The Blueberry Patch Litter

These gorgeous babies will be ready for new homes in about three weeks! There are four boys (Spartan, Chandler, Duke & Elliot) and two girls (Brigitta & Jersey).

Introducing . . .

. . . the newest addition to the foster house! Renny is a Great Pyrenees / Golden Retriever mix, certain to break my heart when his adoption day arrives. He is a great dog. Renny is mellow, loving and totally housetrained. He has no problems with other dogs or cats and loves people of all sizes. And, he's quickly become my big shadow. He follows me everywhere and I always have a big head to pet when sitting at my desk. Renny loves to snuggle and will "jump" up on you for hugs, but despite his size, he does it so gently, you just can't help but hug him right back. I suspect it will not take long for Renny to find his forever home . . .

Whoo Hooo !!!

GINGER FOUND A HOME!!!!

Last weekend, during our weekly adoption event at PetSmart, I was looking at poor Ginger in her PetSmart cage and feeling sorry for her -- and myself.

Ginger is one of my very first fosters. And, so far, she is the foster animal I've had the longest. She's a beautiful kitty, but not easy to find a placement for. She is older. She has lots of what we call "Torti-tude." She hisses and nips and smacks with her paw. She HATES other cats and thinks dogs are beneath her -- humans too, for that matter. She is a true Diva.

She also loves attention, purrs like crazy and will lay on your lap, rub up against you and soak up affection as long as you are willing to give it.

For several months, I've secretly wished a sweet older lady would fall in love with Ginger and take her home to be her couch companion.

And, today, that is exactly what happened!

Tonight, Ginger has a whole house to roam and a new "Mom" who intends to spoil her rotten for the rest of her life. Who knows, with such a great new life ahead of her, she may even lose some of that torti-tude!

Bosley Finds a Home ; Strange Houseguests

I miss the little guy terribly, but he found a GREAT home with people who fell in love with him at first sight. They were kind enough to call with an update the first night, and Bosley had come out of his shell and was having great fun running around the house with his new little boy. I love hearing an update the first night. Without it, I have a hard time sleeping wondering how my foster dog or cat is doing in his/her new environment while I get used to them not being here with me. Here's to a great life, Bosley!

I had some interesting house guests this week; a litter of fuzzy little newborns, but not the kind I am used to. While I am used to people bringing me critters, these were a first for me: a litter of possum babies! I'll be honest here and tell you that possums really creep me out. I have rehabbed rabbit babies, squirrels, turtles, birds and even raccoons, so I could have done this too, but the thought of them getting big? Ack! With several litters of kittens currently here, I had a good excuse not to take on the possums. Still, at their little size, they were sort of cute in a helpless sort of way. And I felt badly for them. Their mother had been hit by a car and they were saved when someone saw them crawling from her pouch. So, I inspected them, made a makeshift pouch out of an old knitted cap and placed them in a cat crate on a heated disk to keep them warm. And then we headed to The Wildlife Center of Missouri, where experienced and licensed wildlife rehabbers will care for them until they can be released.

With Bosley in a new home, I do have room for another foster dog. So, last night, Bella joined our pack here. She's an adorable little thing - a beagle mix. My best guess is that she is mixed with husky -- she inherited a darling curly tail. She'd been here a whole 12 hours, when I got a call from the volunteer who brought her to Heartland telling me she already has a meeting with potential adopters! So, it's quite possible Bella will be my quickest turn-around ever!

I'll keep you posted!

Postscript: Bella did find a new home tonight, with wonderful people who will spoil her rotten. I am happy for Bella, but a little disappointed her time with me was so incredibly short!

Finally, An Update . . .

I know, I know, I've been neglecting my blog. It's not for lack of rescue news. It is because of rescue! I told a foster friend recently that rescue has a way of sucking your entire life into its vortex. That really isn't much of an exaggeration; it's quite true. Oh, how I wish all I was doing was playing with and caring for cute little critters, but there is so much more involved.

I love every minute of it though. I just wish I had more time for writing.

So, to catch everyone up to speed on the happenings here, a recap of the last couple weeks:

POGO

My sweet, funny pocket-sized affenpinscher mix was returned. His new mommy faced some unexpected medical issues and knew she was dealing with too much to take on a new puppy. Bringing Pogo back was the last thing she wanted to do, so it was a very sad experience for both of us -- and Pogo too, I imagine.

Pogo came right back into the fold of our routine here though, happy to see his old friends. I have discovered my biggest weakness seems to be returns. I get more attached when they come back and it becomes easy to imagine them staying forever. Pogo found a new home in no time at all and it was tough saying goodbye a second time.

