This is probably my last photo of Downton. His permanent adopter is coming tomorrow in the afternoon to take him to his new home, which is about 4 miles from where I live. The photo has not been digitally enhanced or sharpened. The sharpness comes from the flash light and the lens.
I took him to the vets yesterday in Twickenham about five miles away. I got lost but got him there on time. It was rush hour so you can imagine what it was like with traffic. The word “stress” comes to mind.
I like this photo because it shows the tabby coat well. You can even see the colour banding in the hair strands.
I feel bad about letting him go. Phew…it’s emotional. I am picking up a new foster cat on Sunday evening. He is a semi-feral kitten. Wish me luck because it will be a new experience for me.
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He’s a striking looking cat Michael his Yellow eyes are beautiful is there a chance that you will see him again with him living so close?
Yea kitten’s will be lots of fun.
Here is me and him – me saying goodbye really.
Oh now you’ve made me have tears in my eyes for your parting, you’ll be lonely tonight x
Not only lonely Ruth but I see sadness in his eyes if I am not wrong. I really don’t like these moments when I become sad intentionally. If I say that I love cats, it means that I am over sensitive on the issue. Michael is looking a bit weak in his body structure (face) as compared to few months ago.
It is surely CHARLIE (beloved and late), and I will surely suggest Michael with humble request that he MUST adopt a cat all the time and keep another as foster if he is willing for the extra welfare of tiny friends.
I don’t know whether he will agree upon this or just mind it, please don’t mind it as I feel very sad for the going cats or kittens, and I am now holding every rescue kitten which I have now.
Now a days I am busy in job (teaching) for extra bucks for my cat welfare aim, tired and sad always but good news is that I saw new kittens in my area roaming free and all feral dogs gone away. Don’t know what happened to them but I see no more feral dogs here. Good news for me and cats.
Have a nice weekend Ruth and Michael 🙂
Yes, I am sad and lonely and weaker but I will continue.
Oh so sorry Michael 🙁 Hope things get better. It would be hard to do. It’s almost like saying goodbyes like a child or baby. It will be so hard when I have to say goodbye to Ozzie and Tiger. Even though I will still see them it will feel so weird and different.
Thanks Kylee. I’ll be OK. I just felt down yesterday. Happens sometimes.
It sure does. Go easy on yourself. I don’t think, I could ever do that as I get too attached to Cats. I just want to save them all. One day I might get to have my own house when I can have as many as possible. I Think the Cats and Picking up that something is happening. Just gave my notice in today.
Hi Ahsan, I hope you are having a good weekend too, with your lovely family and cats. I’m glad the feral dogs have gone, keep up the good work but don’t neglect yourself, you are so needed there!
I don’t know if the Shelter Michael fosters for is the same, but here if fostering for Cats Protection, your own cats have to be kept separate from any foster cats, which means no one can do it without a spare room and of course it means the cat doesn’t get to integrate with others.
There are some CP rules I don’t agree with, it’s a big organisation and some people are paid high salaries and is and why we only support local rescues now, Kays Hill cattery who do a wonderful job for cats even though they have so many other species of animals too.
Yes.
Michael it’s barely any time since you said good bye to Charlie and although saying goodbye to Downton isn’t at all the same because he’s gone to start his new life, it was very soon to have to part with another cat.
You will have done it by now and no doubt had a lonely sad night but think of the good you are doing, Downton had a happy time with you and your next cat coming today will too.
You are stronger than you think!
Just look at the good you have done and are still doing for cats worldwide, educating people, donating money, saving claws!
You have chosen a very emotionally hard road by fostering cats but you do it because you love them.
Good luck with your new foster cat, I am looking forward to reading about him/her.
Thanks a lot Ruth. I do wonder whether I can do it but I am trying. I felt upset last night. I feel a bit better this morning. I am picking up Gabriel today at 2:30 pm. I am told he is a semi-feral kitten! Chaos in the home… 😉 .
