Shadowcat's Shelter Page

09/17/2023

Meows and mrrrps...
May you be inscribed for sweetness and productivity in the New Year!
5784
If you don't get the apple and round challah, Google 'Jewish New Year+Apples and honey'.

09/13/2023

I like to watch Momcat and her son, PC (Partly Cloudy). It gives me great joy to have been able to keep these two together. And they ARE TOGETHER!
They are staying mostly in the shed these days for the shade. Now and then one will venture out and sort of trot across the yard, staying in shade as much as possible, do their 'business', and hurry back.
I guess I ought to move a food and water set out there!

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09/10/2023

Meows... and Mrrrps...
Once again I have been absent.
I REALLY DO hope to pump some life back into this 'domain'. I have not been up to much except maintaining my 'feed bag'.
In case you missed it, after several years of this and that, it has finally come down to my esophagus does not work. There are no constrictions to move food along. The only way anything gets from mouth to stomach is via GRAVITY. And yes, that is a rather GRAVE situation.
Ergo I now sport a feed tube going direct from the 'outer world' into my stomach. It is always either SEALED or has liquid nutrition flowing through it.
I have designated my back pack as 'dePaque' in an attempt to 'personalize' my new near constant companion. To get my 'Recommended Daily Allotment I should be connected and flowing TWENTY HOURS A DAY. I don't WEAR it him night, but he is next to my pillow and I sleep connected to him.
As for the clowder...
We are at an even dozen inside that Patty mostly tends to. And I feed eight 'free roamers', a mother and son of which have been with us for better than 10 tears now. I feed another four in a 16x16 enclosure.
At this writing all are well save for one onside guy who is diabetic. We need to withhold food from him except for twice a day when it is accompanied by a shot of insulin.
Drop in if you are ever in the 'hood. Now that I have 'help' coming in, the house is near presentable.
And now that I don't get out much, company is ever more appreciated!
Meows...and Mrrrps...
(=^..^=)

05/25/2023

On the topic of Pest Control...
--Beetles and Roaches...

I've a Pyrex mixing bowl about 14" across and about 6" deep.
I tossed in a handful of 'kibble' and left it, more or less in the open on the patio overnight.
In the AM, there must have been a good dozen beetles and roaches scrambling in vain to get out.
A little shower of hot soapy water, and they were soup.

I want to know HOW THEY CAN GET IN AND NOT OUT?!?!?
I repeated my experiment with a stainless steel mixing bowl narrower and taller. Once past the small curve at the base, the sides are VERTICAL until a small ridge/lip around the top. A six inch climb to a FLARED top!
Yep! Another dozen or so bite the dust.

Someone suggest they are 'dropping' in.
It is under an 8' high corrugated aluminum roof, and about 6-8ft from the roof support between uprights.
Another offered that they fly in. But the why not fly back out? Not enough 'runway space'? Can they not just 'rise' but need to fly forward?
I don't really give a crap, except that one ought to know their adversaries.
I still flood the concrete in rotating sections.
Sorry, no pics this time.
I've pretty much beaten the flies - with a lot of cleaning immediate post use! I beat the roaches and beetles last year! I can beat them again!
(=^..^=)

05/13/2023

Man, I HATE when that happens!!!
Go in with a mysterious mole and go home with cancer!
Well, almost. Tops had escaped the pen and ran loose a couple weeks. When she'd returned we noticed a problem with her eye, We took her in and the vet said it had been scratched and she apparently had been quite beaten up. We went home with eye drops. Which she was VERY reluctant allowing us to dose.
We've been keeping watch. One Patty said the thought it was looking better. And the next day I said it was much worse. So, we made an appointment with the vet. We'd already had one cat going at 4:30, and we squeezed this one in, expecting a follow-up, and an eye extraction Monday AM.
Uh-Uh.
The eye was the LEAST op 'Tops' problems. Tops had developed a tumor in her neck that was not only pressing her eye out, but also impeding her ability to swallow. We'd been through this before, There was nothing ahead for her but pain.
The vet also said that from feeling around other places that the tumor was more than likely malignant.
I believe the techs and the vet were sincere in their sympathies, and in accord with my decision to release her.
She would only allow a couple stolen strokes while concentrating on food, but I got my fill as she lay on my lap and got the shots injected.
Safe travels.˙
(=^..^=)...
All photos © Images, Icons, & Ideas, Phoenix, AZ
Posted via Shadowcats Shelter.

05/10/2023

QUWACK! I just got a handle on the fly situation and it appears to be BEETLE AND ROACH SEASON!!!
Been seeing a few of the little devils so I've started my Dawn© routine of flooding the concrete slabs.
In the last few months I have also learned that anything that has bee FLAT to the ground, likely has a beetle colony under it.
So any stones or pavers that I have put out are getting flipped and flooded. I SLOWED poured around the landscaping rocks. And I poured extra along where the dirt meets the concrete.
One BIG OL' thing came scampering out of one crack right where and as I was pouring down!

