New Foster Kitten (Not So Good Photos)

We have a new foster kitten. His name is currently up in the air. I wanted to name him Rumble because he's such a purr machine. Alan wanted to name him Chester (which makes me think of old men.) He has an upper respiratory infection and a very runny nose but is otherwise acting like a normal kitten. He wouldn't hold still for the photos I took tonight.
We'll try again tomorrow when the light is better and after we've had a big meal and he's sleepy.

Alan says he smells fresh like fabric softener (usually our fosters are a little stinky, especially if they are sick) and that he is pound for pound the cutest kitten we've foster. I'm not so sure about that (just look at the anime cute trio we had a few back) but people really do seem to like orange tabbies, so Alan's in good company.



He likes to knead when he's being petted and is obviously missing his brothers who are probably already adopted by today.

New Dog Update

As of last night, both dogs have now passed from level 1 to level 2 in obedience training. The big question I have is "Why didn't we do this sooner with Gambit?" I know the answer. We weren't allowed to have Gambit around other dogs for the first few months we had him home as a foster because the vet was worried his immune system was compromised by whatever he had been through before he was found with his littermates as a puppy during and after Hurricane Katrina. Shortly after we got him home, he developed kennel cough and was also having diarrhea from Coccidia. Once we'd had him home for about 5 months and he was fully recovered, we had him neutered and, boom! a week later, one of his kidney's failed because of a birth defect. After the first year, I was working at the shelter and another job and putting in long hours. Then I was only working at the shelter and putting in long hours. The last thing I wanted to do was come back to work for class after a long day. Kachina and her issues forced us into training and it was the best thing we could have done. Most of level 1 (and probably 2, too) is about training the owners on how to work with the dogs although you think you are training the dog. The dog responds so quickly once he knows what you want--the harder part is learning how to communicate that. The positive reinforcement method we're using is remarkably fast and effective.

The Gentle Leader is also making a huge difference. We were already walking Gambit with one and had gotten Kachina one for walks, too. Now, we're using it at home, too, when we're here, for the times she starts to get out of control. With her high energy level, she sometimes gets so excited that she almost loses control and does things like repeatedly jumping at our faces or over the couch or onto the bed. The calming effect it has on her is amazing. After coming home to find the results of destructive chewing, we've got her crated now when we're gone. We'd done that with Gambit as a puppy but somehow thought we wouldn't need it with Kachina who is 1 year old. We should have done it from the beginning! It gives her a safe place to go when she's stressed, gives Gambit a break from her for while and keeps our furniture, shoes and other items safe.

One not so good development is that Kachina's started to show some aggression with Gambit around food and treats. For the first couple weeks, the dogs would switch off between toys and treats without any problems. They'd eat side by side from different bowls and then check out the other's empty bowl without any problems. Suddenly, Kachina was lunging at Gambit and chasing him away from treats (sometimes--sometimes he would fight back.) One of the training staff asked me what had changed from the prior week. We realized that it coincided with a barking complaint from our nasty neighbor who threatened to call the police on us. That's a whole other story! We'd been afraid to just let the dogs out to play on their own and make their normal tussling, play noise. Amber, the trainer recommended the dog park. I'd been waiting to visit the dog park until I was more sure of Kachina. I took the two dogs this morning (alone!) and it went very well. Kachina played freely but came back to check in with me and came when I called her. Both dogs played very gently with the smaller (and larger) dogs we met in the park. They ran and chased to their hearts content. We're hoping frequent visits will help. In the meantime, treats are limited to when Kachina is kenneled and we are feeding them separately.

