Our Sweet Snoops went to heaven #straycats #rescuecat #lovecats #catmom #peaceatlast

Our Sweet Snoops went to Heaven
and took a part of me with her

Our senior cat passed away Friday at age 15. Our regular vet ruled out diabetes, but they could never figure out what was ailing our sweet Snoops. After several years of concern, we needed another opinion; sadly that came too late. 

Snoops was losing weight and looked terrible. She was not able to jump without falling - bad news for a cat. We took her to a specialist in our area for a second opinion. They did many blood tests and ruled out hyperthyroid. They still could not explain why she was losing weight and losing fur. One of her eyes was squinting and going bad too. 

We took her back to our regular vet. Based on her symptoms of weight loss and an enlarged thyroid, the vet thought maybe she did indeed have hyperthyroid. The veterinarian prescribed her medication to treat hyperthyroid even though she did not have elevated thyroid hormones T3 or T4. This made her sickness even worse.

Her lab work also revealed that her kidneys were beginning to fail - stage 2; our regular vet did not mention that fact to us. We didn't learn about that until we asked yet a third veterinarian for another opinion after forwarding the new vet the cat's lab results.

The new vet recommended surgery to get samples to biopsy. Could it be lymphoma or inflammatory bowel disease? This vet finally gave us her diagnosis. Our sweet girl had so many problems. In addition to two herniated disks in her back, she had an aggressive type of lymphoma AND inflammatory bowel disease. My gosh, our poor girl was doomed.

This past week, Snoops snuggled in my arms and curled her paws around my fingers. After her surgery, we let her sleep in a cage so she would not get hurt trying to move too much. She cried in the morning for me to pick her up. 

I wrapped her in a towel and hugged her like a baby. She rested her head on my chest and dosed off from weakness. She could barely eat; we think that perhaps the cancer spread to her brain affecting her eyes, mouth and legs.

Our sweet Snoops now rests in peace. The day we took her, the vet asked us if we were ready... we weren't, but Snoops most certainly was. We are so grateful for the skilled veterinarian, Jennifer Cromwell VMD, U of Penn graduate, and staff, who were able to finally give us her diagnosis. Special thanks to our friend, Ricki, who recommended Animal and Bird Healthcare Center in Cherry Hill; we can't thank you enough.

Blog post and photo copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Today in Our Garden #Fall #saveacat #gardenphotography #gardenchat #dahlias #heirloomtomatoes

Today in Our Garden

In our gardens we have lots of birds diving in for the purple, Callicarpa beautyberries and seeds from native plants. Bluejays, squirrels and chipmunks visit daily for their feed of peanuts. And, since we haven't had a killing frost yet, we still have Lady in Red, Coral Nymph and Black and Blue salvias, along with dahlias, cannas, asters, zinnias, cleome, agastache, cardinal climber vine and coleus blooming; they sure won't last much longer. 

Dahlia - Mingus Philip Sr

Dahlia - Southern Belle

Our new pink dahlias weren't as large as I had hoped, but were beautiful none-the-less.

Under the grow lights we have a few flats of assorted coleus cuttings. Nearby, on the same shelves, sit the last few containers of fermenting tomatoes for saving the heirloom seeds.

I feel for the domestic cats stuck outside. Feral and stray cats struggle outdoors with all this recent damp, chilly weather. More cold rain is headed our way tomorrow. A sign in our great room says, "We Always Have Room for One More Cat." The sad truth is, we don't. If you do, adopt/rescue a furry friend asap!! Rescuing a cat from a shelter or from your own backyard is so rewarding. You will be blessed with purrs and loves forever for saving your cat(s) from a challenging life of parasites, cold, sickness and starvation.

Once we get a killing frost we will dig up the dahlia and canna tubers as usual. 

I did plant a few new fragrant peonys a few days ago that we got from White Flower Farm: Eden's Perfume and Moonstone. What's happening in your garden?

Happy Fall and planning your 2019 gardens!
Blog post and photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Bad Kitty! Noooo biting the Church Village under the tree! #feralcats #cats @meowmix

Feline Fright Under Our 

Christmas Tree!

This should be a commercial for Meow Mix® Irresistibles!

Merry Christmas!

Our feral feline "Tango, the Garden Cat" goes to the vet... @awanj @alleycatallies @HumaneSociety

Help Feral Garden Cats

Those of you who know me, know I am a cat lover since meeting my husband - the cat man. We never thought of the plight of feral cats until some arrived in our backyard. Now we try to help educate those we can to help in their survival. Anyone who has ever owned a domestic pet, knows how individual and special their animal personalities are and that they become part of the family.

All cats both domestic and feral are in abundance on our planet. Sadly, over 70% of cats taken to shelters (including domestic cats) get euthanized each year. Felines need your help for food, shelter and neutering to cut down on overpopulation and deaths. Donations to your local shelter or organizations like The Humane Society,  Animal Welfare Association or Alley Cat Allies help to make a difference.

