Shaggy survivors hanging on after Katrina

MSNBC.com ^ | 11/3/2005 | Kim Campbell Thornton

[green pastures]

More than two months after Hurricane Katrina blew in, animals are still being found alive in New Orleans, pulled out of attics and from beneath flooring or off of the streets, where they’ve been surviving on sheer will and the kindness of strangers who leave food for them.

Some are little more than skin wrapped around bones. Starving, dehydrated and depressed, they still greet people trustingly, perhaps somehow recognizing that they represent salvation from their utterly bewildering circumstances.

[HairOfTheDog]

We just got back from vetting the kittens (now named Tweek and Pippin)… They had ear mites and worms, some fleas, a mild nose and eye cold, and they’re too young to vaccinate, maybe 4-5 weeks instead of 6+. So they’ll have to go back in a couple more weeks for their first round of shots.

This was their little travel bag for the vet trip.

Tweek having her ears medicated…

Yesterday I had a mother, and my life was better.

Pippin is just overwhelmed by the humiliation of it all…

They aren’t really eating as much as they probably should, so we bought some milk replacer and some canned food to see if they’ll lap that up better.

[teenyelliott]

The thing I have noticed in all of your photos is that they seem to have sad eyes. They don't look like they feel very good. I'm sure with some time and some lovin, they'll be just fine. Poor babies. They are too young to be away from their momma.

Those little buggers would be sleeping on my pillow!

[HairOfTheDog]

The black one is a pretty eager, happy kitty, the white one always looks frightened, that's why we named her Tweek. ;~D

They like their crate at the moment, the scary dogs are outside it, and the scary big kitty. They're exhausted from the trip to the vets but they'll have to come out for some more couch time in an hour or so :~D

[teenyelliott]

Well, they are just adorable. Congratulations.

[caryatid]

Yesterday I had a mother, and my life was better.:

Little Darlin', you just don't realize yet that you have a new "Mommy" ... and your life will be better than you ever dreamed of.

[HairOfTheDog]

Heh... in time, maybe she'll think better of it all :~D

[teenyelliott]

I just had to post his picture I found!

[Serb5150]

Your kittens are just adorable, thank you so much for posting these pics!

[Fire_on_High]

Ha! I've got a half-Siamese girl now, and they're just ebil :-)

The other 2 (a male half-Korat and a female calico) both play wild games of chase and make trouble then wait to watch it being discovered. She'll sit demurely and watch at the sidelines, most of the time...a perfect little lady...or so she wants you to think!

She'll wait til no one is looking then grab something...clothes set aside for the next day are a particular source of feline delight...and haul it to the floor with a swat then drag it around. She also has a fondness for Nerd Ropes that hubby leaves unattended.

She just purrs when I call her my little blue-eyed devil :P

[pissant]

Lotsa shaggy cats & dogs. Good thing we all have a soft spot for eels too.

[teenyelliott]

I've had a few siamese in my day, and my parents have a lavender point right now. They are great cats, BUT they are obnoxious little devils, and they never shut up! My God, I don't know how my parents can stand it. The one they have is never, ever quiet unless she is sleeping. She is so beautiful and sweet, though.

Siamese are good cats, but not for the person who just wants a plain ol kitty. They certainly have strong personalities!

Calicos, OTOH, are my favorite. I just lost my sweet little soul mate kitty a couple of years ago to bone cancer. Still makes me cry. She was something else.

[Fire_on_High]

Precious the Paw isn't too mouthy of a cat, esp for being part Siamese. She'll mew for attention but she sounds more like a tiny kitten than a Siamese.

Now the other two...well...someone needs to teach them how to meow. They chirp, trill, merf and occasionally purr...but normal meows are extremely rsre. Oddly enought the calico made normal kitty sounds for the first week or so that we had her, but then picked up on all the sounds Catastrophe makes and mimics them.

For whatever reason she's quite accurate in both sound and context....the sounds mean exactly the same from her as from Cat near as we can tell. Her previous owner says she always just meowed like a regular cat before this!

[shaggy eel]

Good thing we all have a soft spot for eels too.

,,, thanx for the reassurance - it's the hard spots that get me in a panic.