Donna's Memories with Animal Aide

14/12/2022

This page is closed as I am now retired. Take care everyone!

11/12/2022

My Final Thoughts

My Years with Animal Aide 2003-2022

Sometimes, it feels like just yesterday that I started with Animal Aide and other times, it feels like I don’t remember my life before Animal Aide. March 2023 would have marked my 20th Anniversary volunteering for Animal Aide. I have done everything from dishes, laundry and cleaning cages in the center, to bringing in needy cats, to vet runs and PetSmart runs to admin work to being on the Board. I have spent countless hours fostering – first, there were the scared, abused, neglected and feral adults to the more recent kittens. I can’t tell you who my favourites were because they have all left an imprint on my heart. The many resident cats that I had the pleasure of getting to know during my Saturdays from 2003-2010 when I worked in the center will always be a part of me.

There are so many ways to look at animal rescue. There are the bad things and there are so very many that it scares a lot of people from doing it. I don’t want to dwell on those bad things but I will repeat what I have always said about it – I have heard things I can’t unhear; I have seen things I can’t ever unsee and my heart has been broken a thousand times over the ones we couldn’t save. On the bright side, I have made countless friendships with people who have adopted cats from Animal Aide; I have made friends with the people who also volunteer for Animal Aide; I have met other rescuers who have also been beaten up by the horrible parts of volunteering but just can’t stop. I have a lot of respect for each and every one of them. There were a lot of years, I felt the same – that I would just never stop, but the time has come for me to pass the baton (so to speak) to the younger set.

I will miss my volunteering more than I can say, but I just don’t have the energy or time anymore. I have wanted to write my whole life and while this page has given me a chance to continue to write over all these years, I want to write about so much more. I want to take my dream vacation (I’ve never been anywhere) and that means working overtime at my full time job, which I can’t do without giving up something. I’m 60 now, an age where most women in my family on both sides for the last three generations didn’t get to so who knows how much longer I have to accomplish these other things.

I like to think that my nearly 20 years with Animal Aide has made a good difference in the lives of the cats and kittens I got to know. I like to think that all those years meant something I can be proud of and I like to think that I can move over and give others that same chance.

Animal Aide will go on as they did before I started. No one is indispensable and with newer, younger people maybe they will bring in updated thinking and better ideas that will keep Animal Aide going for many years to come. Animal Aide will celebrate it’s 30th year in 2023. That’s a long time for any one rescue to be in the business. Animal Aide has done a lot of good over the years and will continue to do so. I hope that all of you will continue to support them any way you can.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone I have met over the years that has helped Animal Aide and animals in need however you have helped. Whether that help came in the form of fostering or adopting or rescuing a cat or kitten you found on your own. Whether it was by donating money or things that help the shelter to go on when funds and supplies were in short supply. Whether it was by buying tickets or calendars (which we used to sell). Animal Aide can’t do what they do without each and everyone one of you. Take care everyone and lastly, I want to thank each of you who have read and enjoyed my stories. It’s been quite a ride.

11/12/2022

My favourite residents from my days of volunteering in the center. I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize each and every one of them - they are all gone now, but they were all very special to me. They were such a huge part of the center when I was there every week. There aren't many people left at Animal Aide that ever even met them now. I love and miss them all very much!

07/12/2022

I'd like to thank all of you for joining my page as I reminisce about the cats and kittens I've met in my nearly 20 years with Animal Aide. I am retiring from Animal Aide this month and will no longer meet anyone to write stories about. I'm 60 years old and feel I no longer have the energy after working a full time job. Animal Aide will continue on without me and I hope you will all continue to support them. I hope to write one final story this weekend. Again, thank you all for your support. Take care. Donna McKenney

