Barn Cat Buddies

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY C.J.

Wordy Wednesday

Today is our youngest sister, Calista Josette’s, birthday. Before we get on with her party, we wanted to share a baby picture of C.J.

dilute calico kitten in chair

At the time Calista joined our family, she was tiny and made our itty bitty cat, Astrid, look like a giant. As you will see in C.J.’s birthday photo, she’s no longer a little girl.

dilute calico cat wearing birthday crown

We’ve all heard a rumor that presents will be forthcoming later today. We don’t know what they are, but C.J. has promised to share.

Now we’d like you to join our little party for the birthday girl and enjoy some cake and nip bubbly. Of course, Mau made the cake in his Cat Scouts Bake Shop. We also have lemonade for the youngsters.

🎈HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALISTA JOSETTE!🎈

Though we have been a bit wordy today, we are joining the Wordless Wednesday blog hops.

Purrs, paw-pats and love, angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR WITH A GUEST SELFIE

Sunday Selfies: Week #125

As Kitties Blue embark on a new year, we’d like to wish all our followers, friends and supporters a new year that brings each of you only good things. This past year was overly sad for us and many of you. Our resolution for 2017 is to put on happy faces and try to look ahead with positive attitudes.

We wanted to begin 2017 by doing something special, so today we are introducing you to a friend and giving her the honor of guest hosting the first Sunday Selfies blog hop of the new year. And here she is now.

We’d like you to meet Allie. Look at that gorgeous face! Allie is a seven-year-old, bi-eyed, short-haired, white-furred beauty. She lost her elderly person and went through a grieving process but now is ready for her new home. She is in a wonderful Barn Cat Buddies foster home, but it is not her first one. We’d so love for her to have a New Year’s miracle and find the loving, forever home she deserves.

Allie would make a great companion for a senior person. She loves to snuggle at night and sleep next to her person in bed. She is a little shy at first but once she realizes you are kind and gentle, she will respond with head butts and affection.

Allie is fearful of other cats, so if you have a quiet home with no other cats or possibly just one other, you and Allie would be a purrfect fit!

Allie is house trained, spayed and current on her vaccinations. She is currently located in Hardy, Virginia.

If you think you or someone you know would be interested in Allie, please leave us a comment. We can send you additional photos as well as her contact information.

This is our Sunday Selfies blog hop, and we’d love for you to join in the fun. All anipals are welcome. We do not discriminate! “Come one, come all,” we say! To join the hop, use the link below. You may want to add the hop to your blog as well. If so, the code is below. If you do this, would you please be so kind as to add our badge to your post and/or link to The Cat on My Head. And don’t forget: The hop remains open for entries through Thursday at midnight.

Thanks for a great year, dear friends. We wish everyone a happy and blessed 2017.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, mauricio, Misty May, giulietta, Angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Mom Janet and Dad Tom

January 1, 2017 by Janet Blue Animal Rescue Barn Cat Buddies Kitty Written Blog Rescue Sunday Selfies 52

STEEL MILL CAT RESCUE UPDATE & BP SWAG WINNER

On July 5, Kitties Blue told you about cats living at a steel mill. You can read their post here. These kitties needed to be rescued, and I had a comment-a-thon and pledged $1 for each comment to raise funds to help with the process. A donation of $60 was made thanks to all those who commented.

Here’s an update from Barn Cat Buddies with the good news of what has occurred during the last three weeks.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Our BlogPaws Conference Swag Winner

I am happy to announce that the winners of our BlogPaws Conference swag surprise package are good friends, Angel, Isabella and Mom Sharla from the delightful blog, Beaded Tail. We’ll leave it to them to show off what’s in their package after they receive it!

See you tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.

