daily dose of dogs (aka cats with your coffee)

Happy Valentine’s Day (aka TWOSday TWOgetherness)

First of all, I have to start with a correction.  Last Tuesday, I launched a TWOSdays In February campaign hoping to interest someone out there in adopting a TWOsome from our cathouse gang.  I went on and on about TWOs.  I reminded you that on November 11th, I made a wish for eleven adoptions in as many months - eleven Winnie’s Wish kitties adopted between the first of December 2011 and the end of October 2012.  And we are on track.  There have been four kitties placed since I wrote that on 11/11.  HOWEVER, I made a big splash last Tuesday about how we had TWO kitties adopted in December, and TWO kitties adopted in January.  NOT true.  In my haste to make a point of TWOs, I failed to realize that Luna’s adoption was NOT in January.  It occurred on the 28th of December.  I was so certain that we drove Luna to Mindy during the first week of January, but no.  I believe it truly must have been the effect of having become lost in the Bermuda Triangle during that transport that has damaged my memory of that event.  Anyway, . . .   all of that noise about TWO in December, and TWO in January wasn’t even accurate.  (sigh)   SO . . .  we’re going to have to go with averages.  Thus far, there has been an average of TWO kitties adopted in the previous TWO months.  I’d love to keep that average going.  An average of TWO kitties per month throughout 2012 would have us quite prepared for whatever the upcoming NINE months of Kitten Season will bring us.

Here we go.

Today’s TWO to be highlighted . . . .     Percy and Golden.  I will highlight at least one pair on each of the remaining Tuesdays in February, but today’s pair is special.  They are SO in love with each other that I have decided not to adopt them out as singles.  I have mentioned before (and shown with pictures) how Percy and Golden are always together.  Percy came out of his shell only when we introduced a load of kittens into the cathouse.  He loved them all.  His personality blossomed.  As many of those kittens have gone to forever homes, Percy has had a CONSTANT companion - Golden.  She has glued herself to Percy’s side, and he seems to love it.  They sleep together and eat together.  They even walk around together.  Initially, I thought it was maybe one-sided.  I thought Golden was desperate for Percy, but that Percy, being the extremely good-natured soul that he is, merely allowed it to go on.  But I have spent time at the cathouse watching things.  Percy is completely enamored with Golden, too.  What a pair. 

In light of just how strong the bond between them is, Percy and Golden should go to a forever home as a pair.  Everything about Percy’s wonderful personality is because of being in the presence of the cathouse youngsters.  Golden is one of only two of the youngsters still there.  And she definitely needs him.  I believe she might grieve herself to death without him.  Also, because of watching Percy have SUCH a LONG adjustment period with us, I believe he will be so much better off going to a forever home with one of his own.  I would LOVE for someone out there to adopt these two together.  It’s Valentine’s Day.  Anybody want to celebrate by offering this loving pair a home TWOgether?   

I’m going to inundate you with pictures because these TWO are just TOO cute TOgether.

 













Look at this perfect graphic I found.   Perfect for a post about a perfect pair:



Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Bouzzer's Gift

You people are awesome.  I can’t thank you enough for your comments on my Friday’s post about losing Bouzzer.  Clearly, many of you hold beliefs similar to my own (or at least what I believe most of the time, when I’m not wondering and questioning).  I took GREAT comfort from what you said, and I appreciate SO much that you took the time to say it.  On Thursday night (after just losing Bouzzer and before I had the benefit of your comments), I thought a lot about what Bouzzer might have gone through had the accident not have happened.  I allowed myself to ponder the possibility that what happened might truly have been for Bouzzer’s Highest Good.  I even considered that he left on his own terms, as some of you then said.  I believe there is much we do not know.  I certainly entertain the thought that our animals are a little more on top of things than we humans are.  I’ve often wondered why animals must suffer at all.  They do not have the benefit of carrying out decisions in the same way we do.  Maybe they are just such noble creatures that they offer to humans EVERYTHING - companionship, unconditional love, acceptance, lessons.  Maybe they even have a say in how they exit this Life.  Or maybe they don’t.  But at least in Bouzzer’s case, having read what so many of you wrote, I have been able to strike a balance between the sadness of no goodbye and the possibility that Bouzzer left in a way that was meant to be.  And certainly - that he did not suffer.  I have seen the suffering . . .   over and over again.   I realize I cannot know this for sure, but it certainly appears that the better way out is to go quickly and without torment.  If Bouzzer’s soul had any way of affecting his own end, then I am happy for what he did NOT go through.  If Bouzzer’s soul had nothing to do with his end, I will still hold onto the good that came from him leaving this world without the pain and agony I’ve seen so many others go through.  And I have to agree with you - aside from the fact that I did not get to tell him goodbye - NOT watching Bouzzer suffer for a short or longer period before death was actually a gift.  Without a doubt, the most difficult thing about connecting with animals is watching them suffer in pain or fear.  Bouzzer let me off the hook there.  Anyway, thank you for your comments and emails.  As I’ve said SO many times before - I am supported by a network of animals lovers like never before in my life.  Animal loving people are the best!  Truly!      

