ms. black

cat with crown No. 2 by (nearly 7 years old) Sweet Bee - cat with crown No. 1 - here

Worry is spiritual short sight.
It's cure is intelligent faith

Paul Brunton

Tomorrow afternoon I begin a weekly stint volunteering at the Cyrus Eaton elementary school. I'll be doing art & crafts with 2 small groups of kids. The first hour will be grades 1-3, the second hour grades 4-6. I can't wait, I've have been thrilled at the opportunity but also, strangely, have been feeling quite nervous + anxious about my first day - tomorrow (eye roll). Natch.

Though I am getting so much better, when worry & fret come bangin' on the door of my mind, I send them a packin'. My new rule is I'm not allowing to pre-worry about an event or a happening in my life. I've known about this "teaching" art to kids gig for months now, I've known the start day was Wed. Jan 04, so every time W & F tried to sneak in there & get comfy I've been telling them adamantly "go away & come back later ... a few hours before I'm set to begin the art thing & then you both, worry & fret, might help me prepare. But don't come back until then". Foot stomping, serious look, avec furrowed brow !! I mean it. Once my first session with the kids is behind me I know it's going to be a weekly event that I really look forward to. I bet the kids are going to call me Ms. Black - that's gonna feel a little weird. + ta-da-ta-da speaking of Cyrus ...

I emailed his new family on new year's day. I couldn't stop thinking about him. Asking if they would mind keeping me posted on his progress and maybe, if it wasn't too much trouble, sending me a photo every now & then as he grew up. I received my first few photos this morning and these few sentences

Thank you for rescuing Cyrus & giving him to us. I understand how he made a big impression on you – it's only been a few days & we can’t imagine life without him.

He was raised on the TTD* so we think he's going to be a desk cat. Heart swelling goodness ;-)

* TTD - teak topped desk

bucky

the little ginger kitten Cyrus was a part of our life for exactly 21 days - I fell a little in love

Yesterday Cyrus, Lil' C, Luvah, Bucky ... went to his new fabulous home at the sister-in-law of our long time vet Dianne Stevens (she'll be his vet now too). He has 2 feline sisters (who I'm sure he's already attempting to terrorize in his oh-so-cute, tres brazen, kitten self, manner). I miss him a lot ... of course. From the moment I picked him up in my arms that Friday afternoon 3 weeks ago & he instantly nuzzled his funny little ginger face into my neck and began to purr like mad I knew I had to take him home. Something told me that this skinny lil orange guy needed my help. I'm feeling particularly proud of myself - both for finding him such a great new home so quickly without too much terrible disruption of les Gang (though my main man/cat Oliver caught a terrible case of URI from Bucky & has begun a 7 day course of penicillin), but for also being practical & realistic, for not taking on more than I want or more than we can afford.

Cyrus is a very lucky cat.

The shelter's here, there & everywhere are overflowing with abandoned, unwanted cats & kittens. Our local shelter is full to capacity & Cyrus was placed on a long waiting list just to make it into the shelter, where then he might have stayed for months & months before anyone adopted him. Not because he isn't sweet, a perfectly lovely, particularly handsome cat but because there are so many cats that don't have homes & hundreds of kittens born each month that will end up like him - prowling around some community, far too young to be out in the big world on their own, mewing as loud as possible at anyone who might look their way, saying ...

Pick me up please & take me home. Love me.

& I sure did
love him.
happy new home Lil' C

I'm so, so happy I took so many photos of his handsome ginger self - I will paint a portrait of him this year

so, what's new ?

pussycat

please, please M. Universe help me find a good home for Cyrus Bucky Snort
my temporary & tres adorable lil luvah ;-)

spending way too much of my creative empire building time - kitten sitting (kinda sad face)

cyrus

10 more pics of the sweetest, dearest, snuggliest little baby ginger kitten - I've named Cyrus

I found Cyrus Friday afternoon as I was leaving the Cyrus Eaton Elementary School - he was madly trying to open the big, heavy metal glass door & seemed quite astounding that no one seemed at all interested in him or in letting him inside to watch the annual Christmas concert. Now I would say about myself that I'm (surprisingly) not someone who picks up every kitten they see but there was something about this little guy that suggested if he had a home it wasn't a very good home (certainly not by the 29 Black Street code of kitten care). He is/was skinny, had fleas, ear mites, probably worms & I believe is far too young to be strolling around out n' about by himself crossing busy roads, hanging out at recess with a zillion small children. I had a little poster with me "FOUND kitten" at the market Saturday & ended up having many conversations about lil ginger luvah with a variety of people, some who live in that neighbourhood & some thankfully who are involved closely with our local animal shelter.

No question I am crazy about him. He's as sweet as can be. Adorable & incredibly affectionate.

Cyrus, little ginger boy, is everything you would ever desire in a kitten/cat but ... the Prince and I do well managing to feed & provide health care for our current brood of 2 dogs, 3 cats & Bruce our adopted feral cat (who we feed & shelter year round). Believe it or not my common sense & practicality will over rule my heart on this one & Cyrus is such a special lil guy I have no doubt that we can find him a great home. Would I like to keep him ? would I like to have 25 cats & 16 dogs, a couple rabbits, a few goats ... maybe a guinea pig or 2 ... would I wish to save every animal, wild or otherwise, that isn't safe, fed & comfortable ... you betcha I would ! but I know I can't ... and I'm finally beginning to accept that fact - as hard as it is to accept most of the time.

Cyrus's stats
pale ginger male
approximately 12 weeks old
super friendly
litter box trained (natch)
very affectionate
very playful
just plain adorable
has been given flea/tick medication
not neutered yet

oh yeah ... he has a torn ear, compliments of Virgil (bad cat) happened in Cyrus' first half hour here at Black St. I've doctored him & it's healing beautifully, but he is now a marked kitten.

luvah

currently answers to hullo luvah - snuggliest, sweetest, gingeriest , handsomest lost kitten

Spent this morning kitten sitting, quite a job, this adorable lil' guy was found by me Friday afternoon - looking lost, tres skinny, hungry, flea ridden and about as snuggly as kittens come. Les Gang are all pissed off. Virgil (a big surprise to moi) even inflicting a scarred for life tear in this little ginger cat's ear (see photos for les evidence). my goal is to find him a good home, I would love to keep him but as I said to Rachel earlier this morning in a dear UK cat lady email

omg.

quick cat bulletin ... out n'about this afternoon & came home with obviously lost sweetest, skinniest, palest orange Kevin-ish ginger kitten (maybe 12 or so weeks old). Purrs madly if you look sideways at him. dear. dear. sweet. dear. Oliver & surprisingly Virgil have been ferocious with him, Bleet just intimidated (as usual) so he's currently ensconced in my office.

Photos of yet-to-be-named to come tomorrow. Promise

I've flea medicated him, fed him well ... he's snoozing in a little ginger ball

xoxo
Nova Scotia cat lady

& 2nd email avec photos

currently answers to hello luvah

he is super sweet, super charming, extremely handsome, unusually smart & alert. very keen hearing & eyesight, firm poops, tres full of beans & definitely at that psycho kitten age

yikes .... gloved hands while we practice - killing large beasts with thumping feet + allteeth & claws (o0oi-*9 .... oops he added that bit - I suspect a note in code for the Team )

I cannot imagine integrating such a crazed kitten beast into the rest of les Gang (and having him survive)

over n' out,
les Gang

The market was fantastic !! I'm a bit stunned by my $$ success. Thank you to all who stopped by, both those who purchased items & to those who gave me such lovely big compliments. Arrived home with a lot less inventory, a stuffed wallet & a much appreciated puffed up heart (& ego). Merci !!!