Last week I packed up my saddle, boots, helmet and hunt attire and headed to Virginia with 6 other members of Red Rock Hounds. For 5 days we were hosted in grand style by the Oak Ridge Hunt Club in Afton which sits in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
On Wednesday 5 of us met up in Chicago for the last leg of the trip; I came from Sacramento, Lynn, Angela and Pat came from Reno and Liz came from LA. Thanks to Preston we had a pile of Southwest complimentary cocktail coupons which we put right to use as soon as the plane lifted off.
At Dulles we found a nice young man with a luggage cart that took on the challenge of getting our mountain of luggage to the rental car lot. We tossed everything into a mini-van and off to the mountains we headed…..until we got to the airport exit and realized we had no directions and the map we picked up with the rental car did not have a big red star next to Afton. Actually, Afton wasn’t even on the map. A quick call to Preston and a search on Mapquest got us out of the airport. Then Page Turner who was going to be Liz’s and my hostess for the next several days provided us with more detailed instructions.
Many hours and several more calls to Page later we arrived in Afton…in the dark. As we climbed the mountain up a dirt road in the late night thoughts of “Deliverance” came to mind. But we couldn’t have been more wrong. What was to follow was a wonderful 4 days of southern hospitality in the most classical sense starting with our accommodations at Page’s lovely house nestled in the trees at her Creekside Stable.
Thursday was a casual day at Tea Time Farm, Rita Mae Brown’s stunningly beautiful farm and where the Oak Ridge Hounds are housed. And the Oak Ridge Bassett Pack. We had an energetic walk about with the Bassetts. Those pups are just the cutest!! After that we met Rita Mae’s “house hounds” and feline family. Of course, with the latter I was in heaven and got to fulfill my “kitty fix” for several hours. I kept my camera busy taking pictures of the variety of kitties, including Rita Mae’s famous co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown. You’d think I’d be happy enough taking pictures of FieldHaven kitties!
After a Thursday evening dinner with a number of the other folks coming into town from other hunts we went to bed early. An early start to our first hunt was planned for Friday.
Liz and I rode with Page to Friday’s fixture. Along the 45 minute drive we got a fabulous tour and narration from Page, a lifelong resident of the area. The day was overcast with warning of the rain predicted for Saturday. Upon arriving at the hunt we got our assigned horses from Lynne Beegle. Also, joining us there after arriving Thursday evening was Jane and Cathy – more Red Rockers! I was mounted on a pretty little mare named Belle.
The field was huge – about 60 horses in total with well over half in first field led by Sue Satterfield as Field Master. MFHs Rita Mae Brown and Lynn Lloyd of Red Rock Hounds as huntsmen led us on a 2 hour hunt through the 1,000 acre farm, Cherry Hill owned by Anne Fortune Henderson. The foxes were quiet that day but we did get a few short runs and the footing, terrain and jumps were great. A huge pot luck hunt breakfast rounded out the morning.
On to the afternoon’s adventures. We all piled into the mini-van and headed to Warrenton for the Horse Country reception for hunt photographer Jim Meads. A short stop at Saddlery Liquidators in Haymarket netted all of us some more luggage for the return trip.
The Horse Country party was fabulous! We met so many incredible people, including the delightful Jim Meads who had been signing books since 9 am that morning. He later told me he didn’t wrap it up until after 10 pm that night. My best friend, Sarah Boudreau, who lives in Norfolk joined us there and for the rest of the weekend.
We didn’t arrive back in Afton until 2:30 am – Sarah and I in her car and Liz and the rest of the Red Rockers in the mini-van. We woke up Saturday morning to a steady rain – the day’s planned activity of a Bassett hunt on foot was definitely not going to happen.
Just so we didn’t have to leave Virginia saying we hadn’t seen a fox, one of the Oak Ridge regulars showed himself to us as we were driving up the driveway at Tea Time on Saturday morning. He posed so beautifully in the middle of the pasture then hopped up on some hay bales to pose again for my camera. Tally ho!
A lazy day hanging out in the Oak Ridge clubhouse then a fun trip to a couple of wineries and a brewery set us in the mood for the catered dinner and silent auction that evening. Without a doubt, Jane netted the most unusual, if not the highest selling, silent auction item – an aged mounted deerhead. What she wanted with that we’ll never understand but maybe she just wanted to rescue him from the rubbish can which is where he may have been destined had not anyone else been brave enough to bid. Then came the discussion of how she would get him back to California. Certainly not in carry-on baggage with those antlers! The decision was made to have him mailed.