Losing Bouzzer is the inspiration for going ahead and making a decision that I was already toying with.  If you check the sidebar, you’ll see that Muffin and Mandy are no longer there.  I stopped looking for a home for Jane and Tarzan some time ago.  I always felt that if some perfect-fit home showed up on my doorstep for that pair, I would let them go.  Otherwise, they would one day be incorporated into our own family, as Bouzzer and Rocky were a year ago.  Muffin and Mandy, on the other hand, still seemed young enough and adaptable enough that I actively worked on finding them a home.  Losing Bouzzer, and thinking about how he was exactly where he should have been (here with us) has solidified my wavering urge to keep Muffin and Mandy here as well.  This is all they’ve known.  I had always wished for something better for them than our “shelter area”.  It never came.   Many years passed while Bouzzer, Rocky, Jane, Tarzan, Muffin, and Mandy waited to be chosen.  Our lives will change when the girls move out this Summer.  Waggles and Bouzzer are gone.  Incorporating Jane and Tarzan is a no-brainer now.  But Muffin and Mandy deserve just as much.  As our circumstancies continue to change, we will find a way.  2012 is the year that there will be no more “homeless” group of dogs here.  We will work this year to incorporate these four dogs into our own family.  They will be given “the good life” INSIDE our home.  It is time.

Tarzan.


Jane.  (Jane HATES cameras, so getting even one picture of her is difficult.)


Muffin.


Mandy.


Last Friday, the plan for the blog was to catch you up on the ins and outs of the fosters here.  Since it’s all good news, let me do that now.  First, you might remember Willow - the momma cat with three kittens that we offered to foster until the kittens could receive vaccinations.  We lost Liberty to pneumonia.  The other two kittens remained healthy and happy.  We also had Chase - a struggling kitten with multiple health problems and no family.  I am happy to report that Chase has come all the way to health.  AND - we recently tried out Momma Willow and her two remaining kittens with the possibility of adopting Chase into that little family.  Willow accepted him without blinking an eye.  Hershey wanted him to play with her immediately (he hissed and hid from her for two days).  And Maxson did NOT want this newcomer in his world.  Over the course of a few days, however, all became friends.  And . . . (mini drumroll) . . . .    Maxson was viewed on the shelter’s Facebook page and chosen for adoption.  Now old enough for the first vaccination, he went to his new home yesterday.


Here is the family when they first came to us.  Mom Willow with left to right kittens - Hershey, Liberty (the one we lost), and Maxson.

The new group, left to right - Chase, Hershey, Maxson.  Maxson has gone to his forever home.

We also took in three little chihuahua puppies last week.  Too young for vaccinations and without a mom, Older Daughter was afraid they would get sick at the shelter.  They have been posted on the shelter’s Facebook page and I’m certain they will be snatched up as soon as they are old enough (which is very soon).



Finally, we have a new foster cat from the shelter.  Meet Beatrice With Babies.  That is her full name.  First name Beatrice.  Middle name With.  And last name Babies.  Why?  Because Beatrice is expecting.  Rather than have her in the midst of the chaos of the shelter, we have her set up in my kennel where she can deliver in peace.  Have no idea how long it will be.



We have one more foster I didn’t mention today - a skinny, adult, black lab mix.  I’ll talk about her on Wednesday when I do a certain brick post.  She doesn't belong to the shelter, so I might have you help me get the word out that she's looking for a home.

Thank you, Friends, for your amazing support in response to our loss of Bouzzer.    

Bouzzer - Gone without Goodbye

I had no time to prepare myself for this one.  It still doesn’t seem real.  Let me just warn you that this is about the loss of another one of my own dogs.  If you prefer not to read, I encourage you to click out and go about your Friday.  No matter how supportive you want to be, sometimes it’s just too much to hear about another loss.  I had a cute little post in the works for today - some precious pictures and good news about healthy kittens, new chihuahua puppies, and a new foster dog.  These would be the ingredients of a great (light) Friday post.  A nice way for me to end the week, and a nice post for you to read as you head into your weekend. 