05/03/2023

WOOT! WOOT!
Fly population reduced by about 95%!!!
Collect and clean ALL dishes shortly after feeding.
I've a 14x16x18 cage that I use to collect my cans for recycling. BOING!!!!! BLINDING FLASH!!!!!!! ETHAN YOU FOOL!!!! COVER THE CAGE!!!!! So my FIRST thought was to have my friend and seamstress Carron Cruse make a cover for me. I picked my head up and thought to myself, 'Holy cow!!! There's a box ox 150 of them!!!!GARBAGE BAGS!!!.
That ought be near a final nail in the attraction box.
I've flies floating in a couple of moat setups that have not had food served. Just the big bowl of soapy water and a small bowl inverted as an island.
I don't do the whole moat set-up every meal, just the dishes that had food (a.k.a. Bait) in them.
I crack the lid and spray into the garbage can ere opening it!

And my bottles don't seem to suppress flies at the bowl, but they DO CONCEAL MY APPROACH WITH THE SPRAYER allowing a much higher 'kill count'!

05/03/2023

The Fel d 1 and Fel d 4 proteins. What make our pointy eared furry friends so problematic to so many.

'When it comes to allergies, the dander itself isn’t the issue, but two allergens that it can act as a vehicle for. The main allergens associated with cat dander are two proteins called Fel d 1 and Fel d 4. The first is produced both by cats’ skin and their sebaceous glands (which secrete a waxy substance called sebum that helps waterproof and lubricate their skin), while the second is produced in cat saliva and deposited on their skin when they grooms themselves. The dander can trap these allergens, says Dr. Christine Cain, a veterinarian and Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and spread them around as the hair is shed.'
https://www.petmd.com/cat/grooming/cat-dander-8-things-you-didnt-know

04/28/2023

Battling the Beetles...
I have learned that IF it has a FLAT BOTTOM, and is to RESIDE OUTSIDE, it MUST EITHER BE ON A SOLID (i.e. concrete, stone, brick, tile,) BASE OR 'STILTED'!

04/28/2023

I prepare the chow for the clowder at cabinet in the breezeway.

Yesterday I flooded the concrete with soapy H2O and 'swept' everything together with a broom, scouring anything that looked like it might be a food bump. I then flooded it AGAIN with plain H2O for a rinse. What I 'swept' up was picked up and thrown in a covered garbage can, and the liquid left to dry.

I don't think it made any difference in the number of flies, but it is one step of many. I washed the trays I put the dishes on to distribute food. I sprinkled that Dia..whatever earth under the trays. There is a bunch of just plain clutter that I seem to keep clearing and replacing rather than leave EMPTY so I have ELBOW ROOM!!!

Eventually I will wash the front and side of the cabinet. Eventually.

One goal at a time.

- Hike BTA to the Legume Garden CHECK
- Lord of the population of flies - In progress
- Change litter boxes - in progress
- Clean, neat north room - In progress
- (Spider) Web free swept and vacuumed - In queue
- Mopped floors - In queue
- Hernia repair

04/27/2023

The Flies
Do the flies just keep on coming or do they reach a point of 'maximum capacity' and go elsewhere?
It is unbelievable!!!!!
I washed the breezeway concrete in hopes of eliminating food residue, as well as leaving a slight soapy residue.
I need the sprayer leading me either way when I go through. AND ere I enter the laundry room.
As soon as I put canned food down there will be like 6 or 8 crammed onto a teaspoon of food.
A quick spritz takes care of them.
All the moats cleaned and restocked All dishes filled with fresh Friskies.
A bizillion flies.
I've found that they flee to the patch of yard by the patio. So I go through there too spraying the grass clumps, and dozens fly out to escape, but I follow them spraying. And now I've found a 'favorite' grass clump. I may have my yard guy just remove the whole thing, as it is a w**d.
One sq**rt!

04/07/2023

Re: Cat rescue
I KNOW that in my HEAD.
I FEEL that in my HEART.
And yet I too oft wonder if I am doing any 'good' for the world.
For THIER world, yes, for this tiny little plot of dirt, yes.
For the world, or universe???
Have I influenced or encouraged today? Have I been someone's 'cheer' squad?
What have I done today to make tomorrow BETTER?
Kinda deep into the litter box...

04/07/2023

New fly control installed
I have finally gotten act together for yet another fly control 'thing'.
My bowls-on-islands-in-moats do great jobs, but there are still many flies buzzing around. So what I HEARD, and will attempt tomorrow, is a fan.
That flies can't fight the wind.
I had a pair or 20" box fans that I'd bought at yard sales. I thought both were fried, but they both worked.
I paid neighbor $10 each to clean them up. One is now positioned to blow below where I make up the dishes, and down the 'shute' over two feeding spots. There is sort of a 'breezeway' between the house and the laundry room. I that is where I make up my bowls and prepare for serving. As much as I attempt to keep it clean, it ALWAYS draws flies.
Hoping the fan will flush them away!
I will keep you posted.
(=^..^=)

04/02/2023

I believe it is due time for the 'Crazy Cat...' to be set aside. We ought now be referred to 'Feline Fanatics'.

03/31/2023

A dozen free roaming cats in the yard.
So why are there BIRDS at the food dishes?!?!?!

