Great Adoption Weekend!

My foster cat Simon was adopted on Thursday evening.  He went home with a young couple who are very excited to have a new member of the family.  Then today Tiggr went to his new home!  He was adopted by a single lady who recently lost her sixteen year old cat.  Each one will be an only cat and I think they'll do great in their new homes.  As if the two cat adoptions were not exciting enough, today we had a great adoption day at PetSmart as three dogs found homes, and one more is pending adoption (after a home visit).  First is Hunter, a large black lab that was most likely going to be euthanized if his foster mom had not pulled him from animal control.  The foster family adopted him and he is doing great in his new home.  The other two adoptions were both unexpected but people who were shopping just fell in love with them when they saw them, so they were in the right place at the right time.  Bailey the Chocolate Lab puppy was adopted, and Polly my foster Chihuahua was also adopted!   Arnold the pit bull/manatee also received an application for adoption and will hopefully be adopted pending a home visit. It is wonderful to see so many pets getting into homes.  

Now that we have some more openings for cats at PetSmart, I'm going to be sending Brie, Sorbet and Belle up to PetSmart so they will have more opportunities to be seen.  That will only leave me with Cleo, Ziggy and Kira and her kittens left here at home.  For now.  

I did manage to bring home two extra puppies, just for the weekend.  I was kind of surprised that neither of these cute puppies was adopted at the event today, but I'm sure it won't take long until they too are adopted!

More Introductions

I'd like to introduce you to a few more dogs and cats, if you don't mind.  I'll try to make this quick, because there are several of them.

First is Simon.  He's a gray tabby cat that came from a city shelter where he'd been living for seven months.  He's three years old, and he really wants a home of his own. 

Next, there's Polly.  She is one of the puppy mill dogs that All Paws took in about a month ago.  She's been in another foster home, where she had taken to climbing fences and bullying the other puppy mill chihuahuas, so she was sent to rehab at my house.  Ziggy volunteered to be the drill sergeant.

As if I didn't have enough cats running around, I went to a different city shelter and pulled this girl.  I named her Belle, and even though she's a Calico, she seems very sweet.  She is six years old and was in danger of being euthanized because of her "old age", so I had to take her.  This was the glare she gave me when I called her old.

And finally, I brought home this dog and named her Pebbles.  Then I remembered that I already had a foster dog named Pebbles previously so I changed it to Freckles.  Then I checked my blog while typing this post and realized I also had a foster dog named Freckles already.  So I think I'm naming her Cleo.  For now.  

She doesn't really have laser blue eyes.  She does however love to chase cats.  Which makes it not an easy foster situation for someone with three foster cats running around (plus two staying at PetSmart and Kira and her kittens in another room).  Wow - when I put it like that, it doesn't really sound all that crowded around here. 

So for those of you keeping track, here's the latest:


Remi (my Great Dane) is visiting Noelle (my deaf pit bull) and Dave (my husband) at the old house this week.
Ziggy (deaf foster pit bull) is starting his own boot camp to keep the other dogs in line.
Polly (foster Chihuahua) is learning how to be a real dog instead of a puppy-making machine.
Cleo (foster Beagle mix) is learning the new rules of the house and enjoying life out of a shelter.
Simon (foster tabby cat) is living at PetSmart and hoping to be adopted.
Tiggr (foster tabby cat) moved to PetSmart today and is hoping to be adopted again.
Belle (foster calico cat) is living in a quarantined area (aka my bathroom) until she can be tested/vetted.
Brie (foster tabby cat) is hiding in the home office.
Sorbet (foster Siamese mix) is exploring the entire house and still bouncing off walls.
Kira (foster torbie cat) and Kona (kitten) and Kimba (kitten) are living in the "cat room".
Merlin (my cat) is enjoying the new house and all the new friends.  I'm sure of it.


Now I'm planning on no more new fosters until I get some adoptions!  

