SAFE HAVEN

MANY PEOPLE INQUIRE ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MY SELLER ID,"CATS",AND EBAY.BEFORE RETIRING TO OUR FARM,WE HAD LIVED IN A LARGE CITY WITH OUR FAMILY INCLUDING OUR 2 DOGS.AT ONE OF THE MOST LOWEST POINTS IN OUR LIVES,GOD HAD SENT US A LITTLE HOMELESS CAT, THAT WE LATER NAMED SYLVESTER, WHO WAS IN MUCH NEED OF MEDICAL ATTENTION AND LOTS OF LOVE.

HE WAS VERY ILL,AND HAD COME TO OUR HOME ONE AFTERNOON CURLED UP NEAR OUR ST.FRANCIS STATUE UNDER A TREE IN OUR FRONT YARD.HE GAVE NO STRUGGLE AS I PICKED HIM UP,CUDDLED HIM IN MY ARMS,AND BROUGHT HIM INTO OUR HOME.WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK HIM TO THE VET ;HENCE HE WAS SO VERY WEAK,AND LEARNED THAT HIS TIME WOULD BE VERY SHORT BECAUSE OF HIS ILLNESS.

WE TOOK HIM BACK HOME AND SURPRISINGLY NURSED HIM INTO REMISSION.HIS AND OUR LIVES WERE OVERFLOWING WITH JOY!WITH THE ENERGY OF A MISCHIEVIOUS LITTLE KITTEN,SYLVESTER PLAYED AND ROMPED,EVEN WITH OUR DOGS,AND LIVED HIS LITTLE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

AT MY DARKEST TIME, HE NEVER LEFT MY SIDE,AND TAUGHT US HOW TO LOVE,COPE,AND FACE LIFE WITHOUT FEAR ; AN ANGEL SENT FROM GOD TO HELP US THROUGH OUR MOST DIFFICULT TIMES.THEN ONE DAY,GOD HAD SUDDENLY CALLED SYLVESTER HOME.OUR HEARTS WERE BROKEN FOR WE HAD LOST A DEAR MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY AND A TRUE COMPANION, BUT WE WERE SO THANKFUL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE AND EXPERIENCE OUR LIFE WITH SYLVESTER.

A FEW WEEKS HAD PASSED,AND AGAIN,ANOTHER STRAY KITTY HAD COME TO REST AT THE FOOT OF OUR ST. FRANCIS STATUE;TIRED AND HUNGRY.SHE WAS HEALTHY BUT VERY WEAK FROM STARVATION AND ROAMING THE STREETS.IN NO TIME AT ALL SHE BECAME PART OF OUR FAMILY;HAPPY AND HEALTHY, BUT SORT OF LONELY,SO WE DECIDED TO ADOPT A KITTY COMPANION AT OUR LOCAL SPCA,AND CAME HOME WITH 2 INSEPERABLE OLDER CATS THAT HAD ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS LEFT BEFORE BEING PUT DOWN.

WE CONTINUED TO OPEN OUR DOORS AND HEARTS TO STRAY AND ABANDONED CATS.WHEN WE MOVED TO OUR FARM,IT WAS TRUELY A BLESSING FOR US AND OUR FURRY FELINES.SPACE WAS NO OBJECT,AND COMFY WINDOWSILLS WERE APLENTY.

I EVENTUALLY CREATED A LITTLE GARDEN IN FRONT OF OUR NEWLY RENNOVATED HOME (1830s FARMHOUSE) AND, WITH THOUGHTS OF SYLVESTER,PLACED MY ST. FRANCIS STATUE IN ITS CENTER.ABOUT A MONTH LATER,AS WE SAT ON OUR PORCH ADMIRING THE GARDEN'S GROWTH,A LITTLE GREY KITTEN WOBBLED SLOWLY UP TO THE STATUE AND PLOPPED DOWN BESIDE.HE SEEMED TO BE LOOKING IN OUR DIRECTION,BUT DIDN'T APPEAR TO KNOW THAT WE WERE THERE.SPEAKING SOFTLY,I APPROACHED HIM,PICKED HIM UP,AND CUDDLED HIM,AND YES,BROUGHT HIM INTO OUR HOME.I CALLED THE VET AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK HIM IN FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION.

HIS EYES WERE GLAZED OVER AND HE HAD A PRONOUNCED LIMP! OUR VET TOLD US THAT THE LITTLE KITTEN WAS PARTIALLY BLINDED FROM A CAUSTIC SUBSTANCE AND ,AFTER X-RAYING HIS HIND LEGS,WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HIP DYSPLASIA(1 IN 400,000 CATS )!

NEITHER OF HIS HIP BONES WERE EVEN CLOSE TO THEIR SOCKETS!THIS LITTLE KITTEN HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY SPRAYED IN HIS EYES WITH SOME TYPE OF CAUSTIC SUBSTANCE BY SOMEONE TO MOST LIKELY SHOO HIM AWAY,BUT HE COULDN'T RUN AWAY FAST ENOUGH BECAUSE OF HIS HANDICAP,SO HE RECIEVED SEVERE PERMANENT DAMAGE TO HIS EYES LEAVING HIM PARTIALLY BLIND,AND ONLY ABLE TO SEE SHADOWS.HE WAS NOT IN ANY HIP PAIN BUT MUST BE MONITORED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE IN CASE ARTHRITIS LATER DEVELOPS.

