Year in Review - Part 1

Happy New Years and we wish you a safe and healthy 2018!! As we have been doing, we are going to take a look back at last year....it will be a 2 parter so be sure to come back tomorrow. Let us know your favorite parts of the year as well if you have one.

January
We started out 2017 with Dandelion and Cassis still hanging out here. Plus we got a groovy new carrier from our Aunt Dee. Mom found the strawberry house and it became Mozart's private domain (basically due to the fact that he was the only one that could fit inside it). And we had a couple of episodes of homewreckers. (see also part 2) Mom also talked about fostering for Change a Pet's Life Day. The patriot girls were still at the store waiting to be adopted and got a hammock to hang out in.

February
Daiquiri showed off a very growly obsession with those spring toys. Dandelion started a new course of medication for the ongoing and perpetual snot that he was experiencing. The homewreckers were still working on the gingerbread house. Cassis was spayed and adopted!! We feared for the end of times when mom caught Ivy and Junior sleeping VERY close to each other. And we got our first foster kittens of the season - Coyote and Roadrunner. (#thelooneykittens)

March
We didn't realize it until we started looking back, but we did lots of adoptions in March: Dandelion, the patriot girls Liberty and Freedom, Coyote of the looney kittens, and Roadrunner of the looney kittens.

The looney kittens got a visitor. We celebrated Napping Day (isn't that really every day though). Mom did a post about reviews online about the rescue. There was a new guy in the foster room. Mom headed off for a weekend to visit her family. Mom also went on a rant about a tv show and FIV cats. (seems March was also the month for the ranting mom).

April
For mom's birthday this year, she got a very special present - Millie and the #designkittens. (Dior, Chanel, Versace, Gucci and Armani) The kittens were officially named and weighed. There was much ongoing cuteness. There was a couple of videos of flailing cats. We did a 3 week old kitten weigh in session. Mom posted about some of the "cat things" we have around the house. Daiquiri and Ivy had their annual vet checkup and the kittens managed to escape the box.

May
The design kittens discovered toys. Mom got a new router (and set it up herself) so the web camera works much better now. Daiquiri managed to get into the foster kitten room and Millie was NOT having it. There were several epic battles involving the incline scratcher. Mom started laying out the contestants for kittens going to Blog Paws. The boys got their own picture day. Mom headed off to Blog Paws. The kittens got to meet new friends at Blog Paws. And then it was surgery day for the design kittens.

June
We got a bunch of kittens (the #ratpackkittens) in June....6 little tuxedo kittens that just spelled trouble from the beginning. The design kittens were all spayed and neutered. We played "meet your new partners" with the rat pack kittens and the design kittens ALL in the foster room together. There was a big weekend adoption event and mom took the design kittens. The design kittens were almost all ready to head to the adoption center (Dior had an umbilical hernia and was around a few more days). Versace, Armani, Dior and Gucci were all adopted but Chanel came back to the house with a cold. The rat pack kittens all got names. Panache and her kittens arrived from a hoarding situation. We broke the VERY special news about the adoption of Dior - now known as Cupcake. Finally mom made a chart for the names of the rat pack kittens - Harlow, Bacall, Rooney, Romero, Bogart and Flynn.

adoption news

ADOPTED

that face kills mom

We know that a lot of you were beginning to think that Dandelion was going to become a permanent resident. Honestly, if circumstances were a little different here, that might have happened. But mom reminds herself that she has to know us and know her limits and this would have been WAY over the limit.

After discovering that Dandelion wasn't on Petfinder, she got his information updated. Shortly thereafter, she got an application. She reviewed all the information and they emailed back and forth a few times - talking about his attitude (or general lack thereof) and his medical background. The couple that put in the application have an older female (about 15) and an 8 month old boy (who is driving her insane). Little Bit was raised from a kitten and Rocky was found when he was tiny. Since he didn't have any siblings, he is a bit of a doofus and Little Bit is not having it. D and J decided that Rocky needs a friend who was tolerant but would also be very respectful of Little Bit.