Alley Cat Allies and others say that feral cats can not be adopted. I'm glad I didn't hear or think that before we adopted our sweet feral cat family. Some feral cats can be adopted into domestic homes. Our Tango, Zina and Cali are living proof. Doing this however, does not mean the cat(s) will become socialized to the point of allowing humans to pet and hold them. After years of love, food and security, our Tango and Cali only let me touch their noses - that is their limit. They eat, play with their toys, use their litter, and sleep happily in their beds. Zina on the other hand - our bravest feral cat - allows human touch, but she is still by no means a lap cat. At least not yet anyway.

Having feral cats live indoors may present a dilemma. The good news is they have food, safety, shelter and toys. The bad news is that if and when something goes wrong with their health it can be a challenge to take them to the vet since they probably won't allow you to pick them up. For us, the inevitable happened last night. We had to set a trap inside our house to catch Tango, the Garden Cat. Tango has what looks like some sort of tumor in his mouth. 

The vet did not find any tumors or masses. Tango was a cooperative patient, got his nails clipped, shots updated, a clean bill of health and is ready to come home from his second ever vet visit - his first was at AWANJ after being initially trapped and neutered. 

Tango and his furry friends were the subject of a 

short 3-part garden cat story that you can read on Dave's Garden.

Related Links
Tango, the Garden Cat part 1: Tango Arrives
Tango, the Garden Cat part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure
Tango, the Garden Cat part 3: Home for Christmas

Caring for Feral Cats in Winter 

Happy #cats +hummingbirds! Harvesting Heirloom Tomatoes for Salsa #GardenCuizine

Today In Our Garden

South Jersey
USDA Zone 7a (formerly zone 6b)

August 17, 2012 

Clockwise from left to right:

• Who said cats and dogs can't be best friends? As you can see, Lucia (a feral cat rescued from farmland in Bridgeton, NJ) is a happy and spoiled kitty! Our cats live indoors so they don't kill the birds, go astray or get killed by cars. Lucy is best friends with Holly, our sweet and very old dog (a rescue from a neighboring town called Mt. Holly). Holly goes out, but can't make it to the garden any more and stays in more than out too. She can't walk without assistance anymore. We haven't splurged for a doggy wheelchair; I'm sure she could probably use one at this point. Lucy is never far from Holly's side.
• Our hummingbird activity continues in full force - the most ever this year! In recent news, hummingbird nectar producing plants are diminishing across their migratory route due to drought-related weather conditions. If you live along their route you could help out by hanging humming bird feeders and growing nectar producing plants.
• Cannas are still blooming around the garden border along with Lady in Red salvias (Salvia coccinea), both easy- to-grow humming bird favorites. We also have potted Hamelia patens hummingbird bush, wild trumpet vines and late blooming hostas (including Krossa Regal) and cleome that attract hummingbirds.
• Thyme is abundant, can take the heat, and is an easy plant to grow cascading out of pots 
• Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Black Russian' heirloom tomatoes are a strange 2-toned color. At first glance, they look like Cherokee Purple heirlooms. After letting a few burst open on the vines, we learned that Russian Black must be picked while still green on the top before their rosy bottom halves get over-ripe and explode! These will be used in a batch of homemade salsa.

Happy Gardening!

Related Links
Homemade Salsa Carol's Heirloom Collection Blog

Hummingbirds.net 
Hummingbird Pollinators
Tango, the Garden Cat - a feral cat story for adults and children
Photo collage Copyright (C) 2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

Unknown Cats in your Garden?

Unknown Cats in your Garden?

If the unknown cats in your garden are not your own or your neighbor's, it is likely they are neighborhood feral cats. I was shocked to find feral cats in our backyard garden. And now that my family and I are aware of them, we see feral cats everywhere.

Maryann Mott, of National Geographic News reported in 2004, that according to feline experts, there were 70 million feral cats living in the United States. Today, 5 years later, we know the estimate would be even higher. Mott suggested the high feral cat population was due to weak efforts in controlling populations, and the fact that cat's reproduce so fast.

After finding -- not one, but four -- feral cats in our home garden, I was inspired to write the story, 'Tango the Garden Cat'.

Tango, the Garden Cat part 3: Home for Christmas
'Tango the Garden Cat' is a 3-part mini-series. The third and last part of this feral cat garden story, 'Home for Christmas', will be published December 23, 3009 on the website of Dave's Garden. You can read the story that day or you can find the story anytime after that on Dave's Garden, or by an online search (Google, etc).

What can you do to help feral cats in your community?
Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR). TNR has been shown to humanely reduce unwanted feral cats. Learn more from this informative video presented by The Humane Society of the United States.