OUR VET TOLD US THAT HE COULD PREFORM A VERY DELICATE OPERATION BUT NONE WAS NEEDED AT THAT POINT IN TIME.HE SUGGESTED THAT WE TAKE HIM HOME AND SEE HOW WELL HE GETS AROUND.HE HAD THE FIGHT AND DETERMINATION OF SYLVESTER IN HIM ,AND I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT OUR LITTLE "SMOKEY" IS A HAPPY HEALTHY BUT HANDICAPPED 3 YEAR OLD ADULT CAT; NICK NAMED "TINY TIM".HIS GROWTH HAD BEEN STUNTED BECAUSE OF HIS HANDICAP,BUT HIS ENORMOUSLY LOVING HEART MAKES UP FOR IT ALL.

MY HUSBAND HAD BUILT RAMPS FOR HIM TO CLIMB UP AND DOWN TO HIS FAVORITE SPOTS.AMAZINGLY,THE OTHER CATS TREAT HIM SO VERY SPECIAL;THEY ALL SEEM TO MOTHER HIM,AND THEY INSTINCTIVELY KNOW THAT HE IS A LITTLE FRAGILE,AND NOT TO GET TOO ROUGH AT PLAY.

WE CONTINUE TO LOVE AND RESCUE CATS IN OUR COMMUNITY,GIVE THEM NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SHARE OUR LOVING HOME.SO MANY HAVE COME TO REST AT THE FEET OF OUR ST.FRANCIS STATUE IN THE GARDEN,JUST AS SYLVESTER DID;LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO LOVE AND BE LOVED.

WITH 35 HOUSECATS + FERAL BARNCATS,OUR VET MAKES REGULAR VISITS TO OUR HOME.HE HAS MANY TIMES COMMENDED US ON OUR CLEANLINESS AND CARE OF OUR LITTLE BLESSINGS.I ALWAYS RESPOND BY TELLING HIM THAT MY DAILY ONE HOUR ROUTINE OF "KITTY"CHORES CANNOT COMPARE TO THE BOUNDS OF LOVE ,JOY,AND COMFORT THAT IS RETURNED,AND THAT THE EXCERCISE IS GREAT!! IT'S EASIER THAN SHOVELING OUT HORSE STALLS!

I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR THE WORLD!WE HAVE LEARNED THAT CATS ARE VERY ADAPTING SOCIAL CREATURES AS LONG AS THERE IS PLENTY OF FOOD AND WATER;LEAVING NOTHING TO SQUABBLE ABOUT.ALL OF OUR PETS HAVE BEEN MEDICALLY TREATED AND SPAYED/NEUTERED.VET BILLS DO GET RATHER EXPENSIVE AT TIMES,BUT BY SELLING MY JEWELRY COLLECTION AND OTHER ITEMS ON EBAY HELPS PAY THEM AND ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE OUR RESCUE EFFORTS.

PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER; NOT JUST MONETARY DONATIONS,BUT BLANKETS AND FOOD ARE ALWAYS NEEDED.

ADOPTING A CAT,DOG, OR ANY ANIMAL FROM YOUR LOCAL SHELTER IS TRUELY A LOVING,REWARDING EXPERIENCE.THEY ARE A RESPONSIBILITY, BUT THE JOY,LOVE,AND COMPANIONSHIP RECIEVED IS 10 FOLD.THESE ARE LIVING,BREATHING,FEELING CREATURES THAT EXPERIENCE EMOTIONS OF HAPPINESS,SADNESS,FEAR,DEFENSIVENESS,PAIN,ETC..WITH LOVE,PATIENCE,AND YUMMY TREATS YOU'LL HAVE A LIFELONG LOVING COMPANION THAT DOESN'T CARE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE IN THE MORNING!

MANY PEOPLE DISCARD THEIR PETS INTO THE WILD,THINKING THAT THEY ARE GIVING THE ANIMAL A CHANCE,THIS IS THE WORST THING TO DO.

A PET IS A DOMESTIC CREATURE ,USED TO BEING FED,HAVING A WARM SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP,AND IS VERY TRUSTING.PLACING THEM IN THE WILD OR LEAVING THEM TO THE STREETS IS THE MOST CRUELEST THING TO DO FOR THEY UNKNOWINGLY BECOME PREY TO OTHER ANIMALS AND SOME VERY CRUEL HUMANS,ARE FRIGHTENED,SUFFER FROM PARASITES,FROSTBITE,LONELINESS,AND STARVATION.

I HAVE SEEN IT ALL!THE BEST AND MOST HUMAE THING TO DO IS TAKE THE TIME TO EITHER TAKE THE ANIMAL TO A SHELTER OR A RESCUE CENTER.AT LEAST HE HAS A CHANCE,AND IF NOT,HE WILL NOT SUFFER THE AGONY OF THE WILD OR BECOME A VICTIM TO THE CRUEL.

PLEASE REMEMBER HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PETS.YOU'LL BE SPARING SO MANY LIVES OF PAIN ,SUFFERING, ABANDONMENT,AND HOMELESSNESS.THANK YOU,AND GOD BLESS!!!!

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