22/10/2022

This handsome guy was Ambrose. We took Ambrose out of the pound just before Halloween in 2007. Ambrose was a sweet guy that our vets guessed to be around 3 years old. I like Ambrose – I liked the name, I like the cat. He had an adorable half white upper lip that I found gave him an air of cuteness. His black and white fur was glossy and it was clear that he had come from a home at some point. I don’t know what happened to that home or how he ended up at the pound and clearly, he didn’t either. Like a lot of cats that come into our care, they are confused by what happened to make them lose their home. The only difference is that I can only guess how Ambrose ended up there and Ambrose knows but couldn’t tell us. This sweet guy was with us for 1 ½ years before we noticed that something wasn’t right about him. He was acting differently and clearly just wasn’t himself. I was shocked when I heard that the vet found that Ambrose had cancer and it was started to attack him aggressively. Sadly, we had to let him go in May 2009. I still think of him from time to time.

13/10/2022

The first thing I remember about Amber is her bright gold eyes, always alert, very large and paying attention to everything and everyone in her vicinity. Amber found herself outside, having to fend for herself for everything. Food and shelter are not easy to come by and you often have to outsmart or out-fight to get them. Amber was one of the lucky ones because one of our previous adopters found her and new right away that she needed help. She brought her to us. Amber was a bit nervous at first. Imagine finding yourself with total freedom but at a huge cost where everyday is a repeat of the next just hoping to survive. Then imagine being picked up and brought to a place where your every need is not only always at hand, but often anticipated. Amber could be held when she came in but you could tell it had been a while since she had been cuddled. Amber was with us for 6 months before being adopted into her furever home. I was so happy for her.

03/09/2022

I’m quite the proud foster mother of these four very sweet kittens. I knew from the moment Ashley sent me their pictures when they came into Animal Aide that they were the ones for me. I brought them home almost immediately. They have huge purrs and my apartment sounded like I had a vehicle in it all the time with these four around. They are very loving, very playful and very smart kittens. Ivy was the smallest but she never let the other three push her around. Iggy was the only male, but he treated the girls with kindness and respect. Ila loved to play and was constantly laying beside me on the couch, anxious for me to play with her. Izzy could always be found trying out something new, whether it was something I wanted her to do or not. I lovingly refer to her as the Instigator. I had these wonderful babies from June 4 until August 30 and then I took them to Animal Aide and Ashley took them immediately to PetSmart in St. Thomas. I have fostered many adult cats and kittens through my nearly 20 years with Animal Aide but these kittens really bonded with me. I was ready for them to go and get homes of their own but after they were gone, I missed them terribly. On the other hand, my own adult cats are thrilled to have them gone. I wondered how long they may sit in a cage waiting for someone to see how loving and sweet they are and adopt them. Since they are black, I knew there was a chance that they could sit there into adulthood. I am thrilled to say that all four of my sweet babies were adopted Friday, September 2,2022. It was a great day for me. I’ve already heard from the new mother of my Iggy and he is doing very well and she loves him already. I hope to hear from the moms of my other kittens at some point. I hope they all live long, happy, healthy lives.

21/08/2022

Africa came to us in July 2009. He was a very vocal, very loving and cuddly cat who would squirm if you held him for what he considered to be too long. He never seemed to be affected by being at the center; he was happy in his cage or having his free time outside the cage. He got along with other cats and he seemed to love everyone and everything. This boy had it all and at just two years old, you would think that it would be easy for him to find a new home of his own. However, you would have been wrong. Because Africa was a black cat, he stayed with us until nearly the end of March of 2010, almost 8 months! During those eight months, I saw such a happy cat, nothing seemed to upset him. He was finally adopted and he lived a happy, healthy life until we received word that he died in July of 2019. I think of him from time to time and I’m glad I got to know him. He was such a sweet boy – RIP sweet boy!

