Petfinder Blog

During my life I've had many cats. All but one were normal and well-adjusted. But the first was not. It was this one weird cat that prompted my lifelong interest in senior pets. Here is our story.

When I was in college I saw an ad in the paper for a free cat. She was a 16-year-old Calico named Callie. I thought we were a good match. I could help a cat in need and get her love in return. And, because of her age, I figured she'd pass away before I left for graduate school. Perfect timing for both of us.

Her owner had died, and she was the one pet his family wouldn't take in. I might have inquired why they didn't want her with an open mind and understanding heart, but instead, I was simply aghast (just a wee bit judgmental). After all, I was 20 and issues of animal welfare were pretty black and white.

I'm far too stubborn to be a hypocrite, so over the next months, my noisy criticism of her previous family strengthened my resolve to make this strange cat love me. For four months she lived in the kitchen cabinet (actually in my lazy Susan) only to come out to relieve herself on the carpet. Wall-to-wall became bare wood.

In Month 6, she moved into a new space, under my bed. Eventually, she began to sneak out until her days were spent with me instead of the dust bunnies.

As a member of the outreach team, one of the best parts of my job is planning and attending our Adoption Options seminars.

Adoption Options is one of our biggest initiatives and is a traveling educational seminar that brings training and networking opportunities to our shelter and rescue members throughout the country.

We do 20 per year and try to travel to areas that don't have affordable access to training. We bring with us some of the nation's best-known speakers and discuss the hottest topics in animal welfare. Each attendee also gets breakfast, lunch and an Adoption Options T-shirt -- all for $10 per person. The program is sponsored in part by our friends at the PETCO Foundation.

I just returned from Memphis, TN, where 80 dedicated animal welfare professionals came out to network and discuss adoption policies, dog behavior, shelter medicine and how to most effectively use Petfinder.

A great story came out of this day.

Since it's Deaf Dog Awareness Week, here's the story of my deaf (and blind) Great Dane puppy, Keller.

I had always admired the Great Dane's poise and nobility, and last year decided the time was right to add one of these beautiful animals to my home.

The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League had lots of Danes that needed homes, and I got involved with their rescue efforts. One day, they contacted me because a Great Dane puppy was about to be euthanized and needed a home right away.

A breeder who claims he can breed "white" Danes had given this puppy to a customer as part of the purchase of another Dane. With Great Danes, and many other breeds, an all-white dog is the result of a genetic defect. This defect can also result in deafness and, in extreme cases, blindness.

The new dog owner did not know what he had, but took the 8-week-old puppies to a vet for their initial checkup. The vet discovered immediately that one of the dogs was deaf and blind. He recommended the puppy be euthanized because the dog wouldn't have a very good quality of life. The owner left the puppy at the vet's office to be put to sleep. Thankfully, one of the techs took the puppy home and contacted the rescue league.

I wrote previously about my experience adopting my dog Alan, a 2-year-old deaf flat-coated retriever mix who'd spent the past year in rescue. Here's an update, in honor of Deaf Dog Awareness Week.

Alan has been part of the family for about six weeks now and we're settling into a nice routine. He has calmed down significantly and clearly is starting to feel at home. Recently he has begun barking when strangers pull into the driveway, which I think is a sure sign he now views this home as his territory.

His housetraining has come along well -- as long as I'm vigilant about keeping a schedule and listening to him when he asks to go out. Unfortunately, 5 a.m. seems to be a potty time no matter when we go to bed. On the positive side, I've been enjoying the early autumnal sunrises.

His deafness does present some interesting challenges for training. The biggest obstacle, I find, is the inability to firmly establish an ongoing "No" and "Good" dialog. With previous dogs I've relied heavily on this, but with Alan it's difficult.

Yesterday, Martha Stewart had Katherine Heigl on her show. Both of them have dogs (Katherine is a big adoption advocate and her dog Piper is a rescue).

I wasn't fully paying attention, but my ears perked up when I heard Martha say her dogs always sleep in bed with her, and her dogs have never seen the inside of a crate.

I've had dogs ever since I left my parents' home, and until I adopted Archie, all my dogs slept at the foot of my bed (including my 90-lb. chocolate lab, Pudgy). I had never considered crating a dog at night.

