Visitors Today!

What a great day for the animals! Troop 4112 paid us a visit today. All of the animals were adored and loved on - Miss Piggie enjoyed being hand-fed strawberries and Osa enjoyed a grain treat too. The girls planted our new drought-tolerant plants in the outdoor cat yards, walked all of the dogs, and cleaned Piggie's pen as well as the goat pasture too - they managed to finish 2 weekends of work in a few hours! And they still had time to throw tennis balls for Tess until she was exhausted.
With the help of our regular cat-loving volunteer and her friend, every kitty room was clean and their beds were clean and dry, just in time for this afternoon's downpour!

Thank you everyone for all of your help today :)

What Do Ya Mean, Rain?

Pilot heard the weather forecast this morning, and we put the poor lad to work! He helped clean out all of the livestock pens, remake their beds, put up a tarp on Piggie's house, and move the goats around. Bob, unfortunately, hates to get his feet wet, so he makes the girls stand outside while he's inside during any type of rain - now he's in a pen next to our horse, and the girls can stay dry.

Although he worked hard, Pilot was rewarded well - a jar of baby food is a tasty treat!

Shiloh Rings In The New Year!

The newest member of the Golden Hearts family finally came home today! This is Shiloh, an Aussie, who came to us from the Pet Rescue Center. She was pulled from a shelter in San Bernardino, and the rescue thought she was a 4 year old. Well, once they picked her up, it became apparent that she hadn't seen 4 years of age in a really long time!

She suffers from severe arthritis, she was treated for pneumonia, and had to have a huge grooming makeover. She was matted to the bone everywhere, and her toenails were grown around in to her footpads, making her painful walk even worse. The rescue took care of her major issues, but where do you find a home for a 14 year old (yes, she's all of 14) arthritic and malnourished dog? Here, of course!

She's quite the lovebug. She loves to eat. She enjoys the other dogs. She finds cats fascinating. She is arthritic, but the Metacam she's on really seems to help. She does have difficulty seeing. She seems to have some eye problems and will need to see our opthamologist. She has some sores that are healing too. She's hard of hearing, but not totally deaf. And her spirit is healing the longer she's here ~ her personality is really starting to come out! She'll get the once over from all our docs over the next couple of weeks to make sure she's on the right track.

Welcome home, Shiloh!

Introducing Roxanne!

Roxy joined us between Thanksgiving and Christmas. She was turned in to the San Diego county Carlsbad shelter by her owners who stated they were moving and wanted to turn her in to be "killed" (direct quote from the intake staff). Yikes!! The staff offered to do the intake and try to put her up for adoption and the owners agreed.

Roxy didn't do well at the shelter. She didn't eat well, and caught the inevitable respiratory infection. We were contacted about taking her, but we had just agreed to help another senior they had that was in need. Things have a way of working out, because the kitty we were to take found a home thanks to the shelter volunteers.

Those same volunteer angels contacted us about Roxy, and this time we could say "yes!" The catch was we had less than 1/2 a day to pick her up before she would be euthanized, so with some rearranging of the work schedule, I picked her up that afternoon. I was also able to meet the dedicated staff and volunteers who are trying very hard for the animals!

Once here, Roxy was very withdrawn. She wouldn't eat, and was hand-fed and given subcutaneous fluids and antibiotics. She didn't like dogs, didn't like cats, and pretty much just tolerated me :) . The respiratory bug was gone for the most part, she just had runny eyes.

Then, something miraculously happened on Day 12. Roxy started eating on her own! And she came out for attention, purring like crazy! I think she finally figured out this was for good. She's very affectionate now, worked through her dog and cat issues, and is now living in the Kitty Cabana. She's starting the New Year off right!

Happy New Year!

From Holly & all of the gang, Happy New Year to one and all!

Sweet Skyler Left Us Today...

And the kitty room is much quieter this evening. Skyler's inoperable tumor on his tail continued to grow and we have been grateful for every day we've had with him. He's been active and eating well, even this morning. But, the tumor broke open and began draining, and became very painful for him.

