Things that soften my heart that happen out of the blue.
Let me give you a preface to this post.
I have always been allergic to cats and disliked them honestly speaking. So, that said let me share my story without judgement until you have read it all.
On Thursday 10-16-2025 when I went outside in shorts and flip flops with the temp around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the late morning early afternoon. Something small and furry ran up to my feet and began to rub and purr circling my feet. I looked down knowing it had to be a cat but how and why I have zero neighbors for one square mile in any direction. I live on a very rural farm. It was a little creme colored kitten purring up a storm as it rubbed against my feet. I tried to move away from it at first and walked off like it did not matter but the little thing just followed and purred like crazy. So, I stopped and watched it for a bit trying to figure where it came from and what should I do with it. Then it stopped weaving around me and looked up at me as it coughed and sneezed. That is when compassion filled my heart (Thank you God) I picked it up and petted it and tried to clean its face. The Kitten had mucous coming out of its eyes and nose, and I knew immediately it was sick, that it came to me the only human within miles that could find help for it. I put old pillowcases in a pet carrier I had with food and water it would not eat but drank water. I called my daughter that is in college to become a veterinarian, and she works at a vet clinic four hours' drive one way from my farm and sent her pictures of the kitten. (I will attach the pics). She was in classes but responded that it needed antibiotics badly and that if we met halfway somewhere that she would help and the vet clinic would help by donating the antibiotics. So, I changed clothes and drove the kitten in the pet carrier two hours north to meet my daughter for dinner and to give her the kitten. My daughter took the kitten home and gave it a bath then my daughter took the kitten to the vet the very next morning 10-17-2025 before classes and they began the antibiotics. The poor kitten passed away on Monday 10-20-2025.
I tried and felt terrible for the little thing. I had already named her creamer because of her color and loving my coffee (Hot and Black though) and was making plans to build her a warm home in the barn and having her spade. I even bought new allergy medication for me to stave off the allergic reactions to the little Creamer Kitten.
That is when I felt God had tested me and my heart and used the kitten to soften my heart though the kitten passed away.
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Aww. Kitties are so cute, but I am severely allergic. I cant be in a room with them and I cant touch them...and I want to.
We have hay barns with about 25-30 feral cats in each, keeping rodents and snakes away. Everything in the wild (predators) enjoys a kitty dinner. We trap a lot of them and move them to other barns. They are just as wild and vicious as a bobcat...and we want them to be that way.
@TexChik Totally understand believe me. My eyes swell shut, and I hack and cough. But this kitten made me try. She was going to be an outside mouser if she made it for sure.
I totally get the Ferrel cat(s) deal too. This Kitten had to be Ferrell but came to me for help.
@WillaKissing We cant catch them all, and if we feed them treated food they stop eating rats and mice...But the ones we catch we ( a hired hand with protective gear) vaccinate them and give them some kitty vitamins.
@TexChik There are quite few ferals in this neighborhood. There are 3 of us that I know of that are caring for them. I have taken 3 to the animal shelter in the past couple of years. Wanted to catch more. They’ll vaccinate, deworm,and have them spayed or neuter. And put them up for adoption. If they don’t get adopted after so long they have a barn cat program. At the last resort they’ll clip an ear and release them back in the neighborhood. They’ll catch mice and snakes. I don’t know if they’ve gotten any rattlesnakes though. The hoarder couple that lived 3 houses down from us moved out due to getting tired of dealing with rattlesnakes and mice. The rattlesnakes were breeding and nesting in their walls. The buyer had to rehab that house and remove the Sheetrock to capture the snakes. There is a young yellow male cat with big swirls who is beautiful, sweet and quite a character. I wish I could take him in but have birds plus I don’t need to be cleaning litter boxes due to cancer. I want to find him a good home, he is too precious to be fighting the bully cat from down the street.
@cherokeepatti We had king snakes and indigo snakes brought in because the farm was crawling with them. I later found some state and federal reimbursement for using biological control for our pest problems.
My neighbor out there (veterinarian) found drops that we could put in water pans in the barns to deworm the cats.
@WillaKissing I was happy they moved even before I heard why they did. That man was obnoxious. We got a new freezer and Ray and his friends were unloading it and bringing into the garage. That old man stood at the very end of his driveway wearing only shorts and shoes with his big gut hanging out staring the entire time at them. Like they were handing stolen goods or nosy about what we had gotten. That was just one thing. I was having a yard sale and some of the neighbors came & sat down and chatted. I asked them if they had seen anything suspect in the neighborhood. And that I woke up at 5:00 a.m. one morning and heard someone opening our front storm door like they were trying to get inside. I called the police to report it. Anyway a couple hours later this neighbor came over and had a handgun and showed it me saying he was protecting the neighborhood. Made me nervous because he was handling it and showing it off. I don’t think people who don’t know you well should be doing that and he seemed unbalanced anyway. And the people I know that have guns don’t show off or brag about it.
@TexChik Do you buy those drops over the counter or have to get them through the vet? I wouldn’t mind doing that. I have some dewormer I use for a couple of cats but have to make them take their dose in separate plates and it’s hard to keep them from sharing the same food. And then do it again about 10 days or so later.
@cherokeepatti She ordered it for me, but I bet your vet would have an idea of what would work and get you some. They can get water from the farm's ponds, but the hawks, owls, and coyotes are hunting them. When the babies get used to the taste in the water, then they will drink it for life. The coons around there look healthy too!
