While at the shelter today, a dog I was walking became very interested in sniffing a tarp in the corner of the yard. He pulled the tarp up with his nose and I saw a cat's back leg. I went inside to get help. Charles, a staff member, came back out with me and brought a carrier.

When Charles lifted the tarp, the cat ran for the fence. We both gasped in horror, as it was running using only its front legs; the cat's back legs were just dragging behind flat on the ground. It was an awful sight.

Even with just two working legs, the cat was FAST. It climbed up the fence as quick as any other. It took about ten minutes, but we finally managed to get the poor kitty into the carrier and inside. The cat looked similar to the one above, but with more white.

Charles said it had likely been hit by a car. It wasn't bleeding, but obviously very injured. Charles said that it might have to be euthanized. But, he also expressed a little hope that the doctor who happened to be in today might try and treat the cat's injuries if it was possible. I'm hoping for this outcome, of course, but understand that euthanasia might be the humane thing to do.

The fact that the cat managed to get to Animal Care & Control on his/her own is pretty lucky. I hope it's a sign that more good luck awaits this sweet kitty. I should know more tomorrow.

Fritz!

After taking him back to Sheri's, we took a few days to think about Oscar. And the terrible decision to introduce him so quickly. We decided to give it another try, but with a very different strategy. So, we went back to get him!

And he now answers to Fritz!

We have been doing a very slow introduction this time around. For a few days, Fritz stayed in the 2nd bedroom at all times. Interest was building on both sides of the door. Last weekend, we put up a tall doggy gate (borrowed from Sheri) so that the kitties could all see each other and start getting used to the idea of meeting him and vice versa. This went well, and it was discovered that this boy can JUMP! He escaped numerous times, even though the gate came up to my armpits.



We've built up to Fritz now having free range of the apartment when we're home. We leave his door open, and he wanders in (to eat and sleep) and out (to explore, play, etc.). It's worked pretty well.

Fritz and Johnny have had some promising interactions mixed in with just a couple tense ones. All in all, there is not much hissing/growling anymore. I think they have the potential to get along great.

Katie is another story. She was doing pretty well as long as he didn't come near her. She was interested in watching him and seemed to be getting more comfortable until she was chased yesterday.

Fritz chased her from the living room into our bedroom. She ran under the bed, which is her "safe place." Johnny has never followed her under there. Well, Fritz did. She was literally screaming. Brian finally was able to grab Katie, who was very traumatized. She's now very wary of him and more on edge, understandably.

Hopefully this memory will fade. And hopefully Fritz learned a lesson by being placed back in isolation.

I'll post some more photos soon.

Last weekend, we heard about a 2-year-old gray tabby named Oscar, who needed a home. He was one of many emails I've received from Sheri Berliner, Chicago pet photographer and homeless animal advocate extraordinaire. She's the one who was our key to finding Tommy Cat his new home.



Oscar had been picked up by Animal Control in Skokie...after knocking at a cat-fearing woman's screen door one night. She was terrified. Great idea by the kitty though!

I've seen other wonderful cats come through my inbox, but he stood out for a few reasons.

He's a gray tabby.
It was Columbus Day weekend.

And on Columbus Day in 1989, my family adopted a gray tabby who was a much beloved member of our family. She died last year at age 18. She was an amazing cat who saw me through braces and awkward years and college years...and I got to kiss her on my wedding day. She was sweet Mrow. Her real name was Isabella Jim (maybe for a later post). But when you asked her what her name was, she always said "MRROOOW!"

Lastly, Oscar was already front-declawed. Johnny was front-declawed by choice (a poor one in my present opinion) and Katie by chance (since we rescued her). We'd been thinking about adopting another cat for a while, but we didn't think it would be fair to introduce a cat with the advantage of front claws to the household, nor did we want to declaw again.

Then we saw the email about Oscar. He's friendly, healthy and needs a home. Let's go pick him up! We isolated him in the bathroom for two hours before giving him full range. We were just so excited to know that he was known to be healthy and able to mingle. And so we got quite a bit ahead of ourselves.

Oscar was very pleased. The last few weeks (at least) had been spent lost outside, in cages and in a basement bathroom at Sheri's house. It was kind of sad to see how comfortable he was with NOT being accepted.



Do you think we have enough cat toys?

Even sadder was seeing how upset our own kitties were with the drive-by introduction.

Katie was a bit hissy and on edge, but okay, so long as he didn't think about coming near her.



Johnny turned into a hissing, growling, VERY unhappy mess who only wanted to spend time up in the "Club House" (on top of the kitchen cabinets).




He did this for a few hours before finally succombing to sleep. But he kept one ear awake.



So, under the pressure of seeing two cats that we love so unhappy and realizing that our approach was less than fair, what did we do next?

Tune in for the next post. I realize this might leave several (literally, and with a cushion) readers with questions, but more soon!

Thanks for reading! And Happy Birthday to Deb, my most pushy (in a good way!) reader!

A little ad hominem look at convenience pet owners*

HELP NEEDED ASAP!

Please help!!!! After two long years of being on a waiting list for the perfect purebred, we have been notified by the breeder that, at long last, our number has come up and ... WE ARE HAVING A PUPPY!!!

We must get rid of our children IMMEDIATELY because we just know how time-consuming our new little puppy is going to be and it just wouldn't be fair to the children. Since our little puppy will be arriving on Monday we MUST place the children into your rescue this weekend!