What a lovely name! Good luck 🙂
Semi-feral kitten is my dream kitten. And Michael get ready for a new baby task from today as kittens are much needy (messy) than adult cats. But truly speaking! I love kittens <3 Good Luck and CHEERS!!! <3 <3 <3
Thanks for that 😉 Not sure I want to deal with mess to be honest.
How bad can a cat named after an Angel be? 🙂
well, SHOOT!, M. Shrimptaro nd I say… accept it, <3
Oh he sure is beautiful reminds me so much of my Girl Cassy. She had those same definitely markings. It would be really hard emotionally to only have them for a wee while. I think your doing an amazing Job. I agree with what Ruth said take a Photo and put it in a nice frame, so you can remember all your fostering.
Two kinds of people.
THE CURSED
(1) Once I heard a rat dying in a trap. I didn’t reach him in time to save him, and his tiny shrieks left me heartsick for a year. Because I wanted rats in my life? No. Because the injustice of suffering makes me very ill.
(2) My uncle, who couldn’t bear losing his wife, took sleeping pills and lay down on her grave.
THE BLESSED
(1) Some years ago, my 78-year-old former neighbor became a widow. Within a few weeks she plugged into a dating website and met a ‘physician.’ (A retired janitor.) An ‘engineer.’ (Who never held a job.) A disciple of ‘love and laughter.’(Deep in his cups.) A paragon of ‘sensitive and caring.’ (A sponge.) A fan of ‘quiet walks on the beach.’ (A gigolo.) But then she met her dream-man online. They enrolled in ballroom dancing classes and joined an RV club. Had a good time.
(2) Last week at the clinic a nicely dressed woman sat in the waiting room, holding an elderly dachshund in her lap. A vet nurse had her sign the Release, and gently asked if she would like to have the ashes back. The woman stared at her, disbelieving. ‘Do I want them back? I don’t think so! Get rid of ‘em!’ Then she chirped at the dog, ‘Your pain’s over now. In a couple of minutes you’re gonna feel lots better!’ The woman looked at the nurse again, made a wry face and said ‘Ooof, the dog stinks! Can’t you get her off my lap?’ When the nurse took the dog away, the woman paid her bill at the desk, said ‘Buh-BYYYE!’ and trotted out the door. Moments later she reappeared and needed to borrow the telephone, nattering to herself ‘Dang. . . I’m late! Was supposed to meet a friend at the tavern!’
You write that you were tear-drenched, that your heart was convulsed in agony when your boy died. People with the wrong DNA – too many molecules of this, too few of that – feel grief swoop down and rip them like a vulture. It doesn’t matter that they’re gainfully occupied 80 hours a week. Grief lies in wait at night. They’re chained to the rock.
So now you‘re ‘phew-ing’ away, sandwiched between two layers of feeling terrible. But why are things this dark? You know who will adopt the cat: a nice woman without small children to pull him apart. She isn’t a bachelor who might have lovelies capering in and out of his digs day and night, startling the cat. She’s also convinced you she can afford to feed and give Downton a decent home.
If his absence makes you sad, would she refuse to let you see him? As to how he’ll react to his new home, cats are opportunists, a word that doesn’t deserve to be pejorative: unless they’re lemmings, all of God’s creatures are on the lookout for happy opportunities. But why this tragic finality? As much as he’ll love his new mom, he’d be thrilled to see you now and then.
Here’s a thought.
If they were congenial and lived nearby, if their households were equally peaceful, if they trusted each other and if their standard of care was the same, why couldn’t a fosterer and full-time parent share custody of a housecat? Your meeting went well. You wouldn’t have given this lady the cat if you hadn’t admired her. Where there’s a good fit, why don’t fosterers and parents form a partnership, one even the cat would appreciate? The parent could care for the cat, for example, for three weeks a month, and the foster-parent a week, thus insuring the cat knew both parents and felt at home with their floor-plans.
