Cabbie was adopted; Introducing Princess

I took the weekend off from fostering, and went on a camping trip with some friends. We had a great time, and enjoyed the awesome weather. I came back to find out that my foster kitten Cabbie was adopted this weekend. I'm happy for him to be in a real home now. My other foster cats were staying at PetSmart while I was gone, and my foster puppies Calvin and Hobbes were dog-sat by a Heartland volunteer. We took Remi and Noelle to our favorite dog sitter. I'd like to take Remi and Noelle camping with us, but since we also did a float trip at the same time it wasn't the ideal situation. For one thing, Remi can't fit in a canoe.

My newest foster cat was taken care of by my parents while I was gone, with some help from my niece. She has named the cat Princess. So far Princess is turning out to be a wonderful cat. She's super-affectionate and friendly and did great with my nieces and nephews while I was gone.

And the winner is....

For those of you who entered the contest to see which of my cat fosters would be adopted next, we have a three-way tie! Since they were all three adopted on the same day, and I wasn't there so I'm not sure who actually filled out the paperwork first, I'm declaring that if you voted for Mercury, Solara or Capri, you get bragging rights! So go ahead, leave a comment and brag about how you KNEW who would go next, and why! And if you actually adopted Mercury, Capri or Solara, you get extra bragging rights! :-)

So now my Disney litter is adopted, and my Solar System litter is adopted, and I only have three kittens from my Sea Litter and a few adults left. If you liked the last game and want to play again, just vote again for whomever you think will be adopted next! Here's a hint about the cats/kittens that I am still fostering:

Scribbles - Unless you're planning to adopt her or know someone who is, you should consider this the long shot. She's not good at PetSmart (she gets stressed out and hisses at people) so unless someone sees her online and applies for her, she doesn't have such a good chance of being adopted.

Artemis - Another adult, and a black cat at that - his odds would normally be lower as well. (Is it wrong to talk about adopting cats in terms of odds? Lighten up, its all in fun) :-) Artemis might have a secret advantage though, like Solara did. He might get to go stay at PetSmart someday soon and then people would be able to see him all during the week instead of just on Saturdays. Also, he gives hugs, and how many cats do you know who give really good hugs? Seriously, his hugs are better than most cats who give hugs, so if you don't believe me come visit him at PetSmart on Saturday and hug him for yourself!

Marco & Polo - I thought these guys would be adopted quick - they're gorgeous, all white, long-haired, front declawed cats. They're also affectionate and sweet. But they're a little older (seven years) and for whatever reason, they're taking awhile to find a home. They're ready to start coming to PetSmart again too though and should be there on Saturday, so maybe they'll be the ones to go next.

Chessie - She's the comical relief around my house - well, her and Noelle. She's always doing something to entertain people, and she loves to play. She's also pretty cute!

Cabbie - Adorable kitten with a racing stripe down his back (really! Julie saw it). He loves everyone and is very easy-going and friendly.

Cilla - Easiest kitten ever - she's the most laid-back, lazy, easy-going, affectionate kitten I've ever had - she's a bit shy around big dogs or scary situations but she's super sweet.

New pictures!

Here are some new pictures of my Sea Litter kittens. First is Cabbie. He's not only adorable but also so affectionate. I love his laid-back personality.



Next is Cabbie's sister - Cilla. She is stalking one of the dogs in this first picture which is why her tail is straight up in the air and very fluffy!

Third is Chessie. She's the high energy kitten of the group - always on the go, and always getting into trouble. She's so friendly and cute and good at making me laugh.



Last but not least is Capri. She's become my all-time favorite cat foster ever. I have never been so attached to any other foster cat - she's kind of the feline version of Coal for me. Coal was the first foster dog I fell in love with when I started fostering, and until Noelle there's never been another dog that I've connected with in the same way. It was really hard to adopt out Coal, but I was very fortunate that the family who adopted him not only gave him a good home but has done an awesome job of keeping me updated on him and bringing him to PetSmart so I can visit with him! I can only hope I am so lucky in finding a similar situation for Capri (hey Bernice, want another cat?) :-D

This weekend I'll be taking Kai, Mercury and Solara to PetSmart to try to find homes for them. Oh, I have exciting news! Angie, the volunteer who found Andy the beagle, came over last night and we walked dogs, and Kai made it ALL THE WAY AROUND THE BLOCK!!! I was so excited. :-) We tried using a harness instead of a regular collar, and that seems to have helped. She's now officially no longer a shy scaredy-dog, and while we'll keep working on walks on leash, she's able to start on the regular obedience training - no jumping on people or counter-surfing, learning to sit/stay, and so on. She now loves to greet new people and new dogs, and has no fear of anything at my house, so I'm very proud of her.

Sedna was adopted!; Update on my fosters

It was a busy weekend for Heartland volunteers. In addition to our regular adoptions at PetSmart, we had two other events going on. Some of our volunteers went to a special off-site adoption event, and they were nice enough to take a couple of my foster cats for me. One of the cats, Sedna, found a new home at the event. Thanks to Julie, Ashley, Sue and Lisa for volunteering at this event! Other volunteers held a bake sale fundraiser at Dierberg's. They did a great job raising money for Heartland! Thanks to Brenda, Erin, Becky, Teresa, Lisa, and Michael, and all the volunteers who donated baked goods for the event.

