DOWN WITH THE VIOLENCE, DOWN WITH THE HATE

Tiny and Happy Feet visited the vet today. Tiny got another vaccination, and Happy Feet was examined. The vet looked at his eye and gave me some medication. He said that we'll just have to keep an eye on it and see how it heals up. I'm shocked at how well Happy is adapting to life indoors! He's extremely sweet and hardly phased at all by his new surroundings.

The office just so happened to have a cat trap! How lucky am I?! Apparently someone never picked it up. So they gave it to me for the rest of the cats! I actually put it out tonight in hopes of catching Gray Kitty. I'm a little worried about catching the neighbor's cat, though! Or squirrels...

I can just hope that I catch her!

I AIN'T GONNA LIVE FOREVER

I should have called my blog "Foster Dog AND CAT Diaries", right?!

Paws and Lyla are both doing well. Driving me nuts, but they are puppies, so what do you expect? They are being really good, though. They very rarely have accidents in the house, and they are behaving well for puppies! It's just a little bit chaotic, you know?

I took Happy Feet the feral cat to PETA today to be neutered. I was also planning on bringing Gray Kitty and Grumpy along. Gray Kitty escaped, though. It was really sad! I'm really upset that she got away. I've had her for a few weeks now, so I'm clearly attached to her. When I was pushing the crate further into the car, though, the door dislodged... and she shot out like a rocket. I didn't even have a split second to do anything. I searched in the general direction that she had run... but didn't see her. How disappointing! I put out a bowl of wet food this afternoon and someone ate it... but I don't know who! For all I know, it was either the neighborhood cat, Gray Kitty, or squirrels. I'll just keep putting food out and hope for the best, I guess. Anyway, Grumpy was too little to be neutered, and they weren't sure if they were going to be able to do Happy's neuter since his immune system was possibly compromised. Happy Feet has terrible ulcers in one of his eyes. They ended up being able to do it, though! Yay! He's recovering happily in a big crate in the room with the other kittens. He's such a sweet boy for a cat that grew up outside and without all that much human contact! The kittens need to put on another 1/2 of a pound before they are neutered.

I'm very grateful for all of the people who have given me monetary donations as well as supplies like bowls, litter, and food! If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be able to do this. I mean, I WOULD do it, but I would have NOTHING in my pocket. Props to all of those rescues out there who stick it out and do what they can for these animals. Rescuing isn't easy!

The hardest part about today was the fact that to get the "feral package" from PETA, I had to sign something that said that the cat could be euthanized if he was positive for FeLV or FIV. I hesitated... but then thought about it for a minute. What am I going to be able to do for a FeLV+ or FIV+ cat? Most feral cats are released back into the wild, so I think that's why they have that policy. Happy Feet, however, is completely capable of becoming a pet, so the decision wasn't an easy one. I was just hoping on my life that he wasn't positive for either! So... I signed my name and left. As I was driving home, I couldn't help from thinking that I had just signed the life of an animal away. I had just given someone permission to kill an animal. Rationally, I knew that I couldn't do anything with a FeLV+ or FIV+ cat, but the other part of me couldn't help from feeling like I had just sentenced Happy Feet to death.

Fortunately for me, he was negative for both, and I didn't have to suffer the guilt that I would have suffered from if he had been positive. I know that I'll lose animals throughout my whole life. I can't save them all. But I wasn't ready to sign the life of a cat away.

POCKETS EMPTY, HEART FULL

Now I remember why I didn't want a puppy again! These 3AM and 6:45AM wake-ups just aren't working for me! She literally gets up at these times on the dot every morning. At 3AM, it's to go potty, and at 6:45AM - well - it's just time to get up. According to her! But I suppose I wouldn't trade these days for the world. That's what being a puppy mother is all about! Lyla has also found her bark and insists on barking at her dog brothers and cat siblings quite often - loud and proud! But so precious! It will be double the fun starting today... since I'm puppy-sitting Lyla's sister, Paws, through Thanksgiving. The more the merrier, right?

As for my kittens, they are doing really well. Elmo, Grumpy, Tiny, Peekaboo, and Grey Kitty are all getting more socialized by the day. Peekaboo is probably he most skittish of the group, then Grey Kitty. Peekaboo actually sliced my finger last night trying to get away! I have to be ointment in his eyes, though, and apparently he's decided that he hates it. Tiny had his stitch taken out on Tuesday, and it looks phenomenal! It looks almost completely normal! I have an appointment at PETA to have one of them spayed or neutered on Sunday. I'm not sure who I'm going to pick to be done. I'll probably take one of the kittens in since I still haven't gotten a trap from Animal Control for the adults. I've just been so busy lately. As always! Unfortunately, though, funds are running low for the feral kitties. I need more donations... which I hate to ask for... but I'm trying to do a good thing for these babies and just don't have the money to do it myself.