July 25, 2016 by Janet Blue Barn Cat Buddies Giveaway Rescue 26

THE LONGEST THIRTEEN PLUS TWO DAYS EVER

BlogPaws Booty Bonanza

Remember that BlogPaws Conference loot we were waiting for UPS to deliver? Well, it finally arrived last Friday evening. Then it sat for two days before Mom even opened it, turning 13 days into 15. Was it worth the wait? Yep! You bet! We have a little slideshow to show y’all a good portion of the booty. (To read the captions, do not have your cursor over or near slideshow.)

[slideshow_deploy id=’21477′]

Even though there are eight of us kitties, Mom says we cannot possibly keep all these goodies. She packed some toys and treats up today for cat sitter/housekeeper Chris’s kitty, Tinsley. She also gave him the zebra-striped cardboard cat cube we won from the Cat Style Lounge in 2015. She says we are running out of room with the addition of the pink kitty cube won this year. This was meant to be C.J.’s birthday gift, but she hasn’t even had the opportunity to try it yet. Mau and Astrid have found it to their liking.

Next Mom will let Mauricio and Lisbeth select some things to send to their significant others, Allie and Charles. After that she’ll put together a prize package to give away on our fourth blogoversary (Thursday, July 21). She’s also going to put some things aside for our local no-kill shelter, Angels of Assisi.

The only things we know we get to keep are the pink cube and the Original Hide and Sneak (craft paper cat tunnel) won from The Cat Style Lounge. Mom says that she also will be keeping all cleaning and odor relief products. And she’ll be letting us try the various foodables to see if there is anything the picky girls, Giulietta and Fiona, like.

Future posts will report on and review the products Mom received directly from Conference sponsors.

We are happy that our humans are generous with other kitties, but we certainly have our paws crossed that we will get to keep at least a couple of the toys. After being abandoned for five days, it seems only fair. Don’t you think? We’ll keep you posted.

Donation to Barn Cat Buddies

Thanks to everyone who commented on our post about the the steel mill kitties, Mom has donated $60 to our friends at Barn Cat Buddies to help rescue these poor cats. If you missed our post, “Please Help Our Barn Cat Buddies Friends,” you can read it here. If you can afford even a few green papers, you can make a donation directly to Barn Cat Buddies by visiting their site. We’d like to thank our dear friend Marjorie from Dash Kitten for doing just that. If anyone else has done so as well, please accept our heartfelt thanks.

To Catch a Cat Giveaway

If you missed yesterday’s post, Mom reviewed this heartwarming book of kitten rescue by Heather Green. She has three copies to give away and is willing to mail worldwide. To have the opportunity to win, leave a comment on yesterday’s post. There’s a link at the bottom of this post. Winners will be selected using random.org.

If you visited yesterday prior to 10:30 a.m., you missed some really darling photos of the kittens. The publisher sent them to us after our post was published. Mom added them after several readers had visited and commented.

That’s it for us today. See y’all tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

July 12, 2016 by Janet Blue Barn Cat Buddies BlogPaws Conference Giveaway Kitty Written Blog 19

LILY OLIVIA: PEWTER PET ART

Caturday Art Blog Hop

Lily Olivia is entering Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty’s Caturday Art Blog Hop. Today’s entry was created by using posterize in Picasa and the Pewter filter from Dreamscope. The frame is from PhotoFaceFun.

As you can see, the original photo, taken in my suitcase, was super blurry. In this case, I believe that helped make the finished art more interesting. Lily O. hopes you like it.

This is our submission in Athena’s Blog Hop. To enter your own art and/or view the other submissions, click on Athena’s badge.

Helping Our Barn Cat Buddies Friends

A few days ago, I wrote about the plight of some kitties living at a steel mill. The TNR/Rescue group, Barn Cat Buddies, with which Tom and I volunteer are trying to rescue and find “homes” for these cats. To help out with funds, I am having a comment-a-thon to benefit the steel mill kitties. If you haven’t left a comment on my original post, you can do so by clicking here. I will be donating $1 for each comment made prior to 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, July 10.

If you can spare a few green papers, you can donate by visiting the Barn Cat Buddies web-site (link in header). If you cannot help monetarily, please share, share, share on social media. I really appreciate those of you who are already doing this. Thanks!