14/08/2022

Poor Scruffy came to us mid-June 2008. He was found on a highway, limping badly and clearly in pain. He was taken directly to our vet who gave him pain medication that made him feel much better. Scruffy, wanted to be gentle, I could see it in his eyes. Unfortunately, whatever trauma he had been through made him not trust people and he was often aggressive towards us. Over time, his limping stopped as his leg healed and he wasn’t in any pain anymore. We couldn’t put him up for adoption just yet though, because of his aggression. We worked with him, but he wasn’t having any of it. We tried brushing him, thinking that the matts he had were causing him pain still and that might be why he was still aggressive but he wouldn’t allow us to brush him out either. He was a very handsome guy that our vet felt was about 2 years old. Scruffy was one of those cats that I felt really bad for and wished he could tell us what he’d been through and how we could help him, but that just wasn’t possible. We tried to socialize him for a little over a year but his aggression only seemed to get worse as time went on. He began hurting the volunteers and when that happened, we knew we couldn’t risk the volunteers and we had to sadly let him go. No matter how many thousands of lives we have helped over the years; no matter how many happy endings we have helped; no matter how many have lived long healthy, happy lives, it is the ones we couldn’t help that linger in our minds and our hearts. I’m so sorry we couldn’t help you, Scruffy.

18/07/2022

05/07/2022

Iggy, Ila, Ivy and Izzy

These beautiful kittens are my latest fosters. They came in because someone told us there were two mothers with a total of ten kittens and one mother had disappeared. She was concerned for one mother to look after ten by herself. She apparently found homes for four kittens and brought us these. She was going to come back with the other two kittens and the one mother but so far we haven’t seen them. These four entered our care in early June and I brought them straight to my house after seeing the pictures that Ashley sent me. As most of you know, I have been with Animal Aide now for 19 years and I do the database work and our FB page. I also sometimes foster, although less often than before due to some health restrictions. These four kittens were clearly from two different mothers as Ila and Izzy were obviously older than the other two – not just bigger, but also further advanced in their thinking and things they tried to do right from the beginning of being in my home. I find it hard to believe that these kittens were born and raised outside because they are just adorable. From the start, I could pick them up and lay them in my arms on their backs and they would just lay there. They are all very sweet and just love to give kisses. Of course, during playtime they play bite but that’s just being kittens. Right now, it looks to me that Ila may have a white undercoat as she gets bigger as there are signs of that already. Iggy has a few white hairs on his neck. I have now had these kittens for one month today and I can tell you that the biggest change has been in Iggy. As the only male, he was originally the smallest of all four and I was a little worried about him. However, he is now almost as big as the two older girls. Ivy is now clearly the smallest. They are just very sweet kittens who love their wet food daily and will make some families very loving pets when they are available, which won’t be for at least a month. As always, we don’t pre-adopt any kittens so please don’t call Animal Aide wanting to adopt these beautiful babies. Once they are available, I will post them on our available album on Animal Aide’s pages so please watch for that. However, It will be the middle of August before they are available.

