Grass, Fences, and an Update!

Dear Diary
My hooman 'Auntie M' came from California to visit us. Oh, I just luv her and was sad to see her have to go.
I followed her out to the backyard on Friday. I have never seen this stuff called grass before. It tickled and felt funny on my feet. *giggles* The new smells and fresh air made me feel so frisky. I couldn't help myself, I started zooming all over the yard. My meomy got stressed that I shouldn't be out there, but my Auntie M pointed out to her that I was having so much fun. My meomy couldn't disagree, she had never seen me that full of life and happy, so she let me continue to race around.
I got to running so fast one time that I sailed right over the fence! Meomy fureaked out and kept scolding me to come back over. Wow that was cool, I was never able to get over the fence out at Flock! I was going to come back to meomy, but spotted the neighbor's taller fence and wanted to see if I could possibly jump that too. So I ran up, wiggled my behind and was just about to try when I saw meomy busting through the gate and racing towards me frantically saying something about 'the dogs would get me if I jumped in there'.
I scampered off into our front yard, hmmmm.... no fences here. I ran past meomy to the back part of our property.... no fences back here either. So I finally just went and jumped the fence to get in our backyard again. Meomy was out of breath, but was so relieved that I was back in the safe part of our yard. She promptly picked me up and carried me inside. I had fun, meomy almost had a heart attack. :) I know meomy is working on a way to make it safe where I can go outside. Until then, I must keep to being indoors only.

I'm on my last week of icky medicine. My ear is much better and my painful UTI has cleared. Hurray! I feel purrty good most days, but have some icky days as well due to my kidneys. Meomy and I take it one day at a time. Blu went to his new home on Friday and I miss him. I know he's not here, but I still forget and look and call for him. He was a blast to play with. Armani and I still play though. :)

Meomy originally heard and told me that cruelty charges have finally been pressed on somebody regarding the horrible place I came from. It turns out this person has been charged with cruelty and neglect on her own animals and is still under investigation for flock.

Ok Diary, that's all fur now.
Loves and Purrs ~ Muppet ~

Farewell Jester

Dear Diary,

My furiend and fellow flock survivor, Jester -aka Simon-, had to leave this morning. He gets to now go live his life at the beautiful Best Friend's Sanctuary in Utah.

Jester was a most special boy and even in those sad first times, when meomy and a few others were trying to save us out at flock, Jester could always make them smile. He was the biggest clown. Meomy and I have many fond memories of this silly character. My meomy named him Simon the Silly Siamese.

Jester was adopted by a most wonderful family after Best Friends took over the sanctuary. A nice lady came over to our house looking to adopt a kitty. Meomy told her all about the flock nightmare and about silly Simon and drove her out to the 'sanctuary'. (We don't like calling it that) This sweet lady spent her time and looked at as many kitties as she could. Simon followed her everywhere. Meomy and I were so happy when she chose Simon to adopt!! His new family named him Jester, a most fitting name. :)

His new family adored him and spent lots and lots of love, money and time getting him well. He had everything a kitty could possibly ever dream of. His new daddy made him his own special cat towers, and he even made a special one for me. They had one other kitty, but Jester most liked their doggy Maverick.

Jester had one quirk. He would not urinate in his box. For the last 8 months his family that adored him tried everything imaginable .... and I mean everything ... to get him to use his litter box and not the floors, walls and beds. Sadly nothing worked. So today, with a heartbroken family and meomy too in tears, Jester is on a road trip to live with Best Friends. He will not be placed up for adoption but will live out his life with them. There he can be who he is. We know that he is in the best of hands. He's the same age as me.

My family has become very close with his family. My family cherishes their friendship. This came to be all thanks to this loving, silly boy! I wanted to say "Farewell Jester! I know you'll be happy. You are very loved and will furever be very much missed!"

His family asked for me to say "thanks from Jester's family to beautiful Anna (514232) and sweet Moses (702341) for being his special Catster furiends". His meomy has taken down his Catster page.