Sunday Selfies Blog Hop

Tomorrow will mark our 100th Sunday Selfie Blog Hop. Fiona will be your host. She has been rather puny lately. She has an appointment with our vet, Dr. Neel, on Tuesday. I am hoping to get the okay to give her the appetite stimulant more often. In addition to being here tomorrow, she’ll report on her vet visit and CKD on Thursday.

She hopes you’ll join her tomorrow.

July 9, 2016 by Janet Blue Animal Rescue Barn Cat Buddies Caturday Art Blog Hop Comment-a-thon 16

BLACK CATS & SKY DIVING

Friendly Fill-Ins, Week 9

1. Giving fluids to Fiona all by myself was easier than I expected.

2. Bucket list:

1. Go Sky Diving

2. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

3. Take one of the Kitties Blue to the 2017 BlogPaws Conference

3. I cannot believe the number of senseless killings and terrorism attacks that are happening around the world. It truly breaks my heart.

4. If I could win the lottery (which I don’t play) or come into some money in another way, I would open a Black Cat Sanctuary.

My additions to the fill-in sentences are printed in teal italics.

This is a blog hop hosted by Ellen from 15 And Meowing and Annie from McGuffy’s Reader. You can enter your link by visiting Annie’s Fill-In post.

Helping Our Barn Cat Buddies Friends

The TNR/Rescue group, Barn Cat Buddies, with which Tom and I volunteer support and care for four kitty colonies and now are trying to rescue a group of cats living at a steel mill. We want to give a shout-out and huge T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U to Yvonne DiVita (Scratchings and Sniffings) for writing a post to let her followers know about the plight of these cats. If you haven’t, please leave a comment on our post as we are having a comment-a-thon to benefit the Steel Mill kitties.

You can donate by visiting the Barn Cat Buddies web-site (link in header.) If you cannot help monetarily, please share, share, share on social media.

Thank you so much.

Lily Olivia will be here tomorrow for the Caturday Art Blog Hop.

July 8, 2016 by Janet Blue Barn Cat Buddies Comment-a-thon Friendly Friday Fill-Ins Rescue 14

SOME KITTY STOLE THIS LAKE’S FISHIES!

Please click on the link below this post to go to yesterday’s post and leave a comment. We are having a comment-a-thon to help C.J.’s, Lisbeth’s and my alma mater, Barn Cat Buddies, save kitties living at a steel mill. If you can, please share on your social media as well.

Many thanks, Astrid

July 6, 2016 by Janet Blue Barn Cat Buddies Comment-a-thon Kitty Written Blog Rescue Wordless Wednesday 26

PLEASE HELP OUR BARN CAT BUDDIES FRIENDS

This was not the post we planned for today, but some of our furry friends need your help. If you are regular followers, you know that Barn Cat Buddies is the alma mater of Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo. This is also the TNR/Rescue our humans support and for which they volunteer.

Barn Cat Buddies, Inc.

PO Box 111

Salem, Va 24101

540 344-8707 ext. 3

The Roanoke Steel Mill Cats…

We recently received a call from a very concerned young lady working at a Roanoke steel mill. Nine years ago this kind cat caretaker sterilized and vaccinated several adult cats living at the mill. In addition she found homes for over 60 kittens.

She did an amazing job but as it sometimes happens,

one pregnant cat eluded her & now there are

more cats and kittens residing at the mill !

Cat, one of our Barn Cat Buddies Co-Presidents,

was invited to tour the facility.

Imagine her surprise when she was required to suit up in steel toed shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat !

Nothing Prepared Her for What Came Next…

…She witnessed cats darting between massive, ‘heated’ steel plates, some racing to avoid

a huge industrial magnet that could come down

killing them instantly,

and living with ear splitting noise

from machines running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

After witnessing the living conditions of these animals,

Cat knew B.C.B had to find a way to rescue

as many animals as possible.