24/02/2022

The so-called ‘older’ cat

Have you ever considered getting a cat and your first thought was to get a kitten? Have you gone into a pet store or a rescue and not even realized how many adults you passed without so much as glancing at them? Has it occurred to you that some of those adults are considered ‘mature’ or even geriatric? What does that mean? Well, to me it means, they are spending their golden years without a family, without a home, without the creature comforts of a place to call their own. If these thoughts bring a lump to your throat or a tear to your eye, please read further as I tell you about some of the cats we have right now that are in those age groups. Some have been with us so long that it is doubtful they remember anything about their lives before they came to us.
Take Jimmy for example – Jimmy has spent the last 1452 days with us. Jimmy is nearly 11 ½ years old. He is a very sweet boy who just adores children. Jimmy was adopted once, for a very brief time 10 days after he first came to us but was returned because they said he wasn’t always using his litter box. After all this time with us, Jimmy has seen the vet and hasn’t had any more issues in a very long time, that we put him back up for adoption. So many people were interested in Jimmy but he is still with us.
Rocko is 12 years old and came from a place in New Sarum where he was dumped off. A lot of cats were dumped there and some were even born there to those cats. Rocko is quite likely a father to some of those younger cats. We rescued a lot of cats last spring and Rocko has now been with us for 357 days. That’s a long time to be in the care of a rescue group who tries very hard to be a temporary placement for the cats and kittens in our care. To be fair, Rocko is very shy but he has come such a long way.
We also have Tao, a beautiful Siamese boy, who is 13 years old. He has now been with us for 161 days. Tao came to us by some neighbours who believe he was left behind when his family moved. Tao is understandably upset and stressed about this. He doesn’t understand what happened to his family. He is vengeful and angry and who can blame him? Because of this, he doesn’t show well and has been passed by. At the vet, it was discovered that some of his teeth were bad, and they were removed. Tao needs a loving family that will prove to him every day that not all families are like his previous one so that he can feel loved and safe once more.
Missy has been with us for 225 days and she is 12 years old. Missy is also angry with the world but unlike Tao, whose family abandoned him on purpose, Missy’s owner died. To Missy, she was still left behind, without the family she loved and felt safe with. Missy is coming around but also needs someone who understands that Missy needs time and unconditional love.
If you are looking to adopt a cat, PLEASE give these older cats a chance. Remember, it isn’t how many years you might have with them that counts – it’s what you make of the years you have. Older doesn’t necessarily mean less time with them. There are lots of factors that go in to how long a cat lives, just like with people. I’ve had cats that lived to be in their 20s and I’ve had cats that died under 2 years old. I’ve had cats that lived with me for 15 plus years and I’ve had cats that lived with me for less than two months. Kitten season will soon be upon us, leaving less chances for these cats to get adopted again this year. If you or someone you know is looking, please give them a chance. Open up your home to these cats. The ones that are already friendly will bring you love and friendship. The ones that need more time are worth giving a chance. You will see that there is no greater gift than watching these cats feel safe and loved; watching them play perhaps for the first time in their lives. Do it for them; do it for you. Trust me – it is a win/win for all.

21/11/2021

Madison

Update: Madison has been adopted and is doing just great in her new home!

What a sweet girl! Madison has been with Animal Aide for a few years now. She is 16 years old now and is part of our ‘A Home For Christmas’ Senior Special. Madison is one of the few cats we have at the center that I got to know. She has been fully vetted and is not on any medication. She loves to give head butts and watch out the window for any wildlife action that might be going on. She loves to be out of her cage and relaxing with Ashley. Yes, she is a senior, but seniors need homes too. She gives love and she deserves love in return. Madison has piercing eyes that I have always found hard to ignore. She is a very adorable charcoal and white short-haired cat and is waiting just for you! Let’s get her a home for Christmas!

30/10/2021

I rarely write a story for cats that are still in our care, but I feel that these two deserve the extra attention that my page generates. Sometimes, people have to find other homes for their pets. Sometimes, its not their fault and they try everything else first. Bella and her daughter, Baby, were surrendered to us in early August this year. Both are very sweet girls who are just looking for a second chance at a home together. The girls are bonded and need to stay together. Bella is a 9-year-old calico and Baby is 1 year old gray tabby. The two have not been separated since Baby was born. They are looking for a home that can give them love, some playtime and an indoor home. If you can be that for them, they are currently at PetSmart in St. Thomas. If you can’t, please share them everywhere so that someone who can, will see them. These two have been with us long enough.

Adopted from PetSmart today!!!! I'm so happy for them!!!!