But by the time I was ready to adopt Archie, I was married to Ed. Ed already feels I take up too much room at night, and adding a dog to the mix would have been too much for him. So it was decided that Archie would be crated at night.

What a riot! In honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month (June), the ASPCA had a contest to find the year's best cat photos.

Singer Michael Feinstein judged the hundreds of entries and came up with these adorable winners.

I recently moved from a house to a two-bedroom apartment, which I now share with two adopted kittens. I'm learning how to live in a close-packed community with lots of other people and their pets.

Here are some rules -- both unwritten and written -- that I've learned so far:

Since the passing of my beloved dog Kobie late last year, I've been keeping an eye out for a suitable friend for my dog Sophie.

Sophie requires a companion of just the right temperament and understanding. Goofy, playful, funny-looking and loving were the things she adored about Kobie, and when I saw Alan, I knew she and I would like him.

A 2-year-old flat-coated retriever mix, he had been taken in by the kind folks at My Loveable Rescues in Queens, NY, more than a year ago and needed a good home. On Saturday we drove out and met him.

Alan and Sophie quickly assumed an attitude of peaceful coexistence. I knew this was a good sign, and that with a little time and opportunity, they would become tight companions. And so I returned yesterday, completed the adoption and took Alan to his new home on my horse farm in New Jersey. 

I'm so happy! At long last, I got to the tipping point in my debate about whether or not to adopt a cat and whether to adopt a kitten (or two?) or an adult cat.

This weekend, after much searching on Petfinder, I finally took the plunge and adopted two unrelated kittens. I had been meeting various kittens and cats at adoption fairs and through their foster moms, but there was something totally magical about these two kittens' online photos -- and then, too, my meet and greets with them.

Renee called yesterday to tell me that the kittens she adopted had taken a sudden and totally unexpected turn for the worse. Smudge, aka Clover, died at the veterinary ER yesterday morning; his brother Smitty, aka Boris, passed away in the afternoon, both victims of feline panleukopenia virus.

I was in tears all day yesterday, and I still get choked up when I look at their pictures. But I don't regret rescuing them. These kittens had short lives, but they spent the end of those lives clean, safe, well-fed, free of fleas and, most importantly, loved. I wonder whether, after fighting for so long, they finally felt that they'd found a safe place where they could let go in peace.

Last night, I left work early-ish and drove to meet one of the kittens I was considering for adoption: Chloe, a bobtailed Manx tabby at Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in Arlington, VA.

I got lost seven times trying to negotiate the spaghetti labyrinth of Beltway and feeder highways in Maryland, but finally got to the lovely home of Chloe's foster mom.

Talk about dedication: this woman has three adopted dogs (who were fosters before their new lives as family members), and she's fostering four kittens, including Chloe. 

I told the foster mother I was impressed with her menagerie, and asked her if she often fostered animals. "I've fostered over 100 animals so far," she smiled.

I've been a little delinquent about updating you on the kittens I found in a tree last week.

On Saturday, my friend Rachel and I spent the entire morning playing with the boys and taking unbelievably adorable photos of them (after the jump -- Rachel's the talented photographer, not me!).

I also wrote to a number of rescue groups, but they all have kittens coming out of their ears -- it is kitten season, after all, and the little ones are not "flying off the shelves," as one told me.

On a long shot, I sent some of the too-cute photos to my friend Renee, whose beloved cat from Animal Care & Control of NYC passed away a few months ago from a congenital heart defect.

My most-recent addition (and Petfinder alumna!) has not had an easy life. Adopted from Friends of Homeless Animals of Northern NJ, 10-year-old Gretel is missing an eye and part of an ear, is FIV positive and had been shifted through several homes due to unforeseeable tragedies. 

Gretel joined my senior-focused household in March and shares the space with a tabby named Lucy (adopted at the age of 18) and a 13-year-old German Shepherd mix named Dexter (adopted at age 10).

 

While Gretel seemed to fit in seamlessly (she LOVES Dexter), something was brewing underneath. Her blood work kept coming back anemic and finally two ultrasounds determined she had mast cell tumors in her spleen. Shortening a very long story, off we went to see the fine folks at NYC Veterinary Specialists.