He had a canned food feast for breakfast, and then I smooched and loved on him and said goodbye as Dr. Booman euthanized him. He was a wonderful old man and we will really miss him...

Where's Hot Rod?

Well Piggie's not the only one who goes into hiding when the weather turns chilly. It took a whole lot more searching to find Hot Rod, who was in one of the "cat-gloo" beds in the Cabana yard. Calling "kitty, kitty" didn't work...

but bringing out the food bowl did!

Our Newest Kitty Room...

Is coming along! This is a 6'x8' room with a small yard that is just outside our back door. It will house 3-4 kitties very comfortably and will have a ceiling fan to keep cool in the summer, and plenty of outlets for heated cat beds in the winter. The boulders in the picture will be included in the yard, so there will be plenty of sunning opportunities too!

Where's Piggie?

As we prepared for the cold and wet weather, we trucked in lots of grass hay to use as bedding for the goats and for Miss Piggie. She snuggled in almost immediately! She buries herself so deeply that a couple of times I had to look twice to find her. And yes, she was served breakfast in bed on a couple of frosty mornings. She looked soooo comfy, why not??

He's Getting Bigger!

Petey's growing every day and here he is after his weight training workout! Not really, he and Timmy, his new roommate, are currently living in our weight room. There aren't too many "safe" places 2lb. kitties can spend the day. I'm hoping they grow soon, because they are small enough to squeeze through all of our chain link fences!

This is Timmy, our newest little guy. He's absolutely gorgeous, but he's a Manx with all of the associated troubles. We spent about the first week he was here just trying to get his bowels functioning and getting him to eat again. He's been improving ever since, and loves hanging out with Petey!

Miss Phoenix...

had a swollen eye. She went to see our regular veterinarian Dr. Booman on Tuesday for an exam (and bloodwork too). She didn't have a corneal abrasion, but instead is suffering from a flare of her chronic herpes. We think that the weather change caused just enough stress to bring it on.

She's on an antibiotic eye ointment, atropine eye drops, and antiviral eye ointment ~ quite a bit of stuff to put in her eyes several times a day! She's living in the house right now, for easier access to medicate her, which has made her quite happy ~ more treats!

Rest In Peace, Sweet Boy...

We will miss you...

We euthanized Syd last night because of acute abdominal pain that didn't respond to medication; most likely he had a tumor growing on the inside, especially since he had so many on the outside. It's much quieter in the pasture today, and Osa, his pasture mate, sure misses him too....

How Cute Is This??

Meet our newest addition! He goes by the name "Lucky Peter" but I'm pretty sure we'll be shortening that before long. Dedicated local rescuers found him and another kitty near a dumpster in Chula Vista. The other kitty is healthy and in search of a forever home. Both were covered in fleas and filth; they were lucky to be so young and survive outside in our extreme summer temperatures.

This little guy ~ he's here because he's far from normal. He has trouble with his hind legs, with abnormal nerve supply on one side. His physical with our veterinarian Dr. Booman yielded some surprising "extras". He also has intestinal motility issues (he backs up in the poop department) and he also has an abdominal hernia. He has coccidia, a treatable intestinal parasite too. He's pretty darn young, about 5 weeks old, and weighs less than 1 pound right now ~ even tinier than Scooter was when he came to live with us!

Right now, he's on medication to improve his gi function (get the poop out!), plus medication to treat his parasites. He's also been started on a low residue diet, like Scooter, to help keep the stool volume smaller. He's a real love sponge who wants nothing more than to be carried around in a pocket or hidden in your shirt so he can nap. He's a cutie who will give Scooter a run for his money as he gets older!

Nothing Like A Good Nap...

to refresh you! Ms. Maggie curled up on the new quilt in her room today and napped the entire afternoon away. Her keen sense of time, however, had her wide awake in time for dinner!

Um, What Do You Mean Manicure?

Pax, our beautiful Ring-neck Dove, had an appointment with a pair of nail clippers this afternoon. He is permanently handicapped after having a broken leg heal in the wrong direction. It points out to the side as you can see in the picture. He's never learned to perch, and lives on a carpeted surface so he doesn't get pressure sores. The down side is he also doesn't wear down his nails like a normal scavenging, perching bird.