MARLEY

Marley found himself a terrific home. His new Mommy works in a retirement home and Marley will be going to school to learn how to be a therapy dog!

MORE FOO-FOO!

I've taken in another Bichon Frise. Bosley is a little doll, all full of mischief. Although I've sworn I wasn't a "little dog" person, I do love the personality of this breed. They just exude happiness. I swear they smile at you, and their whole bodies wiggle when they see you. Bosley was a gift to an elderly couple and, as often happens when animals are gifted to people not necessarily expecting them, he was too much to handle. It took Bosley a couple days to brave all the dogs here and join our routine. The poor guy was so scared and confused, my heart just broke for him.


Finally though, he had his big breakthrough and joined everyone in a romp through the house. Since all the dogs here right now are young, we endure lots of puppy activity on a daily basis. This includes what I call "thundering." That means five dogs, all wrestling each other while moving about the house. They sort of look like one blurry dog in a swirl of hair and tails and paws, bouncing off walls and furniture. It's total chaos while it happens, but it makes me belly laugh! I guess it is sort of like a hazing ritual to them because, once Bosley decided to join the fun, the other dogs decided he belongs here and now they are all buddies.

AHHH-CHOOO!

Riley, my darling lab/border collie puppy, has been on hiatus from adoption events. He had a case of the sniffles and needed a course of antibiotics. Of course, I haven't minded spending more time with him; he is darling and growing into such a good dog. He is growing fast though and I so want him to find a home before he becomes a hard-to-place Big Black Dog.

CATS, CATS and MORE CATS

Actually, it's kittens, kittens and more kittens!

Nala's babies are much bigger and have just entered the playful stage. They can now escape their little nursing area and run about the room, wrestling with each other and generally driving Nala crazy as they get into mischief. Kismet (a little boy) and Mojo (a little girl) got their names because I am not sure they would have survived had Heartland not stepped in before they were born.



And, Zira finally had her babies, which became a very traumatic experience for all involved, especially her. She showed no pre-labor signs at all. When I went in to randomly check on her one morning, she was curled up with Nala and her babies. As I lifted one of Nala's babies out, I found a tiny kitten underneath, who did not survive the birthing process. A frantic check of the area produced two live kittens, just born and still wet.


No matter what I did, Zira showed no interest in mothering her new babies. In fact, she would intentionally lay on her stomach to prevent them from nursing. Eventually, she left the nest entirely. Fortunately, Nala stepped in as nursemaid right away. I checked and re-checked Zira to make sure she wasn't still laboring and saw no signs of distress -- until the next morning.

I found her straining in the litterbox and knew right away there'd just been a long lapse between kittens and she was now in trouble. We were at the vet's before they opened. X-Rays confirmed she had a baby stuck in the birth canal and another baby still to come. A C-section saved one of those babies. So, we have three brand new babies in what has now become a maternity room of sorts. It took Zira a few days to recover from the shock and pain of the surgery, but when she did, she went straight to her babies and began caring for them -- much to Nala's relief!

AND the CUTEST KITTENS AWARD GOES TO . . .

Days old and in freezing temperatures, they were found in a dumpster behind a Wal-Mart store. Fortunately, the woman who found them knew exactly how to care for neonates and managed to nurse the surviving kittens through the first night. For six weeks, she cared for them, and then they got to come to my house. And, I am so happy about that! They are the most darling things I've ever seen -- and sweet beyond compare. My favorite part of the day is going downstairs late in the evening for some quality kitten time and letting these three little fluffballs crawl all over me.

More Soon!

Eyes Wide Open

The big news here at the foster house is the kittens' eyes have opened. They are now scooting around a whole lot more, so Nala moved them to a safer place: the back of a deep closet. Fortunately, I'd anticipated the move and gave the closet a deep cleaning, then covered the floor with soft blankets before Nala even gave birth.

Zira, my expectant Mommy cat, was thrilled with the move. She is very attached to Nala (they are definitely related) and was none too happy about being booted out of the cat nest when Nala's babies arrived. Zira earns her keep, helping Nala care for her babies. She cleans them regularly and snuggles up with them when Nala needs to stretch her legs. I suspect Zira will give birth in the same closet when the time comes. That should be interesting with other kittens running around!

At least I know ahead of time Zira will be a good little mommy. She is so young, maybe six or seven months, it is worrisome. Another one of the pregnant kitties, from the same over-populated house we pulled these guys from, miscarried her babies. Her foster mom is, understandably, sad. I would be too. I have looked in on Zira many times today with that in mind.

