Woofstock Weekend

http://www.cpaawoofstock.com/ 

Suggested Entrance fee of $1.00 but sure we can spare some extra change ♥

Even if you don't own a dog, such as me, it's a great event to take part in. Maybe you'll come "Homeward Bound" if you know what I mean ;)

~ Vaccine & Microchip Clinic

~ Pet Blessing

~ Trainers

~ Raffles &Auctions

~ Local businesses/rescues

~ Doggie Ice Cream Social

~ Nail Trims

~ Photo contests

~ Live Music

~ And of course, good old eats

Aunt Lydia's Pretzels
Bricker's Famous French Fries
BullBQ LLC
Camp Curtin Bar-B-Que Station
Country Kettle, Kettle Corn
CPAA's Hippy Hound Cafe
Food Fest
Mike's Hard Ice Cream
Pizza Hut
Sherri's Crab Cakes
The Onion Shack
Wilson's Funnel Cakes & Lemonade II

Oogy, the Dog Only a Family Could Love

Author & owner, Larry, will be there to autograph his book that spent 10 weeks on the New York Times best seller list. Hopefully Oogy will be feeling much better than last year & he too will grace us with his presence. Until then, visit Oogy's Facebook page.

Honestly, this event is so much fun, I may have to borrow someone's dog so I fit in with the "cool" crowd :)

So put down that load of laundry, turn off the crock pot & grab a leash, but keep in mind 

like any event there will be lines....



Why Bother Naming Pets

Why do we even bother naming our pets when we end up calling them something else. It's like with kids, if you yell the full name then they know they're in trouble. With pets, if you call them by their true name they know they're doing something wrong. I don't have just one, I have 2 or 3 nicknames for our cats. I've heard people say, cats don't know their names. Ha! You are incorrect. Not only do they know their real names but they know the bajillion nicknames we've given them. One even has her own song & when I sing it, she comes trotting along ♥ My own kid doesn't come running when I call him by his REAL name. Thank goodness I only had one of those.

Let's go down the list....oldest to youngest.

Skittles orange tabby - 12 yrs old, likes food, sleeping, food & pooping. Bottle fed by me since he was 4 wks old. Must have been some steroids in that milk!

~ Fiddle Faddle

~ Mr. Man

~ Big Boy - he's about 20 lbs

~ Skids - and unfortunately he lives up to this name

Times I feel as if I'm intruding on their private time... so odd.

Mocha (only loves Skittles, as you see from the above pictures) Tortie ~ 5 yrs old - likes.... nothing. She's an ornery pants.

~ Mocha Choca Latte

~ Miss Pissy Paws

I don't dare call her too many names, as you see the name above describes her, don't want to piss her off anymore than she already is. 

Punkin (not Pumpkin... she's not round or fat or orange) Blush & white - almost 3 ~ loves 'string' aka shoe lace, plays hide & seek and loves turkey.

~ Punka Doodle

~ Poodle (When I say "there's poodle" it totally confuses people)

~ Skinny Butt

She has the song ♪A Punka doodle, a punka doodle a punka punka punka punka punka doodle ♪ 

With her favorite toy "string"... if you say "go find string" she will.

 

 

Baxter (or Bastard which is what my teen son likes to call him) Tiger stripe - 1 yr - loves jumping at bugs, pissing off Mocha & moving at rapid speeds. He's very ADD - thus why he takes to my son so well, they relate.

~ Boo Boo

~ Bumble (he doesn't really 'meow' he just buzzes all the time) 

~ Buddy

We think he's part bobcat, before he was even 1 yr old his tail alone measured 14" - Well hung cat.

Reesey - Tortie - 1 yr - loves mommy's Zumba® bracelets, timid but oh so sweet & cuddles like no other.

~ Reesey Piecey Pants - must be said with odd accent 

~ Little Girl

~ Chunky Monkey (she's got a tiny body but full in the middle cuz this girl likes to eat!) 

Bestest cuddler in the whole world!

I often think nicknames are used because we're too lazy to say the whole name, like in my house. Dustin = Dust & Kelly = Kel... it's like we just can't get the rest out, too much work. But with our cats you see the names are usually longer. Think they just earn names as you get to know them. Glad people don't give me nicknames according to my personality. Or at least don't say them to my face. 

