Life Is Fragile

 Opening one blurry eye to check the time my equally blurry brain began sorting through things I have to do today. First I have to crawl out of this comfortable cocoon and get my diabetic dog out to pee, feed her breakfast and get that 7:15 am shot of insulin in her.

Then I have to feed and medicate the cats and other dog. Then I have to wash a load of pee pads because the aforementioned other dog is incontinent. Then I have to clean the cats’ water fountains and feeders.

 As all of these things fell into categories in my still sleepy head I opened the Facebook app on my phone. And the first post I saw was from a blogger I follow who fosters pregnant cats and nurtures their kittens until Mom and babies are ready for adoption. It is a site full of joy and laughter and cuteness overload.

 But not today.

 Without my glasses I wasn’t quite sure what I was reading but when this came into focus “I’m heartbroken to tell you that in the early morning hours, Natalie passed away… she left behind one tiny, perfect brown tabby boy” – I knew. Thousands of us follow this amazing foster Mama and now thousands of us are grieving. But I promise you none so deeply as she is this morning.

 Life is so fragile…

 So after a few tears I realized – I don’t “have to” take my diabetic dog outside, feed her breakfast and give her that morning insulin jab. I get to.

 I don’t “have to” feed and medicate my other pets. I get to.

 I don’t “have to” wash the pee pads, clean the water fountains and feeders. I get to.

 Each day none of that is guaranteed. One day the diabetic dog will no longer need her insulin. One day there won’t be a clowder of cats to care for. One day the pee pads that I curse every morning won’t be necessary.

 

It sounds so trite, but it is so true. 

This thing we call life? It really is fragile. 

And we really do need to handle it with care.  

Unintentional Buddhists

Last summer on a trip to Iowa my husband stopped the car twice to save bugs. Yup, bugs. Yup, twice.

While driving down a peaceful street in the small town where I grew up I noticed a spider frantically hanging on to the passenger side mirror as his web was beginning to untangle in the breeze. I commented on the situation to my husband, he pulled the car over, scooped up the spider and set him in the grass alongside the road. Amazing, right?

Well on the same trip while driving along a similar quiet street we noticed a ladybug hanging on for dear life to one of the windshield wipers. My Mom was in the car with us and when The Mister slowed down to pull over she asked what he was doing. I said, "He's saving a life." She looked quite puzzled then smiled as she watched him carefully pick up the ladybug and lay it in the grass. 

Last summer while walking the dogs I noticed a tiny bunny quivering in the grass near a busy street. I quickly walked the dogs home and went back to check on the little ball of fur. By this time he was sitting in the middle of the road and I knew it was only a matter of time before ~ well, you know. So taking a chance that Mommy was not around to care for the babe, I scooped him up (barely filling the palm of my hand) and carried him away from the street. 

I decided to settle him in our backyard, fingers crossed that he would be safe. At least he was away from traffic.

Over the next days and weeks we kept an eye on him. The Mister even printed out "Please watch for a tiny baby bunny" in Spanish and gave it to our landscapers. They smiled and nodded and I'll be darned ~ they watched out for him. We named him Karson (because I found him on Carson Street - but all of our animals are "K's" so we spelled it Karson). He spent the summer safely under our deck, coming out in the morning and late afternoon to munch his grassy breakfast and dinner. 

We have a lot of bunnies in our yard and we think Karson is still out there. We want to believe he is.

Fast forward to this winter in the West ~ one of the coldest and snowiest we can remember. Having been Colorado residents for 40+ years we usually don't mind winters here. It snows, but the sun comes out in that brilliant blue sky and melts it all within a couple of days.

Not so this year. It has been snowing and frigid cold since early December and that snow is not going anywhere.

And that is no bueno.

So when we noticed a teeny, tiny little mouse in our garage a couple of weeks ago we knew killing him was not an option (remember the spider and the ladybug) and turning him out into the cold was not an option either. So we decided as long as he confined himself to the garage we would just keep an eye on him.