Update on my fosters

I decided it was time for another update on my fosters, so I you someone can keep track of who is at my house and why. In addition to my two dogs (Remi and Noelle) and one cat (Merlin), I have the following foster pets:

Ziggy - A deaf pit bull mix who has lived with me since December, when I rescued him from being euthanized at a shelter. Ziggy just turned one year old. He hasn't yet outgrown his puppy chewing stage, but he is slowly making progress. Ziggy is a comedian - he is always doing something silly to make me laugh. He is house-trained but can't be trusted alone in the house unsupervised because he is sure to get in some sort of trouble, whether it's stealing food from the counter, drinking a beer, or chewing up furniture or blinds. He is a one-dog wrecking machine, and I constantly threaten to send him to another foster home, but really I love him and will have a very hard time letting him go once he gets adopted. He has learned a lot of hand signs and is one of the smartest dogs I've worked with recently.

Tripoli - A German Shepherd/Aussie mix who has been in foster care since May of 2009. I took him to my house a few months ago because his foster mom wasn't able to get him to adoptions. We had hoped if he could go to some adoption events, someone would quickly adopt him. After all, he's practically perfect. He is around 3 years old, and has wonderful house manners, and gets along with dogs, cats, and kids! What more could anyone ask for? You might think that there are a lot of perfect dogs like Tripoli out there, but he's extra special because he only has three legs. This makes him lighter on his feet, and therefore faster and able to jump higher than other dogs. It's true - he can outrun and outjump all of the other dogs.

Rudy - A cat. I believe he's been in foster care for a couple of years now. I've had him since February, and I've finally trained him to not try to sneak out the door anymore. Okay not really - I think he really just doesn't try to sneak out the door because he's tired of the dogs chasing him all the time. He has given up escaping his prison and now is beginning to demand to be transferred back to a previous prison foster home. We're currently in negotiations. I've offered him his own room at the new house with canned food twice a week if he stops complaining, but he's holding out for something better!




And those are my only foster pets! I believe this is the shortest foster list I will have for a Very Long Time. I am constantly looking around the house for another dog or cat, thinking I forgot someone, but I didn't! I had to stop taking any new pets in until I get moved, so at least for the rest of this month, I will not be taking in anyone new. But as soon as I move, I'll go get Gretchen.

I also realized that I've been very lax in updating what has been happening with my foster pets, so here is an update for a few of my previous fosters in case you were wondering about them. Mia, the brown tabby cat who had been staying up at one of our adoption locations was adopted. Victoria the shy cat is being fostered by another volunteer who is working with her to hopefully make her more adoptable. Simon and Sampson  who were out on a trial adoption are now permanently adopted. And Lucas, now named Elwood, was also adopted out with Jake, another cat from the same rescue. Also my foster dog Bosco is currently out on a trial adoption! I am holding his spot open - he still has some house-training issues - but his new dad says he's going to keep working with him until Bosco figures it out, so hopefully this will be a permanent placement.  I also took in one more cat - another return - named Bugsy.  Then I immediately shipped him off to another foster home.  I will hopefully get him back once I move, but then Rudy might have to share his private room, and I'm not sure that's going to be acceptable to him.

Sampson and Simon

If I had a baby picture of Sampson and Simon, I bet they would have looked something like this.

I've been fostering them for seven months. Simon, the blind cat, and his seeing-eye-cat brother Sampson. I first brought them home and due to Simon's vision problems, I confined them to my bathroom. They immediately made themselves at home...in the bathroom sink.

As they became used to the other animals and the new living situation, they began exploring the house. Simon played up his vision problems all he could.

Simon: Is that you, Sampson? Hellloooo???

Rudy: Go away - you know perfectly well I'm not Sampson.

Simon: ...did you see all this stuff on the floor? I almost tripped over it!

And Sampson seemed to take his responsibilities to his brother very seriously.

Sampson: Just doing my duty as a Seeing-Eye Cat, and cleaning up around here.

They did a good job pretending that Simon couldn't see much... until they realized they were going to be able to stay with me until they were adopted. Then all of a sudden, Simon's eyes seemed to magically get better. Not only could he see to get around the house without his brother, he could even see well enough in places he had never been, like a vet's office, or a friend's house, to be able to jump on and off tables without a problem. He and Sampson stopped spending any time together, and Sampson gave up his Seeing Eye Cat duties altogether. That's when I realized it had all been a scam to make me feel sorry for them so I would take them home. Because if you haven't noticed by now, the disabled ones always get to me. That's why I currently have a deaf foster dog, a three-legged foster dog, and a supposedly blind (but possibly just brilliant and conniving) cat. At least I did until yesterday. Because yesterday Simon and Sampson went home on a trial adoption! I just wonder if they're pulling their same "He's blind and I'm his seeing-eye cat" scam there.

