I am a thinker ,and this morning I have had an epiphany, a moment of knowledge and complete clarity. So I am sharing, so you can see what is inside me and maybe why.
While I love and want ALL the kitties in the world, it is becoming more and more apparent to me that my heart is with special needs. The ones that will not be adopted (at least usually) because of their life circumstances.
For some it is an age thing...most people just don't want to adopt an adult or elder cat. While in the long run, adult and elder cats are easy, there can be time needed to acclimate them with resident cats and if it is not done properly it can make for long term difficulties. If done properly it can take a little time and we live in a throw away, microwave society...people want the peace I have here, but without going through the, sometimes weeks or months, of adjustment to attain it. With elders, people fear medical issues and possible veterinary bills and the old, "I couldn't bear it, I wouldn't have them very long". (I guess letting them sit for three days in a terrifying shelter and then being killed is okay though)
And if you have an individual that has ongoing medical issues then no one can afford it. (me either) If a cat is exceptionally cute or is missing a limb or an eye, maybe deaf or blind, they do have a chance because the truth is, they are no more trouble than a normal cat and have the added advantage of tugging at peoples heartstrings, and making the adopter feel like a hero for adopting a special needs animal. (Really, it is almost in vogue)
But no one wants the sometimes cranky stomatitis cat who requires continual observation, medication, veterinary care and adjustments to meet their needs. The same with that chronic URI or IBD cat, the old one in kidney failure. And then there are those behavioral issues and the ones whose eyes are filled with fear, hearts without hope. Don't they deserve food, water, safety and security, a bit of affection and love?
While I DO understand why rescues and individuals do not take these "unadoptables", I find that these are the ones who call to me. I have the training, skills and willingness to deal with cat snot on my walls, cat poop beside the litter box, hours spent medicating and doling out special food, not to mention the money spent. I just wish others could understand, without calling me ugly names because my rescue efforts go in a different direction than theirs, or because it is not what they want in their life. If someone is willing to take it on and do it properly, don't these guys deserve life too?
This is why I brought Finnigan home. Finn is adorable, and sweet and adoptable, even with his head tilt and equilibrium issues. (which are not bad enough to curtail a good life) But Finn is also chronic URI and has been treated for this since February and only God knows how long he was sick before proper protocols were put in place at the sanctuary. It can be kept controlled if monitored, but he does not get completely well. Last Hope is an adoption based rescue, if they keep these guys then they do not have room for adoptable kitties. And right now, because of circumstances, they can only have 40 cats on the whole 18 acre property. I did not go there planning to take him, but Travis felt (being a responsible rescuer, which means not patching him up and offing him to an unsuspecting adopter or rescue who may or may not treat him when he crashes) he could have a life with me. He had to stay caged at Last Hope because of his health issues. Here, once he smells like the rest of us, gets used to me so I can continue medicating him with out stalking him, and barring any unforeseen issues he may have, he will join the family.
This is also why I took on the stomatitis cats from Last Hope. They are long term care animals and while we can make them comfortable, most, in my experience, do not get better. I did not take them on because I am a hoarder who thinks no one else can do this. I took them on because no one else WILL do it and with everything that is in me I believe that they DESERVE a life, if at all possible.
So this is what hit me this morning. Maybe I do have a place in rescue, maybe I can be useful, maybe this IS my place. It certainly was not how I expected to spend my life and was not my personal life goal, but it does seem to be where life has led me.
My house is NEVER clean, the work is NEVER done...but for me, walking in the door of my little falling apart, messy, house brings me incredible peace. I am doing what I am supposed to do.
I will never be viewed as a success by most (even in rescue), I will never be financially secure, I will be frustrated and annoyed by some parts of my life, I will never get recognition from the world at large or even from many in my family. People will not understand and I will be viewed as a nut, they will talk behind their hands about me when I walk by. So what else is new...
I wish people who wrinkle or look down their nose would visit...bother to spend time here. Some say that there is no way you can give them all attention, there is no way they could be happy, you cannot possibly keep track of all of them, oh my you must have a difficult time keeping them from fighting. The truth is, and I am not sure why, 99.9% of them are very content. They form friendships with each other and they love me with an intensity that is mind boggling. I rarely have a fight here and have not had an abscess or injury from fights in 20 years. It is working here, I do keep track of them all, they all get a bit of attention if they want it (some don't and that is okay too), they are happy.
For those who wonder how they can help....well, buckets of money would be good. LOL The cats who are social with strangers LOVE visitors and the more visitors we get the more social the others become. I do not want people to come here and clean my cat boxes or stuff like that, that is my responsibility, but there are a bunch of kitties here that sure do like to be petted and brushed...
So if you have a heart that enjoys that and are not merely curious about my hovel, give me a call and come be overwhelmed with cat purrs and hair, and the uniqueness of the love the "unadoptables" give so freely.