However when we discovered he had invited a friend inside to share his space, we knew we had to do something. Again, killing was not an option so as is our wont, we turned to Amazon and found [what we hoped would be] the solution. Meet the Mice Cube a humane way to handle an unwanted visitor.  This blogger explains it well.

The Mister followed the directions exactly and after a couple of days - lo and behold - I heard little stirrings in the tube this morning. Sure enough I saw a tiny little guy munching on some peanut butter inside the cube. The Mister checked the other cube - and bingo - another snacking away! I held the door as our dogs and especially the cat, curiously watched as he carried them outside and released them into the wild. We feel the little critters will survive the weather as it is warming up this week.

[One thing to note - should you have visitors like this and want to do the humane thing - check the cubes often because the little guys can suffocate if left in there too long.]

As I thought about our experiences with the living creatures with whom we share the planet ~ from spiders to mice to bunnies ~ I smiled. My passion is rescue pets (especially older ones) ~ no matter the price of their care ~

and it seems my love for them is spilling over into all creatures great and small. We all serve a purpose on this planet.

I'm not saying we're all that ~ we're nothing special. But I do believe we now find ourselves as unintentional Buddhists. And that's not such a bad way to live. 

Play Time

Yesterday I took two steps toward a more positive and happy life.

I'm a big fan of Facebook. First it is an extremely efficient way to reach all my friends and family in one fell swoop.  No way could I stay in touch with so many people if I tried to reach them all individually. Second - I garner some really interesting information thru articles and websites and can always count on someone responding if I'm gathering information on something. Third - it's just fun. Several times a day someone shares something that makes me laugh or touches my heart.

I always say that working alone as I do, my friends and family on Facebook are my "co-workers." Interacting with them on Facebook is how I can surround myself with people even though I am often just in my studio alone. Well, alone human-wise; I always have a dog or two and a cat with me but conversations with them are pretty one-sided.

I am a huge animal welfare enthusiast and have strong feelings about rescue dogs and cats and senior adoptions. So, of course, there is no lack of conversation on Facebook regarding those subjects and I soon found myself emotionally entrenched with all manner of rescue groups.

Recently I began to feel myself falling down the rabbit hole (so to speak) as day after day, post after post I saw an endless stream of animals in need. So many sad stories - some with happy endings, some not. It began to take a toll on me. 

So yesterday I began unfollowing one page and then another. I guess I'm just not strong enough to see all the hurt in the world. I will always feel strongly about animal welfare and while I deeply admire and respect the people who physically are there for these rescue animals every day - there are things I can do quietly, do locally and do in other ways. It is just too much to see so much every day, all day.

The other positive action I took yesterday? I colored a very detailed drawing of a cat (not this one - that's my real cat, Kia) for over 7 hours. Yup - over 7 hours - and I'm still not done. And apparently I'm not the only one doing this. 

However, let me explain why this is so out of character for me.

Growing up I was encouraged to be productive over playing. In fact I would be called inside from playing with friends to do needlework or some other productive task. 

Now that I'm all grown up I have mixed feelings about this. I understand why I was raised this way; it is the way my Mother was raised. While I'm grateful for the creative skills I learned and continue to use in my creations to this day, I am sad I never learned how to play. Relaxing does not come easily. I feel guilty if I'm not being productive.

I'm 61. It's time to play.

Meanwhile on the Home Front...

We had some interesting weather yesterday. I was working in my studio when I heard the faint wail of sirens which got increasingly loud. I flipped the channel to the local news - nothing. So I concluded perhaps the sirens were just a test.

A few minutes later - ah, there it is. Several funnel clouds spotted - oh my - right in my neighborhood. In the past I would be the one on the deck with my camera searching out the best (read that most dangerous) looking sky. Something in me clicked this time, though. I'm responsible for three beautiful souls and I owed it to them to be as safe as we could be.