But Here Lies Our Challenge:

We have taken in so many ear tipped cats

from shelters this season that there is literally

” NO ROOM AT THE INN “

We DESPERATELY NEED the public’s help

in adopting the MILL CATS

to barns or other non-traditional homes.

Once we have a plan, we can start trapping.

Cat says: “This was an amazing experience…one

I hope never to repeat. The cats living in this active

steel mill are a resilient bunch deserving of a future.”

If you can take in a pair of Mill Cats, please go to barncatbuddies.org & fill out an application.

If you cannot help please share this email with others…

And as always, financial help would be

greatly appreciated.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts…

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Barn Cat Buddies

PO Box 111 Salem, VA 24153

(540) 344-8707 ext. 3

We know most of our readers do not live in our area, but even if you can’t help physically, any amount of green papers would help. You can visit the Barn Cat Buddies web-site to donate. Barn Cat Buddies is a 501(c)3 organization, and all donations are tax deductible.

In an attempt to help these furiends, we are going to make this a comment-a-thon. Our mom will donate $1 for every comment left on this post prior to Sunday, July 10, at 5 p.m. ET. So please tell everyone you know to leave a comment as she is not putting a cap on the amount.

Thank you, friends!

Purrs and paw-pats, Barn Cat Buddies alumnae, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

July 5, 2016 by Janet Blue Animal Rescue Barn Cat Buddies Comment-a-thon Kitty Written Blog 59

WELCOME TO C.J.’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Today the youngest member of the Kitties Blue clan, Calista Jo, celebrates her fourth birthday. The first photo shows her in October 2012 shortly after our humans adopted her from Barn Cat Buddies (BCB).

Mom saw C.J. with her two tabby sisfurs at a BCB adoption event. It was love at first sight. However, another couple was looking at C.J. and asking about adopting her. When Mom left the event she asked C.J.’s foster mom (also Astrid’s first foster mom) to let her know if the other people did not adopt Calista. They didn’t, and Foster Mom Diane delivered C.J. to the our house. Diane knew our dad couldn’t say, “no,” if C.J. was already here. So, y’all know the outcome. We got a new sisfur!

Calista’s sisfurs became foster fails and are permanent members of Mom Diane’s anipal family.

As she usually does, C.J. asked for a Princess Party. Of course, Mom could not refuse her. She does make a super cute princess.

Princess Calista Josette

Mau spent a good portion of Father’s Day at his Bake Shop at Cat Scouts making some sweet goodies for our sisfur.

Of course, we have lots of other great noms for all the party attendees: roasted chicken, grilled shrimpies, lobster tails, steak, sushi, nip, grilled salmon, flavored iced teas and tropical cocktails. Please help yourselves.

Calista Jo already received a lovely birthday card. She even got a promotion to Queen from the senders, Toby’s Wrecking Crew. She sends her sincere thanks to these very good friends.

C.J. will not be receiving any gifts today. Mom has promised her first pick of any loot she and Dad bring home from the BlogPaws Conference. Calista said that sounded like a good deal to her.

♥HAPPY BIRTHDAY WITH LOVE CALISTA JO♥

Purrs and paw-pats from your fursibs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid and Lisbeth

June 20, 2016 by Janet Blue Barn Cat Buddies Birthday 41

TOO, TOO CUTE BABY PHOTOS

We are having a Flashback Friday this week, but it’s not of a long ago post. It is a flashback to some baby photos. We just got our paws on them after our foster mom, Xan, posted them on Facebook. These are just three of the bunch.

Did you recognize us? We were pretty cute, don’tcha think? Mom’s fairly certain the Astrid photo is the one she fell in love with on PetFinder. It was those little kissable lips that grabbed at her heart.

As y’all know, we are no longer friends. It makes our mom so sad. She’d like all of us Kitties Blue to like each other and be a nice little family. It ain’t gonna happen…EVER! She and Dad will have to content themselves with us loving them.

