Day 26/37/44 Lemmy Comes to Visit

Last night one of my pug friends, Lemmy, came to visit.  I was really excited to have a buddy to play with for awhile as I miss having a foster dog.  Mom says soon enough the kittens will want to play.  I want to play with them very much, but they're still to little.

Lemmy's Mom got to see the kittens while Lemmy and I played.  Mom said that's the reason they came to visit but I'm sure it was really to see me.

The kittens are getting a lot bigger and are moving around quicker.  Not fast, but quicker than they were.  They are also starting to play with one another.

The kittens are getting cuter every day too!

This is Seamus.  

Today she learned how to climb up Mom's leg.  She said it wasn't as much fun for her as it was for Seamus.

Kenna.

Kenna has the strangest coat.  It's like she always has bed head.  Mom was concerned perhaps she wasn't getting as much attention from Fiona as the others, but Fiona grooms her and takes very good care of her. Kenna just has bad hair.

Kiefer.

He has the bluest eyes of all the kittens but undoubtably they'll turn a green color when he's a bit older.  He'll still be just as handsome.

And Kieran.

Kieran has learned that the cat bed is a great place to hang out.  He had a snooze in it all by himself for about an hour.

Day 23/34/41 On The Move

It sure is quiet around the house without Sierra.  Thankfully Valentine has come out of his shell and he's started to play with me so I've got a new buddy. Mostly we like to hang out on the blanket together while Mom is working.


This works out well unless Valetine decides to bite my tail!  Maybe that is OK in the cat world, but in the dog world that's not acceptable. This is not the way friends should treat one another.











Mom has been taking more videos of the kittens since they are starting to move around a fair bit.

They've been moving around the house too.  Earlier in the week Fiona moved them into the bedroom closet.  Mom isn't sure why since we all go into the bedroom on a regular basis so she's not moving them to a 'safer' or 'quieter' spot.  Mom doesn't want them in the bedroom closet so after a couple of days she moved them into the closet in the spare room.  She made it exactly like in the bedroom closet and Fiona was happy in there for a day...then she moved them back to the bedroom closet.  Mom says that's where they can stay until they start really moving around and/or start eating solid food and therefore need to learn how to use the litter box.

Mom still took some cute photos of the kittens though.

Kiefer is looking particularily handsome in this photo.

Day 18/29/36/73 Sierra's Been Adopted!

That's right....Sierra's been adopted!  Mom's good friend/my best buddy Gord's daughter adopted Sierra. So she'll still be part of the family. I'll get to see her lots and Mom said that there are already plans for Sierra to come stay with us while her Mom is out of town for a few days. AND, if Mom and Sierra's Mom go out of town together then we'll both get to stay with my best buddy Gord. Oh, just wait, Mom says that hasn't been discussed with my best buddy Gord yet.  Anyway, we're all really happy for Sierra.  

As you might recall, LT was going to adopt Sierra a while ago but Sierra wasn't very nice to her cats. Nicky came to observe Sierra and give some tips on how to change Sierra's association with cats. Mom has been working with Sierra and Sierra got to the point where she liked Valentine and Fiona. She even tried to get Valentine to play with her.  I'm glad that Sierra has decided cats are OK. I've always liked cats and Valentine is becoming my favourite because he's starting to play with me. Last night we had a good game of chase around the coffee table. Valentine was chasing me. I know it's not right to chase cats.

I really like the foster kittens as well. I got to visit with them last night. I sat very patiently and Kieran came up to me. Then I got quite flustered and didn't know what to do.

Day 16/27/34/71 I Get to Meet the Kittens!

I finally got to see the kittens that Mom has been talking about!

Mom said I did a very good job of not getting too close. In all honesty, I don't know what the fuss is about. They're pretty small and didn't do anything. I was more interested in checking out the rest of the room.









Everyday I get to go in and see the kittens again.  Today they were moving around a bit and I'm understanding why they might be so interesting.  I sat down and watched them move around the kennel for about 5 minutes before I got bored.  Mom said my little puggy tail was going a mile a minute.

Mom says the kittens get cuter every day. Especially now that their eyes are open.  They seem more aware of their surroundings and although Mom isn't sure how much they can see they can definitely hear.