So when the meteorologists were strongly advising "take cover if you live in this area" I took it seriously.  So I packed a bag with water, treats (human, canine and feline), an LED flashlight, my laptop, my phone, batteries, adapters - you know the typical we'll-be-here-for-days type stuff.

Koko was already in his Thundershirt so we were good to go.  Go to that mysterious place called "The Basement."

You see, Koko and Kizzie aren't allowed in the basement. It is unfinished and full of all manner of stuff - a virtual playground and recipe for disaster when two puppies descend.

This is what it looked like to be in forbidden territory. The dogs explored as I tracked the storm. As Koko is very reactive to storms exploring the basement was actually a good distraction for him.

He thought perhaps it was Christmas.

Kizzie had other distractions. Kia merely enjoyed her position as Princess 

~ kind of like Princess and the Pea.

We moved upstairs as the storm passed; but the fascination did not.

Someone else was quite pleased the thunder was gone.

And then - as time went on and Koko went to bed (he's always the first to bed) the most amazing thing happened.

Almost a month in to Kia's adoption and I was beginning to wonder if she would ever acclimate... I found hope.

Of course, there is still some work to be done. *wink*

Kizzie: Ahem. Kia ~ that's my lap.

Oh here we go...

The Biggest Blessings Come in the Smallest Packages.

Just as I did when we adopted Kizzie

On her first night home

And just as I did when we adopted Koko

On his first night home

I have been obsessed with taking photographs of Kia.

On her first morning home

And every day since.  

Gazing out the window, watching the birds

On my desk

Or under it.

She prefers to drink out of the tap.

Or a "glass"

She likes to visit me in the studio

I do think she has claimed that yard of black fleece. All yours, babe.

She's a born model.

See?  I walked in the other room and she literally took my breath away.

I feel so blessed.

Getting to Know You...

As you can imagine things have been pretty busy since Kia came to live with us. First it was to return to the shelter Monday to officially adopt her. Then it was to return to the shelter Tuesday with her (my fault I forgot to ask) so she could get her rabies vaccination, microchip and city license.  

If you have ever traveled with a cat in a carrier in a car you know that most of them aren't exactly thrilled with the experience. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the shelter (and that's if there isn't a train) so she serenaded me for 30 minutes. Once at the shelter she was in and out in about 5 minutes! Back in the Jeep and she was a little more subdued (poor baby) but I think she realized - hey, I wasn't being taken back to the shelter; that was just a little blip on my radar! I'm going home again with this crazy woman. Woo-hoo! Think I'll sing some more!

Every time we visit Kia in her luxury suite she is more comfortable and tries to follow us out the door. This morning we decided it was time to begin moving things forward. So with the puppy gate securely in place Kizzie and Koko's breakfast bowls on one side of the gate, Kia's breakfast bowl on the other side of the gate ~ we opened the door.

What happened was exactly what we expected. Kia hissed, Koko and Kizzie (once they got over their shock) barked. It only took about 30-45 seconds before the door was shut. It's ok ~ no need to stress them out. It was just the first step.

Koko and Kizzie's aftermath reactions. They couldn't quit believe what they had just witnessed. Monkeys.

My wise husband ~ who our friend dubbed The Cat Whisperer ~ suggested for the dinner meeting we just do one-on-one. Fabulous idea. So he took Koko outside for a walk while I supervised Kizzie and Kia one-on-one. 

Brilliant! Kia hissed. Once. She then stepped back about 2 feet but stayed where she could see Kizzie. Kizzie didn't bark once. She whined and paced a little and was definitely curious but well-behaved. After about 5 minutes Kia went under the bed. Door closed so they could enjoy their dinners.

When Kizzie joined the family we had our long time family cat (21 years old) already in residence. Kizzie was absolutely fine with her and A-choo pretty much just ignored Kizzie. They coexisted for 6 months until A-choo passed away in the middle of the night one night in March. So we expect that Kizzie will be the first to warm up to Kia.

