Still Here - Part One

It has been quite a while since I posted, so I thought I would check in to let you know that I am still here and still fostering. It has been a rough couple of months here in the Animal House and I have been so busy just trying to take care of my fosters, and just did not have time left over to post and update here. So here is a summary of what has been going on since August.

In late August, for the first time we foster some puppies. Just overnight until they could be reunited with their mother, but they were awfully cute and a nice experience for Paige. And reaffirmed to me that I prefer cats - puppies are much more high maintenance.

Then, I had a litter of kittens that were initially known as the "skanky kittens" at the shelter because they were in such bad shape. They were suffering from a very bad case of an internal parasite called coccidia. Initially there were 4 of them and then I brought home two more from another litter that had similar issues. They immediately got along like they had been separated at birth. We named them Lily, Rose, Violet, Briar, Bramble, and Bumble. It was a long fight to get them over the coccidia and adopted into forever homes, but worth it. They were all loving, snuggly kittens who would come running the minute they saw me so they could climb in my lap to snuggle. My whole family was very attached to the entire litter, but I was especially attached to my little long haired orange boy, Bumble. I had the hardest time letting him go up for adoption and almost cried the day he went to his forever home. I might have kept him, but it just was not the right time to add another member to our permanent family and he really would do better in a quiet home.

Here he is shortly after he came to us when he was still "skanky" but cute.

In September I brought home a little kitten who came in with the name Ace and who we thought was semi-feral. After a very short time in my house he was trying to sleep with me and cuddle with me and purring up a storm but would flinch and hide the minute I reached toward him. I began to suspect that he was not feral. He knew humans, he was just afraid of them. Which probably means that someone treated him unkindly in his young life. I decided that my noisy house full of active people, a young child and other cats was not the place for him. I transferred him to a much quieter foster home where he, at my request, he was given a new name (they chose Huckleberry) and a fresh start at learning that some humans would treat him kindly. I am happy to report that he did wonderfully in his new foster home and ended up not only getting adopted, but going home with a nice couple who also adopted another kitten from the same foster home who Huckleberry had become really attached to while in foster.

Daisy, who I mention is my last post in August, recovered completely and was adopted into a home with three little boys who actually had enough energy to keep up with her. She and my baby Doyle became fast friends while she was with us and actually looked a lot alike.

September was also when we also participated in Paige's first fundraiser for the shelter, the Walk for Animals. She had a great time and I am proud to say that this amazing 5 year old managed (with a little help from us) to raise over $800 to help the homeless animals we both care so much about. Here she is walking with me. We were so proud of her that day, and the next day when she started kindergarten.