They still sleep a lot though.  They're only awake for about 5 or 10 minutes before they all have to have a snooze again.

Day 12/23/31/67 Eyes are Opening

Mom has been trying to determine the sex of the kittens.  She said it's harder than it sounds because they're so little and they are 'built' differently than dogs.  I bet if she sniffed their butts she could figure it out.  That's what I do and it works pretty good for me!

She's been back and forth a couple of times but has figured out that the tabbies are female and the black ones are male. Their names, from top to bottom, are Kenna, Kiefer, Seamus and Kieran.  Mom says she knows Seamus is a boy's name but she has been calling this one Seamus since right after she was born.  Maybe we'll change it to Shea.









Monday afternoon Mom said that she noticed a couple of the kittens were starting to open their eyes.

This little kitten, Kenna, only had her right eye open.  She managed to get the other one open yesterday.

Seamus had both eyes open on Monday. 













Mom thought she saw Kieran's eyes open this morning but didn't have a chance to get a good look before she had to leave for work.

The kittens are doing lots of moving around.  They are crawling around more quickly and frequently get turned over on their backs.  This leads them to get confused and crawling in the wrong direction.  Then the crying starts and they are quite upset until they can make their way back to the rest of the group.

There's still lots of sleeping going on though.

Day 9/20/28/64 Kiefer Leaves the Kennel

Mom had to go into the office on Friday and Saturday so she didn't get to check on the kittens during the day.  When she came home she swears they looked bigger than when she left in the morning.  Last night Kiefer (the kittens have names, but Mom isn't sure of their sex so they're temporary names at this time) made his way out of the kennel.  He got turned around in the kennel and started to crawl, although he was trying really hard to walk, out of the kennel.  He'd made it out and over to the wall before his wailing was enough to draw Fiona away from her dinner.  Mom said it was very cool to watch Fiona pick him up and put him back into the kennel...sometimes she is easily amused.

Of course Mom didn't have the camera with her so she didn't get this all on video.  She did have the camera a bit later and caught this video of Seamus having a fit and then fighting with another kitten. Seamus is a very dramatic kitten, and can never seem to find a nipple on his own so he likes to steal someone else's.

The kittens still sleep most of the time.  Fiona's been leaving the room for a couple of hours at a time and whenever she goes back in the kittens are still content all huddled together.

They sure are cute though!  Their eyes should start opening in the next few days so that will be very exciting.











Mom says maybe in another week or so I can go and see these kittens that she keeps talking about.  I've seen and heard the videos and they don't seem all that interesting.  Mom says that will change once I find out that they will play with me.  On the other hand, Sierra goes nuts when she hears the crying on the video.  Mom's not sure what exactly this means, but given her behaviour with other cats she's not going anywhere near the kittens!

Day 6/17/25/61 Moving Around

The weather has turned spring-like in Calgary and we're taking full advantage of it.  Sierra and I sat out on the deck today for about an hour.  Now this might not seem like a long time for most dogs, but neither of us are really outside dogs.  We like to go outside, do our business and then come back inside.  I do like to spend sunny afternoons on the patio, but it's not quite that warm yet.  Mom said she enjoyed the quiet time in the house and being able to walk from one room to another without needing an escort, or four.  Valentine still followed her around.  Hey, we just want to make sure that Mom isn't lonely!

Mom says the Fiona's kittens are all doing really well.  Yesterday morning Mom went in to check on them and when she went into the room there were no kittens in the kennel!  Mom looked around, but didn't see any kittens.  Then she noticed that Fiona had made a den using the duvet that was on the bed.

Fiona did a very impressive job.  That's a queen size duvet and it was folded on the bed the night before.  All four kittens are in there and Fiona has a little tunnel dug all the way to the wall.  It was a bit more enclosed but Mom was worried it might collapse when Fiona wasn't in there so she opened it up just a bit.