Tell me some of your pet's names/nicknames....

From the Beginning...

I've always LOVED cats. Not your typical "awe aren't they cute, I should get one some day" kinda love. Like I REALLY LOVED them. Yes in a somewhat neurotic kinda way, but still totally sane. I remember my first cat, Cassandra Sue. She was a gray tiger & she was mine, alllllllllllll mine.

I've learned as I get older, my memory does me no good. I can't remember what I made for dinner last night, or where I met my best friend for the first time. It saddens me that I don't remember these things, because many are important to me, I just can't remember them. But I still remember the day my Cassandra didn't come home. The visual seems to never escape my mind. I was no more than 7 or 8 years old. She had been missing all day. Yes, back then we let our pets outside. Now you will NEVER find any of our furries roaming freely outside our abode. At this age, I really didn't have a say. So as I'm going through my bedtime ritual, putting the PJ's on, finding my stuffed Snoopy & the other 30 stuffed animals that surrounded me on my canopy, I can't help but pace wondering where she ventured off to. My Dad knew that I wouldn't sleep a wink until I had her safe & sound in my pile of plushies and he would not allow me to worry, so he began his late night search. 

Again because I didn't have much say at that age, I had go to bed.... very unwillingly. I turned off my light & pretended to tuck myself in. Instead I stood by my window watching my father's shadow scour the busy main road we lived on. Due to the tennis court building across the street, I could see all movements from the beaming street lights in the parking lot. 

My heart sank as I saw my father bend over & pick up a dark, lifeless image. It was Cassandra Sue :( She had been struck by a vehicle. I can still feel the devastation as I relive this memory. Even brings tears to my eyes. It took me many years to have another cat, not sure if that was my parent's choice due to my depressed stage from losing Cassie or if I just knew right then that my heart couldn't take that kind of pain ever again. Or so I thought.

♥ RIP Cassandra Sue. 

Dog Days at Ashcombe's Aug 25th

Tell Me You Missed Me Too

Back from a wonderful vacation. Coming from someone with high separation anxiety, I was very sad to say goodbye... yet the thought of seeing our fur babies after 6 days kept the neurotic sob fest to a minimal.

I know they have no idea of time, but was hoping they missed us as much as we missed them. Honestly, I think they did. That or they are very conscientious of time & knew that it was "feeding" time from the nanny so when we stumbled through the front door there sat ALL of them. 3 were strategically placed on the stairs, one behind the door & one already heading downstairs to the feeding pit. I swear, if they wagged like dogs, there would have been  a whirlwind of fur flying from the over zealous wagging that would have taken place :)

Even if I am just a walking piece of meat to them, in my mind it's all about love. They missed us, I know it.♥

Vacation Anxiety

What I like to think they're doing while I'm gone

We all look forward to vacation, it's time away from stress, worries & work. What more

could you ask for? In my case, travel mates :-) 

Does anyone else feel anxiety about leaving on vacation without your pets? We have a great "temporary mommy" for them so we have no worries that they'll be taken care of. I just wonder if they'll miss us, like we miss them. I wonder if they realize how long we're gone. Do they think we abandoned them? Do they miss our "good mornings" as much as I miss their little faces waking us every morning for "breaf-ist" (intentional spelling error) The answer is, most likely not. Cats just want fed. Feed my face, scoop my poop & they're good to go.

Reesey cuddles every morning. She knows it's time to "wake mommy" so she hops up next to me & instead of annoying me & waking me up as she is supposed to, she curls up, rolls over & exposes her belly to be rubbed, which of course I do half heartedly bc I'm barely coherent. Will she miss my half assed petting?

Boo-Boo is our tootsie taster.. he loves to bite your tootsies in the morning. Will he miss our tasty toes?

Mocha perches on the bathroom sink waiting for you to run the water for her own personal water fountain... will she dehydrate because she'll wait all week??

Punkin likes to eat turkey with her other mom every morning. She's our skinny girl so a little extra grub isn't so bad for her. Will she go through turkey withdrawal?

