Kittens and - oh my goodness - Puppies!!

Stars of the week:

Suzie!  She is 1 year old and a spayed black and white tuxedo cat. Oh my goodness ~ what a love. I know I say that a lot but just spend time with one of the lovely cats at the Aurora Animal Shelter and you will feel the same.  

Suzie is playful.

Suzie is adorable.

Suzie is curious.

Suzie is a sweetheart.

She is available for adoption at the Aurora Animal Shelter 303-326-8280, 15750 East 32nd Avenue, Aurora, CO  80011  Ask for Suzie #A174295

And, of course, we checked in on our favorite girl, Bella!  

She is still in her own private luxury suite so she can get plenty of exercise and chase her favorite catnip toy. 

And the best news ever ~ she is going to get some special food that will help her lose the weight she needs to lose.  Win-win!! She's like ~ Say what??

I love how much everyone at the shelter cares so much for Bella and is pulling for her to reach her goals! She's one lucky kitty to have so many people caring for her. And someday some family is going to be super lucky to call her their Bella!

She, too, is at the Aurora Animal Shelter and would love a foster family to see her along her journey.  Ask for Bella #A174018.

And on a side note... oh my goodness look what we found!  Three little brothers ~ Saint Bernard Akita mix ~ and all love and snuggles and cuteness!  

Cisco

Scooter

Thumper

Each one cuter than the last ~ all available for adoption from the Aurora Animal Shelter.  Ask for Cisco - A174980, Scooter - A174979 and Thumper - A174981. Go get 'em!!

Getting to Know You...

As you can imagine things have been pretty busy since Kia came to live with us. First it was to return to the shelter Monday to officially adopt her. Then it was to return to the shelter Tuesday with her (my fault I forgot to ask) so she could get her rabies vaccination, microchip and city license.  

If you have ever traveled with a cat in a carrier in a car you know that most of them aren't exactly thrilled with the experience. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the shelter (and that's if there isn't a train) so she serenaded me for 30 minutes. Once at the shelter she was in and out in about 5 minutes! Back in the Jeep and she was a little more subdued (poor baby) but I think she realized - hey, I wasn't being taken back to the shelter; that was just a little blip on my radar! I'm going home again with this crazy woman. Woo-hoo! Think I'll sing some more!

Every time we visit Kia in her luxury suite she is more comfortable and tries to follow us out the door. This morning we decided it was time to begin moving things forward. So with the puppy gate securely in place Kizzie and Koko's breakfast bowls on one side of the gate, Kia's breakfast bowl on the other side of the gate ~ we opened the door.

What happened was exactly what we expected. Kia hissed, Koko and Kizzie (once they got over their shock) barked. It only took about 30-45 seconds before the door was shut. It's ok ~ no need to stress them out. It was just the first step.

Koko and Kizzie's aftermath reactions. They couldn't quit believe what they had just witnessed. Monkeys.

My wise husband ~ who our friend dubbed The Cat Whisperer ~ suggested for the dinner meeting we just do one-on-one. Fabulous idea. So he took Koko outside for a walk while I supervised Kizzie and Kia one-on-one. 

Brilliant! Kia hissed. Once. She then stepped back about 2 feet but stayed where she could see Kizzie. Kizzie didn't bark once. She whined and paced a little and was definitely curious but well-behaved. After about 5 minutes Kia went under the bed. Door closed so they could enjoy their dinners.

When Kizzie joined the family we had our long time family cat (21 years old) already in residence. Kizzie was absolutely fine with her and A-choo pretty much just ignored Kizzie. They coexisted for 6 months until A-choo passed away in the middle of the night one night in March. So we expect that Kizzie will be the first to warm up to Kia.

A-choo ~ always in our hearts.

Then there's Koko... We don't have a lot of information on his previous life but we doubt that he had other "siblings" - canine or feline. He's an excitable boy so we expect it will take longer for he and Kia to bond; but he might surprise us. We have observed that when Kizzie and Koko are separated they are much better behaved. When they are to together they are double trouble ~ they like to egg each other on and wind each other up. Monkeys.

So, one day at a time. As anxious as we are to have Kia out of her luxury suite and truly a part of the family (I imagine her sitting on my lap in the evening as we watch the most recent Netflix, Hulu or Amazon series we're into) I know it is for her well-being as well as the dogs that we take this slowly. Trying to rush things could cause all of them undo stress and fear.  We'll get there.