Fiona was also showing some interest in the top of the kennel so Mom put it back onto the bottom.  When Mom went into the room this morning to check on everyone the kittens were back in the kennel.  Mom figures that Fiona might have found it too hot in the duvet.  It was probably great when the kittens were in there as it preserved the heat she'd given off, but it would have been really warm when Fiona was in there too.  This room is already super warm and doesn't need any extra insulation.

They did look pretty cute all snuggled in the duvet together though.

Fiona has been enjoying her time away from the kittens.  Valentine is sure happy when she comes out and he has someone to play with.  Especially if it's night time.  For about the first hour after sunset he is a crazy man.  Running all over the house, playing in the tub...Mom isn't sure what all he's doing and is sometimes afraid to look.  Nothing ever seems out of place so it's all good.

Sierra thinks there aren't enough pictures being taken of her and people might forget how beautiful she is. She wants to remind everyone that she's still looking for her forever home.  She's been adjusting well to having Valentine around and has even gone up and sniffed him a couple of times.

Day 4/15/23/59 Kitten Update

Mom has been spending a lot of time going into the spare bedroom.  I still don't understand what newborn kittens are, but Mom says they're not old enough for me to visit them yet.  Val snuck into the room when Mom was letting Fiona in and he got to see the kittens.  He said he didn't like them and hissed at them and faster than a speeding bullet he got removed from the room.  Fiona didn't seem to mind him in the room at all, but Mom says he won't be going back any time soon.

The first couple of days Fiona didn't really want to stay in the room with the kittens and asked to be let out quite frequently.  Fiona has settled into her role as Mom is spending most of her time in the room with the kittens. She comes out a few times a day now to check out what's going on around the house and to have something to eat.  Mom says there is food and water and a litter box in the spare room but I guess the food outside is better.  I'm not allowed to eat it so I can't really say. Sierra's not allowed to eat it either, but she doesn't listen as well as I do and she says it's pretty good.

Here is a pic of the kittens yesterday.  Mom says they don't do much other than eat and sleep.  She says every once in awhile they'll 'fight' over a good spot and push one another out of the way.  Already they seem to have their own personality traits.

Fiona being a very attentive Mom.  Mom cleaned out the kennel today and put in a fresh towel.  This means she got to pick up the kittens.  Fiona seemed OK with this as Mom only moved them about a foot but she did get the stink eye a few times after that.

The kittens today.

Day 1/12/20/56 The Kittens Have Arrived!

We usually go to bed pretty early around here but last night we were up late because Mom was watching a new TV show.  Around midnight Fiona started acting differently.  She is always very, very quiet and she started to meow constantly.  Not a meow like she was in pain, just a regular meow.  But since she's only ever meowed about 5 times before, 5 times in a minute was a big change.  Mom thought Fiona was getting ready to have her babies.  Fiona (and Valentine) kept going into the spare bedroom and going into a kennel that Mom has in there (Mom's note: YAY!).  Mom definitely knew something was up and started to get ready.  It was late so I was pretty much settled in bed.  Sierra has been sleeping in the kennel; sometimes with the door open, sometimes closed.  Depends on whether she keeps coming out to bug the cats.  Mom decided it was a closed door night.  Soon Valentine was getting a bit too interested in checking out Fiona's butt.  I'm a world class butt sniffer so this seems normal to me, but Mom said it wasn't an appropriate time.  Anyway, we all got kicked out of the spare bedroom.  I could tell you what we all did for the next few hours (most of it was Valentine and I standing guard outside the bedroom door with Valentine trying to knock it down at regular intervals) but I hear it was much more interesting on the other side of the door.  Because of this I'm going to let Mom write the remainder of the blog today.

Fiona was most definitely getting ready to have her kittens.  I could see her belly starting to contract.  However, any time I would attempt to leave the room she wanted to go with me.  So much for cats wanting to go to a quiet place where no one is around to have kittens.  As a matter of fact, she would have been more than happy to have the kittens beside me on the bed.  I really preferred that this wasn't her chosen spot.  She kept moving from the kennel to the blankets in the closet.  She kept going under the blanket in the closet and seemed unsettled.  I checked on her and there was a kitten!  So very cool as this is the first time I've seen a cat have kittens.  I'm glad Fiona wanted me around so that I could take it all and snap some pictures.  Fiona did a good job of cleaning off the kitten and while her breathing seemed laboured, she was crying.

