Welcome to My World
This blog was supposed to be my first book that, like an egg that is left uncooked for too long - goes bad. I started writing this “book” in January 18, 1999 with a very optimistic outlook and while looking at the world through thick and rose colored glasses; today, I am wiser and not as naïve. I decided to take the opportunity to use this blog to share events that led to my becoming “The Cat Lady.” Maybe the delay was a kind of good thing because a lot has happened since I stopped writing and there’s an extra dimension to the rescuer that I can address now.
The cats that have become my indoor colony are not adoptable because of too many reasons that I can’t understand: too old at 2 months of age; has Fiv; has Felv; is not a lapcat; not friendly enough, too common, rescued from the streets, not declawed, sheds too much or just not pretty enough. In one instance a pedigree was up for adoption.
We had of course had him neutered at 6 months of age. “You ruined him!” the woman cried. Ah, Geeez. (I had to laugh - she sounded just like that pretentious woman in the commercial for Smuckers: “Preserves not Jelly!”) She decided not to adopt him. Good thing since I was going to decline her adoption, I’ve seen what some Breeders put pure breed cats through.
Some of my Permanent Guests are not socialized, they’re learning to trust me but will lose all trust with anyone else - they're semi feral. It can take up to two years for one of these “semi-ferals” to decide to even take a really special treat out of your hand. Really Special means bloody roast beef from the Deli. Miss Vicki from Surf Avenue still does the snatch and run; Oscar won't even do that!
I started doing rescue one cat at a time, never dreaming that I would eventually become the person people would call when a cat was homeless or in trouble because the big organizations just won't come through. Doing rescue tends to snowball and pretty soon you’re the “Expert” in the area. Be careful, hoarding is the next step on this lonely ladder.
It has been over 20 years since my first rescue and my experiences have exposed me to many types of rescue situations; rescue groups; cats and people. The entire rescue “landscape” has changed with the introduction of “Umbrella” groups and bunching of rescue groups. TNR is currently the new hope of curbing the stray overpopulation.
While my lifestyle has suffered because of expenses involved in rescue, I don’t regret any of the time or money spent on rescues. Some of the people I’ve met have served to educate me as to what is wrong with people in general so I’ve had to do some serious self-development along the way. I dislike the rescuer who’ll run out to take kittens off your hands but refuse to even consider the homeless mom cat. I won't get bent out of shape about it anymore because I know that we're all doing the best we can with our current level of development/awareness. I'll be repeating this since we learn by repetition and this is a Key to detaching from reacting and therefore staying Centered.
The Journey has been a Spiritual Path where I’ve grown as a person and see the world through very different eyes; I’ve learned to talk to strangers without letting their opinions overwhelm me (well, on a good day.) I used to be a very shy individual and when I first started asking for donations I actually stuttered despite having a High School and College theater background.
Be advised: Rescue work will not generate financial prosperity; like a Random Act of Kindness, it’s a reward in itself. Your growth of sense of satisfaction; self-trust and self-confidence increase your worth as a person. You become a better person all around. When I look at Sweetie Pie, one of my rescues, I see that I gave her the opportunity to become a beautiful and loved cat. If I had not trapped her, she would have been run over by a train after going through sickness and trauma while trying to survive on the train tracks where she was abandoned at 8 weeks of age.
Rescue work won't make you loved by everyone. No matter what you do there will always be critics. If you expose unethical practices there will be backlash. Learn to rock the boat anyway. If you refuse to participate in unethical practices you'll be an outcast. Enjoy being an Individual.
The good news is that this will all help you to grow into a self confident and self reliant person. Your creative genius will flow and your energy and sense of purpose will make every day of your life worth living.
I grew up in various areas of NY and one of the constants everywhere that we moved were the abandoned kittens, cats and dogs. In those days, dogs were tied to fences and the ASPCA truck would pick them up on a designated day of the week. People have not changed very much today.
Maybe the exasperation of not being able to help them has led to my insistence now that people stop putting these animals into harm’s way. Make it your business to tell everyone that animals starve, suffer and die because of irresponsible and ignorant practices. Please CARE! Love the animals; love each other! If you can’t/won’t love them, then leave them alone. It seems like a weak cry into a very strong wind. Here is where Meditation is helping me to stay calmer and work smarter. You’d better take care of your Self or you will go bonkers and achieve nothing. Remember that those people that piss you off are just doing the best that they can with their current level of awareness.
The following quote is also a way of being Mindful. It might be good to operate on the premise that “no one is coming” so that you learn to rely on yourself. When you meet your Tribe; your People those that are part of your Village it will only be the Cherry on top of the Whipped Cream!
I began to get a reputation as “that wonderful woman who saves cats.” People began calling for me to help them. Maybe they thought I had money. Many times they wouldn’t tell me who gave them my phone number. I guessed it was from someone I helped in the past or maybe a vet tech. Even my vet began calling me to bottle feed kittens and to foster cats!
With Feral Cats I learned about Trap Neuter Return (TNR). Trapping, Recovering and Returning cats that can't be socialized was another challenge that I had to get through. The work got harder and harder. The money kept going out. The satisfaction of seeing cats transformed from sickly, skinny and scrappy was priceless. Even though my personal appearance began to suffer, I was happy.
Well, come on and let's watch Josie pick up the first brick for her house of cats.
