A Good-Morning Kiss

There is nothing better than waking up to someone you love for a good-morning kiss.   I'm pretty sure cat food breath is even worse the morning after.

My Breakfast Buddy and Good Morning Friend

Mika is my breakfast buddy and morning friend.  

Most of the time Mika is my daughters cat.   She is loyal to her.   Mika spends her day sleeping on my daughter's pillow or in her dresser drawers.   Once my daughter is home,  they are together.

But,  early in the morning, before everyone else is awake, she is mine.  We have a routine.    She meets me by the coffee pot and we greet with a head bump and a little snuggle while the coffee perks.   When I pour my coffee she demands a splash of milk.   (I know milk isn't good for cats but don't we all like something that isn't good for us?  It really is just a splash)

She has breakfast while I make school lunches

Once the kids are awake I've lost her again but for that short time every day,  she is mine.

A Foster Failure Poem

I didn't write this poem and I don't know who did but I love it's simplicity and it's honesty.  It sums up exactly how I feel about each of my foster failures.

Pet Loc8tor

One of the best investments I've made for my pets is the Pet Loc8tor.  It has saved me many times from the panic of losing our cats.

It is a small device that attaches to the pets collar  and a  tracker that is smaller than a cell phone.

It works with pinpoint technology.     Meaning it points to where they can be found.   It is accurate to within one inch of where the Pet is.  It has a long range of 400 feet or 122 meters.

I chose this tracker over others because it was a one time purchase with no monthly charges.

The cost was only $99.   which is very reasonable for the peace of mind it offers.

I purchased the Loc8tor online from Www.loc8tor.com

It is also a fun way to play hide and seek with the pets.  They can no longer hide from me when it is bath time or time for pills.





Forever in Our Hearts

We aren't sure how old Leon was because he came to us second hand.  The rescue said he was two when we got him but our vet said he was closer to six. and he lived with us  for another  eight years.  

Leon had a lot of skin issues.   When he first came to us,  he had scratched away most of his fur and was covered in scabs.  He was put on a special diet and steroids to control the itch.   The steroids caused weight gain.

Earlier this week,  Leon's legs gave out on him.   We got him pain killers but he was in a lot of pain and couldn't get back up.

Finally, the decision needed to be made.  We brought him to the vet who confirmed that there was nothing more to do and we needed to say good-bye to our friend Leon.  

Dr Fox and the staff at Beaverdale Veterinary Clinic were very kind to us.   My son and I stayed with Leon and held him during the process..  

It is so hard to say good-bye but it's relief to know that the pain is over for him.   He was a good boy and he will be missed.  He will be forever in our hearts.

This Will Fix those Bastard Dogs!

Our boy Wizard has a bladder infection.  The biggest telltale sign was that he started peeing in odd spots like the dogs dish.   

He has been to the vet now and is on antibiotics.   The dogs dish has been washed so hopefully,  everything will be back to normal soon.

He is also now eating special food for urinary tract health.  

Eeek the Snake!

I named this little guy Eeek the Snake.  My logic was that most people see snakes and squeak " Eeek a snake!" So I thought I would name him that so he thought everyone was just happy to see him.   

Eeek has lived with us a little over a year.   He is a Dumerils Boa.

He is a stubborn snake who doesn't like to eat.   He and I have many battles over it.  He is growing but I don't think he will ever be a large snake.

He is a sweet and mellow boy.

Mika (aka MooMoo)

Our girl Rosie who was introduced earlier in this blog had gotten lost last summer during the Canada Day fireworks.   We looked everywhere for her.  We checked the local pounds,  posted flyers,  posted on finding lost pets, and searched the neighborhood with no luck.  My daughter cried daily without her cat.   So,  since I am a big sucker when it comes to cats,  I had the big idea that we would foster a cat until we could find Rosie.

I contacted Raina's Cat Rescue and they had Mika who was also a tortie (which are my daughter's favorite)   Mika had been in a few other  foster homes and had difficulty fitting in.  She liked to poop under beds instead of the litter box.  She didn't like other animals.   I figured all that would be ok since it was only temporary until Rosie was found.

Two months later, Rosie was turned into the Cambridge Humane Society and we rushed to get her to bring her home.  Unfortunately,  she needed to be held for the weekend because she had scratched her rescuer.  I guess she didn't want to be rescued.

That gave me the weekend to decide what to do with Mika.  

Mika was no longer pooping outside of the litter box.  She still didn't love the other animals in my house but she was tolerant and worked around them.

Both kids had become attached to her and would fight over who she would sleep with.  She is a pillow cat who likes  to sleep wrapped around a human head.  

She had situated herself into my morning routine.   She meets me every morning by the coffee pot so she can be fed and get a drink while the coffee is perking and she and I have a little morning snuggle.

I knew little Mka wouldn't fit in so well anywhere else so she would have to stay.  She is our cat.

Sometimes Dogs Bark for No Reason

I love the dogs but sometimes they make me crazy.  They bark for no reason that I can understand.  They are fed, watered, have been outside and they have my attention.   What the hell do they want?

