Monday, August 13, 2012

Cat Haters Gon Hate

Can I just start by saying: URRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! People really do some crappy things sometimes...

The mailbox & I in 2009 - don't ask about the picture...I was a goofy kid.
I went out this morning about 8:15 am to go do my pet sitting jobs, and as I was walking to my car, I abruptly stopped because I noticed our mail box was on the drive away. Being as tired as I was, I'm not sure if I really realized why it was there, other than it must have fallen off, or possibly someone ran their car into the mail post and it fell off (I had forgotten about the cat on the top of the box...you'll read about that soon).

In the garage - you can see the wood on the bottom of the box.

So I put the mail box into the garage and went to do my pet sitting jobs. I came back and ran upstairs to tell my dad about the mail box. This isn't the first time our mail box has been vandalized, this  vandal act brought it up to a total of three times  - the most recent having been ~ 10 years ago when I was 10.

Empty post.

My dad figured it must have been vandalized, though I thought that it was a possibility it was something else, since whoever did it, had left the mail box and not taken it. Well, my suspicions changed when we looked at the cat topper from the mailbox, which had been left on our front steps.





Not only had the cat been defaced with sharpies, the vandal left us a lovely note..."F*ck Cat Lover's. Love the Cat Snatcher." Lovely. After closer examination, the cat not only now sported facial hair, but female and male genitalia (someone didn't go to health class!). Plus leaving the cat for us, isn't technically snatching. Clearly this was the work of a petulant child.

We knew from the note what their motive was - being a cat hater.

Overall, despite now having to get a new mail box - this one was at the end of its life, though - we have to cancel the mail. But in the long run, at least the vandal didn't damage our cars, seeing as they are all decked out with the cat family and lots of cat rescue stickers & other pro-cat decorations.

The empty post. Completely empty as 10 years ago!
But the thing about the act of vandalism that bothers me is that not only did this person get away (so far), but that this was just a cat hating mail box crime, what would happen if this person was to come across a real cat? And unfortunately, this person will probably get away with what they did. As unfair as their childish act was, all I can hope is that they got the vandalism out of their system and are out of business.

Henry bared his teeth at the note!

So we duct taped the mailbox to the post (we have to order a new one & get it installed) and left a note for the "cat snatcher"....



Monday, August 6, 2012

Remembering May: 4/2/05-8/2/12


Tick, tock. I could hear the clock, slowly ticking my time away with May. May was in catastrophic kidney failure. Words that seemed unfathomable. Catastrophic…failure…it just didn’t seem like a seven year old cat could go from being fine, to barely recognizing me. The end always seems like it comes so quickly, but the gift of time was there – my family and I got to visit with May at the vet on Wednesday and today, Thursday.
May in 2005, she really grew into those big ears.

I went in today around 11 am, because we had taken in Pearl for a redo on her latest blood work. We got to see May. She still had a dazed look on her face, but she clearly knew who we were and that we were there for her. She let us pet her and rub her face and chin. She meowed once, when we stopped petting her.
Mom and I came back to visit her at 4:30 pm. May was not doing well. May looked just as out of it as she did this morning, but we could see on her face that she really didn’t feel good. They redid her blood work, but the most important value had only dropped 0.3, which was not nearly enough to indicate improvement, or that the fluid treatments were working.

May and her mama Vickie. You can see the wonderful patterns that are the same!

Mom and I sat with her in the examination room. She was twitchy and couldn’t get into a comfortable position. Tick, tock. The inevitable was coming, and we knew. We all knew. But saying it out loud? That it was her time – this seven year old cat that had been in for her regular check up in June and was fine, was on the brink of death? It seemed hard to believe. But I’ve heard that you know when it’s time, and it was time. It’s never an easy decision to make; even if you get to say goodbye.
Dad got there and we all sat with her. Talking to her, telling her about all the cats to say hi to for us; that she would see her kitten buddy Parker, who died months after adoption from FIP, and that we loved her so, so much.  Our vet, who said she hated to be the bad guy, to always have to tell the sad news, came in to help May.
May sleeping with Henry.

She went over the bridge a little past 5:45 pm, August 2nd, 2012. Memories of May’s life flooded our eyes, just thinking that the Shubin 7 had become six, was just unreal. It was hard to believe that our big little girl, the cat of 1000 names, was gone. 7 short years, 7 sweet years.

May and Pearl.
Words can’t describe how much I will miss May. She was one of the first kittens I ever had, a memory that will always be dear to me. Just knowing that she is finally with Parker, brings a smile to my face. I will miss my May, my Ana Maria Madonna Christina May, my Schmoogie, Moo, Moobelle, Maybelline, Mooshkie and all the other names she went by. I will think of her when I eat at Pinkberry (for her little pinkberry nose), when I see a empty cardboard box, her treat dance, tabby cats, cats with big ears and so many other things.
The beloved memories live on, and I give my cats extra love every day, just to remember how important their lives are, to me.
Taken July 23, 2012 - just 10 days before she died. She had not given any signs of  kidney failure.

May and my mom, who she dearly loved. May would pet my mom's face.

May Shubin, April 2, 2005 to August 2, 2012.

A gorgeous photo of May from 2011, taken by our friend Bernadette.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Exciting Reviews/Giveaways to come!

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been sparse on posting. I've been enjoying some beach vacation time. Even though I had planned to blog a few posts at the beach, I was very busy and never got the chance :(


But I am ready to start anew, with some reviews and giveaways! When I got home, waiting for me - was not only my cats- was a sample box of the new Greenies treats, and a Kitty A Go Go litter box! The cat gang couldn't wait for me to get home, so they could get some good eats and a fashionable potty! So watch out for a review and giveaway coming soon!

Vickie (from inside the Kitty A Go Go box) says, "This box is allll mine!"

One of my other reviews that will be coming out within the next coming weeks, is my review of Moo Kitty Finds a Home by Valerie Lee Veltre. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Veltre at the Cat Writer's Association Conference in New York last November, as well as her publisher from Life Reloaded, Pam Haines. I got to hang out with Pam at BlogPaws this summer, but Val was not able to make it.


But Moo Kitty got wonderful news this morning! The Mom's Choice Awards named Moo Kitty Finds a Home among the best in family-friendly products! A congratulations is in order to Val and her team! Watch out for my take on Moo Kitty!

And right now you can save on your order of Moo Kitty
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