Read Tango's Story
Tango the Garden Cat part 1: Tango Arrives by Diana Wind
Tango the Garden Cat part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure 
Tango the Garden Cat part 3: Home for Christmas

Related Links:
Keeping cats out of gardens and yards, Neighboorhood Cats
The Humane Society
Effectively Managing Feral Cats DVD, The Humane Society
Alley Cat Allies
Managing a feral cat colony, Neighborhood Cats
ASPCA
U.S. Faces Growing Feral Cat Problem by Maryann Mott

http://www.mooresartgallery.com/ Carol Moore, ARTIST for the Tango mini-series

Video by The Humane Society of the U.S. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a strategy for improving the lives of feral cats and reducing their numbers.

Don't Fear Feral Felines

In my house, we are animal lovers and from time to time, we speak out on behalf of these voiceless creatures -- especially feral cats. I encourage you to do the same.

Don’t Fear Feral Felines

This headline is not meant to suggest approaching feral outdoor cats. It is never a good idea to confront outdoor animals; leave that to trained animal experts.

Feral cats are often misunderstood by people and often perceived as a community health threat or nuisance. The concerns often lead to calls to Animal Control, which usually result in killing of the cat(s).

In addition to not being a humane option, euthanasia is not an effective method of population control. The evidence is seen in the increasing numbers of feral cat populations throughout the country.

What does effectively control feral cat populations? Trap, Neuter and Release programs have been shown to reduce unwanted feral cat populations. 

For the most part, feral cats are shy, nervous and unsociable, preferring to stay a safe distance from people. Due to their constant struggle to survive, feral felines often appear undesirable, malnourished and dirty. Contrary to their dirty appearance, feral cats pose no significant health threat. Although cats can get parasites (worms), disease and rabies, The Centers for Disease, Control and Prevention (CDC) have not reported cats as a serious community threat for transmission of disease or rabies (preventable viral disease of mammals). 

The vast majority of rabies cases reported each year occurs in wild animals. With human intervention and care - parasites, disease, rabies and unwanted overpopulation can easily be controlled.

According to the CDC, “Domestic animals account for less than 10% of the reported rabies cases, with cats, cattle, and dogs most often reported rabid.”

• Think about it, both outdoor house cats and feral felines frequent the same outdoor places and are therefore exposed to the same disease risks.
• Before calling your local animal control, check their policy about feral cats. You may be surprised that most often the policy is to euthanize them upon pick up. Instead, contact The Humane Society, Alley Cat Allies or an organization, veterinarian or shelter near you that cares for feral cats.

• If you are able and interested you can financially contribute and/or become responsible to trap, neuter, release, micro chip and become an "owner" of a feral friend(s).
• Pet owners are protected by law from unreasonable seizure of their pets.[1]
• If adopted young enough, feral cats can be trained to be lovable, petable house pets. Older ferals can too, over time. Each animal has a unique personality, and every cat will respond differently. Feral cats require a lot of patience with no expectations; and they prefer to keep a 'safe' distance from human touch.
  

• Your support can help your community humanely work towards ending the problems of unmanaged feral cat colonies, community nuisances, wildlife concerns and the needless suffering of the cats.

"All praise to you, Oh Lord, 

for all these brother and sister creatures."

~Saint Francis of Assisi

Related Links:
Burlington County Feral Cat Initiative Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) programs working across the country
Effectively Managing Feral Cats CD/DVD offer by The Humane Society: Fixing Feral Cat Overpopulation, How to Perform a Mass Trapping, Implementing a Community TNR Program
Related Story: "Tango the Garden Cat" Dave's Garden 3-part article series by Diana Wind

Part 1: Tango Arrives
Part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure
Part 3: Home for Christmas

Footnotes:
[1] Who owns 'my' strays?

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Special Cats

Tango, the Garden Cat

It has been quite a long time since I posted. I'll be sure to share some health and nutritional garden recipes and tips soon, but first I'd like to start back by mentioning my favorite story that has been unfolding in our lives ~ Tango the Garden Cat. Tango is a three part story for all ages to enjoy reading. The series was published on Dave's Gardens international website.

• Part 1: Tango Arrives
• Part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure 
• Part 3:  Home for Christmas

The story was written with a fictional twist, however it is based on a true story.

Tango is a real, small and sweet, feral cat that arrived in our garden. And as it turned out, he had feral friends! The fantastic artwork was created just for this story by a wonderful and talented color pencil artist, Carol Moore. Please thank Carol for her support of feral cats by visiting her web site.
 
You too can make a difference in the lives of feral cats, like Tango, by supporting organizations that help feral cats. Or even better yet -- so long as you're not expecting a lap cat -- maybe you can adopt and directly help out and save the lives of a feral cat (or two or three!) -- they would be forever grateful.

Note: update 1/5/2019: sorry, it appears that the story links are no longer active. The online Tango story was eventually deleted by Dave's Gardens new owners. Of course, we love the story and may rewrite it in a children's story book someday. Tango is still alive with his sisters and living comfortably indoors.

Related Links: 
Alley Cat Allies
Photo collage copyright ©2011 Wind. Tango, the Garden Cat is a trademark of Feral Gardens. All rights reserved.