Fur Family Holiday

Mike's and Cali's stockings don't look nearly as exciting as the dogs'. I promise there's stuff in the cat stockings, too!

 

It's a good thing pets don't understand stockings. Or presents. Or Christmas, really. Because PeeWee's gift doesn't come close to fitting in his stocking.

Gratitude

I have so many things to be thankful for today and every day.

I am so very appreciative of Great Plains SPCA and similar organizations that provide shelter to homeless pets without the looming euthanasia deadline.

TNR is catching on, so we will eventually be able to bring feral cat populations under control.

In addition to the shelter aspect, I'm so very thankful for GPSPCA's Hero Team for providing education and resources to the families of at-risk pets so they don't become homeless in the first place.

I have unending gratitude for the opportunity to foster sweet PeeWee. He has brought so much love into our lives.

And, of course, I am lucky to have an amazing, loving human, canine, and feline family to share my life with. Today and all days, I am most grateful for them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Purr-sonality

When talking with potential adopters at the shelter, I'm often asked questions about some variation of the 'rules.'

"Can two male cats really get along?"

"Are female cats too territorial to live together?"

Over and over I give the same response, that it's really more about the personality of the animal than the gender. I feel like this often frustrates adopters, and I get it. It would be so much easier (for all of us!) if there were a set of rules to follow to ensure a smooth addition to your fur family.

Frazzled

Living with five pets is often like living in a house full of exceptionally gross toddlers:

Mike is hungry. Starbuck needs to go potty. Mike is hungry. Cosmo wants to play. PeeWee has a gunky nose. Mike is hungry. Cali is hitting! Starbuck is hungry. Mike pooped all over himself. Cali is taking stuff. Cosmo wants to play. Starbuck needs to go potty. Mike is hungry.

The Mike poop is underrepresented, there. It's probably about 1/3 of the time he either gets it on himself or steps in it and tracks it all over the bathroom. Spouse says it's like he's trying to teach us really crappy dance moves (yes, the Dad Jokes are strong with that one).

just imagine that second one created with poopy pawprints...yeah

There are definitely moments where I envy fur-free households. But then I come home and the dogs are so darn happy to see me they nearly wag their butts off. Or PeeWee curls up behind me in bed and his purr rumbles through my entire back. Or I see something like this

and I'm reminded to appreciate the love and companionship of my pets. Even as I'm scrubbing the bathroom floor for the fifth time in a week.

Holding our breath

The last three weeks have seen us gradually relaxing, though we're still a bit on guard.

Around 11:30 PM on June 7th, Starbuck had a seizure. We think.

The daily dance

Add a couple of dogs and this is pretty much my life.

Gratitude

I have many, many things to be thankful for. I have a roof over my head, plenty to eat, an amazing family, and my own copy of Fallout 4. (Seriously, there would be blood if we had to share. It would not be pretty)

Even as they wake me up in the middle of the night, decide to vomit right in the center of the floor, and get under my feet a thousand times per day (especially when I'm cooking. OMG), I am also so, so grateful for my fur family.

This post has gone to the dogs!

I know I post about cat stuff a LOT. Strangely enough, I mainly consider myself a dog person (while my spouse & son are major cat people). But because we volunteer with the cats at the shelter, that's where my focus is most days. Today, though, is all about the barkies. First, I want to give a huge

HAPPY BARKDAY!!!

to my pupper, Starbuck. She's a whole 2 years old today. 

Whee!