I am freaking out.

I've done what might be a questionable move and secretly adopted a cat, which will no doubt horrify my mother once she's found out (and she will find out; I plan on telling her in a day or so). Not only have I adopted a cat, I adopted a cat that has FIV, which is like HIV but for cats. Before you start having grotesque images of cats doing the dirty with each other and passing on this virus, it doesn't work like that (although it probably could); most cats are infected when they get into fights with another FIV positive cat and there is a deep bite wound or scratch involved.

Anyways, I'm not even freaking out about that. I saw Tybalt (or Tibbs for short) on Petfinder and was immediately drawn to his cute little face. I was even more smitten when I watched the videos of him posted and saw how he head-butted peoples hands for attention. The fact that he had a terminal illness was of some concern, but since I don't live with another cat (although my boyfriend has one, there's no chance of passing on the virus just from contact) my main concern was the possible vet bill accumulation. But because he had FIV, the shelter that had him has an adoption agreement that's more like a "permanent foster home" agreement: it means that technically, he is still the property of the shelter, if at any time I can't care for him he must go back there, but all vet checks will be covered by them if I can take them to their vets in Maple Ridge (and with the new Golden Ears Bridge, the drive is actually pretty quick). With that, Tybalt was now in my care.

I had designated one of my rooms for Tybalt before I brought him home. Since then, he has adjusted very well and very quickly, having no problems eating the food I brought him and using the new cat litter I bought (even though I personally don't like the smell :( I might change again once I'm done with this bag). He was very affectionate and didn't hesitate to headbutt my hands for attention.

Here's the freaking out part. I feel like a new mother who is not sure she can take her of her baby and fulfill all its needs...and it's seriously causing me a lot of stress! For one thing, because my first cat love was my boyfriend's cat (who I am officially "godmother" to...don't ask) I feel worried that I won't love my new cat as much. Also, he is quite vocal at times; I looked up a few things on the internet and it's most likely attributed to settling in to new surroundings, because he wasn't vocal at all at the shelter, but when he does meow it drives me crazy! It's not even insistent, constant meowing, but when he does make noise it can be kind of loud! And lastly, perhaps the thing I feel most guilty about, is that although I liked that he was very affectionate and enjoys pats, he enjoys them so much, I feel that he's a little needy. I'm sure, as an abandoned cat, he's starved for affection, which makes it all even more horrible, but I feel like there's only so many times I can scratch his ears at once!

I'm so afraid that I won't be able to handle it and I'll end up bringing him back to the shelter, which will be very upsetting for me and, even more so, Tibbs. I also worry about him when I'm not home; I work full time and also attend a night class twice a week. With him being a little needy, I wonder if I'm the right home for him?

Dear Cat Owners...

...please stop letting your cat outdoors to roam around, even if:

a) they have a habit of coming back after a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks

b) they were outdoor or feral cats before

c) you believe that it's natural for cats to run around outside, and keeping them inside only is

detrimental to their natural instinct.

At the shelter today, four people came in looking for their lost cats. One person even came in saying they had lost both their cats at once! All their stories were the same: "We usually let (insert pet name here) out and she/he comes back after a few hours, but it's been a few days and she/he hasn't come home yet." One girl said her Siamese cross usually goes out and comes back within THREE WEEKS (you aren't worried that you haven't seen your cat in almost a month??!!) but it's been longer than that and now she's looking for him; after we gave her the usual info on how to go about searching for her pet, she simply said, "Well, it's been gone for a while now...I'll probably just get another cat." WTF???!

Only one family today who lost their cat was lucky enough to be reunited with it; it had just come in a few days ago and was still on stray hold. So cat owners, if you don't want your pet to get catnapped, run over by a car, maimed by some wild animal, eaten by a coyote, or you don't want your cat to come home with some terminal disease such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (something that's similar to HIV, but for cats) because it got into a scrap with some feral cat then please...keep your cats indoors!