I was surprised at how big this kitten was...but not having seen newborn kittens before I didn't have anything to compare her too.  I did notice that a few things looked strange; her rear legs, paws, and left ear.








Fiona moved a bit and out popped a second kitten and then immediately a third.  Poor kitten #1 was left on it's own a bit away.  I figured Fiona would bring her over, as she was still crying, once she finished having the other two.  Unfortunately that didn't happen.  I called McKnight Vet to see what I should do as I wasn't sure how long I should wait to see if Fiona would take care of her before I intervened.  I moved her closer to Fiona but she still wasn't suckling.  Her breathing still seemed off, laboured but shallower at times and she had mostly stopped crying.  I called McKnight again.  They suggested wrapping her in blankets warmed in the dryer and some gentle rubbing to stimulate her and help loosen any liquid she still might have in her lungs.  I checked her mouth and pallet both of which looked good.  Her color was good but she was still very 'off' compared to the other two kittens.  The other kittens were crawling around and not once had this poor little girl attempted anything close to moving on her own.  After she was wrapped in blankets for about 20 mins I tried to get her to suckle.  No luck.  During this time I obviously had to leave the room a few times.  Every time I would leave the room Fiona would leave the kittens and want to come with me.  She'd be at the door, banging away with her kittens being left alone.  Another call to McKnight and we were going to give it a bit more time to see if she would come around and suckle or else I'd take her to the Vet.  One of the reasons for waiting was the fear if Fiona was left alone she wouldn't care for her kittens.   After another half hour the kitten had made no change.  Since McKnight is at the other end of the city from me it was decided I should go to Fish Creek.  I called them, told them the situation and they said I should bring everyone in so that they could see if, once they helped the kittens breathing, they could get her to suckle.  Off we went.  As soon as they looked at the kitten they could see the deformities on her rear legs and front paws.  After a bit of investigate it was determined that it was highly unlikely she would be able to use her back legs.  She'd end up only being able to drag her rear legs around.  Her breathing had improved, but she wasn't suckling.  And she still hadn't made any attempt to move herself or crawl.  The Vet didn't think she would likely live and if she did, her quality of life would be extremely poor.  The hard decision to euthanize her was made.  I cried like I'd had her for years.

Nearing the end of the visit Fiona seemed to be getting stressed.  Who could blame her?  While she'd pretty much given up on the sick kitten hours before, she wasn't very impressed with having her other two kittens taken out of the kennel.  She was starting to pant and become agitated.  We came home and I got Fiona and the kittens settle back onto the spare bedroom.  I called my Mom and had another little cry.  When I was done I could hear Fiona banging on the door.  Time to go convince to stay with her kittens.  I opened the door and she went back to her kittens, but there, right inside the door was a newborn kitten!!  Fiona wasn't coming to take care of it and my heart sunk...again.  I scooped it up and put it by her.  She immediately started to clean it and it was crying and squirming, just like the two healthy kittens.  Whew, this one was going to be OK!  Soon after that she had another kitten.  I guess this was the reason for the panting at the Vet's office. I wasn't expecting 3 kittens in a matter of 20 mins, a three hour break and then 2 more.  At this point I really hoped she was done as I'd had enough excitement for one night.  Thankfully that was it for kittens....five in total, 4 that are healthy and doing great!

Here's the tired Momma and her little babies.  They're all dark and therefore hard to make out but there are two that are tabby and two that are almost entirely solid black.













Fiona seems to be staying put with the kittens now.  She does like it when I go and check on her and give her some ear rubs.  She starts to purr loudly right away and I have to tell her not the leave the kittens when I leave as I don't think she wants me to go.  The kittens are already very spunky.  They howl like you wouldn't believe when they can't find a nipple...and there's one that can be right beside one and can't find it.  I've seen them fight with one another, pushing each other out of the way.  There's going to be some fun times ahead in my house...right after I get a good night's sleep!

Day 7/15/51 Still no Kittens!

