happy and have grown accustomed to living in the lap of luxury. But this isn’t going to happen because other cats in dire need would be denied your heroic efforts. The next best thing would be to find one home for all three cats, but you’ve said that’s a long shot. Or you could keep Webster and find a good home for the little hellions. Webster would befriend new kittens and show them the ropes. Alternately, you could bring in another senior cat but the possibility of conflict between the two seniors is something Webster doesn’t need; he’s had enough trauma for a lifetime. Finally, you could split up Webster and the rowdy hoodlums. Find a wonderful home with owners who would dote on Webster and feed him gourmet liver in a sterling silver porringer. Find another home for the scalawags where they would be tamed (eventually) and become responsible citizens of the community. None of these choices are ideal except the first, imo.
I would adopt all three in a second except that: 1) I already have a senior cat who is a bully, a tyrant and a thug. He’s already run off my other two cats; 2) I live in Texas which is about 1467 miles from Philly; and 3) my husband’s former wife hoarded dogs and cats and he would go into a catatonic state if I brought home three more.
Keep up the good work, VEB. I have a feeling it’s all going to work out.
July 21, 2018 @ 3:06 pm
I think that you make choices based on the needs of the pooters — the ones with you now and the ones that still need you. If more humans did this, we wouldn’t need humane societies.
You rock, imo.
July 21, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
Beautiful quote from Tolstoy, I’ve never heard that one before. Just lovely. And thank you for all you do, you are such an inspiration for all of us!
July 21, 2018 @ 8:19 pm
Keep Webster. He can be the kitties nanny.
July 21, 2018 @ 10:45 pm
Because of YOU, I adopted two shelter cats two weeks ago. (Webster may think the garbage truck is Satan, but I’m afraid I may have adopted Satan (politely renamed “Scrappy”)! Time will tell. Ha!) Also, you ruined me on drinking milk. Stop influencing me, VEB!! 🙂
July 21, 2018 @ 11:08 pm
If you get rid of webster I will never read your blog again. You have gained his trust. How can you possibly turn your back on him? He is fragile…give him what he deserves in his old age. I cannot believe you are even considering it. I am a pitbull mama, and I am ferocious. Keep your old man lion. He deserves what you can give him
July 22, 2018 @ 2:24 pm
I agree. I want to see Webster in future videos or I won’t be able to read your blog again. It would be to heartbreaking.
July 22, 2018 @ 2:10 am
Thank you for doing the kind and the right thing for these kittens (and the others) giving them a good, loving start and sending them off for adoption and a good home. I hope someone offers wonderful Webster a home good home soon, so that he can settle down into his own forever home, he deserves it, all animals deserve loving homes. Even though so, so sad to send them off and say good-bye…you’ll then have space, time and love to help another kittens and cats. What you do by fostering kittens and older cats is both joyful and tough and it absolutely saves lives – thank you for doing that as long as you are able.
Thank you for your kindness, the world is a better place because of caring people like you.
July 22, 2018 @ 11:51 am
If you are determined to rehome Webster, maybe you could do it via Craigslist so that he would be in the home of someone you have ‘vetted’. And if you visited occasionally to help with the transition it could be even smoother.