I could have waited to write this post.  Maybe over the weekend.  Maybe Monday.  Maybe two weeks from now.  At first, I thought I would have to wait.  I didn’t think I could sit at the computer and put together feelings and words.  But as with other sad events involving my animals, I am hoping to find solace in writing.  It has helped me before.

Bouzzer ran in front of my neighbor’s truck yesterday afternoon.  He was struck and killed instantly.  There is a gravel road that separates our house from the fields, woods, and ponds I have written about.  We have to cross that road to take our walks, to run our dogs in the wide open spaces, to sit on the banks of the ponds.  When we take the “shelter” dogs - Muffin, Mandy, Jane, and Tarzan - we escort them carefully across the gravel road.  They are not as predictable as our own crew.  Bouzzer, Rocky, Miracle, (and not long ago, Waggles) have taken so many walks with us that we had become complacently confident.  Yesterday, Bouzzer, his runnin’ buddy Rocky, and Miracle had all been out with us.  I was back in the house, and would be calling the dogs into their basement room instead of the backyard.  There was a deep chill in the air as a cold front approached, due to arrive today and plunge us into the teens.  I had just taken my coat off but not yet my boots so that I could round up the dogs.   I didn’t know it had happened.  I put a pot of water on the stove so that I could make hot chocolate from a packet.  Something to warm my bones.  I saw my neighbor pulling into our driveway, and I threw my coat right back on to go out and meet him.  He told me what had happened. 

When my neighbor drove away, I went to get a blanket.  I wrapped Bouzzer’s body, slowly and carefully.  But the event overtook me.  Kneeling there on the shoulder of the gravel road, I buried my face in Bouzzer’s fur and sobbed.  Time stood still.  It rushed over me that I had not gotten to tell him goodbye.  He was gone in an instant.  I had only been there a few moments when I felt a nose on my cheek.  I lifted my face from Bouzzer’s fur and there stood Rocky.  He started licking my face, over and over.  I put my arm around him and told him how sorry I was that his buddy was gone.  He sniffed Bouzzer’s fur, and he whined.  I don’t know if he whined because I was so distraught or if he knew what was happening.  I sat there in the weeds, crying, my hand on Bouzzer, with Rocky sitting directly beside me.  Every time I turned toward him, he licked my face.  I finished wrapping Bouzzer and carried him to the tree line on the west side of our property.  That is where all of our fur babies are buried.  I got Rocky and Miracle inside, and I called my husband.  He buried Bouzzer beside Waggles, near Milo and Daphne and ALL of the bodies of the souls we have lost. 

Bouzzer was our seizure dog.  He received his seizure medication every twelve hours, day in and day out.  He still had an occasional seizure, but they were few and far between.  This week, however, he had two.  Some time back, I explained that Rocky had always sounded an alarm when Bouzzer had a seizure.  He scream-barks a screeching, high-pitched sound over and over and over.  There is no mistaking this bark.  One afternoon last week, the dogs were on their couches in the basement.  From the kitchen I heard Rocky.  I jerked my head around, and started running as I said to the girls - Who is that?  Who is that barking?  But I was already on my way to the basement stairs as Younger Daughter blurted back - Oh, no - that’s Rocky.  Sure enough.  When we all three arrived in the basement, there was Bouzzer in a full-blown seizure.  It took forever.  I thought he would never come out of it.  I held him and calmed him while the girls comforted Rocky.  When it was over, we talked about how we never know what triggers one of Bouzzer’s seizures.  He received his medication without fail.  It was worrisome because he had been on the meds for years.  Our vet had discussed the liver failure issue with us - a side effect of such a long period of time on seizure meds.  We had Bouzzer on another medication to protect his liver as much as possible.  But we knew we were up against a ticking clock.  Bouzzer was getting older, and his seizures could not be controlled without the twice daily meds.  We knew we would probably face liver failure with him at some point in the near future.

As I said, Bouzzer’s seizures occurred very infrequently.  But the very next day, with Bouzzer in the backyard, and Rocky in the basement, Bouzzer had a seizure without his alarm nearby.  I might not even have known he was having one except for Bailey barking frantically from the screened-in porch.  I wondered what had her so excited, so I went to see.   She was looking directly in Bouzzer’s direction.  He was on his side, wedged against the walk, having another full-blown seizure.  I got him to the basement and onto his couch.  I hardly slept that night for fear we were entering a new stage.  NEVER had he had two seizures back to back.  I worried about what we would do.  MORE medication?  I called to talk to someone at the clinic. Watch to see.  We might be reaching a stage of decline.  Let them know if there was a third seizure.  We would have to come up with a game plan.