Sunday dawned spectacularly. Bright blue skies, crisp fall air and the leaves very near their peak. We hunted from Tea Time Farm with Rita Mae and Lynn once again our huntsmen (or should I say huntswomen). If I liked my Friday horse, Belle, I loved my Sunday horse, Bourbon. Lynne Beegle of Brookhill Farm gets my vote for Best Livery!
After another lavish hunt breakfast we settled in for some downtime in the afternoon and that evening before making an early start to airport in the morning. Back to reality…..
Click here for a link to my photo album from the weekend. And here for a great NPR podcast on hunting with Rita Mae. (click on the little blue arrow in the upper left corner of podcast screen)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Have You Heard of XYZ Rescue??
We get a lot of calls from people wanting to rehome their cats – especially in these economic times. People are having to move and, realistically, most rentals do not allow pets. Or, it just isn’t convenient to take their pet where they are going. It gets wearing to have to explain to people that our space is limited and it may be quite awhile until any shelter – not just FieldHaven – has space for their “really wonderful cat”. Of course, many people wait until the last minute and they have to find a home “by this weekend” or some other unreasonable time frame.
But we do also get calls from people who are truly trying to do the best by their pets. These are the people who are looking for alternatives to giving up their pets – or if it is absolutely not an option to keep them, they are keeping the pet’s best interest in mind when searching for a new home.
Yesterday, I got a call from a young woman who really is trying to do the best by her cats.
She, along with her husband, 2 year old toddler and 2 cats have found themselves living in a very small apartment. She made the difficult decision to rehome her cats, thinking it was best for them because of the very close quarters. After many phone calls to rescues and shelters she found a rescue within a reasonable distance who said they would take the cats even though they are “full”.
In spite of feeling greatly relieved to have found someplace for the cats, she didn’t feel quite comfortable with the arrangement so she started calling other rescues and shelters around the greater Sacramento area. Was anyone familiar with this rescue and would it be a good place for her cats? I give her full credit for being a responsible, caring pet owner and making sure the place she was taking her cats would be a good one.
I had never heard of the rescue she mentioned and a quick google search turned up nothing. Several things she said raised red flags but the show stopper for me was the fact that the woman who ran the organization would not let her come see where the cats would be. Something about animal control was on her case and she didn’t want them to know where she was! The whole thing smelled – and probably quite literally if my caller had been able to go the rescuer’s place – of hoarding.
I gave my caller some advice for her kitties. One being that, even though things are tight where they’re living and maybe it’s a pain to keep everything orderly with 2 cats and a toddler underfoot, these kitties are much better off staying with her than going to any shelter – even a cage-free one like FieldHaven. She admitted she was feeling guilty about the cats not having a lot of space to roam. I pointed out that it was a lot more space than a 2-foot by 2-foot cage in a shelter. And, yes, litter pan cleaning in a small apartment is tough but diligently cleaning a couple of times a day will keep that under control.
At the end of our conversation I really think my caller is going to make an effort to keep her cats – she seemed to really care for them. After all, she had made a great effort in trying to validate the rescue who had agreed to take them. I gave her great credit for that – we wish every caller cared so much.
But we do also get calls from people who are truly trying to do the best by their pets. These are the people who are looking for alternatives to giving up their pets – or if it is absolutely not an option to keep them, they are keeping the pet’s best interest in mind when searching for a new home.
Yesterday, I got a call from a young woman who really is trying to do the best by her cats.
She, along with her husband, 2 year old toddler and 2 cats have found themselves living in a very small apartment. She made the difficult decision to rehome her cats, thinking it was best for them because of the very close quarters. After many phone calls to rescues and shelters she found a rescue within a reasonable distance who said they would take the cats even though they are “full”.
In spite of feeling greatly relieved to have found someplace for the cats, she didn’t feel quite comfortable with the arrangement so she started calling other rescues and shelters around the greater Sacramento area. Was anyone familiar with this rescue and would it be a good place for her cats? I give her full credit for being a responsible, caring pet owner and making sure the place she was taking her cats would be a good one.
I had never heard of the rescue she mentioned and a quick google search turned up nothing. Several things she said raised red flags but the show stopper for me was the fact that the woman who ran the organization would not let her come see where the cats would be. Something about animal control was on her case and she didn’t want them to know where she was! The whole thing smelled – and probably quite literally if my caller had been able to go the rescuer’s place – of hoarding.