Skittles, well he just likes to eat. That's about it. He's on ear meds at the moment so he may not miss us very much.

I know, we over think too much. People say cats don't have feelings, which I don't agree with at all. Just waiting for that day we have tv phones so we can call our house, have it pick up & we're able to talk to our fur-babies. :) Until then we'll trust the kitty nanny & try to enjoy our fur-less vacation.

Oh yea, the kid. He'll be fine.

Shots! Shots! Shots!

Get your pet's shots at a reduced rate!

A Closer Look at the "Crazy Cat Lady"

A Few Things About Me:

~I don't have a house full of critters running around, exceeding legal limits.
~When you walk in my house there is no pungent stench that makes your eyes water.
~I am not a vegetarian, though I have tried. Damn burgers.
~I DO treat my cats like family, they get talked to every day, several times a day, yes in baby talk.
~They get preferential treatment, even when we have house guests.
~I don't tolerate cruelty or ignorance when it comes to animals. And I am quite outspoken at times.
~I do not buy from or promote breeders.
~You WILL encounter fur in my house, no matter how much vacuuming that takes place.
~In our house, cats get first dibs. If you move your feet & lose your seat... better find another.
~My Picture album is 80% cats.
~I despise when people classify cats as evil. They all have their own personality, just like humans.
~I love dogs & other animals just as much, just feel I'm a better "fit" to have felines.
~I do not read animal postings on Craigslist. #1 - I cry #2 - my posts have been deleted for telling people off.
~I help rescue but I am not a rescue.
~I worked in a vet's office briefly ~ I cried with every euthanasia that came in. I also adopted "too often" according to the ex. Thus he's an ex.
~ I like to educate on spaying & neutering, Bob Barker is my hero ♥
~ I will HELP you with advice & information but I will not take your pet off your hands. I may slap you though.
~ I'd rather be surrounded by animals than by people.
~ I don't go to zoos, I find them inhumane, same goes for horse races.
~ I stop to talk to groundhogs, horsies, cows, and any other furry critter that crosses my path.
~ I have recently discovered bird houses along the fence at McDonald's. Therefore if you see me "parking" there no I'm not making out or bingeing, I'm bird watching.
~ My cubicle resembles an 8 year old girl's bedroom as it's slathered with cat pictures.
~ Yes I do kill some insects.

If you want to know more, just ask.

I've never been known for being shy.


 

Photo Contest for Modern Cat

BEST FRIENDS ♥

Reesey & Baxter. Reesey is our little Tortie. She is the best cuddle bug! As you can see from this picture :) 

When we went to adopt Reesey we were told that she personally "adopted" this tiger boy as her big brother, thus we couldn't leave him behind. 

She too, will never let him go ♥

Please vote for this picture to be in the Modern Cat magazine! 

http://www.moderncat.com/photocontest/cats/2012/07/17/best-friends

Thanks!

Purr-fect Politician

Alaska town: Feline mayor is the cat's pajamas

 

TALKEETNA, Alaska — The mayor of a sleepy Alaska town is feline fine.

The part-Manx cat clawed his way onto the political scene of Talkeetna, Alaska, through a write-in campaign shortly after he was born 15 years ago.

KTUU-TV reported ( http://bit.ly/LYvzBV) Friday that residents didn't like the mayoral candidates years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. The town has nearly 900 residents.

Although his position is honorary, Stubbs' popularity is real. His election earned him enough press to catapult the town at the base of Mount McKinley into a tourist destination.

Residents say they're happy that their stubby-tailed mayor is promoting tourism. The general store where Stubbs hangs out says it gets dozens of tourists a day asking for him.

Happy Ending - DILLSBURG DROP OFFS

After much craziness to "rescue" these cuties, within 48 hours they have been spoken for :) 

Moments like these are what makes the struggle worth it in the end. 

Best of luck Porter & Preston, enjoy your forever home ♥ 

Another Fur-Ever Loved success story! 