Well, we're all (and by 'all' I mean Mom) waiting patiently for Fiona to have kittens.  The Vet said a couple of weeks when she picked Fiona up, but that is really just a guess.  Since they don't know when Fiona was in heat they don't know when she'll have the kittens.  It hasn't stopped Mom from believing she should have had the kittens by yesterday.

Yesterday Ike went back home.  I'm sure he's happy to be back with his Mom and my best buddy Gord.  The past couple of weeks Ike had settled in pretty well.  That was around the time when Mom got new kitten food for Fiona and Ike decided it was very tasty.  As long as there was a bowl of kitten food out Ike was happy.

Here's what we've been doing while we wait for the kittens...

I've been resting.

Sierra found a sunny place to have a snooze.

Valentine prefers to have a soft place to sleep the day away.












So, pretty much we sleep all day.  Then when it gets dark out.....

It's time to play in the tub!!  Not Sierra and I of course.  There's no where near enough room for us to play in the tub.  Fiona and Valentine both love the tub.  Valentine likes to get a little mouse toy and bat it around from one end to the other.  Mom found several pieces of stuffy toy stuffing in the upstairs bath tub this morning so she's not really sure what's been going on but she's just glad someone is 'cleaning' up the pieces off the carpet.

Day 3/11/47 Welcome Valentine

Oops....Mom and I started this post yesterday but we got sidetracked.

Monday night Mom came home from work with another cat!  I don't think Mom was paying attention when we had the talk about cats outnumbering dogs in the house.  Valentine looks just like Fiona but I'm not fooled into believe it's only one cat.  Valentine is bigger than Fiona and his head is huge! 

Here's a picture of Valentine (on the window ledge) and Fiona.  Mom has found out that they are brother and sister so that explains why they look so much alike.  Valentine has an infection in his eyes, most likely caused by the stress of moving around over the past couple of weeks.  He went to the Vet yesterday and got some medication but he now has to spend some time by himself, just in case what he has is contagious.  So far he seems OK during the day being in this room alone.  He doesn't like it quite so much at night.  Mom made a nice bed in the closet with the hope that this is where Fiona decides to have her kittens but Valentine has already decided this is the best place in the house to hang out.  I guess Fiona will have to find another spot.

Sierra and I have hanging out quite a bit.  I'm glad to have my buddy back.  Tonight Sierra is going to meet with Nicky at LT's house to see what her issue is with the cats at her house.  Sierra has been very good with the cats around here so it's still strange she doesn't like them at someone else's house.  Mom says she's sure Nicky will have some good tips to help Sierra...or maybe Sierra just isn't cut out to live with cats.  I guess we'll find out in a bit.












Gotta run...Mom came home with elk antlers for Sierra and I yesterday and I've got to make sure Sierra isn't eating mine!

Day 6/42 Sierra is Still with Us

LT hasn't adopted Sierra....yet.  Sierra spent some time at LT's house and she was chasing and snapping at Peanut and Leroy.   Nicky is going to come an observe Sierra at LT's house and see what is triggering Sierra.  Until then, Sierra is staying with us.  That's fine with me because I like to have someone to play with.  Today we had lots of fun running around and around the coffee table.  And this was after we went for a car ride to run some errands with Mom and then had a really long walk.

Mom got a new cat bed this week.  Ike has given it his stamp of approval.  This is actually where Mom dropped it on the floor when she got home.  Before she could move it to a 'good' spot Ike was already lying in it.

I've decided that I like it too...even though I wish it was a bit bigger.

















Mom got the bed for Fiona, but she hasn't gone near it.  She has decided she likes Ike's bed the best. Maybe Ike will take the new bed home and leave his behind!  Speaking of Fiona, she's settling in very well.  She likes to get lots of ear scratches and Mom is the best ear scratcher!  She doesn't like to be picked up though.  Fiona's favourite place to be in the whole house is in the bath tub.  She loves the plastic lining on the shower curtain and now likes to bring things she finds around the house into the tub. Like things that were on the kitchen counter.  Obviously being pregnant isn't slower her down, but Mom says no one is allowed on the counter!