New Addition to the Household I'm sitting on the couch with the two dogs sleeping next me which is not the normal state of things the last two weeks. We had a pretty wild 1 year old Aussie Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler), Kachina, at work who had been sitting for quite a while despite her cuteness. At a year old, she had too much energy and no training and was a chore to handle despite a basically sweet nature. She was a pointy eared and nosed dog about the same size as our dog Gambit and their energy levels were close, so I remember thinking she might be a good match for him. Gambit's the type of dog who gets into trouble if he doesn't have enough mental stimulation and physical exercise. For instance, if I have work to do on the computer after a day at work and he hasn't gotten enough attention, he'll start pulling things off the tables and throwing them around or terrorize the cats or, if he goes out, will bark incessantly at squirrels and crows in the neighborhood. We were waiting for our new backyard fence to be installed and were talking about getting Gambit a companion. I never thought that Kachina would still be at the shelter but mentioned to Alan that if she was, we should take a look at her. We also had a tough litter of foster kittens that had been home with us for over a month. I didn't blog at all about them because we weren't sure they were going to make it. The litter of four had been eating canned food when I took them home but it quickly became obvious that they weren't getting enough nutrition and I started bottle feeding them milk replacer. Pretty quickly there became a size difference within the group and two stayed pretty small. Within a short while, we lost one of them. It followed a familiar pattern of the kitten doing fine up to a day before and then eating only a little and then none at all and then crashing suddenly. We tried another de-wormer, Fenbendazole (panacur), and they all seemed to be doing better. We had to leave them in the care of one of my co-workers (and wonderful pet sitter) for a few days for World Fantasy Convention and when we got back a third kitten declined. This was one of the bigger kittens and it was really hard--I hate how helpless it makes you feel. At this point, we hadn't named any of them. I think we knew from the very beginning that this would be a tough litter and naming them seemed too hard this time. We are at a very different place than we were a little over a year ago when we were just starting fostering and felt it was important to name all of them, even if they died before we could find the right name. I want to point out that most of the time fostering isn't this hard. I tend to take home the tough cases I don't feel comfortable sending with our regular foster parents. We lost that one, too, and were down to one little grey female and one slightly larger little black female kitten. They should have been up to 1.5-2 lbs but were hovering around 1 lb.

Finally, the panacur seemed to kick in and they started gaining weight. I was able to start mixing the milk replacer with boiled Royal Canin Babycat 34 and thicken the formula. The Royal Canin Babycat 34 is kind of a miracle food. Many kittens will skip right to it from nursing with their mother bypassing canned and other options. It makes weaning much easier in a lot of cases. It took forever for these two to start eating a thicker mixture out of the bowl. The little grey one started three days earlier than the black one. Once they could eat out of the bowl, things sped up and they didn't need the bottle any more after a few days. The key is to always have both the dry and the mixture available until they start eating it. The Royal Canin really packed on the pounds and pretty soon, Morgan and Merlyn were at surgery weight. We named them around the time I was laying out Cat Valente's Under in the Mere, hence the Arthurian inspired names! The two of them were bonded pretty closely but were also very independent and human focused. It was a nice balance where they could entertain themselves (mostly wrestling) and yet checked in often with us for attention and affection. I had the happy opportunity to see them go home together. I don't always think litter mates make the best adoption choice since they can be bonded more to each other than their human housemates, but in this case, I think they will be fine. The woman who adopted them said they decided they couldn't separate them when they were being held by different people, saw each other, and reached out towards each other. We had such a long haul with these two, I almost bust into tears when I saw they were beging adopted as a pair. So, we had a fence installed, the house was clear of foster kittens and Kachina was still sitting in a kennel at the shelter. Alan came to visit and loved her, so we took her home for a trial stay. She is a huge handful, very jumpy and often mouthy, but very affectionate and it's obvious she loves Gambit. Gambit seems to love her most of the time but is also sometimes overwhelmed. They have already passed some bad habits to each other but they're workable. We're going to start training classes at my work on Monday with both dogs and see what happens. I have to finalize the adoption this week, so I think we've made our decision.

Books to read to foster kittens (and other small beings)

#1 The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

No kitten blogging for a while as this was a difficult litter with 2 doing pretty well and 2 not so well even with a foster mom. While we were in California for Liz's wedding, the smallest one died, despite getting great care with fluids given and hand feeding. My poor pet sitter. The other little one, who is now named Mouse, is still way behind size-wise but is doing much better and eating on her own. At this point, bigger siblings Fox and Wolf are ready for spay and neuter surgery and we are just waiting for Mouse to gain a few more ounces.

