Feline Friday~The Ups & Downs of Fostering

Sweet Kappy~those eyes melt my heart!

Kappy feeling much better & PLAYING!

Rich & Squeak having fun in the box!

Wrestle Mania with Zapp & Kappy

Well, after my last bunch of sicko kitties I was glad that my current kittos were all healthy & just needed fostering so they could grow big enough to be spayed & neutered.  All went well the first week & then poor little Kapow (I call him Kappy) decided to quit eating & began losing weight.  I took him in to be checked & was told he may have "Fading Kitten Syndrome" which is where for no particular reason the kitten just fails to thrive & that he might not make it.  I was devastated but NOT ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON HIM!  He seemed to do fine the first week I had him but I noticed he was only gnawing on his food & when drinking he wasn't lapping with his tongue but "sucking" like he was nursing.  When the other 4 kittens were romping & playing, he just wanted to curl up in my lap. He'd look at me with his big round eyes as if to say "I'm still here.  Don't give up on me."  Sniff...  I felt convinced  he was just a "late bloomer" & only needed more practice & a little help to mature.  I began syringe feeding him 4 times a day & he's also on 2 different meds.  Now 3 days later he's a different cat!  He's gained 7 ounces, is eating more on his own, has learned how to "lap" water correctly & today he was actually playing & wrestling with the other kitties!  I cried.  That's the "rewarding" part of fostering that keeps me doing this!  I can't wait for the day when I see his picture on the "Adopted" page!

My other 4 rascals are fat & happy & 3 are going back to the Humane Society today.  I'm keeping Squeak here to keep Kappy company while he gets bigger & healthier.

HOMECOMING GAME TONIGHT & DANCE TOMORROW!

Between kittens & kids activities maybe I'll get some painting in!

Feline Friday~A Little Late

Look at cute little Coco, my good friend Allison's cat.

She found a nice bed inside her mom's scrapbooking case!  TOO CUTE!

Allison was my next door neighbor for several years & moved to Colorado last year.  We used to have coffee & wine talks, take Irish Dance together, talk about our kids & our dogs even played together!  I miss her!  She & her daughter were in town last weekend & we got to have lunch together so I'm thankful for those times.  She adopted Coco from the Kansas Humane Society before she moved.  She was one of her fosters & is now enjoying the good life of a Rocky Mountain cat!

I'm working on a painting I've been asked to donate for a fundraiser coming up soon in North Carolina.  I'll post some pics as soon as I can!  HAPPY WEEKEND!

Feline Friday~Adopt a Shelter Cat Month!

Alvin is available for adoption from the Kansas Humane Society in Wichita!
FOLLOW UP:  Alvin (who's name somehow got changed to Reggie, was ADOPTED on the 12th ~ just a day after I posted this - YAY!!!

Just a quick post as we're heading to Wisconsin for vacation in the morning.

I LOVE Pedigree's "Heroes" commercial that's out now!  It's actually about shelter dogs but I'm going to post the words & substitue CATS instead.  

Remember ~ June is ADOPT A SHELTER CAT month!

Pedigree's "Heroes"

Shelter cats aren't broken.

They've simply experienced more life.

If they were human we would call them wise.

They would be the ones with tales to tell

and stories to write.

The ones dealt a bad hand & responded with courage.

Do not pity a shelter cat.

ADOPT ONE!!!

Reminder:  My Etsy shop will be on "Vacation Mode" for the next week.

See you all when I get back on the 20th!

HUGS & PURRRS!

Sophie Got Adopted!

YAY!!! 

My other foster kitty Sophie was adopted yesterday from the Humane Society!

I'm so happy she has a loving new forever home now!

I was surprised that she was the last of her litter to be adopted but I'm just glad she & all her brothers & sisters have wonderful homes now.

I wish I could foster more kitties now (there are LOTS needing it!) but we're leaving on vacation soon so I'll have to wait until we get back.

Just wanted to share my good mews!

I made another CAT DOLL yesterday & will post pics later today.  It's a Siamese!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Feline Friday ~ Happy Happy News!!!

Sierra

Animal ID 10267246  

Breed Domestic Shorthair/Mix

Age 0 year(s) 2 month(s) 3 day(s) old.

Sex Female

Adoption Date 5/27/2010 ~ YAY!!!

I am SO HAPPY to share some wonderful news for today's Feline Friday!!!

My baby girl foster kitten Sierra was ADOPTED yesterday from the Humane Society!

