What a Week!

A Boy and His Dog

In my first post, I wrote about letting go of my first fosters, Kimber and Colt, and how picturing Kimber growing up with a little boy won me over to the idea of allowing her to go home with her new family. I admit it, I am a sap. Hallmark commercials make me cry, I've been known to watch Lifetime movies on cable and, so far, every successful adoption of one of my fosters brings tears to my eyes. Despite my hyper-sensitivity, I really am a pessimist at heart.

So, when I begin envoking visions of a little boy playing in the yard with his puppy, throwing balls and running through piles of Autumn leaves, I tend to think I'm simply suffering a momentary burst of idealism designed to spare me from my sappy and pessimistic self. But, Kimber's people sent me an update this week, complete with attached photos. I love getting updates on how my former fosters are doing, but this one really made my heart sing. Kimber definitely found the right home!

Ouch!

Meanwhile, the foster kitties were vetted on Tuesday. Thankfully, they both tested negative for the diseases we worry about when taking in a new rescue. For cats older than a few months, the first vet appointment gets them tested, up to date on shots, microchipped, spayed and neutered. Ace, who is just the coolest kitten ever, handled it all with ease and is back to his happy self. Ginger, however, was pretty beat up by the whole process. A veterinarian cannot always tell if a cat has been previously spayed. In those cases, the only way to check is to open them up and look. No longer a routine spay, digging around for a looksee is a bit harder to recover from and causes a larger incision.

I assure you, the addage that "animals do not feel pain" is a myth. Poor Ginger is still uncomfortable and we've had some worrisome nights this week trying to comfort her. I share this as a reminder that indoor-only cats do not end up lost outside having to undergo unnecessary surgeries in effort to find them a new home!

In Gratitude

Or, perhaps I should say "catitude." When I began fostering, I had few tools to make it run smoothly. Mostly, I needed dog and cat crates for crate training puppies and showing the foster pets at adoption days at PetSmart on Saturdays. I posted an add on Craigslist with the specifics and received many responses. A wonderful lady who is a foster mom for a St. Louis based Ferret Rescue group immediately responded, selling me the most durable, collapsable dog crate at a much lower price than she could have received elsewhere. She's a cool lady and we bonded over our love of furry critters. She emailed me this week offering two cat crates, which I was just desperate for. When I arrived at her home to gather them, I discovered they were not just ordinary crates, but the great, big playpens on rollers with ramps and shelves and the works. I had cat playpens on mental wish-list, knowing I couldn't swing them financially and now two sit in my rec room, ready for occupants. I KNOW she could have sold them for much more than she did and am deeply indebted to her for her generosity! And, just to really make it feel like Christmas around here, a few days ago, a fellow fosterer, Laurie, arrived with boxes of dog goodies donated from local girlscouts. You know you've been potty training too long when you hug someone for handing you a jug of Nature's Miracle. Hooray! Thanks to the Girl Scouts and Laurie!

The Best for Last

Jake is home for the holidays! When we arrived at PetSmart, he didn't even make it into his kennel before a family had him on a leash, walking him around, introducing him to their dog.

The two were a match; the perfect combination. Jake's new dad wanted a frisby/fetch dog and, since Jake is almost never without a toy in his mouth, he was very pleased! Jake's new mom wanted a loverboy lapdog and Jake will be happy to oblige, since he has NO idea he is a big dog who doesn't fit in a lap and loves to be squeezed and hugged and loved. It appeared that their dog was also perfectly pleased to pal around with gentle dog who gladly let her lead the way. I am thrilled with the placement and so happy for Jake.

And, I hardly miss Jake at all because I drove home with his brother, Jethro, sitting next to me. I will be fostering him until he too finds his happy ending. He's every bit as awesome as Jake. Since I am adopting their littermate sister, Jethro seemed right at home the minute they reunited. In fact, I am not sure she even realizes there was a switch. She's just happy to still have a big brother to romp around with! And, in case you can't tell the difference between the two, the above photo is of Jethro, making himself at home. As happy as I am to have him, I sure hope that, like Jake, he is home for the holidays . . .