03/30/2023

Fats ced.
Fly trap bowls cleaned and re-armed.
Pump spray locked, loaded, and pressurized.
BRING IT ON!!!!
The 'moat' is a mixture of ABOUT a teaspoon of dish washing liquid (Dawn©) to a gallon of water.
Food dish sets on top on the island, without touching the edge.
Ants can't cross water. Flies and roaches sink as the soap disrupts the water's 'surface tension'.
And I walk around with the sprayer, and when I see a big collection of flies in one dish, it gets a little 'acid rain'.

03/18/2023

What is MY dresser*, is Cissi's napping haven. I cleared it off for her for as frequent as she was there. And she JUMPS from there onto to bed! WHILE I AM SLEEPING!!!!!
To the left was the morning nap, to the right the afternoon snooze.
Very contented (and spoiled kitty. Our oldest, and longest 'guest'.
*A stacked pair of nightstands. I got the closet. Patty got a side-by-side dresser and 6-drawer 'hi-boy'.

03/08/2023

'Clowns to the left of me...
Jokers to the right...'
(--Stealers' Wheel)
Won't SOMEONE OPEN THE BOX?!?!?!?

03/07/2023

No 'GoFundMe'. No 'benefit'. Just plain out and out begging.
We are about $500 shy our mortgage and groceries.
PayPal works fine. PM me if you'd like an address.
Thankmews in advance... (=^..^=)

03/06/2023

1830 W Clarendon Avenue
Phoenix, 85015

March 3, 2023

Dear Agent;

I am fortunate that cans are relatively rugged. I am attaching photos of my most recent delivery.

To begin with, only HALF OF THE ORDER is here. Of the 96 cans ordered in three thirty-two can carry case, 32 were loose free. The reaming two 32-packs were damaged such that at least one dumped while attempting to remove it, and the other was broken open and ready to do the same, except I saw it first.

This is the THIRD STRIKE TO FED EX for me. I had one other delivery of totally ruined cases and damaged cans.

And one particular jerk left me with 150 lbs of cat litter SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF MY DRIVEWAY while we were out.

Here are pics of the latest dumping at my door.

Be assured, I will NEVER SEND ANYTHING VIA FED EX, and am publishing this to FB in hopes that others will also use OTHER DELIVERY OPTIONS!!!!!

Ethan Rutkoff
Loyal Chewy.com customer

cc. Chewy Customer Service

03/06/2023

Once again...
'Clowns to the left of me...
Jokers to the right...
Here I am
Stuck in the middle
With you!
--Steeler's Wheel

03/06/2023

This did NOT end up as intended...
Release is oft freedom.
Retention is recurrently toxic.
Loose the lock.
'A time for everything' including when to cut the line and let it go.
As I (we) prepare to bid farewell to our Cumulus. He is not doing well at all. His stomatitis has finally taken over. We are certain he has other issues, but his mouth and eating has been the primary one. He drools a very thick, heavy, semi-liquid constantly and it is all aver his face.
He stays at the head of Patty's side of the bed on a towel. hunched up, head down, and obviously in discomfort.
He will be missed. He has been a 'miracle cat' for years, after being discovered in a neighbor's shed sans food or water for we don't know how long, but several days.
It must have been 2011 or early 2012 when Momcat brought her four newly weaned babies to grow up here. Mom 'Cloud' and Stratus left soon after arriving. Cirrus was done in by a couple loose doges about ten years ago while the house was being rebuilt from a fire.
His stomatitis (a condition in which the juices of the mouth turn toxic and burn and even create open ulcers on the roof of the mouth and cheek linings.) has taken him through several means of treatment, one of which left him diabetic and needing insulin! I guess steroids can do that to body.
His brother, Nimbus is doing well. His stomatitis is under a different type of control, and he seems to be faring well. He gets a shot every three to four weeks. Save for needing the mats cut out of his coat.
Here are the three, with Nimbus as 'The 'Protector'...
And a couple of 'Cumi' (Cocoa Puff, Koo-Koo, and other nicknames).

03/05/2023

In a thread on another FB, the topics arose about leopards, cheetahs, (open-center circular) rosettes, and (solid-center) spots.
So I poked around a little.
Photos Via Anon. Leopards to the left, cheetahs to the right.

02/27/2023

Cumulus and I...
• Not a tooth in either of our heads
• Neither of us can eat regular
• We both get dosed with Gaba a couple times a day
• We both take mirtazapine daily
• We both have grey fur on our face

02/26/2023

Sancho hangin' with me in the pen...
And JUST THE START of an 'eye'...
(And they ARE different frames)
Pics by: Images, Icons, & Ideas, PHX, AZ

02/26/2023

'Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the
Middle with you...'
--Gerry Rafferty, Joe Egan

Photos by: Images, Icons, & Ideas, PHX, AZ

02/25/2023

Just noticed that Sancho here has a BROKEN FANG!!!!!
Caught her mid yawn.

02/21/2023

Coral continues to improve. Two more days until removal of the sutures.
We are working in becoming more and more acclimated. The pics aren't great, but here he is on my lap.
I let my arm down so there was nothing in front of him, and after several minutes he did reach out to see what was there. I led his paw back to the cage opening and in he went.
Next adventure is feet on the floor.