(If you are new to my blog I fostered Sierra & her sister Sophie for a month in our home)

She's now in her new forever home with a loving family!  I'm thrilled!  I just knew that ornery little monkey would find a home soon ~ she is just too irresistible!

She & her sweet siblings were staying in one of the "Kitty Cities" at the Humane Society ~ nice large rooms with climbing structures & window perches. Customers can walk right in & visit with the kitties & I can just picture Sierra climbing up someones leg & right into their heart! GOOD FOR YOU sweet girl!

I wish I had started fostering sooner.  It's been such a rewarding experience, especially seeing your fosters getting adopted!  I'd like to encourage any of you who are thinking about it to go ahead & TRY IT!!!  You'll be happy you did! 

Below is a short description from the KS Humane Society's website of what fostering is about.

A volunteer foster parent assists in the rehabilitation of an animal by providing in home care.The goal of the Foster Parent Volunteer is to help animals outside of the shelter environment who are underage, sick, injured, or unsocialized so that they may become healthy, adoptable animals. Foster parents provide a clean, safe, loving environment for the animals in their homes.

Congratulations to Sierra!  I'm sure your sissy Sophie will be going home soon too!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!

Remember those you LOVE & those who fought for our FREEDOM!

Feline Friday ~ How Old is Your Cat?

(source)

Today's Feline Friday topic is "CAT AGE".  Want to know how old your cat is in human years?

Check out the article & chart below!  (source)

My 2 furballs are about 36 years old!

Ever Wonder How Old Your Cat Is?

Cats usually live longer than most dogs. A dogs average life span might be 12 to 14 years, with some cats reaching 20 and more. A cat's longevity can depend on whether or not it lives indoors or is allowed outdoors (outdoor cats live an average of eight years). It also can be based on genetics, feeding, enviroment, and veterinary care. The general consensus is that at about age seven a cat can be considered "middle-aged", and at age 10 and beyond - old.

It was once generally thought that one year in the life of the cat was equivalent to seven years of a human life. A new scale of equivalents is now recognized: after the first two years, the cat's life proceeds more slowly in relation to human life and each feline year is approximately four human years.

Cat's Age: ...................................Human's Age:

6 months...............................................10 years

8 months...............................................13 years

10 months..............................................14 years

1 year....................................................15 years

18 months..............................................20 years

2 years..................................................24 years

4 years..................................................32 years

6 years..................................................40 years

8 years..................................................48 years

10 years................................................56 years

12 years................................................64 years

14 years................................................72 years

16 years................................................80 years

18 years................................................88 years

20 years...............................................96 years

21 years..............................................100 years

On a side note ~ my 2 foster kittens, Sophie & Sierra, are getting snipped this morning (spayed) & will be placed on the adoption floor as soon as they're recovered.  It was bittersweet saying goodbye to them but I KNOW they are going to get snatched up by a lucky family in no time!  They are just TOO adorable!
God bless you sweet girls!

REMEMBER ~ DON'T LITTER!  SPAY & NEUTER!

The SUN is out!  Have a wonderful weekend! xox

Foster Kitties Update

Shoe attack!

Sophie thinks shoelaces are FUN!

Sierra thinks so too!

Rough & tumble time!

I'm furrocious!

Queen of the Kitty Condo!

Happy Monday everyone!

My baby girls are growing like WEEDS!  They've practically doubled in size this past month.  They were barely over a pound when I picked them up & now they are a few ounces shy of 2!  I can't believe we've had them almost a whole month.  They are such sweeties & SO healthy & PLAYFUL!  I try & try but just can't get a good photo of them because they won't be still - ha!  Sometimes I come in the room & they're all curled up together sleeping like angels but the second they see me they're pouncing over & climbing up my leg!  As you can see they love my shoelaces & their rough & tumble sessions.  I don't know which one is ornerier  ~ they are  both wild little rascals!  I do notice that during their wrestling sessions Sierra is usually on top.

I'm scheduled to take them back to the shelter on Thursday (sniff) since they'll be 8 weeks old & 2 lbs. ~ the requirement for being spayed.  Their surgery will probably be Friday.  Then they'll be placed for adoption & on their way to their forever homes!  It'll be sad saying goodbye but I KNOW those 2 sweethearts will be adopted (kittens go fast) & if for some insane reason they aren't, I'll go back & get them!  I'm just trying to enjoy them all I can while I still have them.

I don't think we'll have time to foster any kitties before we leave for vacation next month but when we get back I'd like to get a mama & babies.  The Humane Society's been getting lots of those in lately.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!

