Scenes from a Feeding

There was an old movie called Scenes from a Marriage...  just in case y'all didn't get the title...  :)

My rounds this morning were in the midst of a thunder and lightning storm.  I kept thinking I would get struck by lightning.  I hear of it happening a lot these days.  Thanks to my trusty pink wellies, I should be good, although I have a headlamp which has metal around my neck because its now pitch dark out for the hour I go out.  But don't they say whatever is the tallest in an open spot, the lighting will strike?  Not sure, but I was prime target for it this morning.  Here are a few 'scenes' from this morning (click on pics to zoom in):

Parsells Girl needs to be spayed

Little Black Boy needs adopting! (Hayward)

Pretty White Boy needs adopting!  (Baldwin)

Sweet Girl on Second

I have the day off tomorrow, Friday, and on Saturday is the fundraiser my friends are hosting for me.  Its going to be wonderful, with live music, great food, full bar, great stuff to bid on, and plenty of other fellow animal lovers.  I am praying the rain predicted holds off.  I am looking forward to meeting folks whom I've never met, yet they read this blog.  I am looking forward to seeing those that I HAVE met, through this blog.  I am looking forward to seeing friends and family that DON'T read this blog.  :)  All in all, I think it will be a great day, and I hope you will be there.

I was thinking about something after Kristin asked my advice on a situation she recently encountered.  A friend of a friend has a brother who is 'hoarding' cats on his property near a local college.  There are a ton of kittens because this person doesn't have the mental capacity to have them spayed and neutered, nor to ask for help.  Cats are found on college campuses and on military bases where students or military personnel abandon their cats when they move. Many college students think they want a cat. Later, when they realize they have no place for it during the summer, they surrender it to the shelter or abandon it to fend for itself. With the help of a local rescue group, and with the permission of this man, we can get these poor animals into a clinic to be spayed and neutered, and returned to him.  Although the kittens need foster homes, or adoption.  They are all friendly.  From what Kristin says - and she went to see first hand - they are very tiny kittens, and you can hold them in the palm of your hand.  My point is, its so important to foster.  Fostering animals is saving lives. When you become a foster parent, you volunteer to keep a homeless pet in your home temporarily until they go to a forever home.  Please consider becoming a foster - let me know if you can, I have adult cats right now that need to get off the street, and rescue groups have an overabundance of kittens.  Take your pick!  But please help!  Here are eight good reasons on WHY you should, and that you CAN do it.

1. Fostering increases an animal’s chance of getting adopted. Foster families are usually the first to find out about the pet’s personality. You may even be the first to teach your foster pet basic house manners, making them more appealing to potential adopters.
2. Your own pets will learn more social skills. The more animals your pets come in contact with, the better they are at dealing with stress and getting used to strangers. Your pet might even find a playmate in your foster pet.
3. You get to see if you’re ready to own another pet. Maybe you want to foster a certain dog breed to see if you’re ready to adopt one, or you want to see if adding a cat into your all-dog household will upset the  balance. Or maybe you want a new pet now but aren’t sure where you’ll be in the next 5, 10, 15, or 20 years. Though fostering is not a trial adoption period for that pet, it can help you try out changes to your current “fur family.”
4. Fostering is temporary. Cats require minimal space and are very low-maintenance, so they don’t take a lot of time to look after. If you’ve already got a dog, it’s not a big change to add one more pup to your daily walks and potty break schedule. Knowing the foster animal will only be with you for a short time makes it easier to find the time to take care of them, and it also makes it easier to give them up when it’s time.

5. You probably already have the space for one more. A spare bedroom, office, or screen porch is the perfect place for a foster pet. Even a bathroom is enough room for a kitten or puppy, and it’s much larger than a cage in a shelter. Sometimes a spare room is the only thing standing between an animal and euthanasia in an animal control facility.
6. You can choose how to foster. Only want to foster bulldogs? Prefer to look after kittens? Can’t foster for more than a few months at a time? Most rescues can accommodate your requests, as long as you agree to it beforehand and give them plenty of notice about changes.
7. Fostering keeps animals out of shelters. As wonderful as animal shelters are, they can be stressful from the lack of quiet, training, and exercise. And there’s nothing like the love and warmth of a family! Animals in foster care tend to be less stressed, better socialized, and have a lower chance of getting sick than animals in shelters.

8. You are saving a life. You feel good, your shelter or rescue group helps more animals, and your foster pet is happy, healthy, and well-socialized. Talk about win-win-win!

Make a difference, pass it on!

Have a Great Weekend, and SEE YOU SATURDAY!