Hello folks!

Yes, it’s true, we have added another kitty to the family.  Her name is Katya and we think she’s a Russian Blue mix, hence the name.

As to why she stinks, it’s not her fault.  And she doesn’t stink as much today as she did yesterday.  Here’s the story.

We went looking for Russian Blues because the hubster has a cat allergy.  The tabbies that we had before Buffy made his eyes itch and burn. So, we researched hypoallergenic cats and found the Russian Blues.

On to Petfinder to see if there were any in the area. Yes, one in Washburn, WI, one in Neenah, WI, one in Chicago, and one in Mandan, SD.

Hmmmmm.  When we contacted the shelter in Washburn, we found a wonderful vet named Gretchen who told us that Comet( the group she came in with were named after Santa’s reindeer) was in deed still there and she had ringworm which was nearly gone.  Ringworm is not a worm but a fungus. (Judy, there’s a fungus amongus!)

I then learned about the process of taking care of the ringworm which involves dipping the cat into a bath of Lime Sulfur liquid every 4-5 days and letting her air dry.

And that, my friends is why she stinks!  Otherwise she’s a honey.

Well, as you can imagine, at that point we were wondering just how much a purebred Russian Blue  costs.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I think the nearest breeder is in Kansas City and it costs at least $400 just to have the cat  prepared to be picked up at the airport.  That means you fly down to KC, pick up the cat, and head back to MN.  The price of the cat itself was not listed, but they were taking ORDERS for the 2014 kittens!!!!!!!!

And, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that when the price isn’t listed, it’s HIGH!!!!

Dipping a kitten in a lime sulfur dip didn’t seem so bad after that.

Well, now there are other things that go along with the dip: isolating the cat, washing your hands after touching her, changing clothes after you play with her, washing those clothes right away, having a separate pair of slippers to wear in the cat room, and special meds / supplements. And let’s just say that I’ll have a lot of practice vacuuming and dusting.  The vet said to think of the spores from the ringworm as dust that needs not to be spread.

So, I’m set with my Hepa filter vacuum cleaner, my microstatic cleaning cloths,  my dry Swiffers mop refills, and my bottle of bleach.

And my new little kitty, Katya, who purrs to beat the band!

The vet had three more Blues if we wanted more.  Remembering Buffy the Destroyer at home, we graciously declined.

When I asked where all these Blues were coming from, she said they had come from another shelter which had rescued them from a “breeder/hoarder.”  That’s so sad.

She is so skinny, too, even though she eats voraciously. And sitting alone in a kennel was not good for her, either.  So, we’re glad we drove up to Washburn and back yesterday. Especially since the precip that’s coming down today is so greasy.  I nearly went through an intersection coming back from Target this morning.  Greasy skid stuff.

I do need to thank my cat sitter, Kelsey, who is making this all possible by taking care of the kitties while we are in MI.  THANKS, KELSEY!!!!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And where is Buffy in all this?  Many times, she is right outside the door, wondering what is in that room!  We are going to do this introduction very slowly and won’t get started until well after New Years.  There are suggestions on the Net as to  how to introduce the younger kitten to the older, more established cat. I intend to follow them.

Travel safely today!

Love,

Janet