Final Post – Until September!

Hey everyone, It looks like this is going to be my last post until I come back to San Luis Obispo in the Fall. I have really enjoyed keeping the blog, and I think it has truly impacted some of the adoptions as well as people’s awareness of the shelter and the great pets that can be adopted there. Even though I won’t be posting over the summer, I will definitely be back in the fall, so check back! If you would like a reminder email of when the blog goes back online, send me a note in the “contact” tab and I’ll make sure to send one out. Thanks, and have a great summer!

Lost Pet – Bandit

Hello Everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve posted – school & life (and the kittens!) have been so crazy! Additionally, my car (a ’77 VW Bug) had a “Little Miss Sunshine” moment where the horn would not quit honking! Not especially good. Anyway, send me an email if you would like more updates, an easy mailing list, anything… the quarter is coming to an end and I would really like to put together a plan of action for next year. Let me know what you think! I will DEFINITELY be in the shelter tomorrow, so there will be a whole new group of pets up this week. In the mean time, I have a different post for today…

Over the last few weeks I have been in contact with a woman who has lost her dog. Originally, I had decided not to feature pets that people are looking for, but Bandit’s family is so involved in their search that this was the least that I could do. Bandit’s owner, Sandie, contacted me a while ago letting me know that their beloved Miniature Pinscher Bandit had gotten lost a few weeks ago. She also told me that she was checking the shelter website and hotline daily, as well as posting craigslist ads. I was so impressed, I just wish that Bandit was in the shelter as they really deserve to be reunited! So far a few mini pinschers have come through but none were Bandit, so the search continues. Please, if you have seen this sweet guy or know anything that might help this family, let me know! Send an email through the contact tab – lets reunite this family!

Master of the Fleas!

Today, I became the master of the fleas. The other day I asked about how to get them all off, and the responses were great! I decided to use a little tiny bit of dawn dish soap in my kitten bath (aka the kitchen sink) and I held their bodies under for longer, about a minute if they could stand it. It worked really well to get them into a little ball beforehand because then they couldn’t escape as well and I wasn’t as worried about them hurting their little legs from slipping around so much. I didn’t realize that the fleas actually grabbed onto their skin but that is clearly why it is so hard to get them all out! I added some tweezers to my little arsenal of tools and they worked out great!

Today we also let the kittens roam around the living room – so funny! They’ve just discovered how to “run” if you can even call it that… it’s more of a hop around until the smash into something or lose their footing. Above is a photo of Bagheera & Ollie wrestling, it seems that is all they do!

Good News!

This morning, while reading the Animal Services Department Volunteer chat email, I saw a post titled “Gato.” I immediately clicked on it, because Gato was the first guy I featured on the site. The New Times runs little ads from the Shelter and this week’s edition had my photo (woo-hoo!) with a sweet little caption about Gato, and a woman saw him in Pet Tales. The message on the email read:

Gato, overlooked neutered male black cat, went to his new home yesterday. It’s a great match. The woman saw Gato in Pet Tales. She was struck how much Gato looks like her elderly cat who is terminally ill with liver cancer. The adopter is working hard to chart the course through that illness and the hard decisions it requires. She told me that Gato will help her through. Isn’t that lovely? Thanks to Bud for fostering Gato and for Jane for Gato info.

This goes to show that with the right exposure, even the most overlooked cats who aren’t getting views in the shelter can be adopted by the right person – it was meant to be!

New Adventures!

The kittens are getting bigger by the minute (I swear, they eat a TON!) and more bold and curious continuously. Today, Ollie discovered how to bounce himself off the couch and how to leap out of their little habitat – he’s the only one who can do it right now, but the others were trying their hardest to follow suit! They’re constantly on the move, exploring and perforating their new world. I say perforating because their tiny razor claws penetrate absolutely everything they touch; the couches, towels, our shirts… our skin! Luckily their cute, innocent faces make up for it. Lately, the kittens have been eating about 6 times a day, with little snacks added in if they start to cry. They still like the KMR, but will take a bit of soaked dry food as well. I’m still not sure when I should wean them off the KMR, I suppose I’ll keep with both until they start to show a preference towards the dry? Hmmm. Luckily, Sky has great roommates who love to babysit the kittens. It’s a funny sight, to see college boys melting over tiny kittens. Anyway, that’s the update for today. There’s a lot of cute new photos up on flickr, click the link to the right to see them! Until tomorrow, Alyssa

Walter

This is Walter – and I love him! Usually I have to trick these guys into getting their pictures taken, because they would much rather snuggle me up than pose for a photo. Walter was lounging on his shelf and when I opened the door he just gave me a look like, “Oh, why are you disturbing my nap?” To his credit, he has a great spot in Room 1 where the sun shines right in… He looked so comfortable! Anyway, Walter is a lazy guy who would be perfect for someone looking for a big, beautiful, cuddly cat. He’s about three years old, and has been at the shelter since late May. Come see Walter today, he needs a loving home!

Walter’s ID Number is A157887.

My new job… Kitten Washer?!

