Bee Holistic Cat Rescue and Care - Blog

Bee Holistic Cat Rescue and Care

Hoo-boy!!

11/10/2022

Chillin on top of the big cage!

Taking charge in the kitchen!

Behold the new Joe Lee! Now Happy Joe Benning! I'm constantly reminded that miracles happen every day...was it Einstein who said that we can live as if everything is a miracle, or as if nothing is...?
In my last post I was seeking a new home for Happy Joe where he could be then only cat, as he was attacking the others here. Out of fear, and a misplaced need to dominate. LONG story...
I thought I had found the perfect home for him, but was mistaken. He was sent back to us, after doing his best to fit in; to be the cat they wanted. This betrayal by the adopter set him back severely, and he was ready to give up entirely.
He had been getting support from two incredible communicators, and one of them soon agreed to adopt him! Thing is, she was across the globe, so he would stay with us, and she would work with him to restore his will to live and his ability to trust and to love. It would take volumes to tell even a part of his story.
This communicator is world-renowned, and it's an indication of how deserving and unusual Happy Joe is that she adopted him! She worked with him closely, and....what I thought would take years was accomplished (not fully yet, she says) in just a few months.
After HJ Benning came back, we had to keep him in the big outdoor cage so as to keep the others safe, and from leaving! We sat there with him as much as possible (it was summer, yay) and brought him into the house for visits. The visits got longer and longer, and now...he has almost complete freedom. The changes, from his arrival to now, have been constant, and many! And astonishing. He and his journey are unprecedented in my experience, and, I believe, in that of the communicators he's worked with. As in any profession, there are differing levels of ability...he got the best of the best, I'm certain! One of them does not even work professionally; she's a writer....but Happy Joe so impressed her that she was compelled to help him. And she did! He was also the most communicative and willing animal she'd ever spoken with. And with the most interesting and unusual history: maybe I can get her to write the book HJ Benning deserves to have written about him!!
The story will continue, but for now HJ Benning is able to feel safe and loved. Thank you, dear ladies! Thank you for keeping the faith, Mr. Happy Joe Benning!!

Catching Up! Big News!

2/13/2022

Let's start with a pair of CUTE KITTEN photos, shall we? Sasha and Ginger here were found in a garbage can (with rats for company) Not uncommon, folks. Good news is that they hadn't been there long; were in fine shape, except for having lost their mother. They did just fine here! In fact, they are the only kittens in memory who didn't pick up a cold, or ringworm, or...a bit of runny poo initially, but hey...considering what their diet may have been...Cutest ever! Gorgeous and sweet. Ginger, on the left here, was born to rule. Smart? Oh yeah! And Sasha, gentle and lovely. It was great having them...and I flirted with never letting 'em go...sooo many frogs were kissed, until the prince(s) came along. A woman and her daughter, living in a fairy-tale castle in Marin, with a second home, a farm, in Sebastopol. JACKPOT! They send frequent photos, and the girls are living their VERY best life!! Thank you, ladies!!

Another great 'save'! This lad showed up at one of my colonies with a "Get Me Out Of Here!" attitude. No collar or chip, no "Missing Cat" posters around, no posting on the County Shelter site...after due diligence, I brought him home, and a friend is fostering (to adopt, I'm sure!) He had been neutered and ear-tipped, as presumed 'ferals' are...but he was no feral, not had been. He's young, smart, and as you can see, gorgeous! You have to wonder, what misunderstanding brought him to my colony at the vacant lot on Ventura Avenue.
Another young one showed up there too, who was also ear-tipped! He is not willing to let me get close. Someone has either been trapping in the area, or dumping TNR (trap, neuter, return) cats there. Yes, it happens. And I can understand that the trapper may have thought the cat couldn't go back to where s/he was trapped, and that they'd be fed well at my colony, so...welcome, little one! A lively black/white tuxedo. /he's the second from the right in this photo of the colony. And yes, they're eating my own raw diet! They have the safety of the fully fenced vacant lot, and I can keep a low profile: feed them on the cement; no bowls, save for the water dish (in white by the fence) to attract unwanted attention from folks who may be hostile. Gotta say though, everyone I've met there has been friendly and supportive! Nice folks!