Bird nail trims are even more delicate than those of a dog or cat. They can bleed profusely if trimmed too close (no pressure!), or even die from the stress of handling. I'm happy to report that with Steve holding him, he was the perfect gentleman, the nail trim went well, and Pax didn't get too stressed out. He's happily eating this evening!

Dog Bed?

Cameron has decided that everything "dog" is also "cat" or at least "cat friendly". From dog beds to water bowls to dog food bowls, this little girl has no trouble in putting her little 6lb body right in the middle of whatever the dogs want to use. The more dogs that want to use it, the better!

Our critters have been faring fairly well in our 100 degree plus temperatures. All kitties are eating canned food in order to keep them eating, Piggie is getting hosed down twice a day plus a huge mud hole to lay in, and well the dogs have to be coerced to go outside to pee! And, thankfully, we have no fires burning in our part of the world. Here's hoping for a fire-free fall!

Well, If You Must...

You can take my picture! I realized that Skyler never had "after" pictures taken once his ears had healed. He's quite the handsome guy! Today, we moved him in with the other house kitties, much to his disappointment. He's enjoyed being an "only cat" but really needs more exercise. He's already discovered the outdoor patio, so we hope he'll find the accomodations acceptable!

Here's His New Cast!

Pilot is sporting his new, shorter walking cast. He now gets the use of his foot! He's walking very well now, and has worked up to 25 minute walks twice a day. More exercise for the both of us! He also has a sleeker waistline to show off ~ weighing in at 73lbs. We're very happy with him at this weight, so he now gets a little more food at mealtime ~ something he's very happy about!

Pilot's Home!

A happy and exhausted Pilot is home tonight! He progressed well in his rehab, and is now walking 20 minutes a day. It's up to us to continue his walks morning and evening, increasing the time every few days. When he's walking a comfortable 30 minutes twice a day, his cast size will decrease. It'll keep getting smaller as he gains more strength in his knee. Tonight, he's sleeping in every bed in the house when he's not glued to my side.

Welcome home Pilot!

Animal Updates

It's been a while since I've posted, because the critters have been keeping us busy. Here's what we've been up to:

~ Pilot had knee surgery on July 3rd. He had a torn cruciate ligament in the knee of his previously fractured leg. Although he's been healing, his progress has been slow. He has severe degenerative joint disease in that knee which has slowed things even further. He left this morning for a week of "boot camp" with his rehab therapist Rainy. Please cross your fingers that he heals and walks quickly so he's home soon!

~ The "lil old lady" trio has moved into the main cat room in the house. This was in an effort to help them stay cooler since it has a fan in it. Construction has been slow on "Poo Corner", the new cat enclosure for Scooter, Tara, & Uno.

~ Roger Rabbit passed away suddenly a week ago today. By all appearances, he was acting normally that morning, but lay down for a nap and didn't wake up. We all miss his carrot-begging antics!

~Marci passed away Thursday. She was also completely normal, carrying on all of her normal cat activities. We're happy she had 4 years with us, given the birth defect she was living with. Phoenix especially misses her!

~ Liberty has finished her laser therapy treatments for her jaw and is now able to eat dry food and biscuits again. She is so comfortable that she can even chew on a Nylabone!

~ The animals are surviving the July heat with few complaints, just lots of water and extra canned food in the evening!

The Website is done!

The newly designed website is up and running!

Please be patient while all of the animal stories get entered, but once again we can be reached by e-mail. Let us know what you think!

Invisible Kitty

MeiLi found the new stroller that was generously donated to us over the weekend. We set it up, I left to feed dinner, and came back to find MeiLi blending in quite nicely with the color. She spent several hours napping there, very happy to have a new super-secret nap spot!

No Pictures, Please...

I'm just out of the bath! Cameron got a bath today because it was time for her to "freshen up" a little. She loved it, and spent the entire time purring away!

Skyler Had His Surgery...