13/10/2021

People waiting to adopt are often waiting for kitten season, so they get adopt a small kitten. However, I wonder how many people realize that sometimes kitten season can be the hardest season on our volunteers and our Operations Manager. And also, our Board of Directors who are all volunteers, as well. I have been with Animal Aide for 18 ½ years and every single kitten season brings its challenges and tears. We get so many kittens without mothers; we don’t always know what happened to their mothers. Young kittens are especially at risk for diseases and failure to thrive, when they come in without mothers. They need constant care and feeding and loving that is ideally best when they stay with their mothers as long as possible. Sadly, sometimes their mothers have died, and the kittens are still very young. Other times, we get the moms, but they are already so sick, we can’t do anything to save them. We do everything possible for them, including putting them with other nursing mother, whenever possible. Still, sometimes, it just isn’t meant to be. Some weeks, we seem to lose a kitten every day. Sometimes, we lose the whole litter no matter what we try to do for them. During these times, its hard to remember that it isn’t up to us who lives and who doesn’t; we can only do our very best and sometimes, our best is giving them as much love as we have for whatever time we have with them. It is tough on all of us and some of us have had to learn these lessons younger than others. Some of us can’t take so much loss and leave during kitten season. Thankfully, some of us strive to continue to do our best for each and every soul that comes through our doors, give them all the love we have, get them vetted as needed and smile through our tears when it works, and they get adopted and go to their new homes. Another side of this story is the moms we do get – we watch as people come in and wait for kittens and sometimes the moms get overlooked. Some of the moms are still very young and very friendly and just want love and a home of their own. Most of them watch as each of their kittens get homes and people walk passed them without a glance. If you love cats and want to adopt, please ask about the adults. Adopting an adult can be so rewarding – they remember what it is like to not have a home and are very grateful to have one. Take a look at the pictures I’m including with this story – some of them lived and went on to their new forever homes and sadly, some of them, didn’t. All of them are very special to all of us.

03/10/2021

Poor Annabelle first became known to us by one of our volunteers. She had been watching Annabelle try to survive the big, cold, harsh world all alone. When it became evident that Annabelle was pregnant, our volunteer was even more determined than ever to bring her in to Animal Aide. Unfortunately, this wasn’t as easy as you might think. Annabelle had learned all the tricks of survival and wasn’t about to go into a trap. In late, February 2009, when Annabelle gave birth to two kittens, our volunteer was finally able to capture them. This sweet mother was leery at first; mostly from being a new mother and wanting to protect her babies from the unknown. Annabelle quickly became accustomed to having soft, warm blankets to lay her head on rather than dirt or cement. She learned to enjoy having food brought to her on a regular basis rather than having to go out and find it for herself. She must have felt quite pampered at receiving both wet and dry food every single day. She became quite trusting and we were able to pick up her babies and shower them with the same love we gave to her. Annabelle gave birth to an orange tabby female we named Keiko and a male gray tabby we named Miko. They were adorable. The two were adopted together in April 2009. Annabelle was with us a long time after their adoption. It wasn’t until late November when someone came in looking to adopt a cat and Annabelle finally got a loving home of her own. In some ways, it was hard to know I would never see her again, but I were so full of joy to see her go home.

27/09/2021

We picked up Sadie Sue from the pound and brought her to Animal Aide in December 2006. She was a very beautiful diluted torti who was very shy. She was also very thin and sick. Sadie Sue found a way to worm her way into my heart. Every Saturday when I arrived for my shift, there she was with her head down; seemingly worried that someone might talk to her or pet her. Every Saturday, I did exactly that. It took some time to get her defenses down; I’m sure that the fact that she wasn’t feeling well had a lot to do with it. We tried everything we could to help make Sadie Sue feel better but as hard as we tried, nothing seemed to work. She came to know that no one meant her any harm and she could even be picked up and held by a couple of the volunteers. Sadly, I wasn’t one of them. Towards the end of July 2007, after 227 days with us and still not feeling well, we had to rush her to the vet’s yet again. Sadly, Fatty Liver Disease took a toll on her and we let her go. She still holds a big place in my heart to this day.

19/09/2021

Merlin had been coming around someone’s home for food for a while when she noticed one day that he had a deep wound. She put out a post on FB in July 2021, asking for help for him. Ashley and a long-time volunteer set up a trap and brought him in. It was quite a deep gash, and we were able to get it looked after right away. Merlin was a very sweet cat and as his fur grew, this beautiful boy just glowed. He was as handsome on the outside as he was on the inside. This boy had it all. We got him. He was already neutered so we got his shots up to date and listed him as available for adoption. What makes Merlin’s story unique is that he was adopted by a family member of the person who had reached out for help for him on FB. Merlin’s story came full circle.