P.S.  My new Frida Painting is NOW on EBAY!

Our First Foster Kitties!

Sierra & Sophie

Meet Sophie & Sierra, our first foster kitties!  I got an e-mail from the Humane Society Friday morning asking if we could foster some kittens & of course I said YES!  We picked them up Friday evening.  Aren't they the most ADORABLE sweeties ever???  They are 4 weeks old so we'll have them for a month or so.  They need to be 8 weeks old & at least 2 pounds before they can be adopted.  We're having SO much fun watching them tumble around playing & wrestling!  They're being such good kitties, eating well & using their litter boxes - yay! 

Sophie

We have our basement guestroom all fixed up for them & they are feeling right at home (temporarily anyway).  I LOVE their buff beige coloring!  Sierra is the shorter haired & Sophie is the fluffy butterball.  Our resident cats, Zoolou & Markie came down to check them out but seemed disinterested & walked away - ha!  I guess I didn't need to worry about them stressing out.  Now they're acting as though they don't even know they're here.  That's good!

Sierra

Sierra

Fun on the Cat Scratcher Toy!

I'll be posting pics of these baby girls throughout the next month.  It'll be fun to watch them grow & change!  Hope you had a great weekend! xox

Cat Adoptions are UP UP UP! WooHoo!

Carly, just 1 of the many kitties from KHS adopted to a forever home! Is that not the sweetest face?

My heart is SO happy right now! Since our new Humane Society facility opened last June adoptions steadily continue to go UP! To quote an e-mail from a staff member last week:

"You will be pleased to know that our adoption numbers continue to be very good ~ yesterday (Sat. 1/16) we only had 6 cats/kittens to adopt out!"

Is that not AWESOME or what??? Our adoption floor has 3 Kitty Cities that hold 8-10 cats/kittens each. When I was there on Thursday they were all EMPTY! We also have 21 Kitty Condos with 1-2 cats each & at least HALF of them were empty! Even the lofts in the back (all 6 of them with 21 cages each~where kitties stay until there is room on the adoption floor or until they are healthy enough) looked like a ghost town. I actually was able to go cuddle with EVERY cat there for the first time! Looking at our website this morning I counted only 17 cats on the available list. It is just so heartwarming. I wish every city could have a shelter as wonderful as ours! I encourage ALL of you to go volunteer at your own local shelters! Click HERE to visit our Kansas Humane Society.

Happy weekend to you all! meow

Cozy Fleece for Shelter Kitties

Happy Thursday everybody!

I don't have any new paintings to show but that's because I've been busy sewing up new fleece catnap pads for the kitties at the humane society. It's getting so chilly here & I know the kitties would LOVE some fleece to snuggle up in! Plus, I've found fleece holds up pretty well in the jumbo commercial washers & dryers they have there. The cats have pretty nice accomodations at the shelter but the floors ARE hard & bare & the metal climbing structures & platforms I'm sure are just plain cold! The kitties always have something to cozy up with ~ usually old towels, but I want to give them something a little more comfy & warm ~ & stylish - ha! As you can see in my pictures, Zoolou & Markie were more than happy to test them out for me. I think they both rated them a 10 on the comfort scale!

Have a nice evening & stay warm! Hugs & purrrrrs...

Decor & Dish Duty!

My prim baker's rack
Brick shelf in our kitchen

Little antique table in our living room

Fireplace mantle in our kitchen

Thought I would share a few pictures of my fall/Halloween decorations with you. I love to make up little vignettes on my black bakers rack & various other tables & shelves. And I LOVE fall candle fragrances & stocked up on all my favs ~ mulled cider, pumpkin pie, streudel & spice, caramel vanilla custard ~ mmmmmmm! During the holidays I have a million candles going - ha. Now I just need to make a trip to the pumpkin patch & grab some pumpkins, gourds & a straw bale or 2 to do up the front yard! YAY for the first day of FALL! It was a perfect cool, brisk, sprinkly day!

I added another day on to my volunteering schedule at the Humane Society & today I had dish duty. I was excited to use the new high-tech dishwasher that comes on automatically when you close the door & has a short 4 minute cycle. I have to say I was a little disappointed with it though. It was no bigger than the one in my kitchen! One of the staff members told me it's really only good for the small kitty bowls & some of the little toys. You can't fit many of the big stainless steel litter pans or dog bowls in at a time so it's just as well to wash them by hand ~ which is what I did-about 75 of them! I was impressed with the humongo double sink & counter area but still... I was picturing a gigantic dishwasher I could put a hundred bowls in at a time! Oh well, it wasn't bad & I enjoyed it. After washing dishes in the tiny sink at their old building where you laid them on racks over an old bathtub to dry, this was wonderful! It was also nice hearing the staff members thank me over & over for doing the job! If no volunteers are there they have to do it & sometimes that means working overtime. If I can save the shelter some overtime pay that's great! Note to self: Bring my own rubber gloves & wear an apron! I managed to splatter bleach on my shirt!