Got Baby - Get Dog

New Study Asserts Babies Raised With Dogs (In The Home) Are Healthier

07/11/2012

The Family Dog = The New Baby Wellness Plan?
We all know that a dog is man's best friend, but could a dog be a baby's best friend too?
A new study indictes that this is quite possibly the case.
According to a study in the medical journal Pediatrics, infants living in households with dogs are healthier and have fewer ear infections than those without a dog, the study found. Researchers also found that cats appeared to offer some protection, but the link wasn't as strong.
[Case in Point: Watch a baby go into hysterics over a happy, bubble-popping pup [VIDEO] -- this site]

The study, posted online this week and based on 397 children who lived in rural and suburban parts of Finland, examined whether contact with dogs and cats during a baby's first year offers any protection from respiratory tract infections, such as colds and resulting common ear infections. "The children having dogs at home were healthier, had less ear infections and they needed less antibiotics," says Eija Bergroth, the study's lead author and a pediatrician affiliated with Kuopio University Hospital in Kuopio, Finland.
[Related: Dog saves new family from home intruder only six hours after being rescued from the shelter! -- this site]
The study tracked just under 400 babies and the researchers say the results are statistically significant because they relied on weekly questionnaires filled out by parents.
The Straight Poop. Literally.
One theory is dogs that spend a lot of time outside likely bring more dirt and bacteria inside the home compared with dogs and cats that spend more time indoors, she said. Researchers believe that exposure to dirt and bacteria builds up babies' immune systems.
source: The Wall Street Journal

Belfast Dog Lennox Put to Sleep After 2-Year Fight - ABC News

Belfast Dog Lennox Put to Sleep After 2-Year Fight - ABC News

Whatever happened to the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover"??

I have followed this case from the UK for over a year about a dog that "looks like" a pit bull but isn't. There are laws regarding pit bulls in the UK & because Lennox LOOKS like a pit bull, he was removed from his owners care & put in a hole basically. They have fought tooth & nail, appeal after appeal but the judge made his final ruling and today was Lennox's last day on Earth.


It breaks my heart. My sympathy goes out to the Barnes family. I am so, so sorry. ♥

Dillsburg Drop Off - Follow Up

So here we are, 4 days since we were contacted about an "emergency" situation with 3 small kittens. They were classified by the "founder" as emergency basically because she just couldn't keep them and also because they were covered in ticks. Yep, ticks. And guess what, they probably still are. We, meaning a team of 4 of us, have repeatedly tried to make arrangements with this person with no avail. First they HAD to go asap, then when she was contacted by phone she decided to "keep them". The next day she realized the one was carrying a parasite, actually a deadly parasite known as worbel worms. She was advised that they needed to be treated IMMEDIATELY!! 

The local rescue, the Catty Shack, is at it's max capacity (and then some), another foster just took in 3 kittens & the other foster currently has 3 kittens. There wasn't much solution but for the next 24 hours we put our heads together & came up with a plan so that they would be taken care of medically. Arrangements were sorta made with her through phone calls & email. It was decided I would pick them up & transport them to the Catty Shack barn for treatment. Hours before we were to meet up the "founder" of the kittens informs us that she only has 2. . . Gulp. Oh no. But no, it's not what you're thinking, the boy with the worbels is "fine" from what we know but her mother decided to take him & take care of him though having NO clue what to do. Now we're relying on them to make sure he's seen by a vet & getting proper care. Not something we like to put in the hands of others, especially inexperienced folk. Most likely, we'll get yet another call. Either to say he's too much work, getting sicker or he passed away, though I doubt we'll even get that call if that's what this comes to.

By email we advised the lady that we should take all 3 to be checked out, it would save them on cost plus the kittens could stay together for now. I was to hear back from her about meeting up after 8:00 tonight. It's 9:13 pm. Not a word. So yet another day goes by with sick kittens not being properly treated in this "EMERGENCY" situation.

So frustrating.

Racial Profiling

For Lennox... I won't blog until it's time. Keeping everything crossed!!

Sick Bastards

This is a hoax, right? I can find this on Snopes.com, right? I'm not naive, I just can't fathom human beings being this cruel. I just don't understand. It makes me sick to know that I roam the same ground that these selfish, sick, bastards occupy. We used to have to worry about "test labs" when you post "free to a good home", now we have to worry about these twisted mothers. Give ME the gun, let's see just how fast THEY can run!!!!

