Kitten Rescue of Mason County rescues

To take care of all the cats and kittens also takes a lot of people resources we can always use more help. There are many tasks that can be done to help some are the obvious like cleaning cages and socializing, but we can also use help in areas like publicity, fund raising, etc. if you would like to help you could become a volunteer. We accept new volunteers on an ongoing basis. From scooping litter boxes, to petting kitty cats, to sweeping floors, to heavy duty cleaning, to helping out with garage sales, to fostering rescued babies, to office work, no job at Kitten Rescue is insignificant. If you have the time to save innocent lives, we're happy to see your smiling face. We need volunteers for 3 shifts a day, 7 days a week. Shifts vary from 2 hours weekly to 4 hours daily. Telephone and leave a message at 426-2455, or write to olegranee@comcast.net if you want to know more.

NO ROOM AT THE INN - August 2011

About a week ago a white female cat, and her sibling or grown child, came to a summer home on South Shore, past Twanoh State Park. She was pregnant and they were both starving.

A gentleman from Nevada was visiting, and purchased cat food for the hungry animals. Both were white and he called our shelter, pleading with us to take her and her companion, because they did everything together. They were both so thin that it would take weeks to regain their health.

Pam agreed reluctantly to take them for a couple of days and I was going to ask Darliene D if she could fit them in because she was bringing back kittens belonging to one of her two mama cats and the mama was due to be spayed this week.

Instead this afternoon the poor guy brought them both in, the female had already birthed one kitten, and was in heavy labor with the unborn ones.

Quick thinking Shiela and Joanne put a large container in the green cage and bedding, litter and food and water in the main cage and the birthing box was padded with bedding. Boy kitty guarded the door, making sure that his sister/or mother was safe. How could we separate a pair like this?

Your prayers for a safe delivery would be appreciated, my midwife skills are nonexistent. The two cuties that were destined for the green cage will be shifted to the office cage, now inhabited by Snugaboo, thrown from a car window in a paper sack day before yesterday. The small black and white kitten suffered no injuries, his kitty Angel must have caught him and softened his fall. This on the same day that a adult female cat was thrown from our bridge going into town in a paper sack. An 8 year old boy saw it and swam out and saved the kitty. We will be paying for a free spay for this lucky cat. It was fortunate that the little boy that did not drown trying to save a helpless animal.

Each day we are surrounded by both exceptional cruelty and exceptional kindness. What a team we have here at our shelter, you would be amazed at the wonderful things they contribute. I am but a small part of this wonderful mission!

God bless you all for caring! Granny Kat, Norma

Before the beginning of a shift one of the volunteers has a women follow her into the driveway. The woman asked the volunteer if we could take the ill cat that she had just rescued. Norma was summoned and the cat was quickly admitted to the shelter and care began. The woman who rescued him said that she was visiting a friend in Centralia and had stopped at the rest stop. The cat jumped into her car and did not want to leave. He had a severe case of diarrhea and was emaciated.

Lewis most likely ate any critter he could catch to stay alive. He was infested with both internal parasites as well as external parasites and ringworm. It took quite a while to get him out of the woods and healthy. He was such a loving cat that all the volunteers could not help but give him loves back. We were all so happy when he recovered and then found his forever home.

Once mama tabby cat was a lovely tabby kitten, small with lots of purrs. She was adopted into a good home, fed well, loved and very well socialized. She was an indoor/outdoor kitty, the family was not fond of litter boxes. When she was about seven months old she became pregnant and it was about a month before the family noticed that she was growing rounder.

They were, as many families are, angry at the cat for getting pregnant. It did not occur to them that for a price of a family movie with refreshments this lovely female could have been spayed.

Dad probably lost his job, as many here in Mason County have, and when the unwanted kittens arrived, the family was amazed that no-one was interested in adopting them. Two sweet little female kittens were played with and loved by the children, but the parents knew that they could not afford to feed two additional mouths, as it was difficult to feed the family on unemployment.

They truly tried to find homes for all three, but without the resources of advertising and websites that our shelter has, it was an impossible situation. In another eight weeks the sweet female kittens might also come into heat, and that could not be allowed.

They called shelter after shelter and the answer was the same, no room! They were overwhelmed by the kittens and cats that were already housed in their shelters.

The only recourse would be to put the pretty mama and two kittens to sleep and that would be 25 dollars each, money that the family did not have.

Dad took the kittens and mama for a drive one night, telling the children that he had found a good home for them. He drove down an abandoned logging road, far from homes, and put mama and babies out, driving away quickly. He knew that the predators would solve the situation or starvation, whichever happened first.

Mama kitty stood in the cold, dark night with her babies huddled close by. Why? Why was she out here away from the family that she loved? They spent a miserable night, hearing frightening sounds and cold and lonely.

The next day a car came along, looking for mushrooms that were plentiful this year. They opened their door and mama and babies came running over to the safety of people who had always fed and protected them. They took them home, a small house that did not allow pets, and brought them to the only haven that they knew about.

Mama and babies were placed in a small carrier with the metal door fastened tightly. “Why are we here in this small carrier?”

“What did we do to make our owners angry?” Strange smelling drops were placed on their necks to control fleas, and their tummy’s hurt because of their deep sorrow. Food and water did not appeal to them. When each was picked up and taken to a large cage with food and water, as they went outside to reach their new room, they started to tremble with fear. Would we put them back in the cold woods? The mama kitty saw other kitties in the room. She was not used to other cats; she growled softly telling her babies to be careful and the other curious cats to stay away. After protective shots, she was placed in a large cozy bed in the bottom of the cage, and the two young females chose the top floor. Mama got her own food and water and finally took a couple of bites.

As time would go on, the fear and anguish would fade, and another loving home would be provided. This one would not allow outside visits, and the kittens and mama would all be spayed and given lots of things to stay healthy. In time the nightmare of abandonment would diminish. For awhile though they would eagerly check the door each time a volunteer came in, hoping that it was their family coming to take them back to that wonderful place called home.