Thanksgiving with the Cats in the Valley at Rustic Hollow

It is the most beautiful 'crispy cool' day in the valley on Willow Echo Farm, home of C & W Rustic Hollow  Shelter furballs. This little valley is sunny this Thanksgiving 2010 and all is well in the valley. A few hardy cats are out in the outdoor rooms on their buildings, soaking up the sunshine throught the 30ml clear tarps that protect them from the November winds.  It's a cool 20 degrees now, but the sun helps make things bright and beautiful this Thanksgiving. All of the buildings at C & W have central air/heat, and the dogs have electric heat as well in their rather large 'summer house' dog house with 24/12' outdoor kennel area.

I call the doghouse a 'summer house' because that is what it was when I grew up. The Kitty Kottage kits may have central air and heat and a cushy life, but there was NO heat nor central air when I grew up there. In the summers, to keep the house from being even hotter, mother would 'cook' on a wood stove out in the 'summer house' a building about 12'x12' which also held a sink (that we carried water to, of course) for cleaning veggies from the very large garden where our log home now rests, across the creek from the other five buildings that make up Rustic Hollow Shelter.

The birds at their feeders entertain the around 30 felines that enjoy watching from our home's  four season sun porch.....and the felines in the other buildings can also go out if they brave the chilly temps, or they can lounge inside and watch the 'critters' on their Catsitter videos playing on TV's throughout the sanctuary.  All of the buildings, except the Kat Barn, have televisions to watch. I feel bad about that and hope one day soon, I will find a 'safe' place for a TV IN their building. The last TV was in a large cage and they still managed to ruin it by 'long distance' spraying I guess. In fact, two TV's died from our 'pis-demeanor' kits that reside in The Kat Barn. But we are still working on a plan to provide television to the felines there in a place that they can't 'reach' and that we won't bump our heads on.

This glorious Thanksgiving  Day, I have much to be thankful for. I am thankful to all of our wonderful supporters for making it possible for us to continue our work. Without you, we could not do what we do at C & W...giving special needs felines a 'fur'ever home. All of these feline's lives, even the senior 'kit'izens, were in grave jeopardy and they all faced euthanasia due to their conditions, behaviours, or age. C & W receives no city, county, state or federal funding, so we depend solely on YOU, our supporters, grants for new projects and remodeling, estate giving, and lots of fund raising. We truly need YOU to help us continue out work in such a BIG way. We have grown from one building to the new sixth building that has been made possible again, by you, our supporters and several wonderful grants. PETCO Foundation, Doris Day Animal Foundation, and other grants have given us the opportunity to have a new building with a storage bay and an infirmary for our med technician to call her office, and where our vet can work undisturbed by felines on his visits to our site. And, of course, room for some kits that are awaiting their new rooms.

I am also thankful for the wonderful staff who tend to the felines needs daily, help with identifying any medical needs of the felines, and keep the buildings clean, sanitized, and comfy for the felines. I am grateful to Becky, Carla, Judy, Julie, Keisha, Terry, Wendy, and Chad, our youngest team member and super handyman.  He would probably describe is job as a 'gopher'...go-for-this-go-fer-that. He supplies all of the buildings with new litter weekly and does a lot of the 'heavy work' and the 'little jobs' that are needed to get ready for the seasons that change in Iowa. He helped put up all of the clear tarps on the outdoor room (and there are a LOT of them) and he's always ready and willing to help in any way.  I salute all of my staff. They are a true team and their care of the animals is superb. We will get together soon for our Christmas staff party and it is a good gathering.  I am thankful for the wonderful care they give all of the felines in our sanctuary. And the love they give them as well. For cleaning up every day after some 390 cats is a challenge they face every morning. I applaud them for what they do. They ARE TERRIFIC! Wanda and I salute each of them for their contributions to what makes C & W successful. They are dedicated to the animals and wew appreciate them coming in on holidays to be sure their 'babies' are taken care of.

And I am thankful for the many rescuers, animal welfare organizations and individuals we work with who cared about one small feline who became known as 'unadoptable' or 'adoption challenged' when they found out it had Feline leukemia or FIV. I am thankful they did not listen to their vets advice of  'it should be euthanized.' And I am thankful for the vet who, upon discovering a cat tested positive, said "if we euthanize all of them (FeLV cats), how are we going to really learn  more about the disease."  And I am also very grateful to other veterinarians who did NOT immediately give the 'first choice' as euthanasia....Like the veterinarian who personally drove little Zoey to C & W from Missouri. Zoey is Feline Leukemia, and this wonderful man gave her a 'chance at a lifetime' at C &W and came himself, to be sure that she would have a quality life and the right care.

And I am most thankful for all the felines at C &W who give us joy every day. I am grateful to have the chance for the next four days to be with them every day doing night checks, or day visits during this nice four day 'vacation' weekend. I will sit under felines, do some grooming, clip a nail here or there, perhaps read to them........ I am grateful for this special time. They are all special. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!