Would the fosterer and parent need to be friends? A friendly pickup and drop-off could work equally well. Before long, the routine would be old-hat to the cat. The benefits? Each parent could enjoy a reprieve, a weekend or a few weeks of freedom without the worry and guilt, the health risks and costs of boarding the cat. For the first time, joint custody would open the door to a parent’s vacation without the cat feeling homeless and orphaned. Instead, he’d always be in his home with his devoted mom or dad.
Another option.
People have different capabilities. If it’s going to kill you to give him up, KEEP the cat. The lady won’t get mad at you. Neither will the shelter.
Yes, Sylvie 🙂 ! We never give up, do we. A fosterer and a full-time parent can work it out. <3… why not? bebe…
You know you are saving a life fostering.My shelter here dont foster.I caught a feral kitten here ,took me 3 weeks to catch him and I sit down with him and he went to sleep in my lap and that was the end of his feral.i am so glad i got to know Downtown.
Your mixed emotions are perfectly understandable Michael, especially as this is your first experience with fostering. It’s hard not to get attached when you’re a genuine animal lover.
It will be a little strange at first for Downton too as he’s settled so well into your home. If his new owner will be allowing him access to a garden, I hope she knows to keep him indoors for the first few weeks. Otherwise he might just reappear on your doorstep one day 😉
Good luck with the next kitten. As a semi-feral he may be more of a challenge at first but the reward of gaining their trust is so worth it.
Okay Downton, best wishes with love <3 miss you boy 🙁
Ahsan I am feeling unsettled because he is going tomorrow. I must be firm and do what I set out to do.
Downton is a lovely boy and I especially like his beautiful golden eyes and long, long whiskers. You will miss him, but he is going to be happy with his new mom. Great job of fostering and now on to your next adventure. You will do fine, you can do this!
Thanks Cindy. I am finding it hard emotionally. Letting him go. But I feel pretty confident he’ll be OK. The adopter is a nice lady.
I’ll have one night off – tomorrow night 😉 Then I pick up my new foster cat on Sunday evening.
Beautiful photo of Downton.
A semi-feral kitten on Sunday? Yes, yes, yes!
So easy to socialize those kits. I have faith in you.
Thanks for the faith in me, Dee. I’ll tell you how it goes. I suppose it depends on how feral he is. There are degrees of feral…
Ofcourse, dependent on how feral he is. Somehow, I have the feeling that he’s not very feral if he is being fostered out.
Just have to chime in that even semi’s need to be acclimated to domesticated cats as well as humans. You cannot be the only trusted human. He’ll need to be exposed to other cats well as other humans.
Do you have a plan?
Bon Voyage Downton, be happy in your new home xx Michael I should think the parting will be a wrench but you’ve done your job well and can now help another cat, though this one sounds like he’ll be more of a challenge, I can’t wait to hear about him, good luck, you might need it 🙂
What a lovely photo! You should print and frame one of every cat you foster and have a gallery on your wall. Good luck in your new home Downton x
A semi feral will be a bit more of a challenge than he was but I’m sure you will cope and soon be happy together, all good experience for you 😉
Thanks Ruth. I am a bit uncertain about fostering (too much upset) and looking after a semi-feral but I’ll cope and it will be good experience as you say.
I miss him already.
I am not sure I can do this to be honest. I’ll try a bit longer.
Taking responsibility for a cat and trying every day to make it’s life as happy and healthy as you possibly can whilst you learn about each other and create that special friendship bond that continues for it’s whole life and beyond is enough of an incredible experience for me, not everyone can foster…I guess I just need that friendship and love that only time can bring, the small things you get into the habit of doing together that last a lifetime. It is a wonderful thing.
(Not making it any easier for you am I?):-(
🙂 no you aren’t making it easier and I am not sure I can do it. I’m exploring. I agree it is all about the relationship and emotional support both ways.
You can do it Michael, cats need you!
He has just gone (30 mins ago). I feel bad and sad. The adopter is a nice lady and intelligent. She’ll be fine and so will he. She has a small house not far from me.