Till then we will continue to spend a lot of time with Kia in her suite ~ with her favorite catnip-filled rat. Go figure.

Lessons Learned

When you walk into the Aurora Animal Shelter the first thing you will likely see is a large ball of orange fluff named Angus. (Which Yukari and I quickly renamed "Beef" - get it?) J

"Beef" is super friendly, knows no fear. He doesn't flinch at the big dogs who burst thru the front door full of energy ~ he basically owns the place. His buddy, Merlin, another big ball of fluff only he's white and grey patrol the lobby and make sure everything is in it's place and everyone is doing their job. It's their job.

On our visit to the Shelter last Friday we checked the kennels for familiar faces (there were a few) and new faces (there were a few); checked on their names and made sure everyone who was eligible had been assigned a name and it was duly noted on their information sheets. Even if adopters change a pet's name it does make them more adoptable to at least have a name to begin with.

We chatted with some fellow volunteers, I held kittens while they cleaned their kennels. This little guy with the unlikely name of Franklin injured his tail somehow hence the cone of shame. He's on the mend and doing better each time we see him!  What a love...

He was ready for his close-up.  *wink*

The kittens are adorable, of course, so we decided to take a couple of them into the play room.  Rufus is about 8 weeks old, friendly and playful and super cute. As you can see. Available for adoption at the Aurora Animal Shelter. 

Ask for #A173428

We tried to introduce him to this little one (I don't recall his name)~ also about 8 weeks old ~ but he was a bit timid. He eventually came out to play and is just a love. Available for adoption at the Aurora Animal Shelter - ask for #A173552

In the two hours we were there two kittens were adopted! Yay! This little guy was one of them and was certainly ready to go. J

From the kittens we graduated to the one year olds and enjoyed them immensely. Creamy Calico here was full of energy, super playful and sweet as honey. And beautiful to boot. Yukari fell for her but [as far as we know] she's still looking for her forever home. Contact the Aurora Animal Shelter and ask for #A173664

And then I fell in love. This sweetie, Babi, reminds me so much of one of the most amazing cats I have ever had in my life ~ Amigo. This sweet little one was a little shy in the beginning, curious, but cautious. Turns out he was a real cuddle bug ~ a lap cat. You know one of those who just loves to rub up against you and purr... Babi is available for adoption at the Aurora Animal Shelter - aks for #A172221

Had I acted on emotion only he would have come home with me that very day. Practicality kicked in when I discussed with Yukari what would be involved in introducing a cat like this to my two dogs ~ one who has lived with cats before (in our home) and one who would probably have some difficulty sharing my time and attention. As hard as it was to walk away from him I know it was for the best. He is adorable and will have no trouble finding a loving home. I did what I should have done ~ I made my dogs my priority. They are new to our home within the last 18 months so they deserve to be the priority. They are both rescues adopted at age 6 ~ they deserve a calm and happy home.

When I see photos of Babi, though, I have to admit... I wish I could.

As I reflected on my visit later that day I was reminded of two things.  (1) Seeing how quickly kittens were adopted I vowed to return my focus to the older cats. And by older I mean - one year old and up! A couple of weeks ago Yukari and I did our best Vanna White/Price is Right girl impressions waving our hands in front of a beautiful 1 year old cat as a couple walked thru looking to adopt. "How about Sunny?" we asked. The gentleman quickly responded, "No we want a young one." Yukari and I looked at each other and said, "But he's only a year old..."

Like most people I got sucked in by the cute kittens last week. All it took was the creamy calico and Babi to remind me ~ one year olds are just bigger kittens. I am passionate about finding homes for older cats and dogs so time to refocus my mission.

(2) If I'm going to volunteer in a shelter I can't fall in love with every cat or dog I encounter. Until my little family of dogs is ready to welcome another creature, they are my priority. I can spend a few hours a week giving a homeless cat or dog some love and hugs and attention and do all I can to promote them to help them find the loving homes they deserve.

This is all part of the process as I navigate my way thru shelter volunteerism. Lessons learned ~ and still learning.

These two concur. "Thanks, Mom," love Koko and Kizzie

Oooo! Ahhhh! But Keep Your Furry Friends Safe!

The 4th of July weekend is upon us!  Yay for family time, a day off work, barbecues with friends, trips to the mountains ~ whatever you and your family enjoy doing. Often our pets (especially our dogs) are part of the family time as well.

