All about cats :)
First, I want to wholeheartedly thank everyone who took the time to respond here and by email. Seriously, your support meant a world to me during the first days. I was totally hysterical for the first days - not knowing WHAT to do, HOW to solve it and HOW it is going to work out was killing me. I just had a big fog in my head and was almost lunatic. Let me try to explain - I am very rational and well organized and all, but rescuing two kittens two months before leaving Norway, knowing they can't stay here and I can't take them there (to Poland) was killing me. I saw no issues. So please, please do forgive me that I hesitated to write earlier but all I could write here was questions and not answers and noone needs to read long ramblings of a very stressed person ;-) I knew that the first days would be the hardest and that whatever decisions we would make, we needed time and rest to think clearly. For 2-3 days, H. refused to cooperate about taking decisions about the kittens, he was no less stressed than me and he was returning tired from work, so I only pushed him to some limits ;-)
Now, a DISCLAIMER for those of you who don't know my H. I think I just have to write it so you don't get a false impression. He has a heart of gold. He loves animals. He has this magical magnet built in him that makes the wildest cats approach, climb and sleep on him. He is also a zoologist (biologist) and he loves nature just like I do. BUT he also knows limits (I sometimes don't and let my heart guide me, that's how I once rescued Felek, our legendary late doggie, when I already had a german shepperd, all that in a small flat), he is reasonable (I am not and I most often see this as quality, not sure if it makes sense to you LOL!), and then he also raises very valid questions to which there is not an easy or cheap answer, and to which I always find unreasonable and expensive ways of solving the situation. Such as where to locate all the zoo when we travel - and especially I travel a lot. I still haven't done the final move to Norway and even if/when I move here on a permanent basis, there are more chances than not that I will keep free-lancing and flying out to visit my closest family in 3 different locations in Poland and Switzerland. My grand-mother is 100,5 years old, my aunt and father are aging etc. And there are vacations to think of. And both neighbors on both sides - H's uncle and his wife and H's mother HATE cats. In case of emergency, the uncle would obviously help - once Toska was here with H. and H. was taken suddenly to hospital (remember he had a very serious heart op' 3 years ago), the uncle visited Toska daily for two weeks to do the basics. She certainly felt alone, but she got food and all the rest. It was winter and snow, so he wasn't letting her out. However I think that H. can ask only for this extent of help and only on an exceptional basis. Also, here in Norway people tend not to bother others with their problems and try to find other ways than asking for help first.
And then there is Toska, the cat I took from a shelter 2,5 years ago. H's experience with her is not very enthusiastic. Obviously he accepts her and remarks how much she has changed for the better under my loving care, but she is NOT an affectionate cat. When upset, and she is (most) often upset, she can bite, scratch etc. Especially this summer, she spends all days and nights outdoor and only comes home to "charge the batteries" as we call it. All she wants from us is food and peace. And now that the kittens are here, she wants us around even less :). Toska will stay till her old days are over, but I was not lucky picking her and I love her like moms love a difficult teenager. But love, she doesn't give too much of it. Sometimes... :)
Now, to the kittens. We almost immediately decided that we would keep them (at least, I was saying...) till middle or end of August. There are dozens of adds about rescued and other home cats, dogs kittens to give away at this time of the year. Obviously, people (want to) get rid of them but talk of allergies, change of family situation, moving, new babies etc. Curiously, this all seems to happen in June and July!! So we decided to do the vet procedure, take them with us on the vacation we booked (that's going to be easy... hmpfffff.... 3 cats and a dog plus 2 bikes and the rest of the hiking stuff and a 7 hours drive each way...... don't ask me!) and take decisions later. From the first moment, we knew that we would only give them away (IF, that is)... to a very good home.
So, Huggy...
... and Felinek....
... got their first vaccines and health cards...
... more to come next week, and then rabbies (will tell why below) two weeks later, and then two weeks later... and the castration.... and the ID chips... So many vaccins and other treatments - IF they are will travel abroad... read further....
And that actually has gradually emerged as the MAIN problem. The whole procedure for TWO kittens will cost us over 1700 usd within 4 months. Add to this, litter (they "produce" quite a lot, if you ask me!!! we use bag after bag), kitten food, toys etc. They killed all the furry mice so we're on a mice diet for the moment, I can't buy some every day LOL! They LOVE playing. With everything. My mobile phone cable was particularly tasty so I don't have a cable anymore... aaargh! :)
Well, we argued A LOT about their future but I'll spare you that. Yes, those of you who wrote that you can't force your partner to accept unlimited numbers of pets are very right and I saw that point quite clear. It's just that I was totally panicked as to what to do.
AND - we totally love them, from the first second. We can't believe how anyone could get rid of them in such a cruel way. Now that I know them, I am absolutely sure they spent most of the day in that forest - and they were starved. They don't climb on us and jump now unless they're very hungry - which means they were already hungry that Monday.