Monday night mom took Dandelion with her to the store while she was cleaning and then met with D and J. Mom was sitting on the floor with Dandelion when they came in and after introductions, they sat down with her. Dandelion almost immediately crawled off of mom's lap and into D's lap. He stayed there for a while and then climbed into J's lap as well. There were a few kids in the store and he was great with them as well. Mom and D and J did the paperwork but they decided to wait a couple of days to take him home. They wanted to get a space set up specifically for him and they also brought a cloth that they rubbed all over him (and he LOVED that) to give to Little Bit since ultimately it is going to be her decision if he stays. D and J are committed to keeping him but obviously the old lady cat gets first vote. Mom says she is sure it will be fine as he is so respectful of everyone here.

So last night she packed up the big orange boy along with a care package of his meds and some treats and toys and sent him off to his new home. She did make them aware that she wants updates - LOTS of updates - and we will keep you posted on his progress as well.

Just in time for his birthday, our Dandelion boy found his forever home.

*from the mom: this one, as you can all imagine, was a hard one. trust me when I say that if I had ANY doubts about this couple, he wouldn't be leaving. the fact that he climbed right in their laps within a few minutes of meeting them and was SO completely relaxed sealed the deal for me. I knew he deserves a home of his own without the chaos that comes with living here. but wow am I going to miss him.

well look at that

Mom went up to the rescue's adoption center on Saturday to get some pictures for a different blog post. She wandered through the intake side and then the adoption side and then headed home.

About 90 minutes later, her phone went off with a text "2 7 week old kittens. want them?" ummm - duh. :)  Mom headed right over and came home with these two:

They were kind of chatty on the ride home and freaked out when they were set loose in the foster room. The orange one is a boy and the brown is a girl. Definitely need some work on their social skills, though the boy is friendlier than his sister.

Here's the thing: apparently someone saw an online ad (you know those listings) for kittens being sold as...snake food. Yes - we are appalled that this is even a thing. But this is not the first group of kittens that the rescue has taken from ads like this. Maybe they are just saying that to get someone to feel sorry, but we aren't sure. Anyhow, some nice people "answered" the ad and took the kittens then asked the rescue to take them. Of course they did and now the kittens are safe with us. Serious or not, mom and her friends agree that the people placing the ad suck.

After some time, mom decided on names.....the orange boy is Coyote, his sister is Roadrunner. Meet the #looneykittens

While her brother has decided mom isn't so bad, Roadrunner is pretty sure mom is scary and avoids her for the moment. However, they are out and playing and having a good time - mostly when mom is not in there.

Yes....someone knows they are in there. No...he isn't allowed to play with them. 

Mom picked them up within an hour of them arriving at the rescue. They were dewormed and got flea meds and their first vaccine, but they need to be tested.

snoozing

Best way to spend the weekend - find a favorite spot and stake it out

Spud loves the cat ladder

probably as he can get up high

and get a sense of security

 

bazillions of places to sleep in the house

and this is his favorite

 

Mo staked out that bed when we first got it

and rarely gives it up

photohunt - silky

This week's word is silky

Dandelion has some of the smoothest silkiest furs around. Mom says he isn't quite as soft as the patriot girls, but he has some wonderful silky spots....and doesn't mind his soft belly furs being rubbed either. Such a sweet boy

medical reports

Dandelion has now been on the anti-viral med for almost 2 weeks. Mom was getting ready for bed the other night and thought (apparently too loudly) that she hadn't heard him sneeze in a while. And from the other room came a series of explosive sneezes. That will teach her. MOL Miss Bernadette was helping us with info about this medication and she says they go 21 days before deciding if it is working or not. So that is another week. That said, there has been a noticeable reduction is the amounts of green snot, so we are taking that as a favorable sign.