And he's feeling much better, thank you! The Animal Dermatology Clinic was kind enough to both consult and do surgery very quickly, so he didn't have to sit with ouchy ears for long! There's a great chance that, if he stays out of the sun, his cancer won't continue to spread in spite of some narrow margins on his ears. He had 2 bowls of food that afternoon after surgery, and another 2 bowls when he got home. He has to wait 2 weeks to get the e-collar off, since that's when his sutures come out. He's doing great, very happy and extra purry and hungry too!

Meet Skyler!

Skyler is a gorgeous long-hair kitty with enchanting blue eyes! He came from the Central Shelter, where he was scheduled to be euthanized because of his ears. Skyler has cancer, squamous cell carcinoma to be exact, on both of his ears. Most kitties can have laser surgery and the affected ears are essentially removed. His right ear is too advanced for surgery. We're consulting with our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin for input on using homeopathy to slow the progression of his cancer.
In the meantime, Skyler eats, and purrs, and eats more! He's not painful, but does prefer you don't touch his ears ~ feel free to scratch around them though. He was also covered in fleas, which the shelter treated with frontline, however he still got a bath this afternoon which he loved - he purred the entire time!
Please keep this little guy in your prayers. He won't be with us a long time, but we intend to make it a great time while he's here!

Sure I Fit!

Pilot has decided that he does fit anywhere, including Steve's chair! This didn't last long, though, because his favorite way to sleep is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out on one of the couches! He saw our favorite holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin on Thursday, and he had a chiropractic adjustment as well as an acupuncture treatment. He is moving around with a lot more energy, and although he is a little stiff today, I think he will continue to improve!

I Love My Bed!

Libby loves her crate, I mean loves her crate, after a hard day outside playing. She's curled up with her favorite Kong toy, which she can't pick up, but likes sleeping with. Crates are rarely used around here for anything aside from feeding Scooter at mealtime (since he's so food aggressive), but we have one in the living room serving as an "end table" as well as a dog bed. Holly was the first one to enjoy hiding in her little cave, but over time she's decided she doesn't need it anymore. Then, just as I was thinking of taking it down, Liberty moved in, and once again, the crate has a purpose!

Our Website & Some Technical Difficulties...

While you can now follow us on Twitter, I'm afraid I screwed something up during today's website update, and now the menu is gone. Please be patient while I try to figure out what happened!

Man, You Smell Funny!

Here's the scene I found this evening as I went out to feed dinner~ no one can believe Ballou is Ballou, since he got a wonderfully scented aloe bath along with his haircut!

A New Summer Hairdo...

For Ballou today ~ lucky guy! He gets a haircut twice a year, and a bath once a month or so, since he can't clean himself. He's pictured above in his "jungle kitty" mode, making sure that he gets his time in front of the camera, but making sure that all who view the picture know that he's quite the great hunter!

Ballou lost his tongue in an accident several years ago, and he eventually wound up here after being adopted and returned. He doesn't realize it's a problem, he just uses his lower teeth to bathe himself, which unfortunately leads to pretty big messes in a long hair coat. We compromised last year by deciding just to keep him body shaved ~ no more brushing that he hates, no more unsanitary mess that I hate!

Meet Kismet!

Kismet joined us a couple of weeks ago. He hails from the Central shelter, where there was concern about upper respiratory infection and a drooling problem that he had. It turns out that the respiratory infection cleared quickly and the drooling ~ well, that's just what he does when he's happy.

And when is he happy? When ever someone is petting him, talking to him, or near him! He is a larger boy, weighing in at 15lbs, with, well, a little extra in the middle. He does like to eat! But, he enjoys humans so much more that he leaves his food for the chance at a lap!

We always change the name of an animal as it comes from the shelter, that is until now. Kismet fits this handsome guy so well, we just decided it should stick! He is living in the Cabana, which now has the nickname "grey tabby manor" since everyone there is a grey tabby to some degree. While Pepper thinks he's cute, she's quick to point out her "queen" status. And the boys are a little intimidated by his size, but all are settling in well together!

Meet Pax!

