Model Monday with Woody

Mom did this one in November of me Woody.  She highlighted my colors to make it more dramatic.  We have been experiencing loss of Internet, depending on the weather so have not been able to post or comment regularly. We can't even pot pics on Facebook!  Boo to ATT! 

We have received so many lovely cards for the holidays both snail mail and e-cards.  Mom is trying to get them up on the blog when she can.  Thank you to all who remembered us and also those who also sent sympathy cards for Yoko. She is missed so much every day, especially this time of year.  Mom still has the sads about Yoko.  we are trying to cheer her up.

We will post for Christmas of course so do come back by when you can.  Here is one of me in front of our tree!

Thankful Thursday - Baby Doll's Trip

Today we are thankful for our Pop, for friends like Donna and Marg who do all they can to help homeless cats.


Some of you already know that Mom's friend Donna offered to adopt Marg's Baby Doll (Marg's Animals blog )  who she has fostered for over a year. Marg has tried for quite a while to find another home for Baby Doll who has been living in her spare bedroom cuz she did not get along with other cats.  If any of her outside cats got sick, Marg had no place to put them with Baby Doll in that extra room.

Well, today is the transport day and since Mom has to work, Pop is doing the actual transport to Marg in South Carolina and then back up with Baby Doll to Donna's in North Carolina, about an hour from our house.  You may remember Donna - she adopted Panther, the black cat Brian from Brian's Home worked so hard to save after almost being euthanized twice!

Donna worked wonders with Panther and he is now part of her cat family living the life of Riley as the expression goes.  We know she will do as well with Baby Doll.  She has a big house so Baby Doll will have her own room for as long as it takes to integrate her into the household - it took Panther 8 months.  We hope Baby Doll will be faster but Donna has great patience and a way with cats.

We will update this journey as it unfolds today  - stop back often for the latest news about where Pop is with baby Doll.  He left Asheville at 8 am for a two hour drive to meet up with Marg.  Stay tuned for more.....

9:45 am UPDATE - Pop has Baby Doll and Marg is on her way home.  Yay!  Marg will email us to let us know  she got home OK!   Pop will text again as he gets closer to Donna!

11:30 am UPDATE - Still waiting to hear from Marg that she got home OK!  Getting a bit concerned.

11:55 am UPDATE - Marg emailed that she was home safe and sound. Looks like Pop is running early and will be meeting Donna before 1 pm.

1 pm UPDATE - Donna now has Baby Doll and is headed to her forever home with her.  She promised to take pics as soon as she got settled so we can see her in her new home.  Marg was sad to see her go but this is a good thing. Pop is on his way back to us. It is a happy done deal!

Mancat Model Monday with Snowball

Love - Snowball loving on his Pop.

We want to thank you all for your kind words, cards and messages about our sweet Yoko. Mom is still getting back to everyone to thank them personally.

Snowball is our model today and he has been having some rough times. A few days after we lost Yoko, he became obstructed and we had to bring him to the vet for enemas.  He did real well with all the procedures and finally hours later got down to business only to become blocked again a few days later.  Back to the vet again on Friday and he got another enema plus fluids.

So far so good - he has been able to move his bowels.  It looks like we are on a protocol of chia to keep regular, special goats milk with added probiotics, lactulose to soften  and pumpkin for fiber. It is working but we will have to give him fluids every few days to help move things thru. 

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and advise from those who have been there.  We hope to have things working smoothly soon.  The vet mentioned megacolon as something that may be going on or not.  Time will tell on that one.  We appreciate all the purrs and prayers for our dear boy.

We are waaay behind on our cards so expect them for New Years!  The tree is up and with lights on it when Mom did that for Yoko but she has not had the heart to finish decorating it.  It will be a toned down quiet holiday this year.  But that is OK!

Sweet Dreams Yoko

April 1993 - December 2013

Even tho things looked like they had stabilized for Yoko this week, last night and today she was having trouble swallowing her food and water.  The tumor in her mouth was growing rapidly. Often she would gag after trying to eat.   Rather than wait until this got any worse we chose to help her to the Bridge this afternoon.