If you feel that you MUST let your cat outdoors for some fresh air, then at least get a leash and harness and supervise them!

Purrecious, a cat with FIV

(From Katies Place, http://petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid12950133)

Adventures in Dogwalking: Teeko and J.J.

I arrived at the shelter today with the hope of walking Frankie, that sweet Border Collie I had last week, but he was already on his walk with someone else. I heard Teeko (also a dog I walked last week) barking piteously in his kennel, and since he is housetrained I figured he needed to go...badly. So I took him out for his walk again.

This time, Teeko really warmed up to me. If you refer to my previous week's post, he was pretty aloof with me and didn't take any treats, but today was completely different! Maybe he didn't like the hard treats they had last week and that's why he didn't eat any, but I gave him some soft treats today and he gobbled them up! He was also pretty affectionate with me: I would offer my hand towards him slightly and he would nudge it with his nose, and after I gave him some pets his tail started wagging, which I took to be a good sign. I think he just needed to trust that I wasn't going to hurt him. He knows some commands, and with his new fondness for soft treats we practiced 'sit,' and 'down.' I tried to start teaching him to come when called, but since he doesn't know his name is "Teeko" (he was found a stray and the staff named him), he hasn't quite picked up on it yet.

Teeko is, sadly, fearful at times and I blame whoever his previous owners were for this. He doesn't do well with strangers, which was evident when we came across some men who were surveying the forest; he started barking and getting a little growly, but I shushed him and kept walking like normal. The next time we walked by he completely ignored them, so I guess it all comes down to who's holding the leash! Today he reacted a little aggresively to the other dogs around, except for sweet Frankie, who he seems to like but is not sure how to go about being friends. But when all things were quiet and we were in the pens, he just rolled over onto his back and let me rub his chest and tummy, and when I stopped he got up, looked at me, and did it all over again. :)

He also likes to pee mark his territory a lot, but he's not neutered yet so I guess it's inevitable.

The second dog I had out was a wheat colored Pittbull mix named J.J. Even though I am against the stigma and breed specific banning of Pittbulls, I have to admit that I am wary of them. J.J., however, was the sweetest Pittie I've ever met, which goes to show that it's not the breed, but the owners that are responsible for bad behavior. J.J. came in as a stray that showed signs of having recently given birth, but her litter was not with her when they found her. The coordinator noted that sometimes she gets anxious and looks to be searching for her babies, which is one of the saddest things I've heard of.

At first, she was really excited to be out of her kennel and was pulling on her leash and trying to jump up on me. After a few corrections, she walked perfectly by my side, except when there was another dog around that she wanted to meet or a bird that she wanted to chase...then she got a little tuggy with her leash. She was also a little uncertain of things sometimes (like the surveyors) and would stop in her tracks if there was something unfamiliar up ahead. I just kept walking, and she followed me without resistance, and that was the end of that.

J.J. also loved to fetch: seeing her run after the ball and trot back with it in her mouth was the cutest thing. She didn't have any problems giving the ball up to me, and after I threw it for her a few times she got tired and stopped mid-fetch. Her obedience was really good and she knew a lot of commands, but she did have a stubborn streak where once in a while, she would ignore what I said and just stand there, waiting for her treat. Well, I have a stubborn streak too, and when I say 'sit,' I expect a 'sit!' J.J was also really affectionate, and she liked having pets; after we played for a while, I sat down on a bench, and she actually crawled under my legs and sprawled out there on her belly, resting with me in the sunshine. Very sweet.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Teeko and Frankie

There are so many dogs at the Surrey SPCA right now, and usually not enough walkers. This morning, I had the pleasure of taking out two dogs for their walk.