Pax joined our family a couple of months ago. He (she?) broke his leg in an outdoor aviary. Birds can heal pretty quickly, and by the time the injury was discovered, the leg already began to heal at an almost 90 degree angle. It made him unable to use it, and unable to stay with other birds who would pick on the weakened one. Pax is a beautiful Ring-neck Dove, who lives in a 28"x 42" enclosure situated on the top of Roger rabbit's hotel ~ keeping him up high where he can see everything going on and the dogs can't "play" with him!

Now, you may ask, how do you accomodate a handicapped bird? He has a shallow dish (a plant saucer) for bathing, a carpeted floor, and low dishes for food and drinking water. Not being able to perch poses some challenges. The carpet keeps sores from forming on his legs as he hops around. The plant saucer bathing dish gives him a chance to stay clean without worrying about drowning!

Pax will work with us to teach people that with a little imagination, even special needs birds can have a full life!

What Do You Think Of My New Bed?

It's been busy around here as we continue our daily animal care chores, our regular 7-6 jobs, and our special projects for the animals ~ the dog yards/rooms are our largest undertaking yet! We were able to take a break this past weekend with the opportunity to introduce some wonderful animal advocates to our golden oldies! Leo had a chance to meet his shelter angel Renee and two of her friends in person, and darn it if I didn't get out the camera....

Renee also brought wonderful treasures including cat food, cat toys and beds, and dog food. The animals were excited to meet everyone, with Scooter charming as always, the dogs happy to enjoy hugs, and Leo cuddling in Renee's arms ~ a really neat moment! What was just as amazing was to watch the "Lil' Old Lady Coffee Club" when they got new beds. MeiLi snuggled right in, Maggie curled up after inspecting them, and Cameron, well as you can see, she enjoyed a photo opportunity with a purr of satisfaction!

I'm happy to report that Cameron's latest recheck of her labwork shows that the supplements and subcutaneous fluids have lowered her kidney values considerably ~ 2 of the 3 numbers are normal! I don't know how long it will last, but that coupled with weight gain - she's now 5lbs - are good signs for her future. She is on a new antibiotic for her high white blood cell count which seems to be helping too. This perky little girl runs to the fridge as fast as Scooter!

2 New Ladies...

Have joined us in the last two weeks. A gorgeous long-haired tortie girl, who we named Maggie, and a spit-fire long hair orange tabby girl who we named Cameron. Both ladies came from the Central Animal Shelter, and both were on the euthanasia list because of medical concerns.

Maggie has a rapid heart rate which, once she's over her "shelter sniffles" we will have checked out. She has beautiful blood work, but is thin and really needs a haircut. The haircut is waiting until we can make sure it's okay to sedate her a little since, well, grooming is not on her list of things to do! She is living with MeiLi, and the two curmudgeonly old ladies have agreed the couch and the sunshine can be shared!

Cameron just joined us this past weekend. She is a very frail-looking girl, weighing in at 4 1/2 lbs, and was matted from her ribcage back to her tail in one very large grotesque shell. It was a very slow process trimming by hand to free her ~ once we were done, she was like a new kitty! Her bloodwork is still pending, but we're anticipating serious medical problems. While we know she doesn't have much time, she seems to have a "bucket list" that she still has to finish, so I don't think she's going anywhere for a little while!

Miss B Left Us...

late Friday night. She had some post-op "little old lady" complications we found on Thursday morning. She had become anemic and developed diabetes. She started insulin and she went back on IV fluids. She also had a transfusion, courtesy of Tara. BB is at home on Thursday night in the picture. She spent the night on the couch beside me with her IV fluids hanging from a picture hook on the wall. By Friday morning, she was feeling great, meowing for breakfast and happily eating Fancy Feast next to MeiLi. But by Friday evening things had changed ~ she had become acutely painful in her abdomen. The wonderful purr motor had stopped....