I gave my caller some advice for her kitties. One being that, even though things are tight where they’re living and maybe it’s a pain to keep everything orderly with 2 cats and a toddler underfoot, these kitties are much better off staying with her than going to any shelter – even a cage-free one like FieldHaven. She admitted she was feeling guilty about the cats not having a lot of space to roam. I pointed out that it was a lot more space than a 2-foot by 2-foot cage in a shelter. And, yes, litter pan cleaning in a small apartment is tough but diligently cleaning a couple of times a day will keep that under control.
At the end of our conversation I really think my caller is going to make an effort to keep her cats – she seemed to really care for them. After all, she had made a great effort in trying to validate the rescue who had agreed to take them. I gave her great credit for that – we wish every caller cared so much.
Monday, October 13, 2008
FieldHaven Hosts Fundraiser to Honor Firefighters
This past Saturday FieldHaven volunteers rolled out the red carpet for the community! I am, once again, in awe of the dedication and energy of this group of people. Led by volunteer, foster mom and "drill sargeant" Penny Dougherty, the volunteers had FieldHaven ready for a party in first class style.
The gardens surrounding the Cat Trailer were flourishing, the Cat Trailer itself was spotless, the kitties content and well-groomed, the food scrumptious, the information booths welcoming and the grounds organized for a great party! You are all inspiring, generous souls. Thank you so much.
Here is a link to photos of the event: http://albums.phanfare.com/5299533/2846916
And, here is an article submitted to the local media:
Friends and Neighbors of FieldHaven Honor Firefighters
In spite of the cool, windy weather about 200 people attended a community fundraiser at FieldHaven in rural Lincoln on Saturday evening. The event, organized by the volunteers of FieldHaven Feline Rescue honored the firefighters and other emergency personnel who fought the Gladding Fire on Labor Day September 1.
The fire began near Gladding Road and, fueled by strong winds, quickly covered 5 miles of Lincoln before being brought under control near Virginiatown Road, just east of FieldHaven. Approximately 960 acres were burned, destroying or damaging 16 homes and outbuildings.
Helen and Harley Hutchinson, who lost their home, attended the fundraiser on Saturday evening.
Special guest, Lindsey Bostick Duerst, daughter of Fire Captain, Warren Bostick, sang the national anthem.
More than $3500 was raised at the event on Saturday evening. Ongoing donations are being accepted in a special account for the Gladding Fire Fund set up at River City Bank in Lincoln.
Firefighters from several Placer County agencies attended the event and received accolades from everyone for their diligence and hard work to bring the fire under control. Without their dedication and expertise the fire could have easily been a much larger disaster.
Placer County Animal Services also attended to educate attendees on disaster preparedness for pets and livestock. Because of the rural location of the fire, many animals were affected and PCAS coordinated the efforts to evacuate and shelter the 4 legged victims.
A special animal guest was Flame, an orange tabby cat found near Gladding Road several days after the fire. He was taken into custody by PCAS and was hospitalized for nearly a week with severely burned feet and an eye injury. To date no one has come forward to claim Flame. He is now completely recovered and, as of Saturday, has been transferred to FieldHaven where he is available for adoption.
Please visit http://www.fieldhaven.com/ for more information.
############
Joy Smith
joy@fieldhaven.com
916-434-6122
In spite of the cool, windy weather about 200 people attended a community fundraiser at FieldHaven in rural Lincoln on Saturday evening. The event, organized by the volunteers of FieldHaven Feline Rescue honored the firefighters and other emergency personnel who fought the Gladding Fire on Labor Day September 1.
The fire began near Gladding Road and, fueled by strong winds, quickly covered 5 miles of Lincoln before being brought under control near Virginiatown Road, just east of FieldHaven. Approximately 960 acres were burned, destroying or damaging 16 homes and outbuildings.
Helen and Harley Hutchinson, who lost their home, attended the fundraiser on Saturday evening.
Special guest, Lindsey Bostick Duerst, daughter of Fire Captain, Warren Bostick, sang the national anthem.
More than $3500 was raised at the event on Saturday evening. Ongoing donations are being accepted in a special account for the Gladding Fire Fund set up at River City Bank in Lincoln.
Firefighters from several Placer County agencies attended the event and received accolades from everyone for their diligence and hard work to bring the fire under control. Without their dedication and expertise the fire could have easily been a much larger disaster.
Placer County Animal Services also attended to educate attendees on disaster preparedness for pets and livestock. Because of the rural location of the fire, many animals were affected and PCAS coordinated the efforts to evacuate and shelter the 4 legged victims.
A special animal guest was Flame, an orange tabby cat found near Gladding Road several days after the fire. He was taken into custody by PCAS and was hospitalized for nearly a week with severely burned feet and an eye injury. To date no one has come forward to claim Flame. He is now completely recovered and, as of Saturday, has been transferred to FieldHaven where he is available for adoption.