The first dog I had was a little German Shepherd/Shar Pei mix named Teeko. He was really small for his breed background; his body came up just past the height of my knee. The coordinator informed me that he was a little fearful, and certain hand movements freaked him out. The poor guy was still a young pup at only a year old, so someone must've been very harsh when disciplining him. Walking with Teeko was pretty easy: he pulled a little at times, but walked right beside me at other times. He definitely took some time to warm up to me, but let me pet him, and when we were walking he would glance back at me and push his nose into my hand a give me a little lick. He didn't take any treats, though; not sure if he just didn't like them or he didn't trust me enough to take them from me yet.

I let him off leash in one of the pens, and he just meandered around, smelling things and marking his territory here and there. He showed some interest in one of the tug toys, even taking it into his mouth and playing with me for a second, but dropped it when one of the other dogs walked by. Teeko seemed to like other dogs; when Frankie (who I walked next) walked by they had a brief but positive meeting, and while Frankie continued walking Teeko got very excited and tried to follow him. When Frankie walked beyond the fence, Teeko started whining and tried to dig his way out. That's when I took him out again and he seemed happy just to be exploring everything around him.

I only had Teeko out for a short time, then the coordinator switched me over to Frankie, who is a nine year old Border Collie mix. As soon as she handed the leash to me, Frankie came right up and rested his head on my stomach, and looked up at me with his soft, brown eyes.

Yes, I melted.

And I continued to melt into a big, gooey puddle the longer I spent with Frankie: he was the sweetest, most adoring dog I've ever met! Even though he was an older dog, he still had a bit of energy in him to keep us walking around the trails more than once. He was very food motivated, and had good obedience (even though it took me some time to figure out which hand signal he knew for 'sit'), but the very best thing I loved about him was that he loved cuddles! I would lower my hand to my side and he would instantly nuzzle his head against it, and then press right up against me for more. He was a dog that knew what a hug meant, and when I hugged him he just burrowed himself into my arms. We took a little break at one point and just rested in the shade; after practicing some commands with Frankie I had him lay down and just petted him and gave him little massages. After a while, he rolled over onto his side and literally into my lap. With the breezy sunshine around us, it was very relaxing.

One possible downside to all this attention, as mentioned by the coordinator, is that Frankie might not do so well with other pets or children, because he definitely loves the attention and might not be so keen on sharing it with other people or animals. While we don't know 100% that's how he would react, all I can say is when he's with people he is very, very sweet and gentle.

Sidenote: with all the animals at the SPCA at the moment, there are sadly quite a few animals in their senior years. One such animal is such a lovable dog named Snoop, who is fifteen years old. Snoop was found a stray, but had proper ID that they were able to track down his owner. His owner, who said she had had Snoop since he was a puppy, said she was going to come pick him up, but she never did. When they called her again to follow up, they found that she had changed her number!! Wtf?

Look At My Puppy Face..

from http://petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=14417514

Don't I look adorable?

Don't you want to cuddle with me and play with me? I'm only a puppy, so cuddling and playing is what I do best!

But...

"Abused and Broken"

No puppy should suffer at the hands of another like Baby Bella has.

Sadly, then hands that abused and broke this little body belong to a child, a child who focused anger and rage on an innocent soul.

Bella was rushed into the arms of Big Heart Rescue and underwent surgery yesterday for massive internal injuries. Her bladder was found to be protruding into her abdominal wall and she also has a broken pelvis.

Update: July 29th

Bella has now had her second set of x-rays and so far her bladder is holding in place which is a very positive sign. There is less blood in her urine and she is attempting to squat when she has to do her "business." Squatting is a challenge when you have a broken pelvis but this little warrior is proving to everyone that she has the will and determination to make it.

Further x-rays will be done on Monday to see how her damaged pelvis is doing and if the bladder is remaining attached. At this time Bella remains on crate rest for most of the day but does get some gentle play time with her big beautiful fur sister who is teaching her excellent social skills.

Additional updates to come as we progress, day by day. Please send your healing thoughts out to Baby Bella as she struggles to survive.

(from Big Heart Rescue, http://petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14417514).