We met with our housecall vet Dr. Booman, and she and I decided to anesthetize BB for a good exam, including palpating her abdomen, but without causing Miss B any pain. A section of her intestine developed an intussusception, where a portion of the intestine telescopes into itself, and nothing can pass. Surgery to fix it didn't have a good prognosis due to her age, the condition of her colon, and already having had one surgery. The kindest and most difficult thing was to have her not wake up from anesthesia. She passed quietly in my arms, painfree and at peace....

Rest in peace, sweet Beautiful B, we really miss you!

Hopin' and Wishin'...

finally paid off! BB is finally starting to poop, and yes, I did a little happy dance! It's been a tough week post-op for her. She's been getting routine syringe feedings to fight hepatic lipidosis. She's been getting subcutaneous fluids and medications injected daily, but they just haven't been enough.

Yesterday she went back in for x-rays and another ultrasound, which showed that things were on their way out, just moving very slowly. We changed around her medications ~ BB now takes the same medications as Scooter. Lactulose is a medication that softens stool, and Cisapride is a medication to help improve motility. Both of these are very untasty (unless your name is Scooter!) so we've created a concoction of medications and baby food that she now takes 3 times a day. 24 hours into the new medication regime, we have success, which makes her prognosis much better. The longer she went, the more grim the outlook.

And, after opening many cans of everything from Friskies to Fancy Feast, we've finally found a food she likes ~ skinless chicken breast. Now she and MeiLi are both enjoying chicken 3 times a day too!

BB's Update ~

Here's a picture of BB while she was in the hospital. She had her surgery Tuesday, and she came home with me Wednesday night. She started eating beef baby food on Wednesday morning, so she was given the green light to bust out!

She went back to work with me Thursday morning because, aside from the baby food, she hadn't eaten anymore. We did some bloodwork, and found that her white blood cell count was elevated and her albumin was lower, both consistent with the intestinal mass and surgery. Her liver values were also elevated ~ uh oh! They point to early hepatic lipidosis, or "fatty liver disease", a condition that kitties who quit eating or eat very little, are prone to. You can read more about it here. The "treatment" is food!

BB is now being syringe-fed 6-8 times a day in an effort to get calories in, which will "jump start" her eating again. She also gets antibiotics and a GI motility drug by injection and subcutaneous fluids daily too.

The good news ~ her tumor is an adenocarcinoma, a type of tumor that is pretty uncommon in cats. There are good margins around the sample submitted, so it was adequately excised; the down side is that it metastasizes to surrounding tissue, and it may have already done so.

Tonight, Miss B is talking and playing a little with her toys. She has some interest in food but isn't eating. She'll need syringe feeding for possibly a couple of weeks. She loves her heated bed, but isn't thrilled with MeiLi's nursing care, especially the baths! Our next big obstacle is the "poo" issue ~ her intestines need to get back to functioning normally. Keep your fingers crossed for her!

Hot Rod Gives A Gift...

And it's the best gift possible ~ the gift of life! Hot Rod signed up quite a while ago to be a blood donor. Okay, maybe it wasn't voluntary on his part, but we felt that he could be a kitty who could give back. After all, his problems are only orthopedic, so he doesn't take any medications.

How do you donate blood if you are a kitty? Do you sit in a chair with a tourniquet on your arm, then get orange juice and cookies afterward? For a cat, the safest way for him to donate blood is with a little sedation. There's no squirming around so it goes quicker, and there are no claws flying which is always safer for everyone involved! Cats who are blood donors have to have perfect blood work and be healthy; they are also blood typed ~ cats have a "type A" and "type B", type A's can donate to type B cats without a reaction, but B's can only donate to B's. If a type B kitty donates to an A, a transfusion reaction can occur.

Hot Rod donated 60ml's of blood, which I'm happy to report helped a senior kitty in need who was hospitalized with our internist ~ she's doing much better! Hot Rod spent the night in the house with us afterward and got to be spoiled rotten. I swear he struts around with a little attitude now too!

Miss B's Vet Visit...

yielded some pretty decent labwork and quite a surprise ~ BB has an intestinal mass. It explains the little quirks that we'd seen. Poor kitty, this has been going on for quite some time ~ kitties are so stoic! She wouldn't have shown any major symptoms until it was too late.