Sampson: Don't forget to stumble when you jump down, like you couldn't see the ground.

Simon: Don't worry, I've got it...

Second Class Citizens (Guest Post by Rudy the Foster Cat)

The female warden has relinquished her blog post to me, captive #65. She calls me Rudy, but of course that's not my real name. I explained to the female warden that my full name, Sir Percyvale Rudolph Katar Sparhawk Oreo von Reuss, was what I preferred to be called, but as usual she ignored me. The other 64 feline captives that have been in this prison before me have left behind notes, so I realize that the cruel and unusual punishment that is carried out by the wardens here is directed at all feline prisoners. While the dogs here are waited on hand and foot, the felines are left to fend for themselves.  We're usually fed only dry bland kibble, and some of the other prisioners have become so desperate for something better that they have broken into the puppy food just for variety! 

 We either have to stay in one small bedroom, or risk being chased by one of the many dogs here. Even the high places where the dogs cannot reach us aren't safe.  If the male warden sees us on the countertops - a place we have every right to be - he yells loudly and threatens us with bodily harm. I try every day to escape from this horrible place, but so far all attempts have been unsuccessful.

My only hope is that someday I will be freed like many of the previous captives have been. My friend Merlin has been told he is doomed to live out his life in this prison, but the rest of us are scheduled to be released as soon as we can find some servants to provide for our every need. I must survive until that happens. 

Update on my Fosters

Once again it's time for an update on the current foster pets at my house.  These pets are all available for adoption, so if you see one you like, let's talk!

Ziggy is a seven month old American Pit Bull Terrier mix.  He is deaf, and he is silly, and he is sometimes demanding, and sometimes sweet.  He is mostly lazy, and prefers the indoors to being outside.  He likes to chew anything he can - especially if he's not supposed to chew it.  Shoelaces are a favorite of his.  He barks a lot when he wants something, and his favorite place to lay is at the top of the stairs, unless he has something to chew, in which case he prefers to lay on the couch.  His favorite place to hide when playing is under the futon where the other dogs can't reach him. 

Simon is Sampson's brother.  He is possibly visually impaired, although he doesn't act like it.  He is one of the sweetest foster cats I have.  He loves to cuddle and get affection.  Occasionally he chases the other cats, but most of the time he just watches the rest of the action. 

Sampson is Simon's brother.  He claims he is Simon's Seeing Eye Cat, but I don't usually see them anywhere together, so I have my doubts about that.  Sampson is very sweet when he wants to be, but sometimes he likes to pick on the other cats.  He can be a bit of a bully, quite honestly.  But when it comes to people, he's the most affectionate cat of the bunch. 

Scribbles - The long-timer.  She is sweet, but only on her terms.  If you try to make her do something she doesn't want - like get in a cat carrier to go to PetSmart for an adoption event - she may very well scratch you and bite you.  Not that it gets her out of going.  It just means I have to call in reinforcements (in this case, my husband Dave) to get her into the crate.  Then once she gets back home, she comes around purring and being all affectionate, just so I forgive her for the scratches she gave me that morning.  Hmph. 

Rudy is an interesting cat.  He is affectionate, but he'd rather rub against my legs than sit on my lap.  He likes to sit by the window and watch what is going on outside.  If I let him, he'd go out and see for himself.  He does okay with other cats and with dogs, but he's kind of a loner.  So he'd probably be perfectly happy as an only cat. 