A-choo ~ always in our hearts.

Then there's Koko... We don't have a lot of information on his previous life but we doubt that he had other "siblings" - canine or feline. He's an excitable boy so we expect it will take longer for he and Kia to bond; but he might surprise us. We have observed that when Kizzie and Koko are separated they are much better behaved. When they are to together they are double trouble ~ they like to egg each other on and wind each other up. Monkeys.

So, one day at a time. As anxious as we are to have Kia out of her luxury suite and truly a part of the family (I imagine her sitting on my lap in the evening as we watch the most recent Netflix, Hulu or Amazon series we're into) I know it is for her well-being as well as the dogs that we take this slowly. Trying to rush things could cause all of them undo stress and fear.  We'll get there.

Till then we will continue to spend a lot of time with Kia in her suite ~ with her favorite catnip-filled rat. Go figure.

Foster Fail

If you read my previous post you know that I have been trying my hand as a foster parent fostering a shelter cat. 

And as most people who know me ~ starting with the folks I know at the shelter, then my family, then my friends, then my husband predicted ~ I am indeed a Foster Fail. Let me explain...

In retrospect I think the seed was planted when I overheard someone reject her because she was 12 years old. That bothered me. I was pretty much a goner when she sat on my lap and would not leave. Then - stick a fork in me 'cause I'm done - when I felt myself tearing up. Gah.

So I filled out the paperwork, met the Animal Protection Officers at my home so they could do more paperwork and do a home inspection and my husband and I were off to the shelter to pick up our foster girl.

I have experienced this with my dogs and heard it from almost everyone who fosters/adopts a shelter pet ~ the transformation once they are out of the shelter and realize they are going to be in a real home with people who love them ~ well, the transformation is remarkable.

They relax.

They get familiar with their surroundings.

Listening to her puppy dog brother sniff on the other side of the door.

They start to play.

Nothing says happiness like a rat filled with catnip!

And they get to know their people.

I haven't worked in 3 days.  How can I with bundle of love laying on me??

And eventually they realize... I'm staying!!!

Yes. We were Foster Fails in less than 24 hours. Truth told I was the minute I decided to foster her. It took just a bit longer for my husband to admit it but the day after we brought her home, he said, "Do you think we should keep her?"  I said, "Well if everything works out with the dogs, I would like to. I just love her."  Him, "Oh let's adopt her. If we have problems with the dogs we'll just call Yukari." (our dog/now cat trainer and fabulous friend).  

Today I signed the adoption papers, paid a nominal fee and bingo bango ~ Kia is now officially part of The K Team.  (I'll be updating their Facebook page to reflect that soon!) 

Speaking of the K Team my friends have remarked they haven't heard much about them (Koko and Kizzie) since Kia came on the scene. The three of them have yet to have any visual contact ~ we're working up to that. Right now they are sniffing thru doors and sniffing blankets to become accustomed to each other. Now their food bowls are placed on blankets (Kia's food bowl on a blanket that smells of the pups and the pups' food bowls on a blanket that smells of Kia) on either side of the guest room door where she is staying. So far, so good! Soon we will be doing the feeding routine in the same spots but with a puppy gate between them. Won't that be interesting??!  *wink*

So it's official ~ Kia is ours. Why Kia?  (Pronounced Keye-a) Well first Puddy Tat doesn't suit her.  She's beautiful and deserves a beautiful name. Second ~ we kind of have this K theme going with Koko and Kizzie (Kismet). Third ~ I Googled the meaning of Kia to find that the definition is loosely based on Chinese origins meaning "Arise or come up out of." Perfect! She's out of the shelter forever!

As for Koko and Kizzie ~ see for yourself. I think they're doing ok.

Goofball.

Mohawk rockin'

So...... stay tuned as we introduce The K Team to their new sistah!