Dillsburg Drop Offs

Never a kitty-less day in my world. This picture was posted & tagged for me. Within 24 hours I have managed to find a foster for them. Unfortunately I was not able to step up to the plate for this one (see previous blogs) though my heart ached knowing not only are they living in a carrier in 100+ degree weather but they are covered in ticks, including their faces. I don't know the story so I am trying my best not to judge. Bottom line, someone "tossed them out" for someone else to clean up after them. Heartless humans, don't get it. Game plan is to pick them up tomorrow & take them to their foster home to be cleaned up & then "fixed" & hopefully adopted asap. Will keep you posted!

Hoping for the Hopeless

Did you ever hope for something that you know is not going to happen but you just keep holding onto the thoughts of "just maybe"? Yea me too. Day # 3 without the fosters & I am hopelessly waiting for that text or email that the family says "they're just not working out".... but I know better. Sigh. I can only hold onto this "hope" for so long until I finally realize I'm only hurting myself by holding onto something that isn't going to happen. Time to move on at some point BUT that "time" needs to be established by each individual. No one dictates the amount of time it takes ME to move on & get over it. Besides, I won't ever "get over it", I'll just adapt to life without them. For now though, I'll stay in my fantasy world for a little bit longer.

 precious babies ♥



This is how they looked when we first rescued them



Foster Envy

We all have heroes. People that we look up to for whatever reasons we may have. This week I have a new hero to add to my list called fosters.

I like to start with small expectations, such as saving all the animals in the world. Thus I decided I was going to foster kittens for the very first time. Only for a short period of time until the rescue could open up some room for them.

After a few despairing hours of trying to catch the mama cat & her babies, we ended up only capturing two kittens, approximately 4 weeks old. Shivering next to each other in our overly large carrier, we packed them up & took them home.

I can't tell you the number of bets amongst friends and family that were taking place that we would keep them. From the start we told ourselves & everyone else, we would NOT be keeping them. We were a temporary home until they could be adopted or room was made in the rescue.

The first day makes me giggle as I recall reaching towards the little boy & him wildly hissing at us. The hiss was no louder than a human quickly inhaling through their nose, yet he was trying to be so intimidating.

We set up "house" in the garage. Tried to "baby" proof as much as possible though it contained many stored items, such as a kayak, box spring, grill, bikes, tubes & more. We had a cage for them to sleep in so many items weren't a risk to their curiosity.

Within a few days, he calmed down & they became much more approachable, not that they were intimidating :D just wanted them to get accustomed to the new place so they would feel comfortable.

This was all new to us, in the days to come we would encounter new adventures & lessons, such as:

~how to tell gender ~ 1 girl & 1 boy (we think)

~moistening their food for them (which drove the indoor kitties nuts to smell)

~washing them up with Dawn detergent (just like they did with the penguins)

~giving them de-wormer (this was a hoot!) ◄ sarcasm

~socializing them by spending as much time as possible handling them (my favorite part ♥)

We eventually choose to let them run free, we just didn't like caging them up every day & night. We set up a puppy bed & a large blanket on the floor for them to rest comfortably (and for our tushies when we spent countless hours playing with them) and a fan to keep it as cool as possible during these hot summer days.

Weeks went by & we were asked to keep them until their spay/neuter appointment which was no problem because we were downright enjoying our time with them. Plus at this point they already had an adoptive family lined up so why move them around again so we decided to keep them until it was time for adoption.

They earned names, though this was a big no-no in my book, it just happened. He was Griffin & she was Gertie. She had the personality of a firecracker! Couldn't sit still for long. He was calmer & very loving. Both motors would instantly start as soon as they were picked up. They'd run to the door as soon as they heard the knob. Griffin was a kisser ♥ he loved to kiss you right on your lips. Gertie loved to bat at the strands of hair that dangled in my face.

June 30th came, they got fixed & the countdown began. The didn't need much "recovery" time, they're kittens & they spring right back. So we scheduled for them to be picked up by their new family on July 3rd. I was strong about it & kept saying "they're going to a good home, we did what needed to be done"...... until they were gone.