27/07/2021

This beautiful girl is Annie. She came to Animal Aide in November of 2007 from the St. Thomas Pound. She was a young adult; our vets guessed her to be about a year and a half at the time. Don’t let her eyes fool you – although she would squint when we took her pictures, Annie was always very wide eyed and interested in what was going on around her. She was a very friendly, sweet cat who was just amazed at everything. She was always far more intrigued with what was happening around her than any other cat I remember in all my years with Animal Aide. She loved any and all attention. Although she did get lots of sleep, it’s when she was awake, this little orphan Annie, (as some of us affectionately called her) was all eyes and ears. She got adopted in October 2008 and I could just imagine all the things in her new home that she would find fascinating.

20/06/2021

I first met Libby in June 2007 when she was picked up at the pound and brought to Animal Aide. She was a beautiful medium-haired tabby with a chip on her shoulder. I can’t say that I blame her considering she had been surrendered to the pound because of a new baby. I remember hearing that they told the pound that she hadn’t actually done anything to warrant their concern around their newborn, they just didn’t want to take that chance. So, poor Libby was given up for nothing that she did wrong. I can certainly understand why she was upset at losing her home. She could be a bit aggressive but I think I would be too, if I suddenly and unceremoniously found myself in a cage surrounded by others of my species instead of the comfort of my home. It didn’t take too long before Libby showed her true self. She just needed the time to come to terms with her new reality. Libby stayed with us for six months before being adopted. I was so happy for her!

10/06/2021

Over the years, I have fostered a lot of cats and kittens. No two are alike, despite what some people think. However, I must say that Rebecca is truly one of a kind. I fostered her from the end of April until last Saturday. She had her spay first thing on Monday and is now up for adoption. She is sweet and loving when she is tired and has been known to fall asleep in my arms or partway down the front of my shirt. When she is awake, she plays like nobody’s business. I’ve never had a cat or kitten with more energy than she has. I’ve never had a kitten who couldn’t care less when my own adults hissed at her, especially my youngest – two-year-old, Terry. If Terry hissed at her, Rebecca would chase her as if to question Terry’s right to do so. With both of my males, she would leap on their backs the way humans get on a horse and expect them to let her do it. She never questions her right to do what she wants, when she wants, however she wants. She is a black kitten but, in some light, she looks brown and in other light, believe it or not, she looks a very light blue! She is sweet and loving and playful and fun and beautiful and fearless, and it’s been a long time since I had so much fun with a foster! Rebecca was just adopted!

03/06/2021

Copper 09

Sweet Copper entered our care in a rather unique fashion. I thought I had heard it all when we got the call to see if we would take him into our care. Someone had come out to their truck and found him in the back with a bag of cat food. Of course we agreed to take him in. Copper was a litter apprehensive at first, but soon became a favourite of mine. He was an adorable orange tabby with a white muzzle and eyes that pleaded with you to love him. How could I resist? Obviously, I couldn’t and didn’t because it is now 11 years later and this guy still brings a smile to my face.

04/04/2021

Barb got a call in late July 2019 from a lady who saw a cat that appeared to be in distress due to the tilt. Barb picked her up and worried she was in bad shape and would need to be euthanized due to an injury. Luckily, Kinks only had a bad ear infection and was put on medication for it. Kinks was at the center when she gave birth to her five kittens near the end of September. She was a sweet girl and a very good mother, which makes me wonder if she had given birth to other litters at some point. Barb fostered her and her kittens and told me she loved her very much. From all the things I heard, Kinks made an instant impression on everyone, not just me. The tilt was the first thing a lot of people noticed but for me, the times I saw her; I noticed something more. She had an adorable face, amazing eyes and I always made sure to go see her when I was at the center. Kinks was spayed just before Christmas 2019 and got adopted in February 2020. I contacted Kinks’ family this week and they tell me that she is doing wonderfully. She has a feline brother and sister and they all get along. Her adoptive mother was happy to send me pictures of her to share.