But now it’s over.  Bouzzer won’t die of liver failure.  And there will be no more seizures.  I have said many times that there are worse things than death.  But I haven’t been able to shake the horror of not being able to tell Bouzzer goodbye.  It broke my heart to lose Waggles and Daphne, but I spent time with each of them at the end.  I talked to them, and showered them with love.  Even with Milo, who left us too quickly to allow us to prepare, there was the opportunity to say goodbye. 

Years ago, a co-worker said to me -  If I could pick my death, I would pick cancer or something like it.  I was horrified.  It seemed to me that knowing would be terrible.  But he said he would rather have time to say his goodbyes.  I could only think about the deep sadness that would come with those goodbyes.  Now, I’m not so sure.  Bouzzer’s life ended in an instant.   Most of the other animal deaths I’ve been through were expected.  Some suffered little because of a swift death, or a decision by us to assist.  Others lingered longer.  I never believe long suffering is what is best.  But being left with no time at all - not even one minute - to say goodbye is a trauma all its own.

Bouzzer, like EACH and EVERY animal, was a wonderful, unique, joy-inspiring individual.  His stories are written into this blog: how it was that Bouzzer ended up with us - *Part I and *Part II, and how he went from wishing for a home to becoming *one of our own. 

As I held Bouzzer this week on two separate occasions through two severe seizures, I told him over and over how much I loved him and that everything would be OK.  I did not get to tell him goodbye.  But I did get to tell him I loved him.


Farewell Bouzzer.

     

Meet Arnold

Some of you left your guesses as comments on yesterday’s post.  I LOVED THAT.  It was so much fun for me to see what you were thinking.  And may I add that those were some EXCELLENT guesses.  So who got it?

Black with white feet, pointed ears, a thin wagging tail with a tuft of white at the very tip.  Not a dog and not a cat, but three letters . . .   _ _ _

r - a - t

k - i - d (as in goat)

p - i - g

And the reveal is . . .       P - I - G.

Arnold is the newest member of our family.  We’ve had a rescue pony, a rescue donkey, so many rescue dogs and cats that it would be impossible to number them.  And now, a rescue pig.  Arnold is a one-year-old pot belly pig.  He has been neutered.  He is friendly.  And he was dumped. 

Having never taken care of a pot belly, the girls and I started doing our research.  Simply saving Arnold from dying at the pound was not enough.  We had to know how to make him a healthy, happy pig.  Older Daughter’s contact person explained that Arnold was not in “horrible” shape, but that he was definitely underweight and most likely malnourished.  Nobody knew how long he had been straying, but he had either lost weight as a result of being on his own, or he had lived with someone who had not fed him properly all along.  So we went to work.  In our research about the best diet for a pot belly pig, we discovered lots of important information.  We are using our new knowledge to bring Arnold back to health.  What I discovered after reading and reading, is that mini pig pets (of which pot bellies are the most common) are being dumped and abandoned and given up in large numbers.  Here is what I learned.

     Every year hundreds, if not thousands, of pot bellied pigs are abandoned, "thrown away", or die due to lack of information and knowledge. Many are abandoned because the humans had unrealistic expectations, or were given the wrong facts.

There are now mini pig sanctuaries all across the U.S.  And they stay full.  So I guess what I’m hoping is that if there is anybody out there considering a pet pig, you will adopt rather than buy.  And maybe you can put the word out to friends, family, co-workers, etc. that there are mini pigs waiting for homes.  Pigs are extremely intelligent, social beings that deserve to be in homes.  We should look at our breeding-for-profit situation in this country.  I know that if pet pigs are adopted, rather than purchased, it reduces the demand for breeding.  An abandoned pig gets a home, and breeding-for-profit demands go down. 

The website Pigs4Ever has a links page (click Resources) where lots of sanctuaries and rescues are listed.

Now here is Arnold in our backyard.  This was Saturday, and he was glad to have the dirt (mud) under his feet.  He will be indoor/outdoor, as pigs make good house pets, but also need to have mud and dirt to root in and grass to nibble on.

                                                                           Black with pointed ears.

        Wagging tail.

                                                                                       White feet.

 

See you tomorrow.