I took the kittens to the vet Thursday night. She  weighed them (1.7 lbs. each), dewormed them and gave me ointment for Smudge's conjunctivitis. They were basically healthy but COVERED with fleas.

We took them home and washed them in the tub with a diluted dishsoap solution, then picked their fleas off one by one with tweezers. The kittens did NOT enjoy this process, but it was quite satisfying to rinse the little bloodsuckers down the drain. Yuck.

On Friday the kittens look much, much better -- white, not gray, and clean and fluffy. They also have noticeably more energy, and I let them out of their cage to explore the office and play. Whereas they had hissed at me on Thursday, they now let me pick them up and purr when I cuddle them. Unfortunately, my cat Molly has realized they're here and is hiding under the bed, on an apparent hunger strike.

Previous entry:

A kitten rescue adventure

I know we have all been missing our baby bunny fix now that they no longer live in Kim's yard, but today I found something that might help fill the void.

While I was watering my hanging geranium plants this morning I found the most perfect, round bird's nest with three tiny eggs in it. I am hoping they hatch and we can watch them grow up!!

This morning when my husband and I headed to Prospect Park with our dog for our morning walk, we immediately saw an unusual sight: Two tiny, snow-white kittens clinging to a tree.

Another man stopped at the same time and mentioned that he had a carrier at his house across the street. He left to get it and I shooed away the dog walkers who had gathered to watch -- including my husband!

Then one of the kittens started to slip down to where I could reach him. I gently plucked him off the tree, trying not to hold him too tight -- big mistake! He wriggled out of my arms and skittered under a bush. Great -- now I had to keep an eye on kittens in two separate places until the man returned with his carrier.

This past weekend, I got closer to adopting living, breathing creatures, bringing them into my fairly sedate and austere life.

I had searched Petfinder for weeks and had found two kittens I thought would be fun to share my life and apartment with: Hope (right) and Jesse (below). They were both being fostered by Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, Inc. in Arlington, VA, where I now live.

Why them? I don't exactly know except that I had had a cat named Sooty when I was growing up and she was a tabby like Hope and Jesse.

And there was something about the faces of the two kittens, angular and small, with big ears and almond-shaped eyes. It seems totally insane to "pick" an animal based on their color and the shape of their eyes, but that's what I did. (I knew I would meet them in person before anything was final, so doing a pre-sort was not only practical but also efficient.)

I was looking for the fairy-tale ending for the nest of baby bunnies in my yard. I worked hard, walking the dogs on leashes so as to leave the yard a bunny-safe zone.

Momma Bunny was supposed to come back and care for the brood until they were old enough to hop away and live happily ever after. But as we all know, in real life, sometimes your prince doesn't come -- and as it turns out, sometimes neither does Momma Bunny.

When I last posted, I had checked in with the experts, wildlife rehabilitators, who are trained and experienced in dealing with many wildlife issues, including the inevitable bunny-nest in the yard. They explained that sometimes Mom slips in at dusk or dawn and you may not be able to tell she was there. Don't panic, they said! I strategically placed very light twigs in a crossed pattern over the nest the next evening, hopeful that Mom would show and my fairy-tale would be preserved. Sadly, the next morning, all was exactly how I'd left it.

A terrible, totally unexpected thing happened to me last year. My 17-year marriage broke up and I couldn't put it back together again despite trying everything short of brute force.

I had to leave the home that I'd hoped to have as my forever home, a five-acre sanctuary for various aging pets. When I finally I drove away, I had to leave behind my three shelter dogs, my closest, dearest companions (that's Buster, my 13-year-old Great Dane/Border Collie mix, in the photo). I went north to find an apartment, a job, a new life ...

Well, I wrote a Happy Tail about Archie after I brought him home from the Taunton Animal Shelter. I thought you might enjoy an update on his progress.

Archie had been a stray, and when I met him at the shelter, he was a timid little guy. Once I took him home, it didn't take him long to warm up to me. Because I work out of my home, I'm around all the time, and he follows me everywhere.

Here's a picture of Archie sitting in his office chair, which is right next to mine. He is the funniest little guy -- very clever. He's fun to play with. He's very good at tug of war. He's great at fetch, and he learned the meaning of "come" very quickly.