Here's an update on my fosters. I started this blog so I could write about my foster pets and go back later to read it and remember them and things about them, so I want to write a bit about everyone I have right now (no counting please).

Noelle - She turned one year old this week! Happy Birthday my girl. Noelle is the longest term foster I've had, and the favorite foster I've had. She gets so excited to see me every time, and just comes flying at me wagging her tail as fast as she can. She had a home visit with a family this week that sounded like a perfect fit, and I was scared I would lose her - but she attacked their dog and so she came back home with me. Last night I gave her a donated stuffed animal, and she got to engage in her favorite pastime - destuffing! Tonight after work I get to go home and pick up stuffing that is spread all over the bedroom. She's worth the extra work though. :-)

Kai - Kai is a temporary foster dog that I've had a hard time letting go. Her foster mom finally convinced me she should come back to her, so later this week she'll go back to her original foster home. She's such a good dog - rather timid and shy, but she's improved so much in the past few weeks. Her favorite thing to do is to sit by the baby gate that blocks the hallway to the back rooms where the kittens are. She LOVES the kittens - a little too much. She will sit at that gate for hours, waiting for a glimpse of the kittens. Even when I have the bedroom doors shut so no kittens could possibly come out, she still sits there staring down the hall, looking for them.

Gator - Gator has improved a lot in the past couple of weeks - he no longer bites my shoes or feet or legs every second that he can. Now he only does it once every 10 or 15 seconds! He has the cutest puppy gallop, and when I call the dogs and they all come running, he is so cute always lagging behind everyone else because he's too little to keep up. I was hoping that Gator would be adopted this weekend, since he's such an adorable puppy, but he was not. I recently received an e-mail from another Heartland volunteer who's neighbor brought her a puppy that she didn't want. So in order for me to take in that puppy, another Heartland volunteer offered to take Gator and foster him. So tonight Gator goes to a new home. He's already been there to be "dog-sat" for a few hours, so I'm sure he'll do fine - actually he'll be spoiled rotten - first time foster homes are usually awesome at that. :-)

Pip - Pip is a very small beagle mix who is living in my daughter's room with some kittens. He acts JUST like a kitten - I'm a little concerned that he doesn't know how to be a dog. It would be good for him to be around other puppies or dogs right now, but he's so little that he'll get hurt playing with any of my other dogs, so he just has me and the kittens to play with. He likes to climb up on my shoulder when I hold him, and he likes to play with feather toys, and he loves to wrestle with the kittens. He sleeps in a cat bed too.

Rowdy - Rowdy hasn't been properly introduced yet, but I'll introduce him and post his picture soon. Rowdy is, well, he's the opposite of rowdy. He's very laid back for the most part. He loves to go outside and roll in the grass. He doesn't appear to care for bones or most treats. He doesn't want to play with most toys. He mostly wants to sit in your lap and be petted. Then maybe go for a walk, then straight back into the air conditioning for some more petting.

Scribbles - My foster cat who is living at PetSmart. She's kind of taken Whisper's place as the "cat with an attitude" at PetSmart now that Whisper is adopted. I hope Scribbles gets a home soon too - she is such a sweet cat when she's not at PetSmart or around other animals, but no one has been able to see that since she's kind of mean while she's there.

Marco & Polo - These guys are also living at PetSmart temporarily, and they get a lot of attention up there. They're my most laid-back cats I've had in a long time. Although that could just be because I'm used to hyper kittens all the time now. :-)

Anastasia - The last of the Disney litter, Stasi is living up at PetSmart temporarily and hopefully will be adopted quickly. She's my little complainer - she is very vocal and quick to complain if she's unhappy, but she's also quick to purr if she's happy.

Mercury & Venus - The last two of the Solar System litter - they're doing great. Both of them constantly try to sneak out of the bedroom they're in and join the rest of the house, even though Kai is stalking them on the other side of the gate. They are super affectionate and friendly and purr everytime I pick them up. These kittens are going to be big - they're about double the size of the Disney litter at the same age.

Chessie - She's the most playful of all the kittens I have. She's constantly running or climbing or jumping.

Capri - I never particularly wanted a Siamese cat - I've never been drawn to their looks, and was surprised they are always in such high demand. But I think if I adopted a cat of my own, it might be Capri. She's a Siamese mix - cream with chocolate points, and blue eyes, and she's so affectionate. I can't figure out what it is about her that makes me want to keep her so much, but I am considering the idea of adopting her.

Cabbie & Cilla - These two kittens are so funny - they're roly-poly kittens who are probably a week or two younger than Capri and Chessie. Cabbie has a cold right now, and Cilla has some missing hair so they're both quarantined from the rest of the kittens while they undergo treatment. They don't seem to mind so much though - they are playful but not as much as Chessie - and they're affectionate but not as much as Capri. They're mostly happy with each other, a few toys, someplace comfortable to sleep, and lots of canned kitten food.