Our Family's Newest Member

It was a race to the rescue.  Time was ticking.  We would do it if we needed to.

Because of where Older Daughter is employed, she often hears about animals at other rescues and in pounds in nearby areas.  The no-kill shelter where she is employed tries to take dogs from the local pound whenever they can.  There is also a pound a couple of counties away that my daughter’s shelter has helped.  Last week, there was an unusual plea put out by this particular pound.  They had taken in a stray that was, well, unusual.  They had put out the word to try to find a home, and they contacted some rescues in hopes of finding an answer.  Older Daughter spoke by phone with the contact person associated with that pound.  It didn’t look good.  The biggest problem was that time was ticking.  Pounds are NOT no-kill shelters.  This animal had only until Saturday to be placed.  Saturday was euthanization day if no individual, shelter, or sanctuary came forward. 

There is a new guy running this particular pound, and he has been trying to turn things around.  He works hard to locate places for the animals that end up in this pound.  Recently, he has made arrangements to bring feral cats in, spay & neuter, and release them.  It used to be standard procedure to euthanize cats without any effort to find homes or engage in TNR.  Also, he has reached out to shelters to take dogs when they can.  The situation he found himself faced with a couple of weeks ago was new for him.  As the euthanization date drew closer, he put out the word.   The no-kill shelter where Older Daughter works couldn’t help him with this.  Their license wouldn’t allow it.  This was true of other shelters in our part of the state.  He discovered that sanctuaries existed, but they now stay full. 

Older Daughter came home talking about it one evening last week.  We all hoped that someone would step up before this animal’s last day arrived.  But as the week marched on, nothing developed.  The girls talked about this between the two of them.  They would be moving into their own places this summer.  Then they came to me and asked - Could we arrange a place here until one or the other of us can get established?  My answer?  Well, of course.  We would wait until the last minute, hoping something would come through.  If nothing did, we would go.

We had to make the final decision Friday night because first thing Saturday morning the pound would have to know that this critter had someplace to go.  We would have to arrive during operating hours on Saturday to keep him alive.  Older Daughter called the contact person (whom she has now gotten to know).  It was done then.  We would drive nearly an hour on Saturday afternoon to pick up our new family member.  Black with white feet.  Pointed ears.  Thin, wagging tail with a tuft of white at the very tip.  Not a dog.  Not a cat.  But three letters . . .              _ _ _ ?

See you tomorrow.

Tuesdays in February

Today is the first Tuesday in February.  I’m going to do some “marketing” on each Tuesday during the month of February.  Wait, you say.  Marketing?  Whatever could you mean?  Yeah, yeah.  You know me, and you KNOW I’m about to talk about the kitties we STILL need homes for.  During February, I’m going to use Tuesdays to see if I can find some great forever homes for some Winnie’s Wish kitties.  (After all, Kitten Season IS just around the corner.)  Why Tuesday?  Here’s why.


This is a picture of Charms and Monkey.  They went, together (or TWOgether), to Jennifer and daughter Nadia, in December.  Jennifer sends me pictures of them sleeping together and I jump for joy every time.  They don’t spend their waking moments continuously together.  She has described  the two as having quite different personalities, different interests, different temperaments.  (Charms likes to play with toes that are under covers, while Monkey has a complete fascination with water.)  But Jennifer often finds the two sleeping together.  The last group of pics she sent to me created an idea.  I realized that I had received pics from Lana of her two Winnie’s Wish kitties sleeping together; and pics of Goldie’s Max and Dearest doing the same.  Ah, a marketing tool.  I realized that I have pairs in the cathouse that I would LOVE to see adopted together.  We have at least a couple of twosomes in that house of cats.  Why not show people how amazing it is to adopt a TWOSOME from us!  And wait . . .   February is PERFECT.  It is the month that includes Valentine’s Day (handily ON a Tuesday this year) - a day that lends itself to couples, TWOS, pairs.  (OK, I know I’m stretching for this.  Humor me.)  In addition, how about the play on words by choosing TUESdays to do this TWOSOME thing.   How great is it that I can say “Twosome Tuesday”?  Or TWOSday?  Or Tue-getherness?  Uh-huh.  You’re starting to see just how amazing this idea is, aren’t you?

Goldie's two Winnie's Wishers.

                                                             Lana's two Winnie's Wishers.