Please visit http://www.fieldhaven.com/ for more information.
############
Joy Smith
joy@fieldhaven.com
916-434-6122
Friday, September 12, 2008
Timothy - 1994 - 2008
Many of you knew my cat, Timothy. Yesterday Timothy went to the Rainbow Bridge. What can I say except I’m sad, sad, sad. I miss him.
But I had an extraordinary gift of time with Timothy (aka Timbo, Tim, TimMan) that I would not have had were it not for the very disease which killed him – diabetes.
I’ve had Timothy since he was a tiny kitten that arrived on a truckload of hay with his sister, Alfalfa, (get it – Timothy and Alfalfa – hay) at a local feed store when we lived in Santa Cruz.
My very favorite cat, Penly, had turned up missing and I had peppered the town with lost posters. Preston was buying hay when the owner said “Hey, your wife is sad about loosing her cat. How about taking these 2 kittens home that we found in the hay that arrived this morning. That should make her feel better.” Funny how some people think a pet can be so easily replaced. But he was right in that those cute babies couldn’t help but bring the first smile in days to my face.
Even though Timothy and Alfalfa were raised in our house since they were itty bitty babies they have each always had somewhat of feral streak and a lot idiosyncrasies. For example, Timothy used to sleep precariously perched on the top of our open bedroom door in Santa Cruz. Yes, that little 1 and half inch wide ledge – like that was the highest place he could possibly get so he was making the best of it. I don’t know how he didn’t fall off as he slept.
Timothy and I had a falling out of sorts several years ago when he was stricken with a pretty bad case of conjunctivitis that just didn’t want to clear up. He required eye meds 3 – 4 times daily but I was really lucky to get them in twice a day. Timothy would bolt whenever he saw me coming with that little tube of medicine. On a follow-up visit to the vet I got a stern lecture in non-compliance and was severely warned that the sight in that eye was at risk if I did not start medicating him not 4 times, but 6 times daily!
I tried locking Timothy in the habitat attached to our house. He paced like a lion – back and forth, back and forth – wailing the whole time. He escaped. I tried a cage. You would’ve thought he was being tortured. The house was out of the question; he was a chronic sprayer and would climb screens to try and get out. I tried putting him in the Adult Habitat thinking the larger space and other cats might calm him down. No go. He escaped every chance he got. He hated seeing me come with his medicine. I was now the bad lady like the proverbial teenager who hates his mother.
At one point, I just gave up – I had done my best and what would be would be with his eye. Timothy moved under the Cat Trailer. I rarely saw him – we most definitely had a badly bruised relationship. But he befriended some of the volunteers who thought he was just the sweetest, nicest cat. They should have tried to do the eye meds and see how long he liked them!
Amazingly that darn conjunctivitis healed up on its own and the eye was perfectly fine.
About 2 years ago a couple of volunteers noticed Timothy had lost weight. I managed to secure him and get blood work done. The diagnosis was definitively diabetes. He would require insulin twice a day. Of all my cats, why Tim, the cat I could hardly even catch?
We constructed a large cage in the middle of our cat room in the house. I put a tall cat tree in there and tried to outfit the cage with as much hiding places and comfort things as I could think of. Timothy did fairly well in that cage. At night I would let him out to mingle with our other cats as they were locked in their habitat at night. We started to repair our broken relationship and he began to like me once again. We reached an agreement that if I would let him outside during the day he would come back in at night to be locked in to receive his evening and morning insulin injections.
Timothy was my first diabetic cat and he had a stinker of a case. From the beginning his glucose and insulin dose was hard to regulate. I learned more about diabetes in cats then I thought I would ever know. Things like glucose curves, ketones, Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Somogyi Effect.
Our agreement worked great until one weekend about 6 months later when we had overnight company. We must’ve partied too loud and too hard. Timothy could not be found for about 3 days. When we found him he was seriously ill. Jann and I rushed him to Loomis Basin in the middle of the night. I wasn’t sure if he was going to survive the trip there. He did and they pulled him out of a severe case of Diabetic Keotoacidosis. Of course, we financed the completion of the new doctors’ lounge they were constructing at that time.
We knew that we could no longer take chances with Timothy not being available for his insulin injections. Besides, now he was gold-plated!
The room that I used to use for my office before we put the addition on our house was slated to be remodeled into a guest room. Timothy took priority over any potential guests and the room became his. A large overstuffed chair and other kitty-friendly furniture was moved in as was a large cat tree in front of the window. Bird feeders were strategically placed under the eaves so he could watch them from his perch. We were fully prepared for Timothy to “trash” the room but that would’ve been OK. As long as he was secure to get his medication and be as happy as possible.