After the dishes were done I headed to the laundry room. Now that's amazing! There are 2 giant washers & 2 giant dryers. I think you could fit 5 people in them - ha! Wish I had one!

Won't have much painting time this week. Getting ready for our annual Girl's Weekend at my sissy's house in Oklahoma City! Leaving Thursday & get back Sunday. Can't wait!

Official Volunteer!

Me in my cool new shirt!

Hello beautiful people! I am proud to annouce I have officially grajeeated from Humane Society Volunteer School! (I always loved how Jethro said grajeeated on the Hillbillies~ha!)

Yesterday I had my personal interview & we went over my designated duties. When I came I had a list of areas I wanted to work in but I left with a completely different job! I am a "Greeter" & "Computer Attendant". The coordinator told me they were REALLY in need of volunteers in those areas & though I would prefer to "Cat Socialize" & tidy up Kitty Cities I was happy to help out where they need it most. I will be greeting people as they come in, answering any initial questions & directing them where they need to go. I'll also be helping potential adopters fill out forms & look up "on deck" animals on the website that aren't showcased out front. I'll be doing this for a 2 hour shift twice a week. Our new facility is so big apparently people come in & just don't know where to go or what to do first. If they have to wait around for someone to help them they might get frustrated & leave & we DON'T want that! So...that's what I'm going to help with. I can always kitty cuddle & socialize any other time I want so that'll be fun! And 1 of the Kitty City's is right by the front entrance where I'll be so I can pop in there & love on the kitties when it's slow. I was also put on the "TAG" list which is the Animal Transport Team that drives animals to other shelters & rescue places when needed. And of course I'll keep making kitty nap pads & bandanas for the doggies. I brought all my nap pads with me to the interview & they let me go around & place them wherever I wanted in the kitty cities. One kitty jumped right on top of one & lay down! So sweet.

Well, that's my news for today. Hope to get a new painting done by the end of the weekend! Had a lot of back-to-school meetings & things this week so haven't had much studio time. I'm ready to do some fun fall themes! xoxox

Cat Nappers & Doggy Bandanas!

Thought I would show you my latest crafty creations ~ cute little Cat Napper Pads & Doggy Bandanas. I'm scrambling to get as many as I can finished before I head to the Humane Society tomorrow for my animal handling class so I can bring them with me. They're easy & fun to make & the gal at the H.S. said they LOVE to get them! It's another way I can volunteer right here at home. The kitties can always use comfy little pads to nap on & maybe they will look more adoptable if they're lounging on fashion fabrics - ha! They always try to keep bandanas on all the dogs too, especially black ones. They say a black dog's face just gets lost in that dark fur & bright colored bandanas help by drawing attention to it!

The Cat Nappers are reversible with different fabrics on each side. I like to put fleece on 1 side (what cat doesn't like fleece?) but it's a little harder to work with because it's stretchy. So what if it's a little crooked? The cats won't care ~ it's warm & cozy! I do have to give my sister credit ~ she made the red, white & blue ones on each end plus others not pictured.

I finished the commissioned painting I was doing so hopefully I'll get busy with some new paintings. School just started yesterday for my kids so we're back in to the busy schedule mode (& trying to keep my son caught up with his homework)! Have a great week! xoxopurrrrxoxo

Volunteer Orientation Completed!

Hi everybody!

I went to my volunteer orientation at the Humane Society last Wednesday & now have 2 of the 4 steps done before I can start volunteering. Step 1 is filling out the application, Step 2 is the 2 1/2 hour orientation session & now I have Step 3 ~ Animal Handling Training & Step 4 ~ Personal Interview left. Sounds like a lot of stuff to go through just to volunteer but I'm glad they are so thorough about it. They've really put a lot of thought & research into the best ways to care for the animals & increase adoptions so I applaud them for that. I don't mind all the training. I did it all before back at their old building so I already know a lot of it. The orientation went great but I was dreading the video I knew we were watching. It showed the euthanasia process & I kept having to look down at my feet & hold back tears! Even the man next to me was sniffing! Oh boy... Anyway, I have Animal Handling Training next week & then my interview & then it's off to work! I'm gonna have a hard time trying to decide what I want to do! There are SO many possibilities! I'm leaning towards Cat Socializing (of course!), Catvocate, Business Office Helper, Housekeeping (laundry/dishes), Enrichment & TAG (transport animal group). I once drove 9 kittens to the Boulder, CO Humane Society. My daughter & I made a fun road trip out of it & then spent the night with my sister in Denver! I'd also like to start fostering kittens if I think my 2 resident cats won't flip out about it. I wish I had a separate little building I could keep stray & foster kitties in until they find homes! Maybe I'll win the lottery & make that dream come true!