I've sobbed for days. I cry myself to sleep & cry when I wake knowing my mornings won't be the same seeing their furry little butts charging at me. I miss them with every ounce of my soul. If I had the heart to be selfish I would have never let them go, but I couldn't do that to this family who was looking so forward to their new additions. I wear a bracelet I gave them to play with that I found on the garage floor, silly? Maybe to some, but I just need that little piece to hold onto until I'm ready to break free completely & say "it's ok".

We did a great thing, we saved them & found them a wonderful loving home & for that I am so thankful we did. But I can't ever do it again. I will help find fosters & families but I can never be a foster. It's a part of my heart I won't get back & what's left just aches.

Meet the Family

Welcome to my first blog. Well, my first blog on this site. Sometimes you find things in life that you are passionate about. Extremely passionate about. Though others may never get it or even try to understand where your passion comes from it still doesn't stop you from feeling what you feel & following your heart ♥

I'm passionate about animals. Rescuing them & giving them a loving home. I don't have "pets", I have furry family. Yes my son could qualify as a "furry family" member but I'm talking about the critter kind. We currently have 6 feline rescues, they are pictured above & though I may be slightly biased I think they are some of the most adorable felines I've ever met ♥ Let me introduce them...

Skittles (bottom orange tabby) aka "Big Boy", "Fiddle Faddle" and "Mr. Man" - he is 12 years old. He personally adopted my son from day one. He's quite a "big boy" weighing in at about 22 lbs. How you ask? Not a clue, I bottle fed him since he was 4 weeks old found under a deck without his mother. He grew up healthy & strong... and kept growing as you can see.

Lily (above Skittles to the right, she looks Chinese) aka "Lilameena", "Lily Bug" and "Weeble Wobble" - she is 10 years old. She was an abandoned kitten on the side of the road that we adopted from PAWS. Her nickname "weeble wobble" comes from her hip dysplasia. She waddles when she walks & needs to take stairs slower & more carefully than the others. She also had her tail snipped or broken leaving her with a stiffer than normal yet beautiful feathery tail.

Mocha (left above Skittles - dark Tortie) aka "Mocha Choca Latta" and "Miss Pissy Paws" - she is 3.5 years old. She was a kitten from a cat my parent's rescued, aka Mama. She has the disposition of a 90 yr old woman with hemorrhoids, but we love her no less. She too took to the kiddo but not so well to the younger crew yet to be introduced. We believe she became disgruntled when she was no longer the baby. 

Punkin (above Mocha, playing Peek-a-boo) aka "Punka Doodle" and "Poodle" - she is 2.5 years old. She is a rescue from "Fur-ever Loved" (see link) She was abandoned and found in a bush by a realtor. She had a hole in her abdomen & her ribs showed. Fur-ever Loved nursed her back to health & I stumbled across her adorable "mouse face" in Craigslist after I had be turned down by another rescue. I was quite devastated as I wanted to rescue a cat that had only one eye. I know the "less than perfect" ones rarely find homes. Due to certain stipulations/requirements, they turned me down. Now I know why ♥ Punkin is my baby girl.

Baxter (handsome boy in the middle) aka "Boo Boo" or "Bumble" - he is 1 year old as of April 2012. He has the largest paws I've seen on a house cat. I swear he's part bobcat. His tail alone is 14" long. He is a big adorable goof. We rescued him from a very overpopulated shelter, only because the littlest of our crew "adopted" him as her big brother & we're so glad she did. He makes me laugh like no other. He doesn't "meow" he "buzzes" (like a bumble bee)

Reesey (upper right hand corner - another Tortie) "Reesey Piecey Pants" (as my son says "Reesey pees her pants")  - she is 1 year old as of May 2012. Her frightened face peered out from behind cages in the shelter just in time for us to scoop her up. She fit in my palm. We discussed no more adoptions for the time being before we began volunteering. Two visits later we were introducing Baxter & Reesey to the rest of our furry family. I don't regret a second of it.

That's the crew. Love them with every ounce of my soul. Thus brewing my next blog regarding fostering & how I envy those who have the strength to do it. As I found out yesterday, I am not one of them.