As my 50 th birthday approaches and I am getting ready to set up my Facebook birthday fundraiser, I find myself thinking about our story, The Cats at Longstreet (TCAL) and mine, as a volunteer, an adopter, a foster, a donor, and a pet parent/guardian in general. My success story is a long one over many years and each of these cats will always hold a special place in my heart. It is in some ways, hard to imagine that it has been over a decade that I have had the honor of working with this amazing group of volunteers.
I think back to when I first met the founders of TCAL and the care my two cats at the time, received from Dr. Werden and Kristin Lassiter. Peanut had bowel disease and Pepper; this ornery old snot of a tabby who loved to gripe at anyone who stepped in his path. Thanks to Peanut and Pepper and all of their health issues, I knew that special needs cats would always be a major soft spot for me, and from that point on I would only adopt special needs and hard-to-home cats.
I had moved my mom in with me (crazy that this was 13 years ago), we had lost her kitty, John Henry, adopted Ms. Pris, and thought Pris could use a friend. Dr. Werden told us about Noxie, who was named Myu at that time. She was rescued from a household that severely neglected her. We adopted her, this long-haired polydactyl standoffish girl, who hated to be picked up and hated everyone around her, unfortunately that included Ms. Pris. They never fought, Ms. Pris would just scream bloody murder, and I do mean scream, every time Noxie took a single step towards her. Over the next several months and years we watched Noxie bloom into the queen she was always meant to be.
Peanut passed and then Pepper passed, and Kristin invited me to meet Denzel, not to adopt (yeah right, that is what I keep telling myself) but hopefully just to make me smile during my time of grief. Denzel was a stray roaming the streets of Leesburg, a battle-scarred black kitty who was just as sweet as can be and loved every human he met. After one week, I couldn’t stop thinking about him, so home he came, but as Dexter.
Dexter had a partner in crime, Sammie, a tabby boy who was owner-surrendered by a single father with three small children. Sammie had crystals in his urine and needed surgery that the single father just couldn’t afford. So instead of euthanizing Sammie, TCAL offered to take him, raise the funds, pay for the surgery, and get him adopted out. Back then, TCAL was SO much smaller than it is today. Sammie had to be on a special diet for the rest of his life and over the course of his life developed a neurological condition in response to a swollen brain stem, that required a myriad of medications.
In came Newt, formally known as the Gold Digger (which is a story within itself for another time), and prior to that, Broken Kitty. Newt came to me, not from TCAL, but was found sitting in a work boot in my handyman’s garage out in Winchester. He had taken her to the vet out in his area and one of her legs was broken in 5 places, she was beaten up pretty badly, had lacerations on her sides and at 2 lbs., his dogs were terrified of her. I called TCAL and within two hours of that call, they had a foster lined up and had agreed to take in this tiny broken kitten. I left work early to meet up with my handyman and take her over to TCAL for intake but once I held her in my arms (hands back then) I was a goner, and The Horde, as I affectionally call them, added its newest member.
Back then, due to life and my job, I had very little free time, so I was primarily a donor and helped out here and there when I could. Once I was able to change jobs, I was able to volunteer as well as a being a supporter/donor. Time passed and TCAL grew and their dedication to those cats who have had it the hardest, and who needed the most help was always at the forefront of what TCAL was about as a rescue. I started doing kennels (cleaning out the kennels, cleaning litter boxes, feeding, sometimes medicating, and loving on the cats in the clinic) on Sundays, and over the next several months, I was able to meet a lot of the TCAL permanent residents (those who could/would never be adopted out), the medical holds, the adoptables, and everyone in between. Each of these cats, regardless of their status, are treated with the best care, they are cherished, and they are loved.
Even though there never seems to be enough, their network of fosters does an amazing job with their charges and often goes above and beyond the requirements of being a foster. I had in the past. steered away from fostering only because I secretly knew that I would end up being a foster failure each time, I am a sucker, what can I say.
Then I met Robert Frost. He was approximately 17+ years old, declawed, in renal failure, arthritic, anemic, and the list goes on, that was dumped in a large dog crate in front of a house that was empty. It took TCAL a little over a month to get his medications at the right levels where he was stable and there were several times when it was often wondered if it would be a kindness to let him go. Then he would perk up and the next medication adjustment would begin. Even though TCAL was able to get his medical issues worked out, Mr. Frost was not flourishing in the kennel environment.