As Mom types this, six of us are hunkered down in bed with both Dad and her. By the time you read this, the snow that is coming probably will have started to bury our little city. We are in the center of the area where power is most likely to be lost. That means no heated floors or any other heat for that matter. That’s why we’ve staked out our places on the bed and only plan to get up for meals.

If you are in the path of Jonas (That’s the name of this monster storm.) we hope you have hunkered down as well. Tell your humans to stay indoors where they can remain safe and warm. It’s going to be a great day or two to curl up and cuddle with you.

Purrs and paw-pats, Astrid and Lisbeth

p.s. Fiona asked us to thank everyone for the continued purrs, prayers, POTP and good wishes. This is the most wonderful community of caring and loving individuals.

January 22, 2016 by Janet Blue Astrid & Lisbeth Barn Cat Buddies Flashback Friday Kitty Written Blog Sisters 28

YOU
For Fiona

It seems like only yesterday…
You were just a kitten.
When I saw your pleading look,
I was completely smitten.

Now at only six years old,
You are getting ready to leave,
Soon you will have your wings.
I’ve already started to grieve.

You’ve fought hard for the past year,
And I’m not ready to say good-bye.
I can’t imagine you not in my life
I am so sad…today I had to cry.

I am grateful and blessed
For my six years with you.
You’ll live in my heart forever.
You’re one of the best ever Kitties Blue.

YESTERDAY

Many yesterdays have passed since
You gained your angel wings. Today
Is six months since you left us behind
To remember and mourn. Our hearts
Continue to hurt, and we miss
You as much as the day you left.
Giulietta whined from the catio
Yesterday as I worked in the yard.
I know you put her up to it. That
Was your way of getting me to,
Allow you to join me as I
Gardened. You were there with me
In spirit. With every meow
I thought of you and how much I miss
Your sweet face and disposition.
In these past few months, many friends
Have traveled your same path in your
paw-steps. I am certain you were
Waiting to greet them with purrs and hugs.
I pray you and your friends are laughing,
Frolicking and having fun together.
Picturing that makes me smile, but
Does not lessen my sadness at your
No longer being here to snuggle
And receive our love, care and kisses.
Fiona, please do not ever forget
You are still and always will be loved.

ONE YEAR MISSING YOU

One year has passed since you flew away,
And I still think of you everyday.
I see your sweet face in my mind’s eye
And wish we’d never had to say good-bye.
It’s nice you’ve sent us kitties needing a family,
But my dearest love, we are now at capacity.
You thought it would take more than one cat
To take your place in our habitat.
We love Cooper Murphy and baby Sawyer dearly
But thinking either could replace you makes me teary.
You were one-of-a-kind and will stay in my heart
Until the day I join you and we’re no longer apart.
When once again I can hold you in my arms
And revel in all your love and feline charms.
Together with you and all who have passed.
I will spend eternity contemplating how blessed
I was to share my life with my furry children,
Each and every one of you one-in-a billion.

UNTIL

I miss you each day.
Until we meet in heaven,
The pain will remain.

ONE OF A KIND

I don’t know how to say good-bye.
I thought you were invincible; though,
You used up many of your nine lives.
You ruled us all with an iron paw;
Never took “no” for an answer
And always got your way.
If not, you’d bark to signal your
Displeasure and sometimes raise a paw.
I always joked that you were bi-polar.
When I told people you were a calico
They immediately understood what I meant.
Today was unnaturally quiet in the house.
Can a home seem empty with eight cats?
I will miss waking up at night to find you
Sitting next to me and staring at me.
I will miss you yelling at us as you did
When you wanted breakfast and dinner.
I will miss watching you lounging and snoozing
On the porch settee on a warm afternoon.
But most of all I will miss your kisses!
When kitten Sawyer befriended you,
We suspect you were imparting your
Wisdom and secrets for controlling us.
Time will tell if he was a good listener.
But whatever he may have learned,
Neither Sawyer nor any other cat
Can or will replace you in our hearts.
Lily Olivia, you were one-of-a-kind.