On the art front: Just mailed off 2 paintings today & about to start on my commissioned one. Then I'll get to work on some fun fall themed creations!

By the way, I think our Humane Society logo could use a little updating don't you? They've had this one forever & it's kinda lame. I think since they have a new building they need a new logo to go with it! Maybe I should give them some ideas! Hmmmm...

THE BEST HUMANE SOCIETY EVER!!!

Beautiful Plaza between the 2 buildings

Cool stone columns

My daughter Kayla reading the quotes on the plaques

A multi-cat Kitty City. Note the privacy wall for the litter box!

Individual Kitty Condo

Taz, a 23 pound tubby tabby. I WANTED HIM!

Another Kitty Condo

Part of 1 of our multi-cat Kitty Cities

Cute dog in his bandana

I LOVE LOVE LOVE our new Kansas Humane Society facility!!! (it's official name is the Murfin Animal Care Campus) Omigosh my daughter & I went to the grand opening this morning & it is so unbelievably AMAZING! I can't even describe how impressed I was with every aspect of it! It's so bright & cheery, colorful, welcoming, filled with daylight windows, clean, comfortable, relaxing ~ I could just go on & on! I was so happy I actually got teary-eyed!

The accomodations for the cats & dogs are just wonderful & even better than I'd imagined. No more cages!!! We now have "Kitty Cities" (2 of them) ~ large living room type areas that can hold up to 15 cats. They have all kinds of climbing structures, window beds, & even colorful built-in privacy screens for their litter boxes - ha! We also have several Kitty Condos ~ smaller rooms for 1 or 2 cats which also have their own climbing structures, beds, etc. The kitties all seemed so happy & playful in their new "temporary" homes! I love how they made all the rooms with high ceilings so they could climb as we all know they love to do! No more dark, small cages with only 1 open side. This place is the Ritz Carlton for cats! Our doggies have awesome quarters too. They have large rooms & each has a Kuranda bed. They had all the dogs wearing colorful bandanas & they looked so cute!

We spent close to an hour just looking around & I swear it didn't even feel like we were in an animal shelter at all. It was almost like touring a museum & looking at exhibits. We only heard 1 dog bark (just once) the entire time! They have classical music piped in through the whole building to relax the animals. I don't think there's anything they didn't think of!

I am SO happy for our Wichita animals!!! And I'm so proud of our community because this multi-million dollar facility was completely funded by donations & all the construction was done by local companies! The guys at our Wichita Big Dog Motorcycles built all the climbing structures! And it's not just 1 building but 2 ~ 1 is our City Shelter buildling where lost or stray animals go first & stay for 3 days & the other is our Adoption Center/Learning Facility/Store, etc. There is a beautiful plaza connecting the 2 buildings with quote plaques, mosaics, pictures, flowers. I took tons of pictures so you can see this magnificent place for yourself! I can't wait to start volunteering but darn it, the next orientation session is full so I have to wait another month! That's a good sign though.

I just had to share all this with you. My hope is that cities all over the world will follow our lead & we'll see more of these amazing buildings popping up everywhere! Come & visit our website to see pictures, videos, etc. right here!

This is our dream come true!!! Hurray for Wichita!

Frida and her Calico!

Happy Friday everybody!

I finished my Frida painting last night & here she is! I thought I would paint her with a calico this time since the colors seemed to compliment so well. I also decided to do a lot of flat color & no bold outlines. I think she looks very pretty & tropical! Frida & her Calico is available on ebay right now so check it out!

What's everyone up to this weekend? I just read in our paper this morning that they're beginning to transport all the animals to our brand new Humane Society! I'm so excited! I plan to be there on the 22nd for the official ribbon cutting & open house! That reminds me, I still need to get signed up for my volunteer training session before the next one gets filled up! Maybe I'll do that right now!

Have an absolutely purrrfect weekend! Hugs!