Keep in touch

Lynda writes to Juno's fans:

There will be one more entry to Juno's Diary -

Please check back in a couple of days ............

Going Home Forever

Dear Diary,

This is my final entry.

I have asked my foster mom to write for me, until all my kittens are safe and sound in their "Forever Homes".

Today I am going home for good, to my "Forever Home", with Meghan and Brian. I know I am really going to miss my kittens, but I am happy to be starting a whole new phase in my life.

I am all finished with that dreadful and embarrassing "heat" condition. Meghan will get me spayed very soon. Thank heavens for vets and caring humans!

I softly whispered goodbye to all the kittens. I hope they understand that they must be on their own now. They will be with me, in my heart, forever.

Molli will be joining me in a few days. It is so kind of Meghan to adopt her, too. I feel secure that my babies are safe with my foster mom, and that all are going to good homes.

My poor foster Mom! She cried and cried when Meghan and Brian arrived-- happy tears and sad tears all mixed together. I hope she will be O.K. She has to day goodbye four more times!

Thank you, Marlene and the Antigonish SPCA, for rescuing me, finding a me a foster home, and for finding homes for all of us. You saved our lives!

Thanks, too, to my foster family. Without you, my story may not have had a happy ending.

Here We Go Again!

Dear Diary,

I sure am glad that my foster Mom has returned. My foster dad did a great job looking after me and my kittens, but he doesn't always understand females.

You see, I went into "heat" again. He thought that I was crying loudly because I missed my foster Mom. Jane, who is a student vet and also knows about girl stuff sure set him straight.

I guess the right word for my condition is "estrus". All of a sudden I got this powerful urge. It's kind of personal, and since I like my privacy, I won't go into much detail. Let's just say that I have an unbelievably strong need to have a relationship with a male cat. Unfortunately, the only guy cat in the neighbourhood is Max, a hunk of a cream tuxedo, who has been neutered, and honestly does not have a clue - not one! He does not respond to my special "come hither" calls, and when I pose for him, he is not the least bit impressed. Too bad - Max and I would make beautiful kittens together. I will keep looking ......

And speaking of kittens .... mine have really decreased the amount of time they nurse. It's a good thing, because I spend a lot of time upstairs, looking out the window, trying to see if there are any good looking toms around. The little ones are growing by leaps and bounds. Their eyes are changing from blue to shades of green, their legs are getting long, they hear everything, and are skillful at following a ball, so their eyesight has improved. I am going to ask my foster Mom to put some photos on the blog soon.

Good night, dear diary. I am going to check the all windows again, just in case Mr. Right might be outside, waiting for me ..... mee - ee - ooo - oow!

Lynda writes to Juno:

Dear Juno:

I was very surprised to discover that you are having another "heat", or estrus, so soon! Do not be embarrassed. It is a perfectly normal part of a female cat's life. Your strange behaviour will last a week or so, then subside. BUT in two or three weeks it will return. It is natures way of insuring that your species will thrive.

I have contacted the nice SPCA lady. She will confer with a vet about having you "spayed".

Meanwhile, we will be extra cautious that to do not run outside! We are keeping the doors and windows LOCKED!

I will also do my best to photograph your kittens tomorrow, and add then to your Blog.

Speaking of your Blog, there was a great story about it on the CBC this past week, thanks to Brenda Silver, who told Don Connelly all about you. There was also a "Letter to the Editor", in the Chronicle Herald which I wrote. Both these items gave a boost to publicizing the need for foster homes in our area.

Tuckered Out

Dear Diary:

My busy kittens have me tuckered out!

My foster mom is going away on a little trip for a week, leaving us in the care of my foster dad. He is not exactly a whiz at updating blogs, so there won't we any news for awhile.

Another nice lady, Natalie Branch, and her husband, Adam, came today to check Tully out. Natalie really likes that little guy .... maybe even more than Adam. Natalie and Adam have a gentle adult cat named Ella, who needs a companion. She will love Tulley. They are all getting a new house, too.

Meg has been nick-named Hilary Clinton by my foster mom. She is very ambitious and she will not be deterred from getting whatever she wants. (Meg, not Lynda!) I always knew Meg was smart. Well, she created a minor crisis today when she managed to scale the blockade at the doorway. My foster dad had to make a higher one. I wonder how long it will take her to conquer the new one.

Molli put on a little show, too. She was playing with a new toy ball. She grabbed on to it tight and growled at her siblings when they tried to join in the fun. Then she carried it off to hide it behind the door.

That's it for now. I will be writing to you again in a week or so.

Watching the Kittens Grow

Dear Diary,

My little ones are growing up right before my eyes!

They were five weeks old on April 21st.

All my darlings are over a pound; even my runt, Tulley, is only a half ounce behind his sisters!

We all had to get worm medicine today. Those nice SPCA people made sure that we will all be healthy. I had my second dose, and the kittens will get their second dose in a couple of weeks.

My Meghan visited again, with her male human friend, Brian. I heard my foster mom talking to my new mom-forever, Meghan about "spaying", whatever that means. Whatever it is, Molli will have to get it, too.

I am happy to report that all my kittens are going to the bathroom on their own. They are eating kitten food and drinking some water, too! What smart kittens I have!

Oh, I almost forgot! Tulley has adoption pending. We are so lucky!

Lynda writes to Juno:

"Spaying" means that you and your daughters will have a little operation at the vet clinic. After that, you will not produce more kittens. You will not go "in heat", either. That's when female cats become very anxious to mate, and their behavior drives their humans crazy.

Your male kittens will have a similar procedure. Some people think they don't need to neuter their male cat. WRONG! It take two to make kittens. Besides, they make much better pets when they are neutered. They will not be inclined to "spray" urine around their homes, and will not want to roam and fight with other cats (over pretty girl cats, like you). Tou see, Juno, like human males, male cats are always "in season" (wanting to mate ).

The SPCA folks will provide all the new adoptive parents with a discount for spaying and neutering.

All pet owners should have their pets spayed or neutered. Then there would not be so many kittens to find homes for, and a reduction in stray animals. Very often, the baby animals are abandoned, and they perish or become wild.

Sometimes the SPCA can help find homes for kittens. But to do this, they need kind volunteers who will provide a temporary "foster" home. When there are no foster homes, as is the case now, kittens have to be euthanized, or "put to sleep". But, dear Juno, they never ever wake up. This is so very sad.

I hope people who read your diary will spread the word --- PLEASE spay or neuter your pet!

Juno's Fine Little Litter

From the left: Molli, Meg, Flynn, and Tulley (closest)

Real Men like Kittens

Dear Diary,

A nice young couple came to see my kittens yesterday. Their names are Lisa and Collin. Colin is a distant relative of my foster dad's, on the MacDougall side.

Although they thought all the kittens were cute, they decided to adopt Meg. Lisa always liked female kitties, she said. I wonder if she is one of those "women libbers"???

Anyway, both Lisa and Colin know all about cats, so I am comfortable with them adopting Meg.

I hope the babies begin to eat solids soon. This 24-7 breastfeeding thing id getting a bit tiresome!

Lynda writes to Juno:

Dear Juno,

I am trying to introduce your babies to solids, but you keep eating their food! It is great to see that Flynn has joined Meg at the water dish.

I wish Tulley would learn to pee!