The babies aren't all that is new around here. I have some new fosters to brag about too!

Marley has been here for about a week. Unfortunately, he was very sick with kennel cough. We see a lot of that from dogs coming out of animal control shelters, but this particular strain is a nasty one. Marley refused to eat or drink -- or even come out of his crate. After a few days of antibiotics, he is feeling much, much better. I have kept him separate from my other dogs, to spare them getting sick too, but am really looking forward to Marley's full recovery, when he can join the rest of the pack!

And, finally, Taboo, a long-haired beauty, has made her way to the foster house. She is a total sweetheart of a kitten already available for adoption. I have a weakness for long-haired cats, so I have fallen in love with her and it's going to be hard to let her go!

Cuteness Overload

I am just so enjoying the experience of having Nala and her babies. It is a really wondrous thing; these precious cats in miniature. And Nala is so proud! I swear you can see her smiling, saying "look what I did!"

I could watch them for hours . . .

Special Delivery

The new pregnant kitties are now named Nala and Zira. For those of you not conversant with Disney trivia, they are characters from the movie The Lion King; both mommy kitties. Nala is so round and uncomfortable, I knew she would go into labor first. She showed her first signs last night, insisting on nesting inside a cabinet in her room, where she licked her belly and purred all night. I checked on her every hour and a half throughout the night.

At 9:10 am, Nala gave birth to her first kitten. She is just a kitten herself and was a little overwhelmed, so I had to help a bit. Her first kitten was BIG and healthy looking!

I snapped a quick photo of her first baby after we weighed it:

This is not a quick process. Nala's second baby didn't make an appearance for four more hours. She delivered the second baby all on her own:

Baby number two latched on right away:


It's now been five hours since the birth of the second baby, so I will update this as things progress. At least she got lots of rest in between babies!



I was surprised she just had two babies, as big as she was, but no more came. They are little bruisers though for newborns, so she has her paws full!

Weekend Adventures

Friday evening began with a trip out to the country; a rescue mission.

I am sure it began with the best of intentions. She'd saved a cat or three and, before she knew it, had a whole houseful to contend with, without the means to support such an endeavor. She asked Heartland for help and we agreed to find homes for some and work with her for the next few months getting the rest spayed/neutered and placed in adoptive homes. We spent a couple hours at her house, rounding up kitties as respectfully and delicately as we could. These were not abused kitties. She truly loved and provided for them, but was simply in too deep before she knew it and was smart enough to call for a lifeboat.

I was anxious before this trip. My own familial history makes me ultra sensitive to authoritarian situations where a person or persons feels they can (and should) determine what is best for someone else. I can imagine how this situation would have played out on an episode of Animal Cops. There were no "good guys" or "bad guys" involved in Friday night's rescue. We all just wanted to help the animals.

I cannot imagine having strangers enter my house and watching them scoop up my beloved pets to take them away, but this woman was very gracious throughout the whole experience. We filled nine crates with ten cats. Three are definitely pregnant. Hopefully, with Heartland’s help, her house will soon be sterile so she can simply enjoy her many cats without the worry of them reproducing themselves into an unmanageable population explosion.

I cried with her as she said goodbye to her babies. Yes, she had too many cats, but she didn’t love them any less than I love my own pets and I knew saying goodbye wasn’t easy. At the end of the night, after all the tears were shed, she did agree that having all these kitties spayed or neutered would be much, much better than going through the such heartbreak again.

I brought home two pregnant kitties. They are scared from the sudden change and it will take them a while to adjust to their new surroundings. They have a room to themselves with several birthing beds to choose from, so I am sure they'll soon make themselves comfortable. And I am sure there will be many kitten photos forthcoming on this blog!

Just to emphasize the importance of spaying and neutering, Saturday also brought a lesson. After just completing an adoption at PetSmart I was celebrating having an evening with no foster puppies. I spoke too soon. A customer informed us someone had staked a “FREE PUPPIES” sign next to our Adoption signs in the parking lot. A few of us ran out to gauge the situation. The problem with free puppies, aside from not knowing where they will end up or how they will be treated, is that they are rarely altered, so the potential of one free puppy adding to the homeless pet problem is great. There was one free pup left – a darling, long-haired, border collie/lab mix who is now my newest foster!

So ended an adventurous weekend.

The Ewoks!

I have affectionately called them "The Ewoks" since the day they came to live with me, as they look very much like furry little Star Wars creatures. As I packed them up for PetSmart this morning, it was impossible not to reflect on how far these little boys have come since the day I brought them home, terrified of people and very sick with upper repiratory infections, a product of their puppy-mill beginnings.