The ultrasound of her abdomen looked pretty normal otherwise, so we decided to take her to surgery, which was performed today. Our internist Dr. Slusser managed her care, and our surgeon Dr. Lenehan did the surgery. I'm happy to report that tonight, BB is doing very well & she's made many friends at the hospital! The biopsy report will be back in a couple of days, and BB should be home with us tomorrow night, which is good, because MeiLi misses her already!

A New Friend for MeiLi...

Arrived this morning! Here are the girls enjoying a lunchtime snack. BB is a sweet lil' ol' lady kitty who was left somehow to fend for herself on the San Diego streets, and a very kind lady came to her rescue. The shelter told her that this cutie was at least 15 years old and would be euthanized due to her 'old' age, so she did what any of us animal loving folks would do ~ she took her home!
We had put out an "APCB" (all-points cat bulletin) several weeks ago, looking for a buddy for MeiLi. In spite of our best efforts, MeiLi was no longer thriving as she had been when she was a "nurse" for Poppy. We had hoped that at some point, there would be a senior in need, someone who would enjoy long naps on a heated blanket and puttering around; most of our seniors really enjoy playing outside in their yards all day, and couldn't be bothered to slow down!

Through the folks at Rescue House, we connected with BB's guardian who was trying to find a suitable retirement home for her (her own 4 young kitties just didn't fit the ticket!). They braved a pretty impressive rainstorm to come out this morning. BB will have an exam and some bloodwork done on Monday to make sure everything's okay, as she may have some kidney disease and she certainly has arthritis.

Thanks BB (and Christina) for making an old Siamese happy!

A Living Room of Dogs

Our early spring came to a quick and windy end today. The dogs decided that, while outside was great fun, and the mud was great to play in, that inside won. This was the scene this evening while the wind was howling and the rain was pouring outside. Everyone wanted a bed!

Just out of the picture is Maverick in the purple bed, Melody's in the green/blue bed, Pilot is asleep right next to Roger rabbit, Holly is just barely in the picture (with her feet crossed!) and Liberty is sleeping in the striped bed. Tess is asleep in my bed, and Quincy is asleep on the couch next to me. It was definitely toasty warm with so many furries wanting to share body heat!

Sweet Austin Left Us Today...

After his long battle with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. One of the potential problems that is always lurking in the background is the chance that he could pass a clot, or thrombus, that would impede circulation somewhere in his body. And sadly, Austin passed a clot, a "saddle thrombus", which cuts down the circulation to the hind limbs. With hospitalization, pain medication, and heparin to thin the blood, sometimes the situation can improve.

We made the hard decision to let him go, knowing that he wouldn't do well in a hospital, in fact he didn't really like being medicated twice a day. And spending two weeks minimum waiting to see if he'd improve just didn't seem fair for a kitty used to spending his days roaming a large grassy yard.

He passed peacefully in my arms, and his "groupies" Rocky and Hot Rod had the chance to say goodbye too. Even Pepper paid her respects.

Rest in peace sweet prince, you will be deeply missed...

Many Thanks...

To the Escondido 4H Club Zoology Project members who visited the animals today! They brought blankets, biscuits, canned dog food. The best part for the animals ~ they also brought hands for petting, and laps to sit in! We hope they enjoyed their visit, as the animals had a great time!

The Breakfast Club...

Of the feline variety! All of the animals have been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather we've been having lately. Here, Rocky, Hot Rod, and Austin are all enjoying a post-breakfast snooze. It's hard work, after all, there's a noon-time nap headed their way too!

Golden Bliss!

Liberty has had trouble with opening her mouth wide enough to do things that most retrievers enjoy ~ like playing with balls. It's as a result of scar tissue in her temporomandibular joints (tmj). Today, she managed to actually get a tennis ball in her mouth, and although you wouldn't know by the picture, she carried it around most of the afternoon! It was a tight fit, and she looked a little relieved when she finally put it down.
Libby won't ever have normal jaw function, but at least for a little while, she got to have "golden fun!"

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year!

May your 'Golden Hearts' shine in 2009!