But, then a miracle happened. Timothy became domesticated. At 13 years of age he stopped spraying, he no longer wanted to go outside, he slept with us, he became a lap cat. He loved me once again. (He and Preston were always “buds”).
His room was always his sanctuary when strange people came over. When he heard strange footsteps or voices in the house he’d run to his room and cock his ears towards the voices or footsteps. When we had company we would usually close his door to make him feel safe. Some people came to visit him in his room. You knew you were a special friend if he was on his perch and not under the chair when you came into his room.
He actually looked forward to his insulin shots because it meant he would get his very favorite treat – Temptations. We would just say “Tim, time for a poke” and he’d run down the hall to his room, jump on his perch and wait for his shot and 3 or 4 savory Temptation treats. He was so every patient when I had to do hourly glucose curves which meant I had to prick his ear to draw a drop of blood every 1 – 2 hours. He never complained or tried to get away even if my first poke didn’t draw blood.
Having a diabetic cat is without question a commitment and not easy. Especially with travel it can become even more of a challenge. But Timothy had a team of caregivers available for those times when Preston and I were both away. Evenings out always had to be time-sensitive to him getting his shot. Sometimes, that was a good thing – it was easy to duck out of a boring party. “Oh, so sorry – gotta go, Tim needs his insulin”.
Even though Timothy looked wonderful and gained weight his diabetes was precariously under control and he remained a challenge to keep regulated. He went back to Loomis Basin several more times for several days each time and we were always checking his glucose.
On Wednesday of this week I knew something wasn’t right. I did a urine dipstick and it showed ketones. We immediately went to the emergency room. I just assumed that it would be like those other times and the good doctors at Loomis Basin would get him right and he’d come home in a few days. That night Jen, Courtney and I went to visit him at about 10 pm. I was shocked to see how much he had deteriorated in the past 7 hours. Thursday morning Preston, Jann and I went to visit him and I knew in my heart this time was different then the others. The life was not in his eyes. It took me a few more hours of soul searching to come to terms with the goodbye.
It’s ironic but this very devastating disease of diabetes gave us a wonderful gift of time with Timothy. Of course, it’s always too short but I am grateful and happy for the memories I have of the little kitten who, with his sister, popped out of a bale of hay and the beautiful, lovely cat he grew into.
Much gratitude to Timothy’s team of backup caregivers; Jann, Justine, Jen and Peri
And, thank you Loomis Basin vets, Dr. Marcia Smith and Dr. Olivia Petrunich for the wonderful medical care you gave him.
But I had an extraordinary gift of time with Timothy (aka Timbo, Tim, TimMan) that I would not have had were it not for the very disease which killed him – diabetes.
I’ve had Timothy since he was a tiny kitten that arrived on a truckload of hay with his sister, Alfalfa, (get it – Timothy and Alfalfa – hay) at a local feed store when we lived in Santa Cruz.
My very favorite cat, Penly, had turned up missing and I had peppered the town with lost posters. Preston was buying hay when the owner said “Hey, your wife is sad about loosing her cat. How about taking these 2 kittens home that we found in the hay that arrived this morning. That should make her feel better.” Funny how some people think a pet can be so easily replaced. But he was right in that those cute babies couldn’t help but bring the first smile in days to my face.
Even though Timothy and Alfalfa were raised in our house since they were itty bitty babies they have each always had somewhat of feral streak and a lot idiosyncrasies. For example, Timothy used to sleep precariously perched on the top of our open bedroom door in Santa Cruz. Yes, that little 1 and half inch wide ledge – like that was the highest place he could possibly get so he was making the best of it. I don’t know how he didn’t fall off as he slept.
Timothy and I had a falling out of sorts several years ago when he was stricken with a pretty bad case of conjunctivitis that just didn’t want to clear up. He required eye meds 3 – 4 times daily but I was really lucky to get them in twice a day. Timothy would bolt whenever he saw me coming with that little tube of medicine. On a follow-up visit to the vet I got a stern lecture in non-compliance and was severely warned that the sight in that eye was at risk if I did not start medicating him not 4 times, but 6 times daily!
I tried locking Timothy in the habitat attached to our house. He paced like a lion – back and forth, back and forth – wailing the whole time. He escaped. I tried a cage. You would’ve thought he was being tortured. The house was out of the question; he was a chronic sprayer and would climb screens to try and get out. I tried putting him in the Adult Habitat thinking the larger space and other cats might calm him down. No go. He escaped every chance he got. He hated seeing me come with his medicine. I was now the bad lady like the proverbial teenager who hates his mother.