Victoria - This beautiful girl is one of my favorite cats.  She's shy and won't come very close to me, but if I go to her, she'll let me pet her and she'll roll over and start purring.  She needs to get more used to people before she is ready for adoption, so I want to take her to adoption events each week to help her get used to the noise and the people.  But she finds the very best hiding places in the house, and so far I've only been able to find her and take her to one event.  Of course if anyone wants a cat who is very beautiful and very easy to care for, she's the one for you.  You may never know she's there - but at least she isn't constantly following you around and asking for attention like the rest of the cats at my house! :-)

Mia came into rescue when her owners moved and left her behind.  A neighbor took her in and cared for her, but couldn't keep her because her dog was trying to eat her.  So I took her home, and she's been living at my house for the past month - until yesterday.  Yesterday she got to go up to the adoption center at our vet's office!  So I am hopeful that someone will see her there and want to adopt her soon.  She is front declawed, and very sweet and affectionate, so I hope it won't take her long to find a home. 

So those are all of my foster pets as of today.  Well, except for Butterscotch.  I'll tell you about him tomorrow!

Foster Cats Plus One

Dogs make sense to me.  Cats, not so much.  But I like cats anyway, and I somehow always seem to have two or three foster cats.  Or four...five...  Okay fine, right now I have seven foster cats.  But in my defense, I only have one cat of my own.  The rest I am doing my best to get rid of.  I mean, to adopt out.  Into loving, permanent homes of course.  But in the meantime, they're living in my house, and they seem to have plotted together to take over.  They now outnumber the dogs and humans combined, and they're taking advantage of it.  One will jump into the pantry while I'm pulling another one out.  Or one will sneak into the closet while another one is distracting me elsewhere.  Two of them pretend to fight so I walk away from my dinner and a third one steals food from my plate.  One of them terrorizes a dog (guess which cat?) while another one drinks the milk in my glass.  They are seriously plotting against me, I know it.  But I love them anyway. 

Simon pretended to be blind so I would feel sorry for him and take him and his seeing eye cat brother Sampson home.  The longer he's at my house, the more I realize that he can see just fine.  He runs all over the house, chasing the other cats around furniture and over couches - even when the furniture was recently moved!  He doesn't even bother pretending to be blind anymore.  . 

This guy is my own cat Merlin.  He's the worst of the group.  He pretends to be all sweet and affectionate, and sleeps on my pillow next to me every night, to lull me into complacency.  But he is the worst food thief I've ever met.  Even when I'm sitting there eating, he will try to steal the food right from my plate.  Not only does he blatantly take things that he knows he is not allowed, but then he acts all nonchalant about it - at least dogs will look guilty when they steal food they know they shouldn't have.  Not Merlin.

This is one of my newest foster cats.  Her name is Victoria, and she's the only good cat in the group.  But even she has her own way of tormenting me.  She is a little bit feral (wild) and doesn't quite trust people yet.  So most of the time she just keeps her distance from me.  We're working on this, and I've gotten to where I can take her picture without her hiding under furniture (see below).  But she manages to find the best hiding places in the house when it comes time to go to the vet.  I haven't been able to find her hiding places yet, but she's made me spend hours looking for her - truly a great way to drive me crazy. 

This is Victoria and Sampson, the seeing eye cat.  I tried to use Sampson as a detective to help me find Victoria's hiding spot.  I figured since he's a well-trained, official seeing eye cat (not really), he should have skills in tracking and search and rescue as well.  But no luck - he refused to locate his friend.  The dogs were no help either, but that didn't surprise me.  You just can't count on animals to help you out when it comes to vet visits. 

Sampson and stuffies

I've had cats for many years.  I've fostered over 50 cats.  I should be somewhat knowledgeable about cats.  But I'm not.  This has been demonstrated to me by Simon and Sampson.  These two boys are littermates, and they're teaching me many new things.  First they started with the drooling and wiping their drool on my face.  That was new, and I learned it meant they liked me.  Great.  Then there was this other behavior that was new to me as well. 

So I asked a cat-savvy friend what it meant when Simon or Sampson would grab his brother's neck in his mouth, bite down, stand over him and start kneading and purring loudly.  I thought it was weird but cute.  Then my friend told me it was mating behavior.  Ewwwwwwwwww.  Sometimes I think I'm better off NOT knowing anything about cat behavior. 

There is one other thing that Sampson does that I have not seen before.  He carries stuffies (stuffed animals) around the house.  They end up on the floor, on the bed, or in the shower.  I don't know what he does with them.  We've recently adopted a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy around my house.  It's better that way.

