SPATZ

Spatz still says "hi" to me quite often. Well she can't really form words but she opens her mouth and breaths out. Sounds like a tire looseing air but Spatz is making an effort and that counts. Sometimes when I'm petting her she won't even bite the glove much.

SPATZ

Spatz has no desire to be pet. Although she does keep track of where I am. I find her looking at me quite often. But if I try to pet her she responds with bites and pushing me away with her paws. I have learned that using gloves and not putting my fingers totally in them saves my hands. Spatz can bite empty glove until she gives up and lets me pet her. So far she gives several good bites and chews on the glove before giving up. I talk to her all day and keep talking as I pet her. After petting her she gets fresh food. It's the old carrot and the stick. I give the carrot and she tries beating me with the stick.

FOSTER PROGRAM

Foster program needs volunteers! There are 3 types of cats that need fostering. Kittens not old enough for adoption, sick cats that need closer attention and older cats that still have a lot of love to give. Sometimes a cat falls in more than one category.

Everyone loves the kittens but fostering them is a lot of work. They need to be constantly loved and played with. You as a kitten foster are key to helping prepare them for their forever home. There have been foster people that sucked. The kittens came back unfriendly and afraid. It's hard to adopt out a kitten that freaks out as soon as you get near it. Then there is the heart break when you have to give them back. You give them all your love and attention for a couple months and they're gone.

Sick cats are a real problem. I tend to get the ones that can't be easily medicated. But some just need constant watching, something that Happy Endings can't do. Then there are the permanently ill or injured that can't be adopted out. The shelter is very protective of these cats and wants to make sure they are getting the food they need and the care. My wife and I have taken in several of these cats  and I know Angie also has taken in several. Sometimes a cat may just need a couple weeks of care and other times a forever home.
Older cats are a problem. No one seems to want a cat with less the 15 years of self life left. Many of these older cats had people that have gone. They have lived for years in a loving home and now find themselves in a cage and their friend is no where to be found. What's even worse for the cat is if they're older with special needs. It might just be a special food or a medicine given every few days or even twice a day.

Happy Endings needs people who will care for all these types of cats and in return will work with the fosters to give the kittens and cats the best possible life. Would it be great if everyone that took on a special needs cat could afford them? YES! But it's not always possible. That is why the shelter has someone that is dedicated to finding these cats homes. Please call (414)744-3287 and ask for Tom if you think you might be willing to help or visit http://happyendings.us/volunteer/foster/. Try see if it works out.

SPATZ

Spatz has been able to get into places I didn't think a cat could. This is a problem because now I have to reach in to touch her. She has had time to get used to the truck so now it's time to try and pet her. I always start without gloves giving them the benefit of the doubt . I doubt she will bite me but that's why I'm really good at administering self first aid. I have a complete first aid kit with lots of bandaids.

SPATZ

Spatz. How to put this? There are no shit cats. Trying to keep that in mind let me tell you what the little shits been up to. I gave Spatz over a week to get used to the truck. I always allow ferals time to adjust. This is tricky and different for each cat. Some hide but come out to eat and use the litter box. Then there are the Spatzes. She comes out very rarely and eats and craps very little. Cats can be so stubborn they can starve themselves to death. I put food in the cabinet she was hiding in and she would not eat. Enough is enough! I had to get her out of hiding and eating. The cabinet she was in is about 4ft above my bed. It's more like a divided shelf. It has 4 openings one at each end and 2 along the sides. There are nets to hold stuff in. That is just the face of it. The shelf is all connected so once up there Spatz can run back and forth away from me. So I bought 24 rolls of paper towels and started filling in the space. When I got close she darted out and clawed open my skin. Great now I'm opening a roll to stonch the blood. Now with thick padded winter gloves on I pushed her out and filled in the space. I put out fresh food and took off. A few minutes later I heard a bag. Looking behind me at the bed and saw 3 rolls of paper towels. Spatz was back up there. Next stop I got her out again and packed it up tighter. As I was going down the road I heard scuffling noises and looked behind me. There was Spatz hanging by 1 paw swatting at the rolls of paper towels. Her expression is best described as "what". So now that she's out, she's eating. Probably from all the exercise she got trying to get back up in the cabinet. It will still be awhile until I try touching her. But for now eating, drinking and excreting is all I'm worried about.

BUBB

Bubb is back at Happy Endings shelter. He is still on ear meds but overall is doing great. He really needs a forever home. Bubb has got a neurological disorder and that makes him look older then he is. With me he gained weight and played. He loves strings and shoe laces. His claws are malformed either from a fungus or from a batched declaw job so he doesn't really have any claws to extend.

SPATZ

Spatz is a small black and white (tuxedo) female. Spatz?  Happy Endings does have a habit of naming cats after unusual things.  I believe she was named after the strap that used to go around the instep of your foot, which has not been used in a very long time.  She is feral. Found outside she was rescued and taken to the shelter. That is how we see it. To Spatz she was minding her own business when she was Shanghaied and thrown in a cage. Now she's in a moving thing that bounces and rumbles and vibrates.
I've been letting her get used to being in the truck and will start next week trying to pet or touch her. It takes time to build trust and I've got plenty of time.

LUCY

Lucy is a female orange cat. She is chunky, weighing in at about 14lbs. Lucy has marks on her nose and ear, I'm guessing from a fight. She also has an ulcer on her lip that adds to her tough gal look. She is actually very sweet and sleeps next to me and loves being pet. So why is she with me? Lucy had a dental and they pulled a couple teeth. She is on pain meds twice a day. Nasty ass liquid shit that has to be put under the tongue or along the gum line. When I said she looked like a fighter, she is a fighter. I'm supposed to administer pain meds to manage the pain. She is managing to fight getting pain meds. So far I'd say we're tied. Lucy has gotten her meds and I've had my blankets peed on and also my lap soaked with pee. Only 3 more dosses left. Oh boy!
As I said she sleeps next to me. Well, last night I went to turn over and Lucy sat up and smacked me in the face several times. Then in a huff laid back down and we went back to sleep.

BUBB

Bubb is off his meds and back at Happy Endings shelter. He was able to gain some weight and was given a bath. I hope he soon finds a forever home or at least a foster home.