In just over a month, they've blossomed into healthy, well-adjusted little guys who love kids and adults alike. They did fabulous at PetSmart today, lavishing in all the attention from everyone until they were just so tired they curled up together in their little dog bed for a nap.

But it was an unusually slow day at PetSmart; not a lot of traffic and very few people seriously looking for a dog or cat to adopt. Just as I was ready to begin packing up all our supplies to head home, however, the applications started coming in on my little Ewoks! We quickly went from no serious interest to competing applicants! That all worked out on its own and I'd soon chosen homes for both Pogo and Pounce!

It was very strange coming home without them! Their crate is still up in the kitchen and their exersize pen still in the back yard. By tomorrow, I will be ready to face putting their things away. I am just not up to it tonight as I am still sort of surprised when it's time to take the dogs out here and I am two short of what I am used to!

I am, however, very happy for them. They got wonderful homes and I've already received photos and an update from Pogo's new mom, who reports he's settling in nicely and is a great fit for their family!

Some Happy Endings

I knew Patrick would leave a big, empty spot once he found his new home, not just because of his size, but because of what a wonderful companion he's been during his short time living with me. He slept in my bed every night and followed me around the house. Patrick loved a car ride, so I rarely left the house without taking him with me. Even sitting at this computer, writing this post, is a reminder he isn't here, as I am used to his big ol' head plopped into my lap as I write!

But, Patrick got his happy ending and I am very happy for him. His new mommy just loves him to pieces and I have no doubt he's going to have a beautiful life. She intends to take him to work every day at the horse farm where she is employed. We went to the farm for a visit earlier this week and Patrick looked so content watching the horses, goats and peacocks roaming the farm! He will have tons of attention from all the folks there and many, many animal friends. Since Patrick loves every one and every critter, this is a very good thing!

Josie also found a happy ending this week: a new home with another kitten her age and a family with two teenaged girls. I am quite sure her feet still haven't touched the ground and that she'll be loved endlessly. Since Josie was adopted on Valentines Day, her new name is Valentine!

I will miss both Patrick and Josie -- especially the cuteness of seeing the two of them together as friends -- but know they are both beginning new and beautiful lives. Hooray for happy endings!

Josie

Josie was the only kitten from my Tombstone litter not adopted last weekend. Of course, I don't mind spending extra time with her, but coming home Saturday and returning her to an empty cat room was sort of depressing. She didn't like it one bit either, showing her distaste of the situation by standing at the door, letting out the most mournful cries I've ever heard. I ended up spending the night on the sofa in the cat room with her so she wouldn't feel so alone.

The next day, I had to do something I usually avoid doing with my foster kitties. I let Josie join my pride of house cats. That is always a tricky situation -- it can stress the house cats and disrupt their pecking order, causing problems.

Sometimes I underestimate my brood here. Pixel, not yet full grown and my biggest love-bug cat, immediately became Josie's foster mommy. I watched her shuttle Josie off to the litter box by the scruff of her neck and sit in it with her until she was finished. She made sure Josie knew where the food and water was and then insisted Josie join her for a nap in the kitty condo, curling herself entirely around Josie and giving her a bath!

Not to be outdone by the cats, the dogs thought they'd get in on the action too! Patrick, my Saint Bernard mix foster dog, loves kitties. But, Josie is so small, one lick from Patrick's big tongue lifts her right off the ground! Thank goodness Josie isn't afraid of dogs, because Patrick spends most of his time in my bedroom, on my bed. Fortunately, he is willing to share his spot with a tiny kitten and she doesn't mind curling up with a big ol' dog!

Of course, this all changes my adoption requirements for Josie. With all the attention she's received here from the other animals, I just cannot imagine sending her to a home where she would be an only pet. She'd just be too darn lonely. So, I'll continue hoping the perfect family with friendly cats and dogs comes along and decides Josie is a perfect match for them!

A Week of Adoptions

I haven't done so before, but today I counted to see how many animals I've fostered have found homes. The number pales in comparison to those who have fostered for years and can count thousands of animals, but still, I was surprised. In the few short months I have been fostering, I have placed sixteen animals in adoptive homes, with the help of everyone at Heartland.

Even more surprising is that six of those placements happened this week! If you know me at all, you know that is just a few too many goodbyes too close together for someone who cries watching hallmark commercials. Still, at the end of the day, it is a good feeling to have had a small role in making a difference for a few of the Universe's creatures.