Update on my Pets

Yep, it's that time again.  Time for you to catch up on what all animals are at my house, and what they've been up to lately.  First are my own pets...

Remi - a four year old Harlequin Great Dane.  We adopted him when he was one and a half.  He'd already been through several obedience classes, and came to us well trained.  He gets along great with other dogs, and lets the cats walk all over him (literally).  He is my dog and prefers to be with me as much as he can.  Until 8pm which is his bedtime.  Then he goes and waits to be let into the bedroom so he can go to sleep.  I don't know how he knows what time it is, but he always knows. 

Noelle - Totally a Daddy's girl.  She follows Dave around the house, and he lets her get away with anything she wants.  She is the most loyal, loving dog I've ever met.  She loves to cuddle, and loves to show how much she loves us.  Lately she's taken to climbing up onto my lap while I type on the computer.  All 60 pounds of her.  And of course I let her, because I love her too. 

Merlin - The last official member of the family.  I am crazy about this cat, and Dave is going crazy because of this cat.  It's a nice balance, I think.  I let Merlin get away with anything he wants, and Merlin thinks he owns the house.  He meows to get attention or to have a door opened for him.  He jumps on counters and steals people food.  He follows me around and sleeps on my pillow at night.  And I encourage him in all of it.  I love this cat.   





Now for the foster animals... in order of arrival at my house. 

Scribbles - arrived Jan 2009. This is Her Fluffiness when she takes on one of the dogs.  Scribbles eventually got tired of living in our spare bedroom and has joined the rest of the family.  She now usually hangs out in the living room or the kitchen.  And what is great is if any of the dogs decides to bother one of the other cats, Scribbles jumps to their defense.  And ALL the dogs keep their distance from Scribs!

Simon and Sampson - arrived Dec 2009. These two have made themselves at home.  Usually one or the other is sitting on my lap, and they both enjoy drooling and then rubbing their face on my face.  Someone told me its a sign of affection in cats.  Its one I could do without.  But I am glad they like me.

Ziggy - Arrived Dec 2009.  Ziggy has improved greatly since I brought him home.  He gets along well with all the other dogs, and loves to wrestle with them.  All those possessive behaviors he exhibited when I first brought him home are gone, and other than being so mouthy, he's turning into a very good dog.  Which means he is sure to get adopted soon.  Because as soon as I get them trained, they get adopted and I have to start over again.  It's the curse of a foster mom.

Rudy - Arrived February 2010.  This is my newest foster cat.  He kept trying to sneak out the door at his previous foster home, so I offered to let him come to my house.  Three or four large dogs trying to come in or go out whenever I open the door have prepared me to handle door-darting cats.  Rudy is a sweet cat.  He's very affectionate and seems to be fitting right in. 

And that's it right now for fosters!  Only one dog and four cats - its like a vacation at my house!  Duke the Beagle/Coonhound is still at my friend's house.  He's still doing well, and up to his usual antics (more on that later).  Babette the Persian cat went to stay at PetSmart, and she appears pleased with the change in environment.  I am hoping to take Kermit the Heartland dog home, but have to wait for approval from his shelter caretakers.  So my next foster dog is probably going to be Emma's sister, named Shadow.  Another black lab - hopefully this one doesn't mind baths so much!

A Detective Story - part 2

If you have not already done so, please read part 1 of the detective story in order to familiarize yourself with the scene of the crime. 

And now, let us turn our attention toward the suspects. 

Remi - Great Dane

Motive: Remi has recently been put on a diet.  Perhaps he decided to supplement his food with drywall? 

Means: Remi has long nails, but they are probably too thick to do this kind of damage. 
Opportunity: Never crated, and allowed run of the house even when everyone is asleep and no one is home - Remi had plenty of opportunity

Detective Notes:  While I do not believe that Remi was capable of this crime, he was most likely present - lying on the couch nearby - when the crime was committed.  Unfortunately, this eye-witness refuses to testify.

Merlin - Orange Cat

Motive: Boredom. Merlin often complains that I don't spend enough time playing with him. He may have become a vandal in retaliation.