Aaaaand, Happy Joe Lee still needs a home. I'd love to keep him, if he'd only stop attacking the other cats. Needs to be an only cat. Joe is super glad to meet new folks...super eager to please, and of course gorgeous and vibrant. He's still in the cage, and I bring him up into the house every day, keeping an eye on him. He's neutered, FeLV and FIV negative...and maybe three years old. even if you can't adopt, come meet him! he loves company, and the cage gets OLD.

And last but not least, some of us from the Animal Hospice Group (animalhospicegroup.com) practitioner certification classes are forming an auxiliary group, Animal Natural Death Support Group. We will be available to chat with and support folks who are interested in allowing their animals to die naturally, or in just learning more. Death itself is not painful! Pain can almost always be managed. End-of-life care is an area of veterinary medicine which has been sorely neglected! (as is nutrition, alas) I'll let you know when the group is up and running, and am available to chat before then, if you are wondering how to effect the best outcome for an animal at the end of her/his life. Happy to hear from you at any time! 510-994-1704.

And ending with another lovely photo! Our most recent adoption, Ginger (not in photo) and Sasha, here, with her new friend.! Another perfect home...with perfect adopters! Gotta keep the faith!

Meet Our New Arrival: Colette!

2/6/2022

We have a lovely new arrival! Colette! She was found by the 580 freeway in Richmond, and is as sweet as can be! She's about six months old, maybe a bit younger. And I know it's not about looks, but she's beautiful, with tiny tufts on her ears! She is being examined, spayed, chipped and tested for FIV and FeLV as I write this ! (Feb. 7, 2022) Colette is very gentle and really affectionate, with all comers. She is looking for a safe indoor-outdoor home

Back From Hell & a Matching Grant!!

11/13/2021

Silky Joe Lee and Bettina Lee. Silky on left (after Barbara Lee) Bettina by my side. Pearl on my lap.

Where to start? Got a call from a distraught woman. Her sister had developed dementia, and had been moved out of her house. The cats were in bad shape, she said; shut down and traumatized. She had taken them to the wonderful (!!) Mau House Cat Hotel in Richmond, but could not keep them there. I resisted, having so many others needing care, but she was so desperate....

I'm SO glad I took them! When I got them home, I found them to be filthy and withdrawn, though the back one was full of nervous energy. He had not even made eye contact at Mau House, just kept his head down. Bettina had severe mobility problems. both were incontinent. They would not have done well in any other shelter, that's for sure.

I got Silky neutered, and got them both baths. Due to Bettina's condition, no surgery for her was advised.
Bettina is withdrawn and passive, but Silky, though affectionate, loses it at times and bites. Bites hard. I got one in the ankle, and have been barely able to walk for the last week. Am being very cautious now.
There's always hope! It will take time for these two. Bettina gets acupuncture, and they have both seen our chiropractor.

There's a lot more to say, but GOOD NEWS is that one of our board members has put up a MATCHING GRANT of $1000.00!!

If we can raise that amount by December 31, she'll match it. Please help us to reach our goal for this generous matching grant!

Hospice for Animals: 'Bout Time!!

8/30/2021

End of life care is an area of veterinary care long neglected! I have been dismayed by the termination of our animals' lives when they start to go downhill.. We can and must do better. They can enjoy life even with a terminal illness, just as we humans can!

My friend and mentor, Gail Pope, of BrightHaven (brighthaven.org) has a saying: "Living well through the last breath". And indeed, our animals can! Gail, founder of BrightHaven, has been doing animal hospice for over thirty years, and has seen almost all of the animals in her care through dignified, pain-free natural deaths. Euthanasia has a place, but is not necessary in most cases.