At one point, I just gave up – I had done my best and what would be would be with his eye. Timothy moved under the Cat Trailer. I rarely saw him – we most definitely had a badly bruised relationship. But he befriended some of the volunteers who thought he was just the sweetest, nicest cat. They should have tried to do the eye meds and see how long he liked them!
Amazingly that darn conjunctivitis healed up on its own and the eye was perfectly fine.
About 2 years ago a couple of volunteers noticed Timothy had lost weight. I managed to secure him and get blood work done. The diagnosis was definitively diabetes. He would require insulin twice a day. Of all my cats, why Tim, the cat I could hardly even catch?
We constructed a large cage in the middle of our cat room in the house. I put a tall cat tree in there and tried to outfit the cage with as much hiding places and comfort things as I could think of. Timothy did fairly well in that cage. At night I would let him out to mingle with our other cats as they were locked in their habitat at night. We started to repair our broken relationship and he began to like me once again. We reached an agreement that if I would let him outside during the day he would come back in at night to be locked in to receive his evening and morning insulin injections.
Timothy was my first diabetic cat and he had a stinker of a case. From the beginning his glucose and insulin dose was hard to regulate. I learned more about diabetes in cats then I thought I would ever know. Things like glucose curves, ketones, Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Somogyi Effect.
Our agreement worked great until one weekend about 6 months later when we had overnight company. We must’ve partied too loud and too hard. Timothy could not be found for about 3 days. When we found him he was seriously ill. Jann and I rushed him to Loomis Basin in the middle of the night. I wasn’t sure if he was going to survive the trip there. He did and they pulled him out of a severe case of Diabetic Keotoacidosis. Of course, we financed the completion of the new doctors’ lounge they were constructing at that time.
We knew that we could no longer take chances with Timothy not being available for his insulin injections. Besides, now he was gold-plated!
The room that I used to use for my office before we put the addition on our house was slated to be remodeled into a guest room. Timothy took priority over any potential guests and the room became his. A large overstuffed chair and other kitty-friendly furniture was moved in as was a large cat tree in front of the window. Bird feeders were strategically placed under the eaves so he could watch them from his perch. We were fully prepared for Timothy to “trash” the room but that would’ve been OK. As long as he was secure to get his medication and be as happy as possible.
But, then a miracle happened. Timothy became domesticated. At 13 years of age he stopped spraying, he no longer wanted to go outside, he slept with us, he became a lap cat. He loved me once again. (He and Preston were always “buds”).
His room was always his sanctuary when strange people came over. When he heard strange footsteps or voices in the house he’d run to his room and cock his ears towards the voices or footsteps. When we had company we would usually close his door to make him feel safe. Some people came to visit him in his room. You knew you were a special friend if he was on his perch and not under the chair when you came into his room.
He actually looked forward to his insulin shots because it meant he would get his very favorite treat – Temptations. We would just say “Tim, time for a poke” and he’d run down the hall to his room, jump on his perch and wait for his shot and 3 or 4 savory Temptation treats. He was so every patient when I had to do hourly glucose curves which meant I had to prick his ear to draw a drop of blood every 1 – 2 hours. He never complained or tried to get away even if my first poke didn’t draw blood.
Having a diabetic cat is without question a commitment and not easy. Especially with travel it can become even more of a challenge. But Timothy had a team of caregivers available for those times when Preston and I were both away. Evenings out always had to be time-sensitive to him getting his shot. Sometimes, that was a good thing – it was easy to duck out of a boring party. “Oh, so sorry – gotta go, Tim needs his insulin”.
Even though Timothy looked wonderful and gained weight his diabetes was precariously under control and he remained a challenge to keep regulated. He went back to Loomis Basin several more times for several days each time and we were always checking his glucose.
On Wednesday of this week I knew something wasn’t right. I did a urine dipstick and it showed ketones. We immediately went to the emergency room. I just assumed that it would be like those other times and the good doctors at Loomis Basin would get him right and he’d come home in a few days. That night Jen, Courtney and I went to visit him at about 10 pm. I was shocked to see how much he had deteriorated in the past 7 hours. Thursday morning Preston, Jann and I went to visit him and I knew in my heart this time was different then the others. The life was not in his eyes. It took me a few more hours of soul searching to come to terms with the goodbye.