SO.   During February, I’m going to use Tuesdays to try to convince somebody out there that adopting TWO TOGETHER from Winnie’s Wish is the most perfect thing to do.  On this FIRST Tuesday in February, I’d like to draw your attention to something that has already occurred in a very TWO-ish fashion.  In November, on 11/11/11, I announced that I would wish for eleven cats to be adopted in as many months.  Well, TWO months have come and gone since November - December and January.  And guess what happened in each of those TWO months.  TWO cats were adopted.  Yes, that’s right, TWO cats went in December (Monkey and Charms), and TWO cats went in January (Luna and Trex).  What would be more awesome than if TWO cats were adopted in February, too!!  (You hear me cheering for an adoption of TWO at once, but I certainly wouldn’t turn down TWO separate adoptions by the end of February either.)  Oh, and next month (March) is my blogoversary month.  Imagine the celebration if I can announce on my Second Blogoversary that I’ve had TWO kitties adopted in each of the previous three months. 

Oh, my.  I see a pattern emerging.  March is the THIRD month, and I would be able to report that for the THIRD month in a row (Dec, Jan, Feb) we were able to adopt two kitties out, and I would be launching my THIRD brick fundraiser at that time, too.   Maybe we could even have a THREESOME THURSDAY in that THIRD month.  NOT impossible.    There has actually been one adoption from Winnie’s Wish of THREE kitties all going at the same time to the same home.  My sister and brother-in-law lost both of their kitties within a few months of each other.  The following summer, they took THREE from the cathouse and gave them a forever home together.  It has worked marvelously.   So even though I’m planning my February marketing strategy around TWOS on TUESDAYS, I don’t want to discriminate against a THREESOME THURSDAY.  I certainly wouldn’t turn away a chance to get another THREE kitties all into the same home together, if that situation should arise.                               The possibilities are endless.

                                                      Sister and Brother-in-Law's THREE.

 
Disclaimer.  I did NOT have more than my ONE giant bowl cup of coffee this morning.  I realize I sound a little hyper.  Let’s just say there’s not much that gets me as excited as the possibility of an adoption.  But in the interest of getting to the end of this post, I’m going to stop here.  I’ll use the remaining Tuesdays in February to tempt some wonderful souls out there to toy with the idea of two.

Happy Twosday!  Tune in next Tuesday when I’ll highlight the best twosome in the cathouse! 

I hope you drop by tomorrow when I will introduce a new member of our family.  

Star

Today’s brick is from Andrea at Celestial Kitties.  A few words from me to get this post started.  Andrea is a huge supporter of our work here.  For instance, this is her second brick.  She got one in the first round, too.  AND - Andrea gave the ULTIMATE gift - she adopted a Winnie’s Wish kitty.  That kitty is her big old Leo.  AND - you might have noticed in the comments on this blog that Andrea is our biggest cheerleader, our very own marketing department.  She is tireless in her attempts to interest someone in adopting a kitty from here.  She has asked me more than once if I am uncomfortable with her continuing campaign to find homes.  WHAT?!?  She has one of our kitties herself.  What could be more wonderful than having her advertise the furry love like she does!  I don’t think you will be surprised at the content of Andrea’s brick story today.

Oh, and one more thing.  Andrea received The Versatile Blogger Award and then passed it along to daily dose (and others).  THANK YOU, Andrea.  How very nice to be in such good company!

Now , in Andrea’s words:

My brick says "Furry Love Is The Best Love, Star". Leo got his brick in the first round, and this time around Star had to get hers. It says furry love is the best love because we believe that around here! What's better than a cuddly, furry, sweet buddy to curl up with? We especially wanted to say this to draw attention to the fact that there are many sweet furry cuddly buddies in the cathouse that really really need homes! How can you resist those faces? Those sweet personalities that Chrystal makes sure you understand? How about the need? These cats may be out of the cold, but they deserve so much more. They need a forever home, a home of their own, a person of their own. Someone to realize that their furry love is the best love!

It's time to open your heart and home and empty the cathouse. It's time to consider everyone we know in light of which one of these cats could be their furry love. It's time to look at our families, our friends, our coworkers in the light of "which cat is theirs?"

Chrystal cannot do this by herself, she needs help finding good homes. Can you honestly say you don't want to help? If you can, then I urge you to look at the kitty faces again. Can you tell them they don't deserve a home? They don’t deserve a human to love?

Look at the gray girls, Cashmere, Glitter, Mitts and Spritz. My Leo's sisters deserve a home. Look at Frosting. She deserves a home. Look at Tulip. She deserves a home. Look at Golden. She deserves a home. Look at Halo. She deserves a special home. Look at Percy. He deserves a home where he can bloom. And look, just look at Circe! She's been there so long and is finally ready for her own home, and she deserves one!