Along with some rather loud booms and bangs that go along with the 4th... firecrackers and fireworks are a tradition.

Not everyone enjoys them, though. They can really freak dogs and cats out and set them into panic mode very quickly. To them all they want to do is get away from the noise. If not closely monitored, many run away trying to escape the noise.

Which explains why July 5 is the busiest day at animal shelters ~ people turning in stray animals they find wandering the streets ~ lost and frightened. But actually they may be the "lucky" ones. Others won't make it to shelters and may even lose their lives to accidents or attacks.

I would be devastated if my little guys ran away.

Which is why our 3rd and 4th of July will be spent at home (after some vigorous morning hikes) with just my husband and my little monkeys. We'll make yummy food and play fetch and may even bring out the tunnel. 

We'll play loud music and watch action movies (and don Thundershirts and eat calming treats, too...)

My friend, Yukari, has some excellent suggestions for keeping your pets safe on the 4th. Take a peek at her blog post and keep your pets safe and happy on this fun ~ but noisy ~ holiday!

Animals in Full Bloom

One of the happiest things about spring and summer is watching nature come to life in brilliant colors.  We typically plant our outdoor flowers and plants in late spring ~ hoping to avoid Colorado's heavy rains and winds and hail. This year, however, late spring/early summer found us traveling with no time to create our little garden.

Realizing that July is five minutes away we decided to forego the way we typically plant our flowers - those little six packs of blossoms putting them carefully in soil pot by pot. We made it easier on ourselves by purchasing already well-established flowers in full bloom planted in hanging baskets as well as a large pot of gorgeous blossoms for our front porch. 

What does this have to do with "The Meaning of Life" you ask?

This morning as I was grooming the baskets by carefully and gently pulling off the dead blossoms it occurred to me that there is a similarity between a full grown mature pot of flowers and a full grown mature cat or dog.

Most times the hard work has been done for you (if they are raised right). They may need a little grooming, they may be a little rough around the edges, but they are beautiful. All they need is some tender loving care, some time spent with them and they will blossom and reward you for a long time. Granted they may not be with you as long as a young plant ~ or a young puppy or kitten ~ but the rewards are even greater.

I love puppies and kittens!

Annie - 8 weeks old and available for adoption at the Aurora Animal Shelter - Aurora, Colorado

But a passion of mine is finding loving homes for those who are maybe only a year old ~ or four years old ~ or six years old (like my puppies were when I adopted them) ~ or 10 or more!  As long as they are healthy they have a right to life! They are full of life and fun and joy and deserve loving homes, too! They are so often overlooked and it is a shame.

Benny - 1 year old and available for adoption at the Aurora Animal Shelter, Aurora, Colorado

These two have brought so much joy to my life.  

There's a dog or cat in full bloom out there just waiting for you, too.  Go get 'em!

Two Little Monkeys

Returning home from the shelter I am always so incredibly happy to see my two little monkeys. They greet me with wagging tails and their little puppy dog dances .

Seeing shelter animals and the longing yet hopeful look in their eyes would be more than I can bear if I didn't know that good things do happen to shelter animals. I mean my two little guys - both adopted at age 6 - once looked out from behind the shelter glass with that same look. And their life turned out alright. 

They like to wait for their Dad to come home and have their special spots.

Their Dad likes to cook and Koko (on the left) has always liked being his "sous chef." This morning Kizzie (on the right) took an interest so we called her "sous chef in training." Koko is hoping this means a promotion for him. They were getting a lesson in handling raw meat.

Koko is all boy. He loves cold weather and snow.

Koko is all boy. He smells worms and bugs and rabbit poo on walks. And he chews with his mouth open. (Which - to be honest - is pretty hilarious.)

Koko is all boy. He likes to bug his little sister. Endlessly. 

Koko is all boy. He makes messes and doesn't clean them up.

Kizzie is kind of a princess ~ all girl. She likes to choose the most comfortable spot in the house. And then claim it for her own. For all time.

Kizzie is all girl ~ a real fashionista!

Kizzie is all girl ~ she eats like a lady.

Kizzie is all girl ~ neat and tidy keeping her toys in order.

But in the end ~ they are both adorable, both beautiful, both loving, both funny and sweet beyond words. I could not be more grateful to The Universe putting them in my life...

All boy. He just can't help himself.

Y