This past week we were cleaning up our barn sorting items we thought we might sell in a yard sale. Working in the barn in this hot weather has been tough for that reason alone. But another reason for our stress was that we discovered a mother cat and four kittens barely clinging to life in our barn. I guess we were meant to be cleaning up our barn, just so we would discover the cat and her kittens. The mother was skin and bones and the kittens were too. Even though the mother was barely clinging to life she was still caring for the kittens. The mother looks wild in the photo above, but she was quite tame, she was just panting due to the heat. For the past week we've been feeding them, hoping to lessen their struggles to live.
You're probably wondering what the title of this post, faith in humanity, is all about? Linda doesn't seem religious. Most times her posts are current to clay topics at hand. But sometimes my ideas are controversial, but what was our country, America, founded upon? Isn't it freedom of speech, so why not bring to the forefront unpopular yet valid opinions. Perhaps those unable to speak or care for themselves will have a voice through others. Hopefully folks don't shun others strictly for their views, even if they are controversial. Only time can bring answers or solve current controversies.
We finally sorted all the items in the barn, and have been having a sale the last few days to make a few dollars. A gentleman who visited my gardens years ago came to purchase a few items. When he drove up I was having a terrible time dealing with all the yard sale people who were wanting me to sell them items for even less than the already low, low prices I had on them. I have hard time having yard sales for that very reason, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Anyway I guess my frustration must have shown and the gentleman offered to take the cats to the animal shelter for me.
It seems animal control will not pick up cats, they'll only pick up dogs. So I would have to drive over 40 miles one way to drop the cats off myself or leave them to their own devices. Today some of my faith in humanity was restored when a relative stranger who came to my yard sale offered to take the cats to the shelter for me. Of course, I gave him a really good deal on all the items he purchased with a few items thrown in for free.
I was able to capture the mother and three kittens, but one kitten is still hiding. I tried everything I could think of to capture the little one, but it was faster than lightening with a mind of his own. Naturally the one I couldn't capture is the smallest, the pure black one above. I got to thinking of the littlest kitten tonight and how he reminds me of myself, since I've often been considered a black sheep. I will keep feeding the littlest one, and hopefully convince it I mean no harm. Then perhaps I can find it a good home around here somewhere, since it doesn't want to leave the neighborhood.
Oh Linda, I do so hope things improve for you soon, it does sadden me to think of you nice people struggling so. It is lovely that you have shown real kindness to those cats and that the man offered to take them to the animal shelter for you. I am sad that people will take advantage of others at yard sales and the like in trying to force prices down to unreasonable levels, it seems just so wrong.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and Gary, P & L
As usual Linda your heartfelt and compassionate post show what kind of person you are.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is hard to have the strength it takes to carry on.
The tunnel is narrow, but keep your head low and your eye on the end result.
Good luck with everything!
It is a multifarious task.
Lucky kittens and I hope someone will take the last one.
Hey Peter, thanks for your kind thoughts. Maybe I just needed to vent. It's not as bad as it sounds, I was just feeling spent moving everything up to the top of our driveway and then down again. Most folks were nice but a few bad apples as they say. Perhaps I am forgetting folks expect to bargain at yard sales and my personality is probably better left to other tasks. I sent an email out to folks about some free items and they call me from their cell phones at the top of the driveway wanting me to walk up there - just really frustrating. One lady bought a heavy metal chaise lounge on Saturday and said she'd come back the next day to pick it up and she hasn't come back yet, so Gary had to bring it back down to the barn. Perhaps we're trying to do too many things at once. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, you are always up so early, you amaze me. Yes I hope the little one did ok by itself last night. I brought it some special food and a box with a towel in it hoping it would go in there instead of under the pallet we had the wood stacked on. I can hear the owls every night and wonder how the kittens all survived this long as they were running out of the barn and back again, hopefully at night they stayed under cover. One woman was particularly rude last night as she had wanted some items I had previously sold (to the guy who took the kittens) and she walked off in a huff. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying that her bad karma kept her from getting the items she wanted. I hated to send the cats to the animal shelter, but didn't want more and more kittens around and felt since they weren't wild they would have a good opportunity to get adopted from there with more folks living in that area than here. The animal shelter requires them to be neutered before they can be adopted so that this problem of abandoned animals doesn't multiple itself hundred fold. Hopefully there is light at the end of this tunnel, a little more time will tell. Thanks.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteBreathe.. that's it in through the nose out through the mouth.. you are a good soul and your good karma will follow you.. take care of yourself and that good man of yours.