Click on the link above to read the rest of Bella's story (don't worry, there's happier news there).

Adventures in Dogwalking: Extra Thunder Tidbits

Yes! They finally posted a photo of Thunder on the SPCA webpage: just look at his cute little face!

Apparently he's not a German Shepherd/Husky cross, he's a Border Collie/Husky mix; those two dog breeds on their own have enough energy to run a eight hour marathon! No wonder he's so wired up!

And lastly, as a testament to what happens when you don't train your pets or dedicate your time to them, Thunder's background info says: "Thunder comes from a home where he was allowed to run the show and do so on a grand scale in an orchard setting," hence all the nipping and the jumping up in your face.

Great job, previous owners.

*Update: Thunder was transferred to the Burnaby SPCA, where it looks like he has found a forever home.*

Adventures in Dogwalking: Thunder

Fresh from his appearance on Global Tv, Thunder was raring to go for his walk today. After surviving his many, many excitable episodes on Monday, I was determined to start teaching him to calm down and focus his energy on other activities.
As before, when the coordinator brought him out for me, he was already trying to jump up all over everyone. Immediately, we defended ourselves while repeating what is becoming a mantra when walking with Thunder: "Off!" "Noo!" "Oww!" My foundation for his "training" (I use this term loosely because, hell, let's face it I'm amateur at best) was to offset his sparky energy with my own calm energy, plus focus on obedience basics with clicker training (another way to focus his energy while teaching and tiring him out; remember, a tired dog is a happy dog!).
One of the SPCA officers gave me a little tip for dealing with Thunder: if he gets overly rambunctious, pull his leash up a little to get him to sit. Although I preferred not to use this method, especially as it seemed like Thunder already knew how to sit on his own, when he got into his little frenzies his attention was really hard to divert, so this method worked well to divert his energy in those situations. (Note: this is not yanking or jerking the leash up really hard, just gently pulling the leash straight up so the dog has to lower its rear to regain it's balance).
Early in our walk, Thunder started jumping on my for no reason again, but each time he started I would stop walking and push him down firmly while saying "No!" only once or twice, then put him into a 'sit.' After he sat there looking calmly at me, I would give him a gentle neck massage, or start walking again, hopefully to get him to associate being calm with being rewarded (or at the very least, being in a 'sit' with getting rewarded). I'm happy to say that it seemed to work, because for the next two hours his excitable episodes were more sporadic than Mondays' walk. That's not to say he didn't jump up on me still (including the time I was crouched down next to him while he was drinking from his water dish, and while I was conversing with another volunteer he took the opportunity to jump on my head), but the episodes seemed shorter and not as frequent as last time.
I was also very pleased when I took him into one of the pens to play: on Monday, I was concerned about him running in really fast circles around the perimeter of the pen. Today, he circled around two or three times, but after I enticed his attention with a frisbee, he calmed down so much! Of course, he didn't know how to fetch so he would just run after the frisbee, and when it stopped rolling, he lost interest, but once in a while he would just sit down and look at me as if saying, "What now?" He also wanted to meet all the dogs that passed by: no aggression, some fence running (boo), but at the very least he only wanted to play with everyone, and it showed most of the time in his body language. He was also very nice in meeting some of the dogs face to face, and there was a lot of nose licking that happened.
And finally, FINALLY, he started accepting treats! Treats are a major stepping stone to starting clicker training (although they aren't the only reward that will work, and really, they shouldn't be the only reward for clicker training to work). I brushed up on 'sit' with him, and started teaching him 'down.' When he lays down, he kind of curls himself into a little circle; need I tell you it was very cute? Plus he is very cuddly: a few times he would come over and nuzzle himself into my arms. But then he'd get all excited and happy and then try to jump all over me again.
My next goal for him is to try to teach him some games; all the more fun things to do to burn off some of that energy! And of course, keep trying to re-enforce the whole "jumping on people and nipping them is bad" thing!