Lawrence

Lawrence came to stay with us last winter.   She was in the late stages of pregnancy when she arrived.   Her previous owners didn't realize she was female until she got pregnant for her first litter of kittens.   Then they didn't realize she could be impregnated by her own kitten.  

Sadly, all her kittens were stillborn.   I stayed with her while she delivered eight malformed and dead kittens.   It was very tramatic for both of us.

She stayed with us while she recovered and I became more and more attached to her.   She has now been spayed and is healthy so she could be put up for adoption but I don't think she is going anywhere.   I believe Lawrence has found her forever home.

Spring Walks

Spring is finally here so it's time to get the boys and myself back into shape after a long cold winter.  This winter has been tough on all of us and we have all packed on our winter layer.

I took the boys out separately today for their walks.  Brutus had a great time.   We were out for over an hour.  We walked down to the river and along the trails.  It was beautiful and he was ready to keep going.  He is a very high energy boy.

I took Leon out second.  His walk was a different story.
He was so eager to go for a walk with me but he is getting so old and fat.  I walked him to the end of the street and he was puffing like a train.  He wanted to keep going but I had to take him home.  I was afraid to take him too far from home and have him collapse.   I certainly couldn't carry him back home if it happened.

Hopefully our continued walks over the summer months will get us all into better shape.   I want to start running again soon.  Brutus would love it but poor Leon will have to miss out on that.

Jaya

Jaya is an Irian Jaya Carpet Python.  She is a little over 6 feet long and much more docile than she appears to be.  I'm told she looks mean but she isn't.
Jaya is a retired entertainer.  She used to work in children's parties and events.   When her previous owners needed to close their business,  all the reptiles needed to find new homes.   I had an empty tank that was large enough to hold her so she moved right in.
Jaya is an old snake who spends most of her day sleeping.  She is so low energy that on more than one occasion I have taken her out of the tank in tears,  thinking she was dead because she was limp and not moving.  It wasn't until I started to wrap her body that she decided to perk up and show me she was fine.   Some days, she is like having a pet rock except she looks much cooler.

Wizard and Rosie

Wizard is my only male cat so he is very popular with the girls but Rosie is his favorite.   This is their favorite spot.  They have claimed the spare bedroom as theirs and spend most days snuggled together.  Cat love is beautiful.
Don't worry.  They are both 'fixed' so their love is platonic.  

Lola

When my boyfriend and I first got together, he was afraid of snakes.  So,  I found him the most docile snake I could find.

At first Lola was so frightened that she wouldn't even eat.  She didn't eat for nearly the first year that she was with us.
She is now eating on a regular schedule.
My boyfriend is not afraid of Lola,  just of most other snakes.

Rosie (aka RoRo)

Rosie comes from a rescue in Sudbury, Ontario called Small Things Cats.   They have a small store front where they house rescue cats.  The public is welcome to come into the store and spend time with the cats in order to find the one who would be the right fit for their families or to just get some cat love.

It was during one of these visits to get get some cat love while visiting Sudbury that Rosie claimed my daughter as hers.  Rosie climbed into the hood of my daughters jacket.

My daughter paid the adoption fee herself.

Brutus (aka BooBoo)

Brutus came to us about 6 years ago when a friend came to visit and brought him along.   Brutus liked my home and my family so much that he wouldn't get back into the truck when my friend was leaving.   I offered to keep him for a couple of days so he could play with the kids and other dogs.
 He is still here.

He was used as a guard dog before he moved here so he is not very well socialized.   He is fine once anyone is in the house and settled but outside of the house he dislikes men and other dogs.   It is a very fierce dislike of them so I am very cautious when I have him out.

Strangely,  he loves little girls and cats.  He thinks he is a lap dog and he loves to snuggle.   He really is a very sweet boy.

Leon (aka LeLe)

Leon came to us as a foster dog about 7 years ago from Grand River All Breed Rescue.  
When he arrived, he had no hair, was covered in scabs and was very thin but he was such a sweet and loving boy that I immediately fell in love.

He had been found in the forest so he had some serious separation anxiety.  He seemed terrified that he would be left behind.

Now he has hair and his scabs are gone.  He has been on Vanectyl P for all this time so it has caused a lot of weight gain.  He is now very overweight but I still love him very much.  He has plenty of animal companions here in our house so he rarely worries about being left behind.

Wizard (aka WizWiz)

Wizard is our most senior resident and the only pet we got intentionally.   He is 11 years old now.  I bought him for my daughter's first birthday because I had gotten a Siamese cat for my first birthday and he had lasted until I was 19.  I believe it is important for children to have pets.

Wizard is the most tolerant and lovable cat.  Especially with kids.  This is a picture of Wizard with a sock on his head.  Why?  Because his Boy put it there.

We Foster Animals

My family and I foster homeless animals with the hopes of finding them new homes.  We have had many animals pass through our home while on their way to their new forever homes  and I'm sure many more will come.
This site is dedicated to the animals who have stopped by on their elsewhere and have decided that this is where they belong.  All  of the pets have stolen our hearts and have claimed their status here as a part of our family.