Jessica from K9 Justice League sent me pictures of Zoe in her new home! She looked really good and very happy! Definitely makes me feel good that I could give her a place to stay until she found a home. The joys of fostering!

I really need to win the lottery... so I can buy a house with lots of room for the animals. I ought to go tend to the children now. There are cages and litter boxes to clean, dogs to let out, and floors to sweep...

YOUR LOVE IS A SYMPHONY

Where to begin? With the insanity of being so busy, I hardly have time to write!

I actually just got back from a horse show in Lexington, Virginia. I was there for 5 days. Brody went with me, Jackson stayed at my dad's house, and Lyla [formerly known as Sheba] stayed with Cindy. Cindy is Jessica's [from K9 Justice League] mom, and she agreed to watch Lyla while I was gone. Paws is the only other puppy left for adoption. Tiana was adopted while I was gone. Now that girl was sweet! She's going to make someone a great dog. I'm sad that I won't really be able to say "goodbye" to her, but at least I got to see her when I dropped Lyla off.

Two of the kittens have been adopted! Their owners seem to love them, and the babies seem to be doing well with their new people. I still have 4 kittens and an older female that all need to find homes. Tiny, one of the kittens, had to have surgery on his eye to have a mass removed. He was actually neutered, too! So that was exciting! I think that Tiny is having an issue with his eye, though, so I need to take him in in the next couple days and have him looked at. One of the other babies seems to have some eye irritation, too. Hmph. I need more money to take care of these boogers!

Other than being ridiculously busy, all of my critters are thriving. I really just wish that I could do this for a living.

BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST WALK AWAY

I now officially have 7 dogs, 9 cats, 2 ferrets, and 1 snake living in my house. The other foster mom for 3 of the puppies returns today, so they will be leaving shortly. That'll be a breath of fresh air! I love having all of the puppies... but it is a lot of work! You think having 1 puppy is hard? Try having 5!

I guess I should explain the mass amount of cats. I now have 6 feral kittens. I've had 4 of them for a week or two now. I just found 2 more today. I think that they are from the same litter, though. Sadly, one of them has a growth/tumor on her eye that is keeping her from opening it at all. The growth will definitely need to be removed. Possibly the entire eye. We have GOT to catch those feral months and having them spayed immediately. I have to wait for Heather to get home, though. She's the one with the money! Yikes! Definitely in over my head with this. All are well-cared for right now, however. They have food, water, litter boxes, toys, etc. I'm trying to socialize them, too. A few of them are coming around. Finally! They spent the first week wanting to eat my face.

Ahhh, the hardships of being an animal lover. I'm poor as anything - but damn if my heart isn't full.

I SPILL MY HEART FOR YOU

Due to my laptop being stolen, updates are lacking.

The puppies are all doing well. Surprisingly, the last two weeks have gone by rather quickly. Sheba, Tiana, and Lush still have accidents in the house, but what do you expect from young puppies? They are totally weaned off of milk and only eating puppy food now! They've grown up so fast! They all weigh over 8lbs now and are ALL puppy! They are actually really good pups, though.

Lush has a home, and she'll be leaving on Thursday. Tiana does not yet. But three of the others from the litter of nine have adopters! Baby steps... They'll all find great homes.

TRYIN' MAKE HIS WAY HOME

My new foster kids have been doing very well! I was initially quite resistant about taking on puppies since I had such a hard time with Brody when he was growing up, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm having fun with these little girls!

Yes, I'm slightly sleep deprived... and I do probably spend a good 2 hours of day cleaning up after them - but those cute faces are totally worth the work!

My boys as nearly excited about the new additions as everyone else is, however. Brody still can't quite figure out what to do with them. It's like he gets frustrated when they don't play with him... so he yaps that annoying yap of his as if they'll play with him if he does it over and over again. For a clumsy boy who is really still a puppy himself, though, I'd say that he's doing pretty well with them. Jackson is portraying the "grumpy old man" side of himself these days. They look weird. They are tiny. And they want to touch him. He wants little to nothing to do with them and retreats to the bedroom as quickly as he can when the pups are out. I saw a glimmer of hope today, however, that he might warm up to them eventually.

Apart from being tired, going through mass amounts of paper towels and Wee Wee Pads, and the smelliness that puppies come with, I'd say that it's going very well. I know it doesn't sound glamorous, but I'm having fun!