Day 1/37 Welcome Fiona

Yesterday, after Mom and I went to the dog park, we took a drive to a place called McKnight Vet Hospital.  I had to wait in the car for a special surprise and when Mom came out she had a new foster cat!  Mom says this is where she picks up the fosters when she comes home after work with a new foster.  I guess I'll believe her, but I've never been to the place where she works at so I'm still not 100% sure. 

Our new foster is named Fiona and she's very pretty.  She has white on the very ends of her front paws and her back legs are almost all white.  Mom says she'll take a better picture once Fiona isn't busy checking out the house.










Fiona spent today in the craft room while Mom was at work.  She wasn't very happy about it when she went in there as she wanted to explore, but it's best if that is done when Mom is around to supervise.  Especially with the amount of hissing that Ike was doing on the other side of the door.  When Mom came home from work she let Fiona out to explore.  Ike immediately came up to her and hissed in her face.  Fiona stood her ground and didn't run away.  So far they are getting along pretty well.  There's been some nattering and hissing (by both) but no one has taken a swipe at one another.

It seems that once Ike got to take a good snip at Fiona he decided she wasn't so bad after all.













I thought that Fiona looked a bit fat but Mom said that wasn't the case at all.  Fiona is pregnant!  Mom explained what this meant but I don't really understand.  Mom says I'll understand better in a couple of weeks when Fiona has kittens.  Wait...what??  There's going to be more of them?  I think we're going to have to have a family meeting about cats outnumbering the dogs around here!

We'll be updating Fiona's progress over the next little while as she settles in and we get ready for kittens.  Plus Mom says we'll have big news about Sierra's adoption very soon!

Day 36 Sierra has an Adoption Application!!

Today Mom got an adoption application for Sierra.  Now we should let you in on a little secret, we knew the application was coming before AARCS did.  The application is from Mom's very good friend LT.  You know what that means don't you? Sierra is going to be family!  LT and Sierra have met a couple of times and Sierra is going for a visit to make sure that LT's cat Leroy doesn't hide in the basement, never to be seen again.  Leroy is pretty skittish and it's important that everyone is able to live together.  But Mom is super excited that she's still going to be in Sierra's life.  Mom and I talked about adopting Sierra, but Mom said it would be difficult to foster more dogs as it's only the two of us, and I want to keep working on my wish.

Other than that BIG news there hasn't been a lot going on.  Ike has settled in with us, but hasn't been eating much.  If anything at all.  Mom was concerned about him and tried all kinds of different foods.  He didn't want any of them.  Sierra did though!  She's the clean up crew.  Given my allergies, I haven't been allowed to sample anything but today I did get some yoghurt.  It was very tasty but I kept getting it up my nose!  Mom took a video, but I said she couldn't post it because I look silly.

Mom did take this video of Sierra and I playing a good game of tug o war.  Mostly, Sierra just humors me because she's so much bigger than I am.  It's not much of a challenge for her if she actually tries.  And yes, all that growling is coming from me.  This is my playing growl.  Mom says if I want other dogs to take my growl seriously I need to stop wagging my tail when I'm doing it. 

 

Stay tuned to hear how Sierra's adoption goes and Mom says there's more news coming soon.

Day 21/28 Goodbye Alley

Yesterday Alley's new family came to pick her up.  She's going to have such a fun time living with them!  I've never seen her so wound up and wanting to play.  She was running all over the house, but right back to them.

Ike has come to stay with us for 3 weeks while my best buddy Gord and Shirley are on vacation.  Usually Ike just stays at home and people come to visit him every day or LT stays at their house.  However, LT has two cats and one has decided he doesn't like Ike.  Therefore, they can't stay with Ike any more.  And 3 weeks is a long time to just have daily visits so we all decided that Ike should come stay with us.  Y'all have seen Ike before because he's our 'test cat' for new foster dogs and I've posted a picture of him.  So far he's not happy being away from home.  He doesn't travel very much so it's not surprising that it'll take a bit of time for him to get comfortable.  (plus he's a bit cranky to start with)  He's been hanging out in the bedrooms during the day, but did some exploring last night after we went to bed.  Mom said she heard him eating last night too so she's not too worried about him.