I have done the same, though not for nearly as long. As with humans, the animals almost always shut down, go into a coma state, and pass easily.

Introducing Animal Hospice Group! (www.animalhospicegroup.com) TAKE A LOOK!! Gail has teamed up with three other great teachers to create a course in end of life care: palliative care and hospice! It is an extensive series on on-line lectures, with reading material and discussion groups. Just wonderful!! And it fills such a huge void in animal care! Tell your friends! Of course I am taking the classes: they're amazing! And a great deal of the subject matter concerns ways in which to assuage vets and human caretakers' fear of death.

Death is not painful. Some conditions can be painful, as with humans, but not death itself.

At the end of the course, students become certified to guide folks through end of life care of their animals. I have guided two friends when they chose a natural death for their animals, a cat and a dog, and they were grateful and happy to be with them until their natural end.

Again, TAKE A LOOK: animalhospicegroup.com. You'll be glad you did!!

With love,
Cynthia

TNR! How does it work, and not work?

7/7/2021

Here's a good article from the LA Times about Trap, Neuter, Return programs. Not a magic bullet solution . The problem is as always with the humans...Read and share...we have a long ways to go.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-12-22/opinion-u-s-cities-are-overrun-with-feral-cats-and-magical-thinking-isnt-the-solution
Below are the eight, mother and babies from two litters, who got lucky and off the streets. Most are not lucky.

Cat(s) O' the Day: Melanie & AnnaBelle

7/7/2021

Beloved sisters! Sunny is missing in this photo. They all came together, having been found in a box in the El Cerrito CA. Pet Food Express parking lot. Their life improved greatly after that point :-) We shudder to think what it had been theretofore. Nonetheless, as cats do, they demonstrated nothing but love and happiness here at our home/shelter. Melanie, in the foreground, will just lie by herself and purr...and purr...and AnnaBelle knows she's a princess...loves the service here, and is not shy about asking for more! Shining examples of how to live, these beauties!

Here's all three, and Sunny with Melanie...(Emma in the background)

Tuesday Miracle!

7/6/2021

Such a great feeling! These two, their two siblings, and their mother are safe and sound!! They would not have lasted long where they were found, at the entrance to Wildcat Canyon Reg. Park. A friend called me this morning in a panic. She'd seen them off the road, up a few steps, close to a wall of ivy. I approached VERY slowly. With each step, I moved my carrier closer. I put a dish of food out and she smelled it. If she ran off I might not have been able to catch her.

First miracle: she was calm and allowed me to pick her up and put her into the carrier. However...! The babies were all connected to her and to each other by a long string. At first I'd thought it to be very tangled umbilical cords, but no.... They went into the carrier as one. Not too good, as damage may have been done when I picked the mom up.

Second miracle: no permanent damage had been done, it seems. One of the babies' ankles was wrapped in one of the cords, and the foot had swollen. I was able to cut the string and untangle them all.

Third miracle: I'd been leaving them alone as much as possible so as not to stress them, but, since the carrier was wet, I decided to move them into the big box I'd fixed up. Glad I did. I discovered a fifth! Cold and wet! EEK! In a newborn, that condition can kill quickly. I warmed him up and dried him with the hair dryer on low...and have been giving him supplemental feeding. He's smaller than the others, and was most certainly not getting his share of milk. But he has energy...haven't seen him actually nursing yet, but he's staying warm, and getting fed one way or t'other.

I spoke with my homeopathic vet who said to give the one with the swollen foot a high potency dose of Arnica Montana. Did that. Because there was still wet blood, it seemed that the three undeveloped ones had been delivered recently, perhaps within a few hours, and so the foot had not probably been without circulating blood for too long. Fingers are crossed.

The four are all healthy, about one day old, and nursing. the fifth is okay too...had just gotten away from mother's warmth. Mother is lovely and sweet. Mother ate a big meal with lots of supplements for milk flow, etc. She is probably dehydrated, but fluids can wait. I'll call her Cibelli.

The three undeveloped ones will be buried...bless them.