They are described as:

One male - His name is Tommy, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), light blonde hair, blue eyes. Four years old. Excellent disposition. He doesn't bite. Temperament tested. Does have problems with peeing directly in the toilet. Has had chicken Pox and is current on all shots. Tonsils have already been removed. Tommy eats everything, is very clean, house trained & gets along well with others. Does not run with scissors and with a little training he should be able to read soon.

One female - Her name is Lexie, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), strawberry blonde hair, green eyes quite freckled. Two years old. Can be surly at times. Non-biter, thumbsucker. Has been temperament tested but needs a little attitude adjusting occasionally. She is current on all shots, tonsils out, and is very healthy & can be affectionate. Gets along well with other little girls & little boys but does not like to share her toys and therefore would do best in a one child household. She is a very quick learner and is currently working on her house training-shouldn't take long at all.

We really do LOVE our children so much and want to do what's right for them; that is why we contacted a rescue group. But we simply can no longer keep them. Also, we are afraid that they may hurt our new puppy.

I hope you understand that ours is a UNIQUE situation and we have a real emergency here!!! They MUST be placed into your rescue by Sunday night at the latest or we will be forced to drop them off at the orphanage or along some dark, country road. Our priority now has to be our new puppy.

--Author Unknown

* you suck

Guess which was mine?

Recently, on a celebrity baby news blog I read, there was a post stating that Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell said that pets were preparing them for kids. Some of the comments:

" ... when my friend adopted her dog and tried to make some comparison i had to let her know that look you may dress that puppy up and get a carrier and stroller for it BUT if that thing gets on your nerves you can return it to the pound, people have the option of putting animals to sleep, and you can leave that animal unattended...raising a child is not the same as caring for a pet."

" ... You can go on vacation and leave your dog in a kennel for weeks on end if you want, and they'll act like you were never gone when you come home. Can't do that with kids.

You can get sick of your dog and give it to a humane society or find it a new home. Can't do that with kids."

"I think all Jerry means is that they are learning responsibility with their pets. When you've lived a pet-free, kid-free existence, you aren't used to considering the needs of others in your day-to-day life.

It disgusts me to read the comments discussing "disposability" (my word, not yours) as one difference between having kids and having pets.

By adopting an animal, you are making a commitment to that animal. Too many people "love" their animal until they have a baby or chose to move into a non-animal-friendly building. I volunteer at a shelter FILLED with them. It's unfortunate that animals pay the price, often with their lives, for those who have no regard for this commitment. It's the only life they have been given too.

I understand sometimes circumstances make it so that you cannot keep a pet. At least try to find it a new home. You owe them that."

Have you heard the latest about Tony?

Who's Tony, you ask? He's Tommy Cat under his new name! I wish I could tell you his new full name, last name and all. It's Italian and all together, it makes him sound like one tough guy (read: mobster!). I bet if his former owner, who has NOT moved, saw Tony's name in his inbox, he would require a change of pants.

And to explain why I thought his new name was Tyler, here's the update I received from his new family (in its entirety) the day they adopted him:

"So far, so good! Tyler has a sofa in front of a huge picture window, so he loves to look out onto street. Quick meet w Bruno [dog brother], more tomorrow.

Will keep you posted!"

It had been previously mentioned that they were tossing around a couple of new names for Tommy. But, I found out later that Tyler was the teenaged son...after I referred to "Tyler" as such during an email about him spraying (!! haha)---yes, it did continue, but he seems to have curtailed the habit, with lots of patience on the part of his new family.

I recently got the BEST news about Tony, who will always be Tommy Cat to us. Not only is he happy and loving is new family, and vice versa, he tested negative for Feline Leukemia. Yes, it was a false positive! This is fantastic news! It would have made his life a whole lot easier sooner (finding a home), but I think he's where he was meant to be.

Bring Your Dog to Work Days

Yesterday, it was discovered that a new employee at work had been bringing her dogs with her...and leaving them in the CAR (common sense is apparently not a standard feature in a BMW). The windows were cracked. They had water. She said she checked on them. But her side of the story means nothing when I think about what her two dachshunds endured for 5 hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Monday it was in the 90s. The next two days were sunny and in the 80s. Imagine being trapped in a hot car, not knowing how long you'd be there! If you're not an "animal person", just picture yourself there. It works the same way.

Consider the facts:

* On a warm, sunny day car windows collect light, trapping heat inside the vehicle. When it's 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within ten minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. At 110 degrees, pets are in danger of heatstroke.

* Parking in the shade or leaving the windows cracked does little to alleviate this pressure cooker.

* Dogs are designed to conserve heat. Their sweat glands, which exist on their nose and the pads of their feet, are inadequate for cooling during hot days. Panting and drinking water helps cool them, but if they only have overheated air to breathe, dogs can suffer brain and organ damage after just 15 minutes.

Reading this, I hope you are with me in realizing that action had to be taken (I'm a people pleaser by nature). I realize I have a tendancy to react emotionally to situations involving animals and I wouldn't apologize for this even if trapped in a hot car (not to trivialize). But, this time, the facts were on my side. And so was the VP of HR, which never hurts.

The result:
The woman was told that she could not bring her dogs to work with her. She told HR that her home was being fumigated. But, she also told a co-worker that she just loves to take them everywhere with her. Whatever the reality, she did not bring them in today. Thank God!

Upon returning home from work today, I hope she was greeted by happy dogs who enjoyed their day at home. She really seemed to be a caring owner who was oblivious to the dangers. I hope she reads the facts above.

No, of course, I don't expect her to read my blog. I hope that she read the sincere note a concerned little bird left on her windshield yesterday.