I adored that old son and made the decision to hospice foster him. I went out that day and bought all kinds of things to make my office hospice friendly, had my handyman modify the catio attached to my office so that it would eliminate any potential fall risks, and worked with the clinic staff to make sure I could give him all of his medications, the pills, the shots, and the twice daily saline injections to help flush the toxins out of his body. Mr. Frost was only with me for 3 weeks before his time came, but in those weeks, I saw him open up, stand and walk taller, and actually thrive. We all grieved the loss of that sweet old son and honestly, in fostering Mr. Frost, I realized that as devastating as hospice fostering can be, since each fostering has the same outcome, it is one of the most rewarding experiences, to see that foster shine in their final moments surrounded by love and ending their days in a home where they are cherished.
At one of the TCAL adoption events, I fell in love with a blind little buff kitten and her seeing- eye black panther. The Horde grew, once again. Sadi, my not so little anymore blind girl, is a total take-charge kind of girl and is determined to run the world. She loves everyone she meets; she loves spending time on what I call the “wall of wonder” (a wall full of shelves and stairs that the kitties can climb on), and she races up and down many times throughout each day. And Dameion, well, he is more of a shy kitty that MUST have his belly rubbed every night before bed.
After Mr. Frost, they asked me if I wouldn’t mind fostering Willis and Korinna, Willis was getting a little stir-crazy in the kennel. Willis had trouble maintaining his insulin levels and needed a shot twice a day. I said sure, and oh my goodness, let me tell you about Willis and Korinna (who are bonded and were recently adopted, yay!). Willis takes his shots like a champ (as long as he can stuff food in his face while he is getting the shot) and is the biggest love monkey who just wants to spend the day in your arms giving headbutts and getting kisses and pets. Hard to believe he was once feral. Korrina is shy until you she gets to know you, but she
loves toys, and pets, and will eat out of your hand once you earn her trust. She is a secret lap lover, just don’t acknowledge that she is on your lap.
I adored watching the two of them, well primarily Korrina since Willis’ shell broke long ago, come out of their shells, and show their true personalities. I have since then started a rotational foster to give some of adoptables that have been with TCAL for longer periods of time a chance to get out of the clinic for a while, in hopes of seeing their true personalities shine through. Right now, I have Janet and RBG (Ruthie) with me (adoptable bonded pair) that love spending their days out on the catio and love getting their scritches and aren’t afraid to ask for them. They have been with me for almost nine months now and have really blossomed.
Newt, my little broken kitty, whose leg has fully healed, it has been four years already, and now is a bit of chonker, bonded with Sammie and was taking royalty lessons from Noxie. Sammie succumbed to his neurological disease last October and my Queen of Darkness in December. I am devastated at the loss of those two as I have been devastated at the loss of any of my pets. Both of those losses had deeply affected Newt as well, she lost her playmate in Sammie and her mentor in Noxie.
After our grieving period, I fostered to adopt this hyper-playful, spunky little 5-month-old kitten named Irving Longtail. Newt and Irving hit it off fairly quickly, but Irving’s playful energy became too much for Newt to deal with. There were times of great grumpiness that followed. So, naturally, I did what any crazy cat lady would do. Reached out to TCAL, and asked about available kittens that were approximately the same age and size as Irving, The Horde can always use another member.
Shortly after losing Noxie, TCAL asked if I was ready and would be willing to foster Hiccup, this tiny, sweet kitten who has Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH for Short). Click here for more information on CH. I have a very soft spot for these wobbly kitties, but I wasn’t ready, I was still too deep in my grief over Noxie. As you can probably guess, Hiccup still hadn’t found his forever home, and you got it, he came home with me. I would write an entire blog on what it is like to have a CH kitty, maybe I will save that for another day. But Hiccup and Irving have become the best of friends, have grown into this beautiful, bonded pair and Newt (after a bit of
an adjustment period after meeting this kitty that falls over all of the time) loves both of them dearly and plays with them on her terms, aka when ever the mood strikes, but not constantly.
I am ever so grateful to be a part of The Cats at Longstreet and to have met and befriended such an amazing group of dedicated volunteers who give up a lot of their time, medical skills, know-how, and often their own money to save so many cats.
Because of them, my life has been richer. Noxie, Dexter, Sammie, Sadi, Damieon, Irving, Hiccup, and Mr. Frost each have been amazing chapters in my life, and I can’t wait to see Janet and Ruthie find their forever homes.
That is my success story, and it is far from over.
Longstreet Tails 
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