Bye 4 now ~ Purrs ~ Muppet ~

Vets, Tests, and Results

Dear Diary,

I feel a bit more fur-fiesty today. :) I have to be on icky medicine for three weeks, but efurybody's hopeful that this will finally knock out the bit of infection in my inner right ear. I also have the start of something called a UTI, but the icky medicine will clear that up also. I should be back to my full fur-fiesty self soon. I can't wait. :)

Thursday, my doctor once again took me away from sight from my meomy and stole some of my blood. Why does she do that? Then she calls my meomy later and discusses what she's done with my blood? This always leaves meomy sad and even though she tries to hide it, I can feel her concern for me. This time was no diffurrent. I tried to ease-drop on their confurrsation and this is what I heard.... "the BUN was normal" *meomy smiles* "the Creatinine was elevated" *meomy almost drops the phone* "the small remaining amount of kidney still functioning has chronic renal disease." *tears run down meomys cheeks*

I have no idea what any of that means, but meomy has spent lots of time on the 'puter researching it. She keeps assuring me in her optomistic way that I will be just fur-fine. In response I give her a few of my monkey-tunes - 'oooh-oooh, aaah aaahs' - those always make her smile! :)

I better get off the 'puter for now and go see what Armani's up to.

G'nite for now Diary,
~Muppet~

The Great Kitty Rescue - An update by my meomy -

* An update for anybody interested about the latest info on the massive cat rescue where Muppet came from. If not interested, please skip this diary entry because it's not exactly about Muppet herself. * ~ If anyone feels that this is not appropriate to post on here, please let me know and I will remove it. ~

Our Wednesday paper reads, ~ Million-dollar rescue finished at FLOCK site ~

The same day this article came out, I was informed that the DA has decided not to press any charges and has thrown the case out! (( UPDATE: March 01,2008 - The charges against at least one member of flock (the former president) are still being persued. I'll update as I know more. -- March 16 - I added an update to the bottom of this entry.-- )) Another UPDATE - June 2nd, 2008 at the bottom of this entry!!

Real brief, I was there from the end of May through the end of July. It looked like the aftermath of a war zone! The new owners were only interested in hiring a few people to clean up the property so more cats could continue to be 'dumped' there. They thought the remaining cats would survive by just putting dry food and water down. The nightmare was obviously nowhere over for these kitties. I notified Best Friends and asked for their help the beginning of June. A month later and 2 more pleading phone calls, they thankfully sent 4 people out to evaluate the situation, and in mid July got with animal control and took over the property. Until then, only a few of us 'non-hired' people were there with very limited med supplies trying to help save the cats. So many were already dead and so many more died. A personal heartfelt 'thank you' to Dr Herr, the vet who stepped up and helped us save so many including precious Muppet. The remaining cats are alive today because of the extreme dedication of Best Friends. They constantly get too many calls from all over asking for their help. God Bless them and their volunteers who came to our town from all over the US and beyond to save these kitties who were bound to continue to suffer and die.

Here are the latest statistics according to the Information Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California:

* FLOCK is the single largest recorded hoarding case and subsequent rescue of cats ever in the United States.
*After Best Friend's Animal Society took over the sanctuary in mid July, 2007, 748 cats were recovered, micro-chipped, photographed, vaccinated and catalogued during the course of the rescue. 64 of these have since died due to health complications. (This number has now since risen.)
*The majority of the cats (discovered the end of May 2007) were found starving, dehydrated, sick or all of the above.
* The cost of the rescue, mostly picked up by Best Friends, is just over $1 million. $240,000 of that was for vet costs. (The final 53 cats to be removed
and transported to Utah have accrued an additional $53,000 in medical expenses.) Public donations for this rescue totaled just over $300,000.
_________________________

I have over 250 photos I took out at the sanctuary the first 6 weeks I was there. They have been 'waiting' on a disc as evidence against the Flock members. Now that the case has been thrown out, people have requested that I post or publish the photos and tell the real truth, as some of it was covered up. It's too sad for me. I really just need to move forward, not ever forgetting, but just moving on.


