Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cats of the Day: Abu, Raja and their 9 lives.

Just a couple weeks ago you met Abu and his tiny sister Raja whose Mom died after a car accident, and Kristi rescued her two little kittens. Who knew that the troubles were not over... yet. The kittens looked very weak and undernourished, with lots of fleas and infected wounds... Kristi took them to the vet and after intensive care they started to look much better... until a few days ago Raja woke up with paralysis in her back legs... while sores on Abu's paws didn't heal. Kristi rushed them both to the hospital again.
The vet said it all didn't look good... that symptoms looked like possible rabies or cat coronavirus! He said that chances are, the kittens wouldn't last long and he put them in 10 days quarantine.
Day and night we all at TopTropicals have been praying for the little babies. Every day vet's updates got worse... it was hard to believe that after all the efforts to save them, they may be gone!
Then all the sudden, after 5 days in the hospital, a miracle happened. All tests came out negative! And the kitties started getting better, fighting bad infections under doctor Bowers care. Raja got back on her feet. There is still a long way to full recovery from their miserable experience of a street life, but Something saved their lives! Doctors, prayers... or simply Kristi's BELIEVE that they WILL make it! She told them when she left them in the hospital: "You have to keep fighting, you are fighters." And they did. The Nurse said Raja hissed at her every time she walked by, but when Kristi came to pick her up and opened the cage, Raja rubbed her ears and just pressed her head in Kristi's hand.
Now they both at home, sweet home, taking medication and eating sooo much!
"I just kept thinking after all they have been through this can't be the way their story ends!" - Kristi says.
Have happy and loooong lives, kitties! All 9 of them or whatever you have saved!

TopTropicals Cat Club

Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCats, especially local customers who leave donations in our Cat jar in the office. If you would like to help Raja and Abu to pay their bill for 5 day hospital stay under intensive care, you may do it directly from our online store, by purchasing item 6464 Donation for Cats - TopTropicals Cat Club. Every little bit helps. All donations will go to cat care, and you will receive appreciation surprise presents from TopTropicals, including TopTropicals Cat Club bumper sticker. Thank you, and God bless you and your pets!

Check out the Video: and more Cat of the Day stories.

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Poor Little Raja

In our last newsletter we told you about little Abu, a Baby-Purrrson that Kristi rescued from the woods where he had been surviving along with other feral cats: his little sister and his Mom who was badly injured in a car accident. We received messages from our customers asking if we were able to rescue the other two cats...
For the past few days Kristi, Jamie and Onika have been trying to capture them... The feral cats didn't want to come to humans, they were hiding away. The ladies were able to trap Abu with a tuna can... then tried and tried again with the other two with no luck... Even tried to call Animal control asking for help catching the animals so we could give them medical help. We were told that they don't trap cats! ("unless it's a cat-hating neighbor going against a crazy cat lady" - Crazy Cat Lady's comment). The girls continued their efforts again and again, with treats, traps and different capture plans... day after day.
Unfortunately, the sick mother-cat did not survive and we found her yesterday with her little baby crying over her cold body.
Kristi was able to grab the tiny kitten who was even smaller than her brother Abu. She named her Raja - a friend of Abu. Raja said that her poor mother's words were: "Go to that lady, my baby, she looks kind. It's my time to go now, and you will be in good hands..."
The little Raja was in very poor shape herself, with eyes full of tears. She was covered by fleas, and looked like passing out from anemia. Her paw was injured and infected, and her little nose... first we just thought she was pig-nosed! But her nose is also swollen. Kristi rushed her to the vet where Raja got treatments and meds. She got much better the same day and finally stopped crying. Raja finally recognized her brother Abu and cuddled with him.
Now Raja is on her way to recovery and will be sending her updates soon!

Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCats. Every dollar you spend on TopTropicals plants is split between plant growers and PeopleCats who help us become better people.

Check out the Video: and more Cat of the Day stories.

True love of Night Blooming Jasmine

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

Q: I live in New Cumberland, West Virginia. I love the smell of Night-Blooming jasmine. Is it possible to grow it in the northern panhandle of West Virginia? Do I have to plant it every year or do I keep it in a pot and take it inside during the winter months?

A: Technically, Night Blooming Jasmine is not a true jasmine (those plants belong to Oleaceae, or Olive family). Night Blooming Jasmine belongs to the Solanaceae family, also known as the Nightshade or "Potato" family of plants. Yes, this sweet fragrant flower called Jasmine for its perfume is related to potatoes and tomatoes!
Night Blooming Jasmine - Cestrum nocturnum - is loved by many gardeners for its beautiful fragrance at night. It is one of the most fragrant tropical evergreen shrubs available. Cascading clusters of tiny, tubular pale yellow to white flowers open at night and release a heavenly fragrance throughout the garden, especially on warm summer evenings. The fragrance is much lighter during the day. Night Blooming Jasmine is grown year-round in zones 9-11. It is at its happiest in a sunny to a partially sunny spot in your garden in well-drained soil but can be grown in cooler climates as a container or greenhouse plant.
You would absolutely be able to enjoy this plant during the warm months in West Virginia, but it will most certainly not survive outside during the winter. You will have to bring it inside. Take it outside again only once you are confident there is no more possibility of frost. When grown indoors, be sure to give it the sunniest, South facing window in your home. When grown in a container, you will need to re-pot it every two to three years so it doesn't become root-bound.
For those who are lucky to live in frost-free areas, in ideal growing conditions outside, it can easily reach 8 feet with a spread of 5 feet. It has a lovely informal look that can soften a more manicured garden. Add organic matter to the planting hole when you plant to enrich the soil around the root ball. Water well in the summer, but allow them to dry out a bit between watering in the winter. Plant this Jasmine near pools, porches, doors, windows, and walkways where its lovely fragrance can be enjoyed. The shrub is also an excellent plant for privacy hedges and screens. When grown as a hedge, plant 3 feet apart.
Trim lightly after a bloom cycle to shape and then do a hard pruning in fall or spring to control the size of this plant. Fertilize 3 times a year - in spring, summer, and autumn - with a good quality granular fertilizer.

Recommended fertilizers:

Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Interesting facts:

Night-blooming jasmine is an excellent mosquito repellent. The powerful scent of the flowers attracts moths and bats that feed on mosquitoes and other small insects.
The flowers of the Night Blooming jasmine are widely used in India and other countries of South Asia for perfumery, medicinal applications and in religious ceremonies.

Limited time special offer:
Instant $5 off Night Blooming Jasmine