While I love and want ALL the kitties in the world, it is becoming more and more apparent to me that my heart is with special needs. The ones that will not be adopted (at least usually) because of their life circumstances.
For some it is an age thing...most people just don't want to adopt an adult or elder cat. While in the long run, adult and elder cats are easy, there can be time needed to acclimate them with resident cats and if it is not done properly it can make for long term difficulties. If done properly it can take a little time and we live in a throw away, microwave society...people want the peace I have here, but without going through the, sometimes weeks or months, of adjustment to attain it. With elders, people fear medical issues and possible veterinary bills and the old, "I couldn't bear it, I wouldn't have them very long". (I guess letting them sit for three days in a terrifying shelter and then being killed is okay though)
And if you have an individual that has ongoing medical issues then no one can afford it. (me either) If a cat is exceptionally cute or is missing a limb or an eye, maybe deaf or blind, they do have a chance because the truth is, they are no more trouble than a normal cat and have the added advantage of tugging at peoples heartstrings, and making the adopter feel like a hero for adopting a special needs animal. (Really, it is almost in vogue)
But no one wants the sometimes cranky stomatitis cat who requires continual observation, medication, veterinary care and adjustments to meet their needs. The same with that chronic URI or IBD cat, the old one in kidney failure. And then there are those behavioral issues and the ones whose eyes are filled with fear, hearts without hope. Don't they deserve food, water, safety and security, a bit of affection and love?
While I DO understand why rescues and individuals do not take these "unadoptables", I find that these are the ones who call to me. I have the training, skills and willingness to deal with cat snot on my walls, cat poop beside the litter box, hours spent medicating and doling out special food, not to mention the money spent. I just wish others could understand, without calling me ugly names because my rescue efforts go in a different direction than theirs, or because it is not what they want in their life. If someone is willing to take it on and do it properly, don't these guys deserve life too?
This is why I brought Finnigan home. Finn is adorable, and sweet and adoptable, even with his head tilt and equilibrium issues. (which are not bad enough to curtail a good life) But Finn is also chronic URI and has been treated for this since February and only God knows how long he was sick before proper protocols were put in place at the sanctuary. It can be kept controlled if monitored, but he does not get completely well. Last Hope is an adoption based rescue, if they keep these guys then they do not have room for adoptable kitties. And right now, because of circumstances, they can only have 40 cats on the whole 18 acre property. I did not go there planning to take him, but Travis felt (being a responsible rescuer, which means not patching him up and offing him to an unsuspecting adopter or rescue who may or may not treat him when he crashes) he could have a life with me. He had to stay caged at Last Hope because of his health issues. Here, once he smells like the rest of us, gets used to me so I can continue medicating him with out stalking him, and barring any unforeseen issues he may have, he will join the family.
This is also why I took on the stomatitis cats from Last Hope. They are long term care animals and while we can make them comfortable, most, in my experience, do not get better. I did not take them on because I am a hoarder who thinks no one else can do this. I took them on because no one else WILL do it and with everything that is in me I believe that they DESERVE a life, if at all possible.
So this is what hit me this morning. Maybe I do have a place in rescue, maybe I can be useful, maybe this IS my place. It certainly was not how I expected to spend my life and was not my personal life goal, but it does seem to be where life has led me.
My house is NEVER clean, the work is NEVER done...but for me, walking in the door of my little falling apart, messy, house brings me incredible peace. I am doing what I am supposed to do.
I will never be viewed as a success by most (even in rescue), I will never be financially secure, I will be frustrated and annoyed by some parts of my life, I will never get recognition from the world at large or even from many in my family. People will not understand and I will be viewed as a nut, they will talk behind their hands about me when I walk by. So what else is new...
I wish people who wrinkle or look down their nose would visit...bother to spend time here. Some say that there is no way you can give them all attention, there is no way they could be happy, you cannot possibly keep track of all of them, oh my you must have a difficult time keeping them from fighting. The truth is, and I am not sure why, 99.9% of them are very content. They form friendships with each other and they love me with an intensity that is mind boggling. I rarely have a fight here and have not had an abscess or injury from fights in 20 years. It is working here, I do keep track of them all, they all get a bit of attention if they want it (some don't and that is okay too), they are happy.
For those who wonder how they can help....well, buckets of money would be good. LOL The cats who are social with strangers LOVE visitors and the more visitors we get the more social the others become. I do not want people to come here and clean my cat boxes or stuff like that, that is my responsibility, but there are a bunch of kitties here that sure do like to be petted and brushed...
So if you have a heart that enjoys that and are not merely curious about my hovel, give me a call and come be overwhelmed with cat purrs and hair, and the uniqueness of the love the "unadoptables" give so freely.