Don't let these cats languish in the cathouse, not that it's a bad place! Thank God for Chrystal and her family for taking them in and protecting them, feeding them, caring for them. But they need and want a place where they can have their own human, a bed to sleep on, a lap to sit on, pets and snuggles just for them. They need a place that realizes that their furry love, is the best love!

Oh, and this is from Star because she knows what it means to need a home too. She was on the verge of being tossed out because her people divorced and moved when I took her in. Luckily she was never homeless, but she could have been and I seriously suspect some of her kittens were. She needed to become someone's, my, furry love, and she is. She may be ornery at times, fiesty, and not all together thrilled that I adopted Leo, but she's still a lovey little sweetheart. She's Greg's girl, or rather, he's her chosen human, but she's my baby girl too. One of my furry loves!


And now she's got a brick declaring the sentiments of our house. Furry love is the best love!
Hey, listen, if you absolutely have looked over your home and everyone you know's homes and seriously can't help get a cat into a home. Consider donating to help Chrystal continue to care for the kitties as long as they are there. The brick money helped I'm sure, but that cannot last. If you have a few bucks, this is a great place to send them!

Thanks for listening to my 'empty the cathouse' campaign, and don’t forget to get your kitty while you can!

Andrea, Star and Leo

Andrea ~ THANK YOU.

Jack

Last November, I did a brick story about SEVEN cats.  They were the cats of Mindy Slimmer’s Life.  Mindy still definitely holds the record for most bricks purchased at one time.  WOW.  Then, Mindy gave the ULTIMATE gift - she adopted a Winnie’s Wish cat.  And not just any of the kitties.  Luna had been forced into a life in a cage because of a dietary problem.  She had to be on a special food and could no longer be allowed to free-feed with the cats in the cathouse.  I was heartbroken to have a cat living in a cage.  And then Mindy adopted her.  Luna now has a real home.  Well, Mindy is now honoring another cat with a brick in the Winnie’s Wish Walkway.  Before I turn it over to Mindy, let me copy and paste what I wrote before:

Mindy is the one who suggested we do the brick stories to begin with.  I had planned to put pictures of the bricks on the blog.  Then Mindy suggested to me that maybe folks would like to read the stories behind those bricks.  It was a WONDERFUL idea.  The stories have added a flavor to this blog that is simply delightful.  The bricks in the Walkway are deeply meaningful commemorations of special pets.  The stories have added a richness that enhances the Walkway even more.

Just a reminder that it’s because of Mindy that the brick stories have become a cherished part of this blog.  And now, here’s Mindy:

 Jack started life as a homeless kitten bottle fed until he was old enough to be homed. My sister, the mail lady, was friends with the family that bottle-fed Jack and eventually she adopted him into her family that already had one young cat, Lydia. Lydia was an all black cat that went missing on Halloween a year ago and has not been seen since and it made my sister sad but her lifestyle was not very conducive to taking care of anyone besides herself...she is a young woman that likes to party and uses her living space strictly to shower and sleep...otherwise, she can't stay home for two seconds at a time. Soon...my sister moved out of a house she bought and sold to one of her roommates and moved to a really shoddy neighborhood into an apartment. Jack had had enough of her lifestyle (not staying home with him) and the moves (she has moved so many times in the past year...it isn't funny) so he decided to escape from her apartment when she left the door wide open because she didn't want to make two trips to her car to get her laundry loaded to go to the laundromat. Jack is one of the few cats in the world to become homeless by choice. Yes...I said "by choice." He literally told my sister that he had had enough of her lifestyle and went back to the streets...and my sister being self-absorbed didn't even drop her laundry to run after him like most cat lovers would for their kitty. A month goes by and finally he is spotted by my sister on her mail route. She really hadn't done much to find him except for the fact that my father kept bugging her about why she didn't take care of Jack and find him the night he went missing. Dad was the one that convinced her to hand out fliers in the neighborhood where he was believed to have been spotted. Within 24 hours of the pamphlets, another mail lady spotted Jack and let my sister know. Dad was to help my sister only to find Jack...but as soon as Jack was crated, he was taken home...the Slimmer Puggums home that is...and he is now dad's cat. He is quite a big guy for being all of 3 1/2 years and quite the talker. Jack's full name is Jumpin' Jack Flash Slimmer...for his markings are like lightning and he is quick and speedy. He has lived with us since Dec 8th and hasn't left my dad's bed...he loves the bed and all the manly smells. He is definitely "daddy's boy." :)

 

One more quick thing.  Mindy recently won an item in an auction, and she had that item sent to us.  She alerted me that something was in the mail - for Glitter and Cashmere.   Hmmm.  I thought it was sort of odd that the gift would be for those two cats in particular.  It got me to wonderin'.  I got that item, and now it makes perfect sense.  A FURminator.  A grooming tool for long-haired cats.  Older Daughter has heard really good things about this product.  We're going to try it out this weekend.