We've been going for walks around the neighborhood but haven't seen very many dogs so we haven't had much of a chance to practice Sierra's introductions.  There are two little dogs that live a couple of doors down that we did see one day.  Sierra greeted them with no issues at all.  Sierra seems pretty good with little dogs and face to face.  It's when they start to sniff her butt that she reacts.

Sierra is quite funny at times.  Lying on her bed with her head hanging over on the floor is her favorite way to sleep.  Mom says this hurts her neck just to look at, but Sierra likes it just fine.  She's also funny when she tries to play with me when I'm on Mom's bed.  She knows she's not allowed on the bed so she jumps up at me and then back off again really fast...over and over again.  She's not very graceful so it's quite funny to watch. 












Well that's all the news I have for today.  It's sunny outside so I think I'll go lounge in the sun for awhile.

Day 17/24 Alley's Been Adopted!

The family that came to visit Alley on Friday decided that they would like to adopt her.  She'll have lots of fun playing with two little girls and get tonnes of love from the whole family.  It's always a good sign when there are ohhhs and awwws before everyone gets in the door.  Alley's new family will be picking her up on Friday so we've still got a few days to spend with Alley.  The good thing is the cone is off and Alley seems much happier.  I've never had to wear a cone (I think I've mentioned this before, pugs aren't very bendy.  So when I was neuter....well, you get the picture) so I don't know what it's like, but some of the fosters say it's not that much fun. 

Alley's always been fond of lying on a chair under the table so now she can get back onto them.  Mom pulled out all the chairs when she had the cone on, but it's just not the same if it's not under the table.  Maybe later there'll be a bit of sunshine and Alley will like that even more.









Speaking of sunshine, the weather has been very nice here.  The -30 degree cold is gone and while there's still snow (at least in our yard) we're all enjoying going outside.

Yesterday Sierra and I spent some quality time together on my Mom's lounge chair.  This is my favorite place to be in the summer and yesterday was just like summer...well minus the white stuff on the ground.  But it was still really warm and sunny!








Mom also talked to Nicky last night.  Y'all remember Nicky?  She helped us when we had Willie so that he would learn it's OK to be on his own.  Sierra is still showing fear when greeted by unfamiliar dogs. Mom thought she could use some advice about how to best introduce Sierra to new dogs.   Mom wants Sierra to be comfortable around new dogs because she sees how much fun Sierra has playing with me and wants her to experience this with other dogs as well.  Mom got some tips to work on with Sierra so we are going to go on lots of walks to practice and help Sierra get over her fears.  Sierra is pretty smart so lets hope she learns quickly that new dogs are great to be around!

Day 13/20/39 Goodbye Gio

Today Gio went to his forever home.  He's was with us for 39 days.  It sure doesn't seem like it was that long.

I'm going to miss Gio.  Mostly because he liked to play with me.  He was really great at playing chase around the coffee table or dining room table.  Some times I did the chasing, but sometimes Gio would chase me too.  I didn't like it so much when he tried to chew on my tail when I was sleeping but overall he was fun to have around.  Mom says she'll miss him too...and not just the fact that she'll be able to open and close a door without removing him from the other side of the door.
 
Of course Mom took some pics of our last few days with Gio.  This is Gio, Alley and I sleeping on the bed.  Mom says it's a good thing we're all small and sleep in a straight line or there would be no room on the bed for her.

Gio likes to share to love and spent some time with Sierra too.  Even though Sierra would chase Gio when he was acting crazy, Gio still liked to hang out with her.  I think Gio liked Sierra because Sierra knows how to open the patio door by herself and Gio was hoping he'd get a chance to run outside.  Mom knows this trick and gets to the door before Gio.

A nice family came to see Alley last night.  There were two adults, two young girls and they even brought their dog.  It's good that the whole family gets to meet Alley and agree on her so the more the merrier.  They all seemed to like her, but who wouldn't.  She's very pretty (for a cat...oops, Mom says cats are just as good as dogs) and Alley turned on the charm.  She was very playful and friendly with them all.  Alley has really come out of her shell the past few days so it's good that she showed off her true personality for the family.  We're still waiting to hear back from them so stayed tuned for the next update.