My new favorite, geeky animal thing is to read out loud to the kittens while laying on my back on the rug in Alan's office. The kittens start out running around and attacking and playing with each other and me and then by the end of the three chapters we are reading each night, lay purring on my lap and knees. I am only 12 chapters into the book and love it so far--it's wonderfully scary and heart-warming at the same time. I am expecting the scariness to increase. Here's the first paragraph for an idea of why this is such a good book:

"There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road. A small calico cat. Her family, the one she lived with, has left her in this old and forgotten forest, this forest where the rain is soaking into her soft fur."

Nominations for other books to read out loud to these and future fosters would be very welcome.

So I've been getting this hair style for a little while now and just found it is a Samantha Who? hair cut. I need to get my hair styled for Liz's wedding in a couple weeks in Ojai, CA. My stylist said I should tell whoever does it to do it Samantha Who? style and to bring a picture in case she doesn't know what that it is. I said, "Yes, I will do that," and promptly googled Samantha Hu when I got home. I love Christina Applegate. When did she get this show? God, I'm so out of it with regular TV lately.

The Small Beer Press Warehouse sale is still going on. There are awesome books for a dollar! You can get Alan's short story collection and Maureen McHugh's and books by Carol Emswhiller and John Crowley and Sean Stewart and other fantastic talents. The editors have excellent taste and you can't go wrong with any of them. They make great gifts!

Another week, more foster pictures: One, Two, Three

New foster pics. They've been with us just over a week and are developing fast. The past two days, they've learned to climb. They love my jeans! They've also gotten messier. I decided to switch from the short sided litter box to a bigger one today after coming home to find the bathroom a poop war zone. Many, many little poop foot prints and lots of "How did that get there?"s. All the bedding is in the wash including their new favorite dog bed.

Also, for the Twin Cities contigent, Saturday is the annual Walk for Animals. I'll be working all day near the main stage. If you're there, stop by to say "hi!" It's even bigger than past years since we're consolidating into just one location at our Golden Valley site.

Here are photos of the fosters I brought home on Sunday. We can't handle Momma, yet, but do our best as she settles in here. She's terrified of the "dog outside the bathroom door," so I don't have to worry about her bolting out and hiding somewhere in the house but his interest in meeting the fosters makes her even more skittish. She's feral but maybe was originally a stray at some point--it's hard to tell. She isn't aggressive but does hiss a lot if we get too close or startle her by opening the bathroom door when she's out of the cat carrier. She's peeking out of the carrier in one photo. The big successes of the week with her are that she will now come part way out of the carrier and eat while I'm sitting just a foot away from her on the floor and I've actually heard her purring a few times when the kittens were cuddled on my lap. The three, fuzzy little ones will need a couple more weeks with her before they are fully weaned and then will need a week or two more to get to surgery weight. Over the last 4 days, they've learned to climb things and how to navigate slippery linoleum. They still wobble and trip over their own feet, though. The kittens are a little boy orange tabby with white belly and feet, a little girl brown tabby with white belly and feet (like her mom) and a grey and white little boy who looks a lot like an anime character.

Our last foster set was very tough (and didn't end well) due to a combination of upper respiratory infection and FIV. It left the two of us emotionally drained, so we're hoping these guys stay healthy. We've heard each of the kittens sneeze, but it doesn't seem to be progressing. We're keeping our fingers crossed and are very thankful that mom was found with them.

DOESN'T THIS MAKE YOU WANT TO BE A FOSTER VOLUNTEER?!!!! KITTEN SEASON IS STARTING NOW IN MINNESOTA AND PROBABLY STARTED A LOT EARLIER IN WARMER CITIES. SHELTERS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE OVERLOADED WITH CATS AND KITTENS, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER TO SEE IF YOU CAN HELP!

Just in case you are one of those who missed it like me, here is my new addiction (and I'm not really much of a gamer):

The Guild

Friends in Mange Bear came in 4th at a Rock Band competition at The Dive in Maplewood last night. First time I've ever seen the game. Lots of fun to watch. I can see why it's addictive. Here are a couple photos from the KDWB website. You can find more, including the incredibly realistic 2nd runners-up and duct-taped KISS: here.




Jenney says I look like I was going to bite her, but was really yelling, "Rock on!"

