Sometimes I feel like everyday there is a collection of puzzles delivered to our email boxes. We open mails, decode, and begin tossing around possibilities for solutions...Inevitably the most workable being the ever elusive time machine. Not sure if it's the cold weather (or fumes from the kerosene heater), but my brain is set on slow motion these days, and puzzles aren't actually my strong suit anyway. Luckily, we have Susan (HEART) and Isabella (Animal Friends) to call and bounce ideas off, and generally there's a least one of us, on any given day, that is somehow clear-headed. We are, all of us, running around with a daily list of problems to solve, and are constantly asking for or offering ideas for solutions. We ignore the obviously impossible (getting a bit more sleep) and the far-fetched (again with the time machine), generally going straight for the tried and true (try another litter box and a new type of litter?). 

Cosmo and Cho-cho are doing well in their first home experiences in foster care. These long time shelter veterans were waiting for their time in the sunny spot of someone's sofa, and we really hope that this will be a springboard for future permanent homes. It's hard to know how kitties will do in real homes, after living so long in the shelter environment, so it's good news that they have settled in and everything seems to be going well so far. Cosmo (FIV+) has some mouth problems that Jesse noticed, so hopefully it can be cleared up without too much difficulty. We have some very sweet adult kitties that are still waiting for their chances, and we are always on the look out for good foster placements. 

4 to homes in Tokyo today...Mornington Crescent and Jamie to one home in the Tokyo area, Merlin and Ninja to another. Initial reports are all good, so hoping the kitties continue to settle into their new lives happily. I'm sure their foster care folks are missing them tonight--what sacrifices of the heart these wonderful people make to save little lives, love them, and then send them on their way. Trudi, who fostered Morn and Jamie, took the gang all the way out to Tokyo, and her two on to their new home there. Cheryl met Trudi at the station to pick up/deliver Merlin and Ninja. Very grateful for the big help, in saving David the long trip! Still have another few homes to fill in Tokyo, so will be planning another trip out in the very near future. Also thrilled to hear that the adoption we helped to facilitate for Shinji, the last of 3 very needy little kittens rescued by an English teacher last May, worked out well. 

Chelsea (the older one), began losing weight a week or so ago. We had her blood tested twice, with nothing definitive showing up. We expected kidney problems, since she's also been dehydrated and drinking a lot, but her kidney numbers are normal. She's now eating very little and we're giving her daily drips along with syringe food. It's so frustrating not knowing what's wrong--the vet has no idea at this point. This is not the first time that Chelsea has puzzled the vets...she stayed in foster care for a while in 2009, and her foster mom was concerned about the level of crying as well as on and off vomiting. After many tests, the vets found no problems that would point to any serious issue, and when Chelsea returned to the shelter, she seemed to settle back in OK. We thought her issues might just be related to relocation anxiety. However in light of the problems now, we have to wonder if this is somehow related. I can only hope that the picture becomes clearer, and that we can keep her going in the meantime. Chopper, who came in with an upper respiratory infection, is still struggling with a relapse following his recent neutering. He's doing better after a couple of trips to the vet for antibiotic injections, and we're finally seeing him put some weight on, which is a great relief. His favorite place to curl up for a nap, when visiting the house area, is on the laptop computer keyboard--my excellent excuse for putting my work off! Which might explain why I'm now up at 4:00am working on my blog.

David and I have both been feeling under the weather with colds...'tis the season, I guess, as I keep hearing a lot of coughing and sneezing everywhere I go. Need to shut down for a few days and get some rest! Day off tomorrow, so am pinning my hopes on that. Did get two new cat towers put up this week, with help from veteran tower builder Louise. Thank goodness for that...I can't imagine how long it would have taken me to figure those instructions out on my own. The kitties are already loving the towers, which replaced the two that they had previously loved to a very ragged state. Found on a lucky half-off sale, the new ones look like a lot more fun, with ladders and a variety of resting places. First pictures...