He also knows exactly what to do to get my attention. For example, as soon as the phone rings, Archie tries to get into the trash. I guess what I'm trying to say is, this shy little guy turned out to be quite a character. He's ALMOST perfect.

I recently visited my mother and her dog, Sashi, adopted from the Providence Animal Rescue League.

Sashi is now 13-1/2 and has been  taking medication for arthritis for the past several years. Last week she temporarily lost the use of her hind legs. The vet said it was due to spinal inflammation and gave her a steroid shot, which got her walking again, and she continues to improve.

Then I read Julia Szabo's NY Post column about her arthritic dog's stem cell regeneration procedure.

Day #3 and the bunnies are still there. There may be four or there may be five. When I move the grass/hair to take a peak, they start to sort of "popcorn" around -- which is awfully cute, but makes me nervous!  And I'm certainly not moving them around to count.

Also making me nervous is the fact that I'm not sure that Mom came last night. Up until now, I could tell. I put two light twigs crossed over the grass to see if they were disturbed, but they were not. It is possible, although unlikely, that she could have gotten to them without moving the twigs. Sadly, I don't think so.

So now what???? I did wake up to POURING RAIN around 4:30 a.m. Could that have dissuaded her? And will the little ones be okay until tonight?? Finally, what if she doesn't come back? Arrrgggghhhhhhh.

Yesterday my pit bull Mojo alerted me to the bunny nest in the yard. I'm still questioning mother rabbit's wisdom. Yard next door = NO PETS.  My yard = three big dogs.

I think there are five bunnies in there. And they actually do look like bunnies -- those ears are so damn cute. I was worried about them in the rain, but the way the mom has the fur and then thick dead/live grass mat over them -- and then the tall grass bent over --- they were warm and dry in there. I took my pics and tucked them all safely back in until tomorrow.

So I'm a NASCAR fan. If it's got to do with NASCAR, I'm into it. And what's really cool is there are a lot of NASCAR people who are really into pet rescue and adoption. So I'll pop in here once in a while to keep you up to date on the happenings of the NASCAR world as it relates to pet adoption -- with maybe a little race commentary tossed in here and there. ;-)

The first person I want to call out is team owner Jodi Geschickter. Along with her husband Todd, Jodi owns JTG Racing. That's the 59 car of Marcos Ambrose and the 47 car of Kelly Bires. They run in the Nationwide series and Jodi has been kind enough to put the Petfinder logo on those cars (and on a CTS truck) on more than one occasion so millions of NASCAR fans can see Petfinder running around the track. Jodi is passionate about pet rescue and volunteers with the Charlotte, NC-based Animal Adoption League.

As much as I love my pets, I get a lot of happiness from some OTHER animals -- the wildlife in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, right near my apartment.

We have a bonded swan pair who raised six cygnets last summer, so my husband and I were filled with suspense when Momma Swan built another nest this summer. After what seemed like an interminable wait, she finally debuted her three new additions last week.

Of course, I don't have a "bond" with these wild animals -- in the photo here, Momma's giving me a "no more pictures" look -- but watching them (and the turtles, double-crested cormorants, and snowy egrets that also call the lake home) makes city life feel a little more natural.

I've worked as a designer for Petfinder for about a year now. I've enjoyed reading many Happy Tails, and now I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to share my own adoption story.

After my dog Bandit died, I knew I would need to find a new dog, but I didn't rush it. I was looking for a new job at the time, and planning to move. I wanted to make sure I was organized before getting a new pet. Nevertheless, I missed having a four-legged companion. I would check out dogs on Petfinder and think, "He's cute" or, "She's the right size," but that's as far as I would go. Once I started working for Petfinder, my search escalated -- it couldn't help but do so. There were stories about homeless pets that passed my desk all the time. But I still didn't take the next step, contacting the shelter.

Then last week, as I was browsing the site, I saw Archie's picture. I knew immediately he was for me. Something in his face told me I would love him, and that he would want to live with me. I took the next step. I contacted the Taunton Animal Shelter and made an appointment to meet him.

The shelter staff told me Archie had been a stray, that he was very nervous around most people He would need a lot of TLC. The shelter workers had spent a lot of time with him -- you could see that they loved him and wanted to see him find a nice home. They said that others had come to see him but he hadn't reacted very well.