This is so hard - last year we had our Christmas card made up showing an old photo of Chica and Yoko and my husband and I, in Florida 19 years ago side by side with a photo of all four of us in 2012.  Here it is, not quite a  year later, and both dear kitties are gone along with our Joey who left on Dec 7, 2012.   I must have known somehow that it was the end of an era.

We got Yoko as a kitten at the local shelter  to keep Chica company but Chica would have none of it. Yoko was the only cat we have had since she was a kitten.  All the others came to us at six month or older. Yoko was tiny and her eyes were still blue but grew to a big ladycat of hefty size.  Her feet seemed so big but she grew into them.

She was our Buddha cat - doing everything very slowly, methodically and focused.  She ate deliberately, savoring and chewing every bite.  She even made biscuits slowly, with her eyes closed in a blissed out state of contentment.  Being with her, taught us patience - to sit, and not rush around, to be still and savor each moment.

Yoko in one of Judi-bug's hats

 Her disposition was quiet and gentle altho living with Chica picking on her so much, Yoko learned to growl menacingly if she did not want to do something.  It kept Chica at bay and as we took in more cats, Yoko mellowed out with age, even grooming the other youngsters.

She favored my husband over me.  He could get her to do anything but I would  get the growl if I tried to give her a pill, clip her claws, etc. while Don could do all that without a peep out of her.  She loved to lay on his chest with her paws on each shoulder and her body stretched out full length down his like a fur tie!

She preferred to make snug hideaways in piles of blankets, laundry or bedding.  Once I picked up a pile of dirty laundry to put in the washer and I knew she was in it even tho I couldn't see her - it was very heavy.  Sure enough she had curled up inside the clothes.

Even since she was a tiny kitten, she loved the Christmas lights on the tree - she would sit on the floor or chair next to the tree and just stare into it for long periods of time.  She enjoyed the unwrapping of gifts and would make the discarded paper another place to make a snug bed.

We buried her on our land with a bouquet of fresh pansies and the Santa hat all the kitties are wearing in this year's Christmas card - Yoko will forever be our Christmas kitty. We will see you soon at the Rainbow Bridge Yoka Doke!

Thank you all for your kind words of support thru this wild week.  I could not have done it without you.  I may take a bit of time off from blogging and Facebook but not too long. We have other kitties to tell their tales.

Thank you Ann of Zoolatry for this lovely forever badege.

Thank You from Yoko

Mom told me how many peeps and kitties are purring for me all over the world!  I am so grateful for all of you.  I had a rough day on Monday when we went to the vet. I got very upset and even pooped and threw up in my PTU on the way home!  (Sorry Mom)  Mom had to give me one the the pain meds that night. But I haven't needed them since.

Mom made me a special place on the chair in the living room so I can be snuggled  and warm to rest.  She even put the Christmas tree up and put the lights on it cuz she knows how much I love to sit and look at the lights.  I guess she will finish decorating it this weekend.  I can't wait.

I have been eating and getting around fine - yesterday I even roamed  the house a bit after I used the litter box and made biscuits on my bed.  Mom took a video of that which she will post another day.

Last night I got up on Mom and Pop's bed after I had my fluids and wanted to stay there.  I had not been back to that spot since I went to the vet.  I slept with my peeps all night and even woke Pop up at 7am like I always do.  He carries me into the kitchen and gives me a snack while he makes the coffee.  I am Pop's girl!

I am not sure how long I will be feeling OK.  You can see how the right side of my mouth is swollen from the nasty tumor.  I am just not ready to go to the Bridge yet so Mom will wait and see how I do in  the coming week. As long as I can eat and seem to be fairly comfy, I want to be here.  Please keep those purrs coming cuz I know they are helping me.  Thank you with all my heart for caring about me. Mom has been very busy caring for me but she will be by to visit you all over the weekend!

All my love,
Yoko