Gambit's reaction last night to news that Coleman will appeal and Minnesota will continue to be without one of its senators for another month or so:

I'm so disgusted I don't have anything to say except, "Amazon you are so stupid! This is going to backfire on you big time.":

Amazon Rank

It just stopped snowing in Youngstown after snowing all morning, but it didn't matter because is there anywhere better to be during spring flurries than in a cafe with a nice hot mocha, a laptop, awesome company, and a martini glass of vanilla bean creme brulee? Alan read last night at Dorian Books which has a fabulous reading space. The reading was followed by a very good open mic line up that included the marvelous Christopher Barzak and some of his students and friends as well as others. This trip was a little more relaxed than our usual overnight visits and we have a whole day of hanging out today. Back home tomorrow. There had better not be any snow!

EDIT: There's was no snow and it was actually sweater weather--no jacket! Gambit submissive peed all over the lobby to Now Boarding! (new AHS run boarding facility at the Mpls. Airport) when we picked him up--must keep working on his socialization. He's asleep next to me on the couch. Tilly the foster kitten is curled up purring on my lap and other cats hover nearby. This makes the fact that I already miss Chris, Tony, Kokoro and Yuki a bunch. Why isn't Ohio closer?

My new favorite LOLcat!

Sad news on the Minnesota puppy mill bill from the Animal Folks Minnesota website:

CURRENT STATUS: Laid on the table. See below.

H.F. 253/S.F. 7 did not pass this year (2009) in the Minnesota legislature.

We all worked hard, together, to educate our legislators and encourage them to understand the problem of inhumane dog and cat breeding; unfortunately, there are certain Minnesota legislators who still do not agree a problem exists and do not understand the purpose of or need for regulation.

While this news is disappointing, we can't stop trying. Mahatma Ghandi said: "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." But he also said: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

We will win. With your help, H.F. 253/ S.F. 7 will pass in the 2010 Minnesota legislative session and breeders will be required to act responsibly.

We will change our communities to show that the inhumane treatment of dogs and cats in breeding facilities is not tolerated in our State. This is only the beginning.

To learn more about how you can prepare for 2010, go to: Spread The Word.

and more from the same page about the hearing...

"The testifiers at the House Agriculture Committee hearing who spoke in opposition to the bill were the NRA, sportsmen/hunting groups, small breeders who don't fall under the definition of a "commercial breeder," and one veterinarian who is also a breeder who doesn't fall under the bill's definition. To listen to the hearing (and comments made by legislators in opposition), go to: AUDIO House Agriculture (Friday, March 27, 2009)."

One more Puppy Mill post:

Nightline Special Investigation of Puppy Mills
This Friday night, March 27, ABC's Nightline will be investigating puppy mills. ABC Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and investigators from Nightline travel the byways and back roads of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - visiting numerous puppy mills and filming Main Line Animal Rescue's volunteers as they rescue breeding dogs and puppies from Lancaster County's notorious Amish commercial breeding facilities. Sharyn Alfonsi interviewed, on camera, an Amish breeder while touring his facility - a first for network television. With approximately 500 dogs housed on his property, this commercial breeder speaks openly about an industry cloaked in secrecy and suspicion - the cruel factory farming of man's best friend.

UPDATE: I missed this Friday night but was able to view it online. It's a very short piece and you can get to it from the Nightline front page: http://abcnews.go.com/NIGHTLINE. It was nice to see how clean the facility was that they were able to film but I kept thinking, "What about socialization?" I'm so tired of getting puppies and kittens in the shelter who haven't been handled enough. Lack of socialization can be just as damaging as other more obvious signs of neglect. There's no way two people can provide enough love and care to keep 200 dogs happy and healthy. Absolutely no way.

More to do to help get the Puppy Mill bill passed:

Urgent action needed before Friday

For months, AHS has been working with 32 Minnesota animal welfare organizations and the National Federation of Humane Societies to enact the Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill bill (S.F. 7/H.F. 253). The bill will protect animals by giving the Minnesota Board of Animal Health the authority to license breeders and hold them accountable to comply with existing applicable care standards under federal and state laws and regulations. And it stands a good chance of not passing during the current legislative session if we don’t come together to let our legislators know that Minnesota can no longer turn its back on animal cruelty.

The Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill (H.F. 253) is going to be heard in the House Agriculture Committee the morning of Friday, March 27. Please call all of the members on the committee before Friday morning and ask them to vote in favor of H.F. 253, Representative Tillberry's bill. As you know, hearings are unpredictable. Unforeseen amendments to weaken the bill may be introduced at the hearing, which is why it's important to reiterate your support of H.F. 253 and urge committee members not to accept any amendments that would weaken it.

IMPORTANT: Calls at this critical time are more effective than emails. Also, if you are a constituent of a committee member listed below, be sure that legislator knows that fact. To find out who represents you, go to http://www.gis.leg.mn/mapserver/district

elow is a list of the committee members and their phone numbers.

House Agriculture, Rural Economics and Veterans Affairs Committee
Chair: Representative Mary Ellen Otremba - 651-296-3201
Vice Chair: Representative Al Doty - 651-296-4247
Representative Steve Drazkowski - 651-296-2273
Representative Kent Eken - 651-296-9918
Representative Tim Faust - 651-296-0518
Representative Rod Hamilton - 651-296-5373
Representative Kory Kath - 651-296-5368
Representative Terry Morrow - 651-296-8634
Representative Dave Olin - 651-296-9635
Representative Ron Shimanski - 651-296-1534
Representative Dean Urdahl - 651-296-4344

Legislators are hearing from breeders, hunters, the NRA and others who oppose the bill (and any regulation) so they need to hear from all of us.

Thank you for your efforts.

Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill Update from the Animal Humane Society and Animal Folks Minnesota:

UPDATE AND ACTION

More good news! H.F. 253 passed out of the House Civil Justice Committee on Monday without any amendments. Thank you for your calls!

Unfortunately, S.F. 7 did not receive a hearing on Tuesday, March 24, in the Senate Agriculture Committee. As you may recall, the bill was laid on the table at the last hearing in this Committee, which means members wanted more time for discussion and were not ready to take a vote. On Tuesday, the Committee Chair asked that the bill be "called off the table" to allow for continued debate. The committee chose, by a majority voice vote, to keep the bill tabled. We are hopeful S.F. 7 will be called back in the near future.

MORE CALLS NEEDED IN THE HOUSE -- ANOTHER HEARINGThe Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill -- H.F. 253 -- is going to be heard in the House Agriculture Committee the morning of Friday, March 27. ACTION: Please call all of the members on the committee before Friday morning and ask them to vote in favor of H.F. 253, Representative Tillberry's bill.As you know, hearings are unpredictable. Unforeseen amendments to weaken the bill may be introduced at the hearing, which is why it's important to reiterate your support of H.F. 253 and urge committee members not to accept any amendments that would weaken it.

IMPORTANT: Calls at this critical time are more effective than emails. Also, if you are a constituent of a committee member listed below, be sure that legislator knows that fact. To find out who represents you, go to DistrictFinder. Below is a list of the committee members and their phone numbers.

House Agriculture, Rural Economics and Veterans Affairs Committee
Call BEFORE Friday, March 27. Support H.F. 253

Chair: Representative Mary Ellen Otremba - 651-296-3201Vice Chair: Representative Al Doty - 651-296-4247Representative Steve Drazkowski - 651-296-2273Representative Kent Eken - 651-296-9918Representative Tim Faust - 651-296-0518Representative Rod Hamilton - 651-296-5373Representative Kory Kath - 651-296-5368Representative Terry Morrow - 651-296-8634Representative Dave Olin - 651-296-9635Representative Ron Shimanski - 651-296-1534Representative Dean Urdahl - 651-296-4344In order to keep the bills moving forward, there have been many discussions with various interested parties. The coalition will continue to fight for the strongest language possible while working collaboratively to get legislation passed. Legislators are hearing from breeders, hunters, the NRA and others who oppose the bill (and any regulation) so they need to hear from all of us. Thanks for all your efforts!
Animal Advocates
Animal Humane Society

Thank you for being a voice for animals. Sent with the permission of Animal Folks Minnesota.

From Alan with love...