Tommy had a v-e-t visit a week ago. Annual checkup and all that. Plus old man cat blood work and a request for some antibiotics since he has been sneezing as well (happens about once a year). Well, Dr B called mom on Tuesday and everything looks good. Normal glucose, kidney and liver values and he isn't hyperthyroid. Mom and Dr B have some concerns cause his coat is getting that slightly unkempt look, though that may be due to the cold. More concerning is that he has lost 2 pounds in a year. His white blood cell count was a little high, but again that could be due to the cold. His meds are done today, so mom is going to see if he is better and if not ask for another week. And then the v-e-t wants to run another blood cell count just to be careful.

Mom wants to try to get Tommy and Mozart eating canned food at least once per day (we can't switch everyone cause BAD things happen when Spud eats canned food). Mom tried bringing the two boys into the bathroom one morning while she was getting ready and giving them some canned. Mo was all about it (though he still only eats a few bites and wanders off) and Tommy spent the entire time banging on the bathroom door trying to escape. Mom finally opened the door and Cass ran in under Tommy as he ran out. Sounds like mom is going to need a plan B....she is thinking short term she could put them both in the foster room to eat, but that isn't a good long term plan.

Next up the girls need an annual check up and vaccines and so does Mozart.

Cassis had her spay surgery on Wednesday and it went without a hitch. Mom did laugh as the vets at the clinic will put notes on the medical sheets. In our case, usually something we need to do (meds for snot, etc). In Cassis' case it read "had a couple of baby teeth fall out today".

So, she is spayed, vaccinated, microchipped and ready to go. If you are interested or know someone, drop us an email or message us on facebook. There is an adoption event this weekend on Saturday and Sunday and mom will be out at those with Cass and Dandelion. Then if she is still available, she will go up to the adoption center next Tuesday. *and holy smokes - she weighed in a 5 pounds!!!

She did come home from the clinic on Wednesday pretty hung over but wound up. She was running around and fell off the footstool, cat ladder and mom's lap. Mom finally gave up and got ready for bed and did some reading hoping Cass would come in and lay down - which is exactly what she did.

random Fridays

Once again, not much going on here this weekend. Supposed to be chilly and maybe some snow on Sunday. ewwww

Mom has the foster room cleaned and set up (mostly). Our fairy catmother (Izzy's mom) sent us a jumbo sized cat litter mat and mom has to get that put in. Otherwise, we are just waiting for kittens. Cassis has her spay surgery on Wednesday. The norm about here is to bring them back to the house for a couple of days to recover. However, the 11th and 12th are an adoption event weekend at one of our partner stores, so mom will hang on to her and take her and Dandelion to the event that weekend.

a snoozing Junior

this is why most pictures of Daiquiri are of her sleeping

she hears the camera (or the phone) and has to come check it out

if you believe that is the face of innocence, 

you would be very wrong  HAHAHA

We are almost a week in on the meds for Dandelion. Not noticing much of a change but mom's heard that it can take the full round to make a difference. Of course, he is making it a huge THING in the morning to be pilled. At night mom has more time to sneak up on him and catch him laying down. However, first thing in the morning, he is on the run, places to go and says NO THANKS to the pill. In reality, he is good about taking it, but bad about being caught. MOL

homewreckers part 2

Homewreckers R Us

Work Cheap 

Results May Vary

If you missed episode 1 - click here

Last week, Cassis and Daiquiri took it upon themselves to inspect and attempt to destroy the gingerbread house. Due to decent construction duct tape, their efforts were thwarted.

it would appear they have brought in reinforcements this time

but it looks like the new guy is taking a break already

supervisor cat is appalled by their behavior

supervisor cat says: must be this high to work on the windows

assistant cat lays down on the job 

while supervisor cat checks the door frame strength

if you want something done right, do it yourself

So far it looks like house 2, homewrecks 0. Stay tuned.

weekend report

Seems like Mother Nature decided it should be winter in the midwest again. It got cold again and snowed a little bit. Though not that extreme bitter cold.

Mom got the call on Friday about the meds for Dandelion. After some pharmacy issues, mom picked them up on Saturday afternoon. It is an anti-viral that he will be on for 30 days. Hopefully this will fix his snot problem and we can move on to getting him adopted.

Otherwise it was a quiet weekend around here.