I haven't had time to read all the posts, but I'm starting to, and it's comforting to know there are others out there like all of you!
I'm so sorry about all the losses I read on here. Marissa, I hope a beautiful kitty finds you soon. I'll be thinking of you. I only wish there were people like you around here to take on my newest kitties. I know that I've been strongly encouraged to mix my household, but I just can't-at least not yet. You all have so much experience, and I'm just starting out, just learning about FeLV, and I'm such a doubter-I've been taught to question everything-so I have a hard time trusting.I have all these worries about endangering my other cats. I can hear all the success stories, but it still doesn't change things. If Smokey (less than one year) were older, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Maybe in the future I'll consider it, but I hope to have a sanctuary by then anyway for FeLVs and others. But, with good news.I chose to put Cassidy (FeLV+) in my office with me since that's where I spend most of the time. Oh the joys of having a litter box in a small, warm room! But, I'm not sure if he's even used it yet! He's been eating very nicely since we got home today, so I expect some treats by morning. He's still pretty tired after his neuter-and he spends the majority of the time at my feet under the desk all curled up. He talks every once in a while to let me know he's there! How precious! It sounds as if he'll be with us for a while since most FeLV sanctuaries/rescues require another IFA in 3 months for confirmation before they'll take him in. I won't get his IFA results (only Elisa so far) back until next week. But, he's doing really well-quite the talker. His lion-cut is adorable, and I'm sure he feel so much better without that snarly fur. My other three cats in the house are upset that they don't get to hang out in their favorite room! But, not so good news.Ashley (FeLV neg.), the stray who found me the day after Cassidy, also came home today. She was spayed yesterday and is just not moving around as much as I thought she would. I had to put her in the garage. I was going to put Cassidy in there, but he has a problem paw, so I thought the cement would be bad for it. Well, Ashley liked the garage fairly well when she stayed the first night-found herself a nice place to nest on my husband's work coats near a window. Today I covered the coats with a furry blanket-an Alpaca one I got in Peru and was saving for special-but who's more special then these guys? Then I also put a little pet-safe space heater in the garage for her. It's still pretty chilly here in Nebraska. She cried through the door a little today, and that was heartbreaking, but it's for the best. The vet had suggested that Ashley stay quarantined for 60 days until she has another FeLV test to be sure she's still neg. He also thought that she should be isolated since she could be carrying other things. I'm very worried about her upper respiratory. She was sneezy when I first got her--now she seems to have some respiratory problems--wheezy and phlegmy-sounding. I heard the girls (vet techs?) at the vet's office talking to him about her nose, etc., and I heard him say something about some cats can have severe respiratory infections, but then when he came in the room, he never said anything to me. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if I need to give Ashley anything for that. I've never had cats with anything more than routine issues, so I'm sorry if I sound dumb--I'm new to this-I've had to learn so much just this week! I was also worried because the vet girls were looking at me in a way I was not comfortable with (not like I smell), but they looked like they knew something I didn't. I don't understand why they wouldn't send me home with something for Ashley's nose, etc., I picked up antibiotics for my other cat, Bandit, who gets abscesses all the time from the littlest scratch. I'm glad I've finally embraced my passion and found my calling. Now it's time to plan for the future and more room for cats (and kids too I hope). This week I've heard so many negative comments about saving cats that I just stopped telling people about my new kitties. Some people's comments surprised me, some didn't. But, I'm glad I have you guys to talk to so I don't feel so alone. I don't understand the lack of compassion-but I'm sure you all know what that's like. It doesn't make any sense to me why people can be so mean about cats. One of my closest friend said, "Well, I just don't like how they're always rubbing up against me." She meant cats in general-not just mine. And I thought, that's what makes them so great! They're loving and they show it! I could go on and on, but you already know all of this. It just feels nice to tell it to some people who agree. Bless all of you for all you do! And thank you for the support! Melissa
