April 15^th2012 – A peaceful Sunday with perfect weather in the East valley neighborhood with saguaro dotted foothills.  It wasn’t just taxes that were almost due, two small worlds were about to collide!  The neighborhood Pet Smart cat adoption area was busy with new volunteers and buzzing with customers who had questions about cats for adoption, cats needing help, and cats in general!

An arriving volunteer couldn’t help but smile at a large patient man holding a tiny baby bottle in his giant hand.   He had a body builder’s physique and was wearing a green Waste Management work shirt. He stood by his wife, holding her purse.  The tiny baby bottle looked even smaller in his huge hand.  A kitten was blanketed in the wife’s arms.

The white and black kitten appeared to be nearly 2-weeks-old and had just taken a dangerous ride in a garbage truck.  The kitten was believed to have been in an apartment complex dumpster that was emptied into the truck and taken to the transfer station where the kitten was discovered.  The crying kitten, who had miraculously escaped harm during the compacting process, was set aside by the driver who found the crying baby.  Ultimately, he didn’t know what to do and left the kitten.  At this point, our tall hero took the time to step in and bring “Hope” to us.  We honor this man and his wife who truly have large hearts.  They even left us a donation to help with food and supplies!

This is what Hope survived:

Trash container like the one the kitten could have been in.

Container being dumped into the truck.

Trash load being ejected at the transfer station.

Trash load on transfer station floor where kitten was discovered in the freshly ejected load.

As our volunteers fed and removed fleas from Hope, another scenario was developing only yards away, within the store’s veterinary practice.  The survival of another black and white kitten, just days younger than Hope, was in question.  “Faith” was born to a stray mother cat and had siblings with some deformities.  While Faith had no abnormalities, the mother cat began chewing on her back foot.  The foot was beyond saving and barely attached.  Every time the kitten was placed to nurse, the mother chewed on the foot.  The clinic and family asked if we could take” Faith” to bottle-feed.  Since we had one nearly the same age we agreed.   Faith’s foot was removed and leg cleaned up.  Faith and Hope became instant sisters and the very best of friends!  They huddled together from the start!  Faith has not been slowed down by her missing back foot as she plays with her sister Hope.

The foster family who is raising Faith and Hope has five daughters, some with special needs.  The foster mom works with special needs children. She and her daughters raised Hope and Faith with the same special love and care they provide to other children with disabilities.

A month has passed and Faith and Hope have exceeded all expectations and are now eating on their own.  They are ready for a new foster home, a foster home that could perhaps turn into a permanent home.  They will be spayed/micro-chipped when they reach 2 pounds each.  They will be adopted together when the medical has been completed.  The adoption fee for both of them is $150.  This includes their spay, microchips and registration, testing for Feline leukemia, FIV, and feline heartworm, vaccines, intestinal parasite checks (including a special screen for giardia), and health insurance for the next 2-months that can be used at any veterinarian’s office and covers $750 for each cat, with a $75 deductible.

If you have room in your lives and heart for Faith and Hope, two special, courageous, playful little girls – please fill out an application at www.goodkitties.org and we will give you a call!

 
 We were able to trap all 4 and they spent several weeks in a great foster home where they grew shiny new hair and gained lots of weight and fully recovered from malnutrition. They were picked up last night, vaccinated, and moved to new fosters who will focus on socialization skills. They are: Riley ( male b/w), Raven (female w/feather) and the 2 brothers are Merlin and Shadow. Our volunteer forgot she had used her emergency carrier for a hit by car turtle dove (that survived) and Raven quickly found the feather! See photo! Soon they will be ready for adoption to new homes! So a recent total of 10 kittens and two Moms. We could not have done it without the donations.

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We need a lot of help for these kitties. They are related to some of the kitties we have adopted and still have for adoption. Donations to be used for spay and neuter and medical are greatly appreciated. Donated time and transportation to the vet as well as cat food are also helpful.
These kitties deserve more, however, we hope to spay and neuter all of them and continue to provide food, if not find them all homes. We need help to accomplish this. Please respond to this post if you can volunteer time or visit our donation page for financial help.

Vesper (Patches) was recently rescued by a nice couple who couldn’t keep her and called for help. She is a beautiful dilute tortoise shell. She has become a sibling of the Pickle clan. Foster mom is a talented photographer amongst her many other talents. Check out vesper’s reflective turquois eyes. Fantastic Picture!
All three kitties were spayed and neutered 12/23 and are now ready for adoption!

It is with great sadness that I must report the loss of Pinky. She was looking much better and even ate dry food, which she preferred to wet, but other internal injuries were discovered, she had a small tear in her bladder. The bladder issue was dealt with properly and it was felt it could heal on its own with catheters in place, however she died suddenly. During the short time we had this little girl she purred and seemed to enjoy having her chin scratched. We will miss this brave baby. We did all that we could for her.

If not for the excellent care she received for shock and dehydration at the veterinary emergency clinic, Pinky would have soon died on the roadside. Pinky is one tough little girl. In addition, Pinky suffered some bad fractures. See x-rays. Tonight Pinky is doing better and has even purred once or twice, although she was in very poor shape. In a few days when she is stronger, she will have her leg repaired surgically. We will post updates on Pinky’s condition.

(Click photos to enlarge)

They are weaned and eat entirely on their own. Congratulations to both experienced foster Moms who worked so hard to help these babies survive and who managed to correct baby Gherkins legs who were twisted the wrong way after his birth. His legs seem completely normal now. The next step is for them to be spayed and neutered when they reach 2 pounds. They will be receiving their first set of vaccines in a few days. Read what their foster Mom has to say below!

They have discovered running as well as furniture and there is nothing they can’t do!!!
Gherkin’s legs look amazing…he is growing so strong…. Dill is smart and quicker ( a great jumper too) but Gherks is stronger. They will be 7 weeks this Black Friday.
I love them both!!