Black sheep are gorgeous and tough so be one with pride. Hugs, Joan Tucker
A "black sheep" is like a name that people put on you to label you. labels , I find, only keep you within boundries so BREAK OUT! Be a PURPLE sheep or something that no one has any idea of. . . . Did your house sell? Awe, yard sales are ment to barter, just think of it in terms of BARTERING back and you'll be fine. Or raise your prices so you can drop um like retailers do!
ReplyDeleteHang in there and maybe you have a young TOM cat on your hands...you can name it WILD THING!
gosh, if we can't agree to disagree at times, what a sad thing. a beautiful post. I'm thankful you saved the kittens. peace~
ReplyDeleteHi Joan, I have been doing a lot of sighing - does that count? oh well, what can I say, thanks for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, I like the purple sheep, purple is one of my favorite colors, when I read what you said I immediately had visions of a purple sheep sculpture as I was thinking of Becky of Claydogs sculptures she made at Penland recently. We may have an offer on our house but are waiting to see if the folks qualify before I jump for joy and announce it on the blog or get my hopes up. We already have three cats and don't know how we'll move across country with them, let alone one more, I just got back up from feeding him again, scrawny thing he or she is, haven't been able to get close enough to it. I did start raising my prices and then I felt better going down to what I really wanted, that's a good idea, thanks. Wild Thang is a good name for it, hope I can tame it soon.
Hi Amy, thanks, I'm glad they aren't suffering from hunger any longer. I can't imagine how they felt. When I first put the food down about a week ago, they were howling to get the food they were so hungry. It seems like folks always want others to think just like them and are angry when you don't. Oh well I guess I'll get over it. thanks for your thoughts.
You know, Linda, everyone's entitled to their own opinions on issues. Life is too short to shun anyone. People who shun or hold grudges are probably not the kind of people you want to be associated with anyhow. Way too much negative energy.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with kitties!
Hi Anne, thanks so much, you are correct, way too much negative energy and it sucks the energy out of me to be around those types of people. Hopefully the little one will warm up to me soon. I worry it isn't getting enough to eat. I have to leave the food down on the ground and then the ants get in it. I'm trying to think of a way to keep them out of the food and the tiny kitten still have access to the food. He's so tiny he fits in a small bowl.
ReplyDeletePoor little kitty. Glad he has you as his guardian angel! We usually have a garage sale every year to thin out and put some extra $ in the wallet but always say "never again!" ha. I know it wouldn't be possible where you live but I try and get a few friends or neighbors together to hold the sale and it makes the whole experience MUCH easier! On garage sale day we have our coffee with a little "something" in it :o) and then there are our favorite afternoon cold beverages too at clean-up...
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy, so far kitty is still there, but won't come out unless I step back about 10 feet. Kitty is hiding under the motorhome and when I go near there it goes up into the engine compartment from underneath - we have to figure out how to get it out of there. I am going down there four to six times a day with food. The ants are so bad I only give it a little food at a time. It seems they know the food is there about a minute after I put it there.
ReplyDeleteI should have had a toddy for breakfast what a good idea. I did have some wine after all the folks left. We had to have the sale quickly as folks were coming to look at the house on Thursday (today) again and we didn't want all the stuff piled outside and disarray, and we also had our regular chores to do too. Thank goodness that's all over.
In the midst of your disappointments in people -- isn't it wonderful the gentleman showed up to wipe those greedy folks right out of your heart!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that one cat has chosen you -- must have been hard for him to run & hide like he did -- being brave enough to let his siblings leave . . .
Hi Judy, thanks, yes I couldn't believe my luck that this gentleman showed up and actually meant it when he said he would take the cats to the shelter. We are still trying to catch the little one. Gary has rigged up a rope on the cat carrier and strung it through and we are now going to put food in there and pull the door closed when the cat goes in for food. We'll see if that works today. I hear the owls hooting at night and wonder if they will discover him, but he is black and probably blends with the night better than some cats.
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