The week began with Relay's adoption. Relay now belongs to two darling boys and a Labrador Retriever. Her new Mom is sending regular updates and she's doing wonderfully!

Angel and Virgil were adopted together and get to keep their names! Sometimes you just know, with every fiber of your being, you are sending a foster to the perfect home, and that was the case with Angel and Virgil. I am certain they are off to a wonderful new beginning, as are Doc, Morgan and Wyatt, who also found their forever families.

However, the week wasn't all about goodbyes. I had a hello too; a very BIG hello. Patrick, a Saint Bernard I fell in love with as soon as he was taken in by Heartland, is my newest foster and future heart-breaker. If one could custom design the perfect dog, Patrick would be the result. He is the definition of "Gentle Giant". He loves all the dogs here, is endlessly patient with the puppies who use him as their personal jungle gym, and has even made friends with my remaining kitten who, at only 2 pounds, is about the size of one of Patrick's paws!


This dog just emanates kindness. He greets every visitor to the house with a paw and a nudge and, within seconds, each person who has seen him for the first time ends up wrapping their arms around his big ol' neck, hugging him. The best part about hugging Patrick is he hugs back!

I suspect Patrick will be adopted as quickly as he becomes available, but I sure wouldn't mind if it took a lot longer. He is pure joy to share living space with. I hate to imagine how big an empty spot he'll be leaving when it's time for his new life to begin . . .

Karma . . .

I reached my hand into the cat carrier and pulled out a very tiny, very dirty kitten. She was covered in fleas, full of ear mites, sick and unhealthy. She was also the most loving little thing I'd ever seen, purring like crazy and kneading her little paws at the air as I gave her medicines and treated her for fleas. I named her Karma.

Two months later, she looks as you see her here (in a gorgeous photo taken by Angie). She's healthy. Her eyes are bright. Her ears are clean. And, she is still the most loving little kitten with the biggest purr you've ever heard.

Karma found her forever home today. It wasn't an easy goodbye for me. I've spent so much time nursing her back to health and so many nights cuddling her just to hear that enormous purr, it was impossible to not fall in love with her.

I am not sure this gets easier with time. No matter how hard I fight against it, when an adoption happens, I cry. I always feel silly about it. It always makes the adopters feel bad. I'm not immediately giving high-fives for happy endings; it takes me a while to recover. That doesn't mean I'm not happy for Karma and her new family, as I know they will love her as much as I do and that she, in turn, will love them.

And that is my wish for Karma: a life full of love for a beautiful little kitten who gives love freely, despite her difficult beginnings. I'll miss you, wee-one, have a beautiful life!

In Anticipation of Goodbye

A lot of work goes into getting an animal ready for adoption; especially if the animal is a baby. For puppies and kittens there is a quarantine period, trips to the vet for tests and vaccines and a surgery day for spays or neuters. If the animal isn't healthy in the beginning, there are other appointments and medical treatments. Then there's the potty training for puppies - the x-pens, the crates, the stacks of newspapers and endless clean-up.

And, of course, there is the really important stuff: socializing the animals, something that can only be done by spending time with them; getting attached to them. We play with them, include them in our routine and, while they are with us, treat them as if they are staying forever.

After six weeks or so, we are suddenly faced with reality: our job is complete and our foster animals are ready to find their permanent homes. Their photo and bio goes up on the website and petfinder.com, the applications begin coming in and we take them to adoption days.

I love doing all the stuff up until that point. It's the goodbyes I dread, even though I truly want for them to find a home. Baby animals are just impossible to not get attached to. Right now, all my babies are suddenly ready for adoption. I have seven kittens of various ages and my beautiful puppy, Relay, just waiting for the right application to come in. This weekend, I will be taking Karma, a kitten, Angel, another kitten and Relay to PetSmart adoptions. I'm sure I will be leaving there without some, or all, of them. If there is a secret to fostering without the heartbreak of saying goodbye to an animal one has grown to love, I am not yet in possession of it.

And then there's the hangers-on, who we worry will never find a home. For me, that is a beautiful torti cat named Ginger. Poor Ginger has a couple knocks against her. She isn't a fan of other cats and she hates going to PetSmart, so shows her displeasure by growling, hissing and being otherwise cranky. I am not sure which one of us gets most stressed by adoption days so for the most part I've stopped the practice, hoping someone falls in love with her photo instead. She is a wonderful cat -- super affectionate, totally beautiful and very easy to please, wanting nothing more than a lap to sit on and someone to give her love. When her adoption day comes, it will truly be a celebration. She has waited a very long time.