Cat O' The Day: Catfish (Valiant)

6/2/2021

,Without question, the most loving cat we ever had. He would wrap his arms around my neck and give...tiny love bites. He was so tuned in to us...never demanding, though kind of sweetly asking often...
He came to us later than he should have: he had a terrible abcess which covered the entire side of his head, and was so far advanced that the infection had pushed his eyeballs out of his head. (No gruesome photos to follow). I'm grateful to live so close to great doctors. He started antibiotics, and saw the ophthalmologist. He was at this point, blind. It was a long, but steady recovery. He was so traumatized that he didn't move off his new home, the couch, at all. We had food and litter there. He would creep back and forth on the (long) couch, and eventually...BIG day... got down off the couch.
He continued to improve. we could see that he was one of great courage and fortitude. He was gentle and accepting.
His infection died away, the swelling went down, and gradually, his eyes returned to their rightful place in his head. Dr. Zarfoss could not really tell what his vision was, but, since he went farther afield every day, we knew that his sight was coming back! This is a photo of him after his recovery.
Happy times. He recovered completely, Thank you, doctors, and Catfish for not giving up!!

Cat O' the Day: Mama Frances!

5/30/2021

This stalwart mama came to us pregnant, from a reasonably good situation: safe neighborhood, regular feeding by a nice woman...who hadn't called when she had delivered her first (?) litter. She didn't know what happened to the babies :-( but her Last litter was born safe, indoors, at our home. On March 5, 2021. We have a big bathroom in the back of the house, with a bay window and glass door which leads outside. We fixed up a box for her there. She had a week of great nutrition before she gave birth to these fat five babies. BIG and fat! They weighed almost twice what a normal newborn weighs! Holy googly-moogly! I was flabbergasted. Healthy too! They're five days old in this photo,
I named mama Frances, after the redoubtable Frances McDormand. She put up with being kidnapped and confined, sensing that she and the babies were safe. I left her alone. Didn't try to handle them for several days.

Beautiful babies four days old.

Mama is built like a tank! She's all muscle. No neck; can't be scruffed! She ate like a stevedore...we like that!

After delivery, Frances was still big. I wondered if there were more babies inside her...but no...she is just big. Never seen a cat with a body like this. Strong, for sure.
As the weeks went by, she stopped trying to put the hurt on me when I came in to change her bedding, her water, etc. At about four weeks the babies started eating solid food. Took quite a burden off Frances....
They didn't just start eating: after looking up into fur for a nipple, a pile of stuff on the floor did not impress.
It's a process, putting a bit into their mouths, then having them lick it off your finger, convincing them not to bite your finger, lowering finger slowly to bowl...takes time. Of course they still nursed as well.
Frances adopted two, Johnetta Lewis and Tuxedo Ted, who had lost their mother. Stellar feline, she!

Ted & Johnetta

Fast forward: remember that back door? The babies started going out, exploring the patio. They come alive when they get out into the living world, yes they DO! The smells in the wind, the bugs and plants...they run all over the yard now...and always go back in after a couple of hours!! We like it like that!
Frances has gone out a few times. By herself, then with the babies. However, Frances seems to want them to go under the house. I don't. ( I once had a mother who tried to convince her babies to mistrust humans, to be 'wild') Frances led them there; at least they wound up there together...fortunately, the babies came when I called them. Now Frances and babies go out at different times. Babies have not since gone around and under the house.

Patsy

Two have found a home together...happy they are! Great folks!
Frances lets me pet her now. She rubs her face on my hand. And I'm wondering, since mother has been here so long, if she wants to go home...certainly not till the other kittens have been adopted. Nothing has to be decided right this minute...

She was nursing them all this evening!

About Cynthia

The founder of Bee Holistic, Cynthia Burke, has been caring for cats most of her life, volunteering with such groups as the wonderful Animal Balance, and Fix Our Ferals. In 2009 the non-profit was formed, with the help of a freind who was invaluable in that process.

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