We made sure that they are not "someone's" cats - it would have been quite a relief to find out we can drive them back somewhere. But first - our vet checked and they don't have implanted chips and second - see the map at the link HERE. We studies it well over the next days and it completely clear they were dumped there to die. As I wrote before, it's just wild and deep forest around. If you look at the map where all the lines meet at one point, more or less centrally, it is where we found them, directly at the borderline between Sweden and Norway. They were continuously crossing it :)
There is a small path from the main road to the lake to the upper left (west) - that's where the cabin we walked to is - desert. The other small path to the west just leads inside the forest. The only house you can find is far to the east - I mean, a few minutes by car, but clearly impossible for these two kittens to come from there.
I smiled at the vet - you were all right about their age, which shows clearly how much I knew about kittens (before I read a lot online now). They were **about** 4,5 months old, over 5 months old today, judging by the teeth they have. Most baby teeth gone, from what I understood. They look big when they "extend" but when they cuddle up, they are still tiny, tiny :)
And, I mean, they are adorable. Friendly, sociable, they love us and we love them. I mean, I love them to death and Hakon likes them - a lot. They are also very tied to each other and somewhat different. The grey one (Huggy) is insatiable when it comes to ideas - he makes things fall a lot, he jumps a lot, runs a lot, and loves to get love, but in reasonable amounts :) He prefers to sleep with small brother or alone. Now, the black one (Felinek) is playful, of course, but is also more calm, less brave in contacts with Toska, less courageous - AND he comes to sleep on our lap and to get hugs - a lot. He is a real love. He is so touching... but then I don't want to sound biased. When they both look at us with their sweet little eyes and give their little bellies to scratch, our hearts melt totally :)
They are exceptional, you see. We knew it from the first moment they run to us at the border. I don't have any experience with kittens, but I didn't imagine them so very used to people. Well, after my experience with Toska, I didn't imagine that there are cats who let you play with their paws and love it either!! So maybe they're my reward for all the pains she gave me initially? LOL
Okay, so before I write a whole book about the kids... Here are our options so far - they might change, but as of tonight, here's what we might do.
A - they both stay here. H. possibly tries to avoid it and well, I see that 3 cats and 1 dog is a lot in my chaotic schedules. Who knows, though. That decision will be made late in August.
B - IF I have to choose, I am keeping the black one. That is one sure thing. If WE don't keep both, I/we keep Felinek. He is too special. He is mine.
C - I got confirmation this week that either my aunt + my cousin and wife (who are building a house on the same property and are total cat lovers) will take both or one cat, or my other cousin + wife and kids (who live 5 minutes away) will take 1 or 2. What a relief!!! My aunt +++ had two dogs, the last one died not long ago, and she had many cats, currently 2 females and 2 males, all half indoor and half outdoor cats. One male is still sort of wild. The other cousin who lives nearby has a female dog and two male cats who fight with each other with ferocity since 2 years, so I'd really prefer it's my aunt and the other cousin who take my kitten(s). The only downside is that a busy road is close to the house and several of my aunt's cats perished killed by cars. Well, I think if I give away the kitten(s) to someone I don't well know here, there is the same chance it can get killed or given away at one moment, so this is an eventuality I sort of have to accept. Anything is better than dying in that forest, right?? Plus, 1 or both will get total love and care with a family who is very fond of animals and used to having lots of them. My cousin and wife rescued 2 black kittens 2 years ago at a parking but the male (Felinek looks almost the same as him) died killed by a car and the female died of unknown reasons last year, she was always sort of weak.
For the rest - either I stay here till December - that's how long the veterinary procedure will take with a short trip to Poland, or H. will have to take care of them till then. If they travel abroad, the kittens need rabbies shots twice and then an expensive blood test, passports etc.
So, the general plan is set up, the details will have to be worked out within August... All this is going to cost extremely much, but when you're like me.... with the job slump I experience, this is a real problem. I took the decision to go on stash diet till next spring - if that's the price I have to pay to give the best I can to these cat babies, then be it. I am ready to do it. I'll also probably try to sell a big part of my stash on ebay at one moment to cover the costs. If it has to be that way, it will be so!
I will of course keep you updated when details become more clear. Felinek will be mine, I just need to get H's acceptance, sort of, but I think it shouldn't be too hard. Huggy, I don't know... If I don't manage to keep him here, he'll have the best home possible in Poland with my family. (I forgot to add, for the sake of clarity, that I really can't keep 3 cats and a dog in my very small flat in Warsaw - especially because Toska will chase them like mad and especially because the two kittens would have a hard life there, plus Huggy would ruin the place in two days LOL! I can already visualize both of them running in the room... not!)
Now, I'm sure you know more than you wanted to know! :)
Don't they look....
.... adorable?
Here, playing with Happy - who seems to actually enjoy their company and sometimes plays with them! He is absolutely terrified of Toska, but then who is not... ;-)
Here Happy licked Huggy on the head and patted him ;-)
... and then told H. that well, they could stay, after all!
He shares his bowls with them sometimes...
... and let them rest...
... so they can play afterwards! (the toy was temporary, we got them real ones soon after)
THANK YOU SO MUCH, friends!!! Everything seems to work out well, slowly, now if we could only win the lotto to cover the costs!
Oh and please don't mind the ugly old wallpapers and floors etc., we're keeping the zoo downstairs in what once was the grand-parents' part of the house and which will be totally refurbished one day... but they can ruin it to their liking (says me, H. doesn't agree! LOL)