Means: Merlin has claws. Very sharp claws which I'm in the process of trying to get clipped. So far he is not cooperating.
Opportunity: Merlin is the only cat that constantly hangs out in the living room regardless of what dogs are around. He had plenty of opportunity to vandalize without fear of any dogs coming by.
Detective Notes: It doesn't look good for Merlin - he has motive, means and opportunity. But Merlin has been living in the home for many months now, and has no previous known history of vandalism. 

Noelle - American Pit Bull Terrier

Motive: Noelle seems to enjoy being naughty, so it is no stretch to believe that she realized this would be naughty and jumped at the chance.
Means:  Noelle has nails that are definitely capable of scratching up a wall. 

Opportunity: Noelle is usually not left alone due to her tendency to be naughty at times, but she may have managed to sneak away for a short time without someone noticing.

Detective Notes: Dave claims that Noelle is not capable of such destruction, but since it is a well known fact that Dave has a blind spot when it comes to this dog, I am not ready to rule out Noelle as a suspect.

Babette - Persian Cat

Motive: Just look at her glare at me.  I think her obvious dislike for me is excellent motive.
Means: Babette has sharp claws. 
Opportunity: None.  Because she also glares at the other cats (and hisses at them too!) she is in solitary confinement. 
Detective Notes:  I am confident in ruling out Babette as a suspect due to the lack of opportunity she had to commit the crime. 

Duke - Beagle/Coonhound mix

Motive: Duke always wants to hide his bones, and could easily have decided to dig up the wall in order to make a new hiding spot.
Means:  Duke has shown to be a good digger, as evidenced by the holes in the back yard.  He is definitely capable of this crime.
Opportunity:  Duke has been crated when I am not watching him, so he has not had much opporunity to commit this crime. 

Detective Notes: Since either Dave or myself are responsible for constantly watching Duke, and Dave claims he did not fail in his supervision, I am inclined to believe that Duke is innocent.  Otherwise I would have to take responsibility for his failed supervision, and I'm not prepared to do that at this time. 

Scribbles - Tortoiseshell Cat

Motive:  Revenge.  It's been a year since I brought this dog-hating cat home as a foster cat, and I believe she has been plotting her revenge all this time.
Means:  Sharp claws.  Very sharp - this I have learned the hard way.
Opportunity: Limited.  Since the living room is the dogs' domain, Scribbles rarely ventures into their area. 

Detective Notes:  If the damage had been done to the wall in the spare bedroom, Scribbles would be a prime suspect. But since the damage was in the living room, it's highly unlikely that she is the culprit.

Ziggy - American Pit Bull Terrier

Motive:  Enjoys chewing up things.  Has been known to enjoy chewing rocks, limbs (the kind from trees and the kind on people), paper, and many other non-food items.

Means: Ziggy has had a lot of practice chewing and digging.  He is believed to be very capable of this crime.

Opportunity: Due to not being 100% house-trained yet, Ziggy is watched very closely.  For that reason, it is highly doubtful that he had the opportunity to commit this crime.

Detective Notes: If not for the lack of opportunity, Ziggy would be my prime suspect.  Therefore, I am keeping an open mind in case it is determined that there was a lack of supervision that has not yet been discovered.

Harley - Himalayan cat

Motive: Unknown
Means:  Harley is a four-paw declawed cat.
Opportunity: Limited.  Harley prefers to stay away from the area of the house where the dogs hang out.

Detective Notes:  I feel confident in ruling out Harley as a suspect. Even if he wasn't declawed, he's much too sweet to do something like this.

Simon and Sampson - Domestic Short Hair cats

Motive: Simon's vision is impaired, so perhaps he thought he saw a bug or a shadow and was trying to destroy it. 

Means: Both Simon and Sampson have front claws and are capable of commiting the crime.

Opporunity: These are two sneaky cats.  Sampson has always taken care of Simon, and is always watching his back.  As evidenced in the photo of them together. 
Detective Notes: These two kitties had the motive, means and opportunity.  Also the fact that there are two separate spots of damage located next to each other is suspicious to me.  I'm definitely keeping my eye on these two.

Conclusion: Prime suspects are Duke, Ziggy, Merlin, and Simon/Sampson.  Interviews with the suspects themselves produced nothing more than blank stares, tail wags, licks and purrs - not helpful at all.  The crime scene was dusted for paw prints with no luck.  All suspects nails and claws were inspected for evidence of drywall, but it is believed the perpetrator cleaned up after leaving the scene of the crime, so nothing was found. 