It’s ironic but this very devastating disease of diabetes gave us a wonderful gift of time with Timothy. Of course, it’s always too short but I am grateful and happy for the memories I have of the little kitten who, with his sister, popped out of a bale of hay and the beautiful, lovely cat he grew into.
Much gratitude to Timothy’s team of backup caregivers; Jann, Justine, Jen and Peri
And, thank you Loomis Basin vets, Dr. Marcia Smith and Dr. Olivia Petrunich for the wonderful medical care you gave him.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Big Red - Through the Fire!!
This morning I received a glorious call from Helen – one of her kitties, Big Red had returned and she was able to secure him in a carrier!
She brought him over to FieldHaven where a quick exam revealed a very healthy kitty who came through the fire with just some minor burns on the pads of his feet and a very dirty, smokey smelling coat. After a bath, Big Red was looking and smelling a whole lot cleaner. Helen and I thought maybe we should rename him Flame!
Big Red is going to need to stay at FieldHaven for awhile because he has no place to live. He was an outdoor cat at Helen and Harley’s ranch but all of his habitats – sheds, the back porch to the house, Helen’s kitty house – had all been leveled by the fire along with the main house.
Helen has sighted at least one other kitty and we are confident the others are nearby. Just too scared or disoriented to show their whiskers just yet. After all, everything they know has been burned beyond recognition. There aren’t even any familiar smells to reassure them.
Helen and Harley have moved a small travel trailer onto the property while decide what to do about replacing their house. But, there’s no place for the outdoor kitties.
Sooo, what we need to do is have an old-fashioned Barn …make that Cattery…Raising for Helen’s kitties!
So, folks, we need to coordinate a plan to get this project going…. Are you in? If you are, here’s some ideas for getting this project off the ground:
- Does anyone have a contact to see if we can get a Tuff Shed or similar pre-fabricated shed donated?
- Can someone contact Lowe’s and Home Depot to see about getting some building supplies donated:
· Lumber
· Hardware
· Chicken wire (for an outdoor habitat area)
· What else?? - Supplies for the kitties – beds, litter pans, cat trees, etc
- We need some people with building skills to help construct the habitat once we have all the supplies.
Helen is so touched by everyone’s willingness to help. She has so many things to deal with right now – let’s take this one little worry of where to put her kitties off her “plate”.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Lincoln Fire
You just never know what turn of events life is going to throw your way.
About 12:30 pm yesterday we saw smoke, presumably from a grass fire. From the look of the smoke it appeared to be nearby. We thought about taking a drive down the road to see where it was but before we could do that we got a frantic phone call from Sharon Jones. The fire was near her house and they were being evacuated. They needed help now. Jann, Preston and I loaded carriers and crates in our trucks and headed off towards her house on Gladding Road. Jen and Courtney were soon on their way as well.
If it were up to the sheriff at the road block on Gladding Road we wouldn't have made it to Sharon's house but you just don't argue with FieldHaven on a mission. We got through. Courtney used the same "don't even try to stop me" tactic. By the time Jen came, she just waved her through.
It took us an hour or more to load up Sharon and Les's cats, dogs, chickens, birds and pigeons. By then the fire was only 20 feet from their door.
As we headed back to FieldHaven we called Wendy and asked her to "phone tree" volunteers. We would need help situating all the animals once we got to FieldHaven. A couple of people mistook the message and thought FieldHaven was being evacuated. No, we assured - them the fire was 5miles from FieldHaven - we were safe. Or, so we thought.
I was riding in with Jann and as we turned the corner in FieldHaven I was brought to tears by the number of cars and volunteers waiting to help us. These people had very little notice and they were there instantly. And, they kept arriving.
With so much help, Penny decided we should put the word out to the public that we could be a shelter for evacuated pets, including horses. We recieved several calls from people needing horses rescued from the fire zone. Several trucks and horse trailers were sent out to rescue those horses.
Shortly after they left the sky to the direct northwest of FieldHaven was looking very smokey.....and closer. I turned on the pasture irrigation and volunteers gathered carriers and crates in the unlikely event that we would need to evacuate. It's like listening the flight attendant say "in the unlikely event of a water landing.......", you think you need to go through the motions of what to do but you'd never really actually have to do it.....
Soon the fire was to the east of FieldHaven. And very close. We could see the flames heading for our neighbor's pasture.
Now, here's where it gets really crazy. A fire official came up to me and said we'd need to evacuate! At that point we had no trucks and trailers as they were all on the other side of town. By the time they made it back to FieldHaven they were followed by several other trucks and trailers.
In no time, the cats were crated and ready to be evacuated. Yes, almost every FieldHaven cat - cat trailer, habitat, Buster's Barn, Roontay, my house cats and some of the outside cats! (we knew the cats outside would be fine).