Mindy ~ THANK YOU.

Sophie

This story pierced my heart.  For MANY reasons (you'll see).  But also because Julie's Sophie reminds me of my Waggles.

In Julie’s words:

How, in just a couple of paragraphs, do I capture the essence of a sweet soul gone too soon?

Her life was far too brief; when only five she succumbed to two types of cancer. But during the time she was with us she was indescribably dear. We adopted her just a day after losing Wally, ironically also to cancer, and had planned to take a brief break from pets (silly of us...) so we would have a little more freedom. However, the day after Wally left us I got a call from the vet's office telling me the animal shelter had a very young Lab puppy and we should check it out. When we arrived we met a tiny yellow Lab/Sharpei cross, no more than three weeks old. Despite the fact that our vet's office had sent us, the shelter employees insisted we were not prepared to care for an animal that young and were reluctant to let us take her. Finally one of the employees pointed out that it WAS our vet's office who had sent us and perhaps that might indicate we were trustworthy? When we got her home the first thing she did was empty her stomach of the totally inappropriate and nasty dog food they had given her. Then her life really got better, fast. During the next three weeks she tripled her body weight, running to her food dish at top speed and crashing into it, no brakes yet...

Sophie was a rough youngster, very mouthy, but the instant her adult fangs arrived she stopped the puppy biting. As an adult she was a velcro dog. She needed to be in the same room with one of us, outside if we were outside, on the bed with her back up against me during the night. When riding in our pickup she sat on the backseat, resting the front portion of her body on the center console, and frequently placed her paw on my hand. She was the only dog I've ever know who truly liked to hold hands. And everyone was her friend, no strangers in her world. She lead a great life.

But just as she turned five she began resting more, playing less. At first I didn't take it seriously; my husband was undergoing chemotherapy and I attributed the changes in her behavior to her empathy. But then she lost appetite, so we saw the doctor. Nothing was clearly wrong at that time, but as her condition worsened a diagnosis followed. Lymphoma and leukemia, so soon I was dropping her off at the vet for her chemo on the way to taking my husband in for his. Then I'd pick him up, and pick her up. At least he didn't have to wear an e-collar to keep him from worrying the IV site...

As I write this the reason for her illness, in the grand scheme of the Universe, is perhaps clear. She died four weeks after my husband, perhaps so he would continue to have her companionship in whatever follows this life.

I often see my life as a sequence of dogs, those that I've known and those yet to come, but of all those I have known I think Sophie was perhaps the purest of heart and the sweetest. So her brick is a memorial to all of our beloved pets who have made themselves a part of our hearts, and left us too soon. Always too soon.

Thank you for your mission, which gives the opportunity for the animals whose lives you touch to have what Sophie had...

                                                                      Sophie as a youngster.


Sophie, with furry family member Simon.

                                                                             Sweet Sophie.

Julie ~ THANK YOU.

Brian's Home

I’m sure you are familiar with the blog Brian’s Home.  Brian purchased a brick for the Winnie’s Wish Walkway, and when I asked  what should be included in the post with the picture of the brick, the decision was made to do something that will benefit feral cats.  Brian would like to invite you over to his blog, specifically THIS POST.  I can’t think of a better post to link to since I have had my OWN experience with feral cats.  Controlling feral cat populations is an issue close to my heart.  Please check it out.

Brian (and Terry) ~ THANK YOU.


A quick update on Harmony, the pit bull with the two broken back legs.  She continues to live with us in a run in the kennel.  She was spayed yesterday.  While there, a decision was made to get another X-ray on the leg that is not healing properly.  It was good news.  Some of the fragments of the bone ARE holding together now.  The pin was removed which will help so much with the irritation it was causing in the knee.  Sweet Harmony still cannot have unrestricted activity.  So she’ll continue to stay with us, receiving TLC and limited space/activity while the leg keeps healing (and while we all fall more and more in love with her). 

China is back with us following her spay surgery.  She will go to her new home on Saturday.


See you tomorrow for yet another brick story.