For the Love of Kittens

A. shared an article about kittens adopted by soldiers in Afghanistan.  And it was more adorableness than I could stand.  I'm glad when defenseless creatures find good homes, and I have to hope they give something to those soldiers as well.

Which then reminded me about the wee little kitty in our home.  You would not believe how much better she is.  She was listless and sleepy when we first got her (we realize now that she likely would have died if we hadn't rescued her), but just one week later, and she's eating enthusiastically, playing, pouncing around, begging for love, and just being as adorable as a tiny cat can be.

We're still hoping to find her a home. She's got a sweet personality, but she still has a tiny feral streak and gets occasionally a little freaked out by random things.  She's taken to following us around though, and doesn't seem to mind one bit when I scoop her up and carry her around.

Yes, I know it sounds like I'm attached, but who wouldn't be?

At least we haven't named her.  I hope that her new owners find her soon--she needs a good home.  We'd keep her, but we have two cats already, and one is very angry about the new kitten (she, in fact, has an "anger box" where she goes to sulk about the tiny cat).  If you are (or know!) anyone who would be a good fit for this little rescue cat, let me know!

Rescue Mission

I have a soft spot for the less fortunate.  I try to do my part, donate money and time and resources where I can, and hope that it's enough.  Mostly, I think I should do more.

Two weekends ago, we were visiting Lance's grandmother.  She has a stray cat population that she (more or less grudgingly) has been feeding and sheltering.  Lance's mom has been doing her best to find homes for the tamer ones and spay/neuter the ones she can catch so that the cat herd thins out a bit.  Kittens still turn up, however, and we'd noticed two cute little tabbies.  Upon closer inspection, it appeared that the smallest one was sick--she had a respiratory infection, gunky eyes, and was gaunt because she was too small to compete with the bigger kitties (including her littermate) for food.  I pleaded with Lance for us to take her to the vet, but he thought she would probably get better without our help.

Last weekend, we went up, and she wasn't better.  In fact, she was probably worse--and when Lance felt her tiny little ribs sticking out, he decided we could do our best to get her well, on the condition that we find her a new home (so, if you're near me: free kitty!).  I took her to the vet yesterday, and she has an upper respiratory infection, as suspected, as well as suffering from fleas, dehydration, diarrhea, and possibly some other things.  The poor thing weighed in at 1.5 pounds (her brother is almost twice her size) and sat hunched over and looking pretty miserable and pathetic. She didn't even fight me as we took her home, then took her back and forth from the vet.

We anticipate that under our care (and antibiotics) that she'll start to get better and go on to be a happy kitty.  This is the fifth cat that I've rescued or helped to rescue (I kept two of them), so I feel pretty good about helping out tiny, defenseless animals.  Especially when they grow up to be such awesome kitties:

Then I got to thinking about the time and resources I was using to rescue animals.  Wouldn't it better to use it to help people? my conscience dinged.  That was troubling.  By choosing to spend $40 on a sick kitten, was I saying that people who are in desperate need aren't as worthy as a kitten?  Wouldn't the time I spent nursing the kitten back to health be better spent volunteering to help people?

Ultimately, I don't know.  Maybe I'm not directing my energies in the right direction.  Maybe what matters is that I'm trying to help a suffering creature, even if she is just a kitten.  I don't think it's a matter of rating animals higher than people; instead, it's a matter of taking responsibility for creatures we domesticated and who wouldn't necessarily thrive (let alone survive) without human interaction.  And I'm sure this tiny kitten will bring something special to her future owner's life.

Moved, In So Many Ways

I have so much I want to blog about, but I haven't had time! First there was the packing. And painting and other prep work. Then the moving. And now? The unpacking. Oh, the unpacking seems like it will never end, though it was satisfying to put all of our empty boxes out in the recycling the other day. Other satisfying moments have been moving furniture to places where it looks good, unpacking most boxes, being able to find all of my clothes, and enjoying the new space.

The Good
I realized that we may actually be able to successfully integrate all of our stuff--and that it would look homey. (Lance hasn't brought his piles of wood and various random objects over yet, so this may yet me tested).

K and M left us a lovely entertainment center, and it holds all of our cookbooks (4 shelves, M, 4!!), our various bottles of homebrew and liquor, DVDs, and other detrius that I haven't found a place for yet.

M also left me a *drumroll* KitchenAid. Now, you all know that I'm a baker. And I've been obsessed about the KitchenAid (as has Lance) for a long time. After using a different brand of stand mixer, I can tell you that it's really a well-designed machine, meant to last and really be used. And if you cook a lot, it's totally worth the investment. I honestly thought I'd have to wait until I got it as a wedding gift in 300 years or was rich or something.

We also have a huge front yard and back yard! When I came over from the apartment, I found all the friends who helped us move sitting out front, happy. I anticipate having parties in which people hang out in the back yard.

Problems
We have a ceiling fan and light fixture, and his name is Shocky. Shocky doesn't like it when you touch the chains to turn on and off the light, and he will let you know by transmitting an electrical current through your body. Luckily, Lance discovered this and not me. Unluckily, I touched Shocky's cords with a metal shelf and got a nice jolt.

The new place also has no closets, which means I can't hide all of my craft/hobby stuff away neatly. It also means that our kitchen is woefully lacking in storage. This will be remedied by putting up shelving and purging excess belongings. Of course, I love clothes and own lots of them, so closet-sharing should be...interesting.

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I have lots of pictures, so many pictures. And I will take more once the dust has settled. But for now I'll leave you with a picture of the newest addition to our family, Neko.