What an amazing site to see all of the trailers, cats in crates and many, many hands! And, many arms ready for giving reassuring hugs, too.
Fortunately, we never actually had to evacuate - the outstanding firefighters fought the flames back and the iminent danger was passed. But we kept all the cats crated until about 8 pm when a fire official came to tell us we absolutley safe, especially given the fact that all of FieldHaven is irrigated.
Some very cranky kitties were released from their crates and given an extra treat of canned food to smooth their shattered dignity at having been so hastily packed - and some of them paired up with other cats! How humiliating! The horses were fed and put to bed as well.
As we went to bed very late, the air was still smokey and we could see a large barn burning out of control about 2 ranches over. We woke up several times during the night to be sure FieldHaven was still safe.
Here are a couple of articles on the fire:
http://www.kcra.com/news/17366129/detail.html?rss=sac&psp=news
http://www.kcra.com/news/17361140/detail.html
I have much more to tell you about today - I'll post more blogs tonight. All of you fabulous volunteers and friends who were here yesterday please share your stories.
About 12:30 pm yesterday we saw smoke, presumably from a grass fire. From the look of the smoke it appeared to be nearby. We thought about taking a drive down the road to see where it was but before we could do that we got a frantic phone call from Sharon Jones. The fire was near her house and they were being evacuated. They needed help now. Jann, Preston and I loaded carriers and crates in our trucks and headed off towards her house on Gladding Road. Jen and Courtney were soon on their way as well.
If it were up to the sheriff at the road block on Gladding Road we wouldn't have made it to Sharon's house but you just don't argue with FieldHaven on a mission. We got through. Courtney used the same "don't even try to stop me" tactic. By the time Jen came, she just waved her through.
It took us an hour or more to load up Sharon and Les's cats, dogs, chickens, birds and pigeons. By then the fire was only 20 feet from their door.
As we headed back to FieldHaven we called Wendy and asked her to "phone tree" volunteers. We would need help situating all the animals once we got to FieldHaven. A couple of people mistook the message and thought FieldHaven was being evacuated. No, we assured - them the fire was 5miles from FieldHaven - we were safe. Or, so we thought.
I was riding in with Jann and as we turned the corner in FieldHaven I was brought to tears by the number of cars and volunteers waiting to help us. These people had very little notice and they were there instantly. And, they kept arriving.
With so much help, Penny decided we should put the word out to the public that we could be a shelter for evacuated pets, including horses. We recieved several calls from people needing horses rescued from the fire zone. Several trucks and horse trailers were sent out to rescue those horses.
Shortly after they left the sky to the direct northwest of FieldHaven was looking very smokey.....and closer. I turned on the pasture irrigation and volunteers gathered carriers and crates in the unlikely event that we would need to evacuate. It's like listening the flight attendant say "in the unlikely event of a water landing.......", you think you need to go through the motions of what to do but you'd never really actually have to do it.....
Soon the fire was to the east of FieldHaven. And very close. We could see the flames heading for our neighbor's pasture.
Now, here's where it gets really crazy. A fire official came up to me and said we'd need to evacuate! At that point we had no trucks and trailers as they were all on the other side of town. By the time they made it back to FieldHaven they were followed by several other trucks and trailers.
In no time, the cats were crated and ready to be evacuated. Yes, almost every FieldHaven cat - cat trailer, habitat, Buster's Barn, Roontay, my house cats and some of the outside cats! (we knew the cats outside would be fine).
What an amazing site to see all of the trailers, cats in crates and many, many hands! And, many arms ready for giving reassuring hugs, too.
Fortunately, we never actually had to evacuate - the outstanding firefighters fought the flames back and the iminent danger was passed. But we kept all the cats crated until about 8 pm when a fire official came to tell us we absolutley safe, especially given the fact that all of FieldHaven is irrigated.
Some very cranky kitties were released from their crates and given an extra treat of canned food to smooth their shattered dignity at having been so hastily packed - and some of them paired up with other cats! How humiliating! The horses were fed and put to bed as well.
As we went to bed very late, the air was still smokey and we could see a large barn burning out of control about 2 ranches over. We woke up several times during the night to be sure FieldHaven was still safe.
Here are a couple of articles on the fire:
http://www.kcra.com/news/17366129/detail.html?rss=sac&psp=news
http://www.kcra.com/news/17361140/detail.html
I have much more to tell you about today - I'll post more blogs tonight. All of you fabulous volunteers and friends who were here yesterday please share your stories.
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