Thanks and Blessings for everyone's prayers and support.
~Muppet's meomy Cheryl~

Muppet gives huge meows and trills and says "Thanks so much for efurrybody's support and all who have and continue to purray for me and my fellow Flock fur-buddies. Purrhaps nobody got in trouble for what they did to us, but we are all off of that purroperty and furrever in safe hands. Hurray!!" :)

UDATE March 16,2008
~ On March 13, our district attorney filed misdemeanor animal cruelty and neglect charges against the former president of FLOCK regarding her own animals. The law under which she was charged prohibits anyone from depriving an animal of necessary food or drink, abandoning an animal, or engaging in an act of cruelty against an animal. If convicted, she could face maximum penalties of up to six months in jail, 120 hours of community service and a fine of $1,000 on each cruelty count. She is scheduled to be arraigned April 14, 2008 . She's still under investigation regarding the place Muppet came from, Flock.
*April 14, 2008 the former president plead 'not guilty' and a date was set for trial, August 14th, 2008. She will be representing herself. *


UPDATE - June 2, 2008

* Under NV law, the DA has up to one year to press charges regarding flock. The one year mark is fast approaching, and still no charges had been pressed. But today I received word that the DA has filed charges, over 17 criminal counts of animal cruelty and neglect. This is a very low number, but from what I'm told, it's a start and more can be added on. I was not told who exactly was being charged. Just Flock, it's board members, and employees. I'll update when I find out more.*

UPDATE - July 30, 2008

Flock attended their first court hearing on July 24th. They entered a plea of 'Not Guilty'. A jury trial date is to be scheduled.

On August 14th the former president of Flock's trial is to begin regarding animal cruelty of her own animals. She will be representing herself without an attorney.

It's a Fact - I've been Tagged!

My special friend Moses asked me if I would play 'tag'. He listed seven facts about himself and then meowed to (tagged) seven other kitties to do the same. Pawmails or spare rossettes work great for informing furriends that they have been asked to play along.

I was in the most horrible place imaginable before my meomy brought me home. So my facts are just facts and I'm not feeling a bit furr-sorry for myself. K? * giggles and can't wait to start this game *

1) I am very petite for my age as I did not have proper nutrition growing up. I love that people mistake me for a 5-6 month old kitten as I'm a true lady-kit and never would want to show my true age. My pictures make me look much bigger than I really am.

2) I'm missing three of my top front teeth. My meomy assures me that it just adds to my cuteness and character. :)

3) My nickname 'Puppet' I obtained because I used to remind people of a puppet on strings when I walked. My name Muppet came a bit later when my facial expressions reminded people of one of John Henson's (sp?) muppets. I also appear like I have white lipliner all the way around my lips. So when I talk, it resembles one of the muppets speaking. My meomy assures me once again that this rates me very high on the cuteness scale, but I still don't appreciate people petting my head as they are chuckling underneath their breath. And what's worse is when I give them the look like, 'What are you snickering about?' .... and they bust out laughing! :)

4) I still don't like to be held for any length of time nor sit on my human family's laps. I do keep my meomy in close sight though and sleep on her pillow at night. I love to be pet on and told how beautiful I am. What furr-kid doesn't? :)

5) I am living on less than 25% kidney function. Meomy has me on a special diet (not by a vet) and I am doing purrty fantastic. My allergies causing my ear infections have even gone away since I stopped eating that 'dry bought food'.

6) I've adjusted very well to indoor living in every aspect except one.... the dreaded vacuum monster. My meomy tells me that every indoor home has one of these and I will get used to it. Get used to it? I can't bear the sight of it! If meomy leaves it in the hallway, I can't bring myself to even stroll past it! And I don't dare make grrrr noises at it because it can roar back at me like nothing I've heard before!

7) My furr-sis Nakita still is suspicious that I am an actual 'puppet'. Now and then when meomy isn't looking, she pins me down and paws me everywhere checking for 'strings'. She explains in her diary why she does this, but grrrzzzz and hisssses she frightens me when she does that. Other than that though, I love her and all of my furr and non-furr family. In fact, I've become the social butterfly these days and love everybody furry or not. :)

Thank you sweet Moses for including me to play this game!! :)

My 7 furriends I tag are: ~ Gray (aka: Greystone ~ my secret crush) - Jester - Cabbie the Tabby ~ and I'll have to go trot around and see who else. I want to make sure that they have not been recently tagged. I'll update soon ! :)
~ Muppet ~
Ok, (giggles while out of breath) my remaining four 'tags' are Siamama, Mittens, Mrs. John Smith, and last but not least... my furiend Satine.