I’m certainly willing to pitch in, but of course I didn’t have addresses or nearest airports to try to get a general idea of cost.
As I said earlier, I can do a relay through Tennessee. I will be working this weekend, but am free early next week. I can be reached by e-mail.
If anyone else can drive specific places anywhere in Missouri, Tennessee, or Georgia, or wants to pledge even a dollar, please send me a pm. I’m trying to gather the information just so we know what is or isn’t possible.
I’d contribute, but I’m broke right now. 
My mom’s agreed to look after the cats for just a week or two to give us more time! Yay, Mom!
Good news! And bump.
Mercy bump. 
Oh, thank goodness. Now, they will make her love them, and two weeks becomes…?
I’m still collecting data if anyone wants to pm me with a pledge or the ability to drive in Missouri, Tennessee, or Georgia. Please!
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she’ll fall in love with Luna, anyway. Oreo’s playing with everyone but Luna hisses at anyone who walks in the room. And Mom’s husband’s a sucker for stray cats and stray humans (seriously, they’ve got some guy living in their driveway right now). But Mom told me today the kittybrats won’t come out of the bedroom because my dog is over there, too, and they never liked the dog. I’m sure the first thought that went through their little kitty brains when Mom got them home last night was, “Oh, crap, there’s that damn wall-eyed bouncy thing again!”
I’m almost done moving and the kitties are in a safe place and you guys have done absolute wonders these last couple of weeks at lifting me out of the overwhelming misery and anxiety and general hating-of-life I’ve been dealing with. And I’ve been wondering what I can do to try to repay some of the awesomeness that’s been heading my way lately. So I decided to use the massive amounts of acrylic yarn a friend gave me and knit blankets for the no-kill shelter. It’s a small thing (and frankly it’s a good thing dogs and cats are color-blind because some of this yarn is scary colors) but I feel like I want to do something, you know?
That is so awesome of you, Marlitharn. I know the shelter critters will appreciate it a lot.
Don’t get too excited, because it’s still a far distant chance, but I maaaaaaaaaaaaay have found someone who miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight consider adopting Luna. I’ll keep you posted.
jsgoddess, are you also working on coordinating the Georgia caravan to jali? If so, do you have any specific legs covered so we know where we need pitcher-inners?
Only a portion of Tennessee is covered right now, so anyone in Missouri, Tennessee, or Georgia would be great.
Shayna gave me the link to this thread in the Puppy Cam thread. I’ve always wanted a black cat. My biggest worry is our current cat Jork can be aggressive. I’ve got scratches all over my arms and hands, and now my nose where he swiped at me yesterday. This is a very very laid-back household, quiet, no kids, no stress, no raised voices, no aggression or tension. It bothers me that he is the way he is, because there’s no reason for it. I pet him a lot and try to be loving, but he hates being picked up and held. He’ll let me pet him, but then for no reason out of the blue he’ll bite at my hand. It’s frustrating.
Jork was feral when he was found as a kitty living in the woods. When we first brought him home we had an older cat, Ecto, and Jork kept trying to bite Ecto’s throat. At that time, Ecto was big and Jork was small, so Ecto could easily bat Jork away. Ecto was always very very aloof anyway, and was not a playful cat. Not too long after we brought Jork home, Ecto had a stroke and died, so for the past year+ it’s just been Jork. We’ve wanted to get another cat but now that he’s fully grown we’ve been kind of freaked that he might hurt another cat.
I just don’t know. Maybe with another cat around about the same age he’d mellow out and they’d become friends. On the other hand, maybe we’d come home and find that Jork has torn Luna’s throat out. That would make me feel terrible and I’d feel so guilty.
I hate to say it but I wish we’d never gotten Jork. This is a household that’s made for sweet, loving, mellow cats, but the three we had before Ecto and Jork, who were sweet, mellow and loving, died from old age (Otto), cancer (RanTan) and diabetes (Harvo). Since Ecto was aloof, we got Jork because we wanted another cat that would hopefully be in the mold of Harvo, RanTan and Otto. We thought that getting Jork as a kitten would make him mellow into our household. Boy, were we wrong. They were all rescue cats so we just lucked out with the three that died.
If there were a backup, someplace we could send Luna (or, hey, Jork!) if they didn’t get along, I’d say yes. I really really really want a black cat.
Reading that post again, this sounds really terrible. We’re not people who would abandon a cat just because he’s not our idea of what a cat in this household should be. It’s just kind of depressing that we have 10-15 more years with a cat who doesn’t like us no matter how nice we are, won’t let us love him, and who won’t let us get another cat for fear he’ll hurt them. It’s just sad.
Equipoise, did you see Shayna’s post #23 in this thread? What do we do with the Cat From Hell? - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board
We could always stage another of these threads if it doesn’t work out?
But really, read that thread about the cat from hell.
Who knows, Jork may like having a kitty that will actually play with him and it could mellow him out. Be sure to try the Feliway, especially when introducing new kitties. Also, if you don’t end up adopting Luna, I guarantee you that there is a shelter near you currently overrun with black cats in need of a home.
Hi, I’m at the computer for only a few seconds, but will read that other thread when I get home later tonight. I read the OP and Jork is nowhere near as mean as that cat. He’s not really mean at all, he’s just unpredictable.
I’d love to give Luna a home and would do whatever I could to keep her safe.
Oh, frabjous day! Calloo, callay!
Mother has succombed!
Here I was all worried about my helpless baby kitties, and they’ve proved wilier than I could ever be. Mom’s household has fallen in love with Oreokitty (and I know why; when I stopped in to see them last night Oreo was doing the whole big-eyed, purring, rolling around on her back, batting cutely at things schtick for all she was worth) and they’ve decided they want to keep her!
They’re more iffy about Lunabrat; so far she’s clawed my stepfather (:D), clawed their boarder from the basement, shoved the guinea pig cage off the dresser and onto the floor, and she hisses at anyone who comes in the room. Including me, last night (she’s mad). Although I think she’s making progress; last night she consented to sit on the arm of Mom’s chair as long as Mom didn’t touch her. They’re going to give her a couple of weeks to see if she settles down (keep your fingers crossed!) but I’m pretty sure once they get to know her they’ll be so fascinated by her extreme weirdness they’ll want to keep her permanently!
My son says Luna is evil but he’s just bitter because when she was about 6 weeks old she succeeded in chasing him and his best friend off her couch and out of the room. And she still hisses at him. She’s not evil. She’s special.
I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all the offers of help and support you’ve given me. I can’t even express how much all this meant to me, not just for my kitties’ sakes, but for the way it helped lift me out of the hopeless dread and depression I was feeling; I suddenly realized I wasn’t in this alone, and to my amazement I found I was cheerful again. Thank you.
Special thanks to jali and Equipoise for offering a kitty a home, and to jsgoddess for organizing a cross-country kitty transport, and to Shayna for the support and PMs you gave.
I’m finished moving and the kitties are where I can visit them; I’m almost unpacked, tomorrow’s payday, next week is Thanksgiving and I’m going to bake pies. Today’s a good day.
Brilliant! BRILLIANT! I’m so pleased I could squee! 