The decision has been made to enforce a lock-down of the suspects when the primary caregiver is not supervising, in order to set a trap in case the perpetrator returns to the scene of the crime.  This will be done by giving one suspect freedom while the rest are sequestered overnight.  If the damage reoccurs, the responsible party can be identified by process of elimination. 

The suspects do not appear to be pleased with this decision, but the primary caregiver is unrelenting.  Further updates will be made as the investigation progresses.

<Click here to learn of the culprit>

Update on my fosters

Yep, it's time for another update.  Sort of like introducing the starting line-up of a sports team... or not. 

First up, the dogs. 

Zara - 16 week pit bull mix puppy, sister to Ziggy, very sweet, very friendly, extra-large ears, no manners whatsoever but listens well.  Cute brown spots on her back.  I'm hoping she turns out to be smart and learns quickly.  Time will tell.  Did I mention the giant ears?

Ziggy - 16 week old pit bull mix puppy, brother to Zara, deaf, full of energy and enthusiasm, loves attention, no manners whatsoever, eager to communicate.  That's a code term for either "barks a lot" or "very demanding".  Or maybe both - I'm not telling.  Has a short attention span and a love for his sister, all humans, and food.  Not necessarily in that order.

That's it for the dogs.  I still have a few on a "waiting list" but for one reason or another the time hasn't been right to bring them home just yet.  I'm hoping to not bring in any new dogs until at least sometime after Christmas.  Which is less than a week away.  Yikes - I really should start my Christmas shopping soon. 

Now for the cats...

Scribbles - Good news - Scribbles is improving!  I now can leave her door open all of the time, and she often comes into the other rooms when the dogs aren't around.  And if she sees them, she's not outright attacking them, unless they get too close.  This also means she's living with several other cats (who apparently like her room better than their own) and she is doing fine with them as well.  She still spends most of her time in her room, but she does come out for some extra petting and attention every day. 

Artemis - Unfortunately Artie has been moved temporarily to solitary confinement.  I am pretty sure he's the one who seems to have forgotten his litterbox manners lately.  I'm not sure if its because of the stress of meeting new cats, or something else.  But the first step is to segregate him and make sure he is the guilty party.  Figuring out which cat isn't using the litterbox and WHY is not easy. Someone please remind me of this next time I say "I'll foster that cat!" 

Orca - She is the sweetest little cat.  She is my almost-constant companion at home.  She likes to sleep under the covers, and she settles on my lap every night and just purrs even if I don't pet her.  She gets along with all the other dogs and cats - although occasionally she meets a cat she doesn't know and if she feels threatened she starts growling like a dog.  Her brother Penguin did the same thing - it's very cute coming from such a little cat.  I wonder if her sister Puffin ever does that.

Gandalf - This guy is settled right into the old routine.  He is buddies with my cat Merlin, and I'm constantly seeing an orange cat and calling him Merlin when its really Gandalf, or vice-versa.  I'll be putting him back on the website in the next few days and he'll be ready to once again try to find a forever home.

Simon and Sampson - The Salmon brothers are still happily hanging out in the sink, although they do come into the bedroom to sleep at night.  One of them, or maybe both, spends his day by carrying stuffed animals from a shelf in my bedroom to the bathroom.  So far I've found a stuffed dog in the cat crate, a stuffed monkey in the middle of the floor, a stuffed buffalo in the cat bed, and another stuffed dog in the shower.  Seriously, I've never had a cat do something like this before.  It's very intriguing. 

And that is it for cats!  Hopefully I will have no recent returns, and will be able to get a cat adopted eventually - it's been awhile.  Not that I'm complaining - I've had phenomenal success with dog adoptions lately, and I really like all of the cats I have right now.  Yes, even Artemis. 

Oh, in case you're wondering, Blitzen and Comet, my two adorable orange kittens, went back to the St. Charles Pet Adoption Center, who I was fostering them for, when they were old enough to be adopted.  They have a big adoption event today, so if they haven't been adopted yet, they probably will be very soon!