Sweet Mellie

Being commissioned for a project is such a wonderful feeling. Someone has trusted you to make something special for them. Sometimes those projects really have extra special meaning. This is the case with Sweet Mellie.

Last year, one of my flickr friends, Peggy Vandevier, asked if I could create stained glass cat face ornaments of her kitties. She's got some beautiful cats, but due to limitations of glass colors available I really couldn't make them to look right. Except for Mellie, I thought that I would be able to make her. Peggy then informed me that Mellie is a one-eyed kitty, perhaps I could leave that side of her face black. Honestly, I didn't know even though I had been looking at her kitties for a few months by then. I thought that the fur on this side of her face was so dark that the eye just didn't show. We both agreed that Mellie should be realistic and we agreed that the missing eye would be shut, as if Mellie were winking.
That's when Peggy told me about Mellie's rescue. Peggy's husband, Kurt, had found a little badly injured kitten beside his truck near a busy highway and brought it home to Peggy. Immediately, this little calico bundle was taken to the vet's. Upon examination it was found that this little kitten had a broken hind leg, internal injuries, a broken tail (it eventually fell off), one eye, she was malnourished and might not survive. But she did! With lots of love and care here's Mellie 9 years later.

Peggy says that Mellie is the sweetest cat ever, the smartest cat that she's ever had, she's cute and funny and very healthy. I think that Mellie is absolutely adorable. I always enjoy seeing Peggy's kitties on her photostream.

Here's Mellie and Ozzy another of Peggy's kitties getting ready to play. Being a big time cat lover with 7 rescued kitties myself, I'm so thankful that little Mellie was lucky enough to find such a loving home as this one.

Bubba-my 3 legged wonderboy

Here is the story of my sweet little Bubba, rescue kitty number 3.

One day in the Spring of 2000 I had left my house to run some errands in a little town down the road. As I was approaching a bend in the road, a little black and white head popped out of the tall grass--I could tell it was a little kitty cat. I pulled the car over, got out and this little bundle of love comes charging for me. He was so cute and so small, I figured only about 6 weeks of age. And he was dangling his little back leg.

Oh no, this was not good! This poor helpless little baby by the side of this highway, posted speed limit of 30 that's usually not true. What was I going to do? I couldn't leave him behind. We had just moved into a new home with 2 other kitties and the week before my husband finally found homes for 3 puppies he found (we kept the momma, her name is Suzie). I didn't know what the reaction at home might be. I didn't care. I loaded this little injured cat up in the car, took care of my errands and headed home. This cat was an awesome traveler! He stayed in place on the floorboard and didn't freak out at all.

When I get home, hubby and Suzie (the new dog) are both outside. I get Bubba from the car and Suzie takes an instant liking to the new addition. Her puppies had just left her and perhaps her motherly hormones were still flowing. He licks him, perhaps knowing he is hurt? Bubba takes an instant shine to Suzie as well.

Time to get this kitty to the vet. Luckily it was a Saturday and the vet was still at the office. The vet checked Bubba out and decided that he might be able to save Bubba's leg. He would need to keep the kitty for the weekend and I could pick him up on Monday. When I picked Bubba up the vet had put a cast on Bubba's leg and I was to give him antibiotics every 6 hours.

No problem. I was the boss at work and I brought Bubba with me every day to keep an eye on him and give him his meds. This went on for a few days.

But, Bubba didn't seem to be getting stronger, he was very weak and lethargic. By the forth day home I knew something else had to be done.

I brought Bubba back in to the vet. The infection in his leg was spreading throughout his body and the leg was too far gone for saving, it was rotting. Please, please, take his leg--I begged. The vet feared that this little 6 week old kitty wouldn't make it through anesthesia. But, the alternative was bleak, too.

The vet finally agreed. He performed surgery that afternoon and called us the next day to let us know that Bubba seemed to be doing fine. We could pick him up in a week. So much time this little guy was away from us at the beginning.

Finally, the day came to bring the new little baby home. He was in excellent spirits. When we got him home and let him out of the carrier he ran up to Suzie and gave her a rub. She was his new pal. For the first 6 months they shared the garage (heated) until we finally decided that Bubba could no longer be an outside cat--he was far too mischievous. We feared that rescue kitty number #2 would freak--#2 is a bit radical. These two became instant friends also. There's something special about Bubba-everyone loves him. Nearly 9 years later and Bubba is still going strong!

Since Bubba's rescue, 4 more kitties have found their way to us when they were in need. We love all of them.

The Story of Weetie

I love my kitties so much! I've been told that I'll probably be one of those crazy old ladies with 100 cats roaming around. I kinda hope not, but ya never know. I really need to write up my will to provide for the care of whatever cats I have when I kick the bucket.

This is the story of my Weetie, real name Sweetie...A/K/A Biscuit.

Before we moved into this little neighborhood that we live in now, we lived up on a big hill surrounded by big trees and ledges with no neighbors to be seen from the house. One day, just when my husband was getting out of the shower, he says that he saw this small kitty walking past the front of the house just screaming in agony-the "Death Rattle" he called it later. He quickly put on a pair of undies and slipped into his big rubber boots and followed this tiny cat with a bucket of dry food. She was too afraid to come near him, continued to scream but kept going further and further away over and under the ledges and through the woods.

All that he could do was to set out little piles of dry food for this little critter, hoping he could gain her trust. When I came home from work that day he told he about his little adventure. "I just got out of the shower, but I tried to get this little cat to come to me--getting covered in ticks and getting tripped by the brambles".

Later that evening, he heard her outside--the familiar scream! We grabbed some ham and cheese and went outside. She was about 10 feet from the house, threw her some ham and she came closer--she was a bag of bones!! So hungry, once we got her to come closer he grabbed her---for a small cat she is a fiery critter!! We threw her into the shed with another kitty that was rescued just days before (they can't stand each other to this day!)

So, this little thing was so sick--just full of internal parasites. We treated her and off to the vets she went for the neuter job. It was time to bring her in with the rest of the family--5 at the time. I have never seen anything like this--she came out of the cage at full bore and chased the rest of the cats, all way bigger than her up the stairs and out of site. We had to keep a blanket over her cage and keep her locked up for a whole week in the house in a cage and had doubts if she would adapt. She finally calmed down....and she is now one of the sweetest most loving kitties ever. At her small size--12" from the bottom of her toe pads to her shoulders she still packs a punch and is not intimidated by any of the bigger cats. She's another special little love of ours!