Day 9/17/36 Alley has an Adoption Application

Alley went to the Vet on Saturday morning because her incision didn't look very good.  The Vet said it was infected so Alley got some antibiotics and a cone.  Mom wanted to take a picture of her with her cone on but we took a vote and decided it was bad enough that she has to walk around the house all day with the cone on, we don't need to document it for all eternity.

The Vet also checked out Alley's ears.  Alley had ear mites so we all got some topical medication so we don't get them too.  Because ear mites can spread with any physical contact with other animals the Vet suggested that neither Alley nor Sierra go to the Adoptathon. Mom still went to the adoptathon to check it out and there were lots of AARCS cats and dogs there.  Mom also heard that there were some adoptions so it's too bad neither Alley nor Sierra were able to go.  However, we got an adoption application for Alley today!  Mom hasn't heard from the family interested in her, but she's hoping they contact her soon.

I have decided that I really like the cat bed.  I've never, ever laid on a bed before; cat or dog, even though we've had lots of each.  This one is very comfortable and just the right size for me to snuggle up in.

Sierra has been practicing her squeaker removal skills.  She can get a squeaker out of a toy at lightening speed.  Once it's out she's done with the toy and she moves on to the next one.  Mom has stitched up most of the toys but sometimes Sierra has taken out so much of the stuffing that Mom won't put them back together again.  Now we have a lot of stuffing-less toys to play with.  (They're not as good though!)





Stay tuned for an update on Alley's adoption application.

Day 5/13/32 Gio has an Adoption Application

It's been a busy week around the house.  Mom as been doing some renovations and we've been helping.

As you can see it's mostly inspection and supervisory work that we've been helping with.  Once we see the day is off to a good start we all go and do our own thing.  Which is sleeping for Alley and Gio or monitoring the neighbourhood for Sierra and I.








On Wednesday Mom got an adoption application for Gio!  The man looking to adopt him is coming by this afternoon for a visit.  I really like Gio because he plays with me so I'm going to make sure this guy is extra special.  Gio and Alley are completely opposite to one another; both in their looks and personality.  Mom figures if AC doesn't like Gio then he might like Alley.

Tomorrow Sierra, Gio and Alley are going to the AARCS adoptathon at the Pet Valu Southland Crossing, 9737 MacLeod Trail SW, Calgary, AB from 10-4.

Hold the presses.....

AC arrived early so we've already got an update on Gio's Adoption Application.  Gio's been adopted!!  Yay for Gio!  AC has to get prepared for Gio's arrival so he's going to pick him up next Friday.  I gave AC my stamp of approval by trying to jump all over him.  Mom says I really need to work on my polite greetings.  I tell her I can't help it if I'm really excited when someone new comes to visit but she's not buying that excuse.  

Back to the adoptathon.  Now only Sierra and Alley will be going.  I wish I could go but Mom says I'm so cute I'd steal the spot light from all the other dogs and cats that are looking for their forever homes.  This sounds like a valid reason so I guess I'll spend the day catching up on my sleep.

Day 1/9/28 Welcome Alley

Last night Mom when out with Sierra and Gio and come home with a new foster kitten named Alley. 

All they could talk about today was a photo shoot they went to last night with Holly at BrindleBerry Photography  As you can see Alley is a beautiful kitten.  Lots of fluffy grey calico fur with some darker grey stripes.















Alley has settled in very quickly.  She is far more laid back that Gio and is putting him in his place when he tries to play to rough ie. he's practicing his ninja skills.  This morning Mom set her up downstairs but with access to me and Sierra if she felt like visiting with us.  It was no time and she was upstairs for a visit. 

Gio is still trying to type and tried this technique today.  He got in trouble for being on the table but I bet he tries again tomorrow!











Sierra has been been very good with both kittens.  Sometimes she feels the need to break up the play, but Mom has been stopping her before she tries to goes up to either of them.  Sierra seems to be OK with the fact that someone is stopping the craziness and settles back down.

Mom says this is it for the fosters...she thinks.  Ike is coming to stay with us in a few weeks so our house is getting full.  Stay tuned as I'm sure there'll be lots of stories with so many fosters in the house.