Phew – I knew the kittens were going to be hard work, but this tough? Wow! It’s alright, though… their cute little faces completely make up for it! They’re doing great, and their personalities are totally coming out. Felix and George (the two with stripes) are really adventerous, loving to explore and fight with their brothers. The two are practically inseperable which is fitting, since they almost look like twins! I thought little Bagheera was going to be a bit of a loner, but he just likes to do his own thing. He’s so playful, which really surprised me! Last, but certainly not least is Oliver, who is definitely in the running to become everyone’s favorite. (Except Skylar’s – he’s got a preference for King Felix since he named him!) He’s fluffier than the rest and while he likes to play and run around, he really likes to cuddle up with you. He’s so easygoing, he’ll sleep anywhere!

Yesterday morning, I discovered that the kittens had fleas. It was to be expected, I suppose, but ugh so gross! I went online to figure out how to rid the babies of these little demons and much to my demise discovered that one has to manually remove the fleas, since the kittens can’t take the chemicals of the commercial medicines. Thus, I took my babies to the sink & broke out the sprayer. I don’t think that they like it very much, but the real victims were my wrists! I re-washed them today because I know that I probably didn’t get all of the bugs, and figured out a much easier way. I filled the sink with warm water & dunked the kittens (obviously keeping the whole face & head above the water) for a long while until I was sure the little buggers were dead. Then I used a flea comb to get any that didn’t fall off… Does anyone have any other remedies, or secret tips that could help me? I hate the fleas & my wrists would certainly thank you! (Just shoot me an email using the contact tab… thanks!) Above is Oliver, after his bath. He’s usually so easygoing, but here he looks kind of ticked!

I was told that they should be bottle fed (I think that they are about 27 days.) However, I tried the bottle and all they wanted to do was chew on it. Thank goodness for Google, I realized that this means that they may be ready to take KMR from a saucer. I tried this and they loved it! I loved it too, so much easier! Anyway, today I noticed them chewing on their litter. I’m not sure if they’re eating it, but if they are that can’t be good! I got some designated baby cat food, soaked it with the KMR, & they gobbled it right up. I’m not sure if the litter ties in with the solid food or not, but would love a more experienced opinion. Email me! I’ll keep you updated, enjoy the photos!

Sooty

This is Sooty, a two year old neutered male who came into the shelter on May second. The volunteers are allowed to make little comments on the ID Sheets and somebody wrote “This Guy’s a Love Bug!” on Sooty’s! This poor guy is really sweet and would be great or someone looking for a playful yet laid back cat. Come visit this guy today, he’s worth the wait!

Sooty’s ID Number is A152754.

Kittens!

I’ve got kittens! I told myself, my boyfriend, my parents (everyone, basically) that volunteering at the shelter would not influence me into adopting any pets. Who was I kidding?! At least I’ve only agreed to foster, rather than adopt – I don’t think the boys would be able to take that! Anyway, here’s a little background.

If orphaned kittens who are under 2 lbs or still needing to be bottlefed come into the shelter, they have a very limited amount of time for a volunteer to agree to foster them, otherwise they will not be able to survive. These little guys came into the shelter yesterday morning, and because they weren’t doing too well & weren’t eating on their own, they were given until 5:00 that night. When I tell people this, the reaction I see most often is shock and outrage that such cute little kittens wouldn’t be allowed to live. At this point I have to explain to them that the kittens, as they cannot feed or warm themselves on their own, would not survive a night alone in the shelter. It’s a sad and unfortunate truth, and the fact is that we need more kitten fosters!

I currently have four little guys. They are named King Felix, Curious George, Oliver (aka “Pluffy” “Fluffy” etc.) and Bagheera (the panther character in Disney’s Jungle Book. He’s not in the photo, but I’ll get one up soon!) They are about 27 days old and are absolutely overjoyed to be living with us! I love them and will be posting updates over the month that they will be staying with us… Keep on the lookout, the photos are sure to be absolutely darling! I’ll also be posting more info about fostering. If you are interested in fostering, please don’t hesitate to send me an email through the contact tab!

Luke

Hello! I’ve got a whole slew of cats for the next few days, because I’ve got a new adventure (Kitten fostering!) That will surely dominate the blog for the next few days… When I can get a spare moment to actually take some photos of them! One good thing, Brandy got adopted! One sad thing, Star was returned. It seems that she gets a little antsy around children, so a couple or individual without young children would really be her cup of tea. Alright, on to the cats!

Luke is a lovely, sweet hearted cat. He loves to be cuddled and pet, and overall would make a great companion. Unfortunately, he’s an older boy with some health problems and really, really needs to get out of the shelter. The great organization Dirk’s Senior Memorial Fund has already paid his adoption fee, so he’s practically free! (Of course, with an older cat one is bound to encounter some health problems, so you should be aware.) This guy really needs a soft, loving place to spend the rest of his days. He’s a sweet boy, and certainly deserves it… If you think that you can be the one to give him this security, come visit him today. He’ll love you for it!

Luke’s ID Number is A157799. He is currently living in Room 1.