My New Year's Resolution is to BLOG MORE! 

So, please come back and visit! I promise to make it worth your while!

Best,
​Joann

Now that Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are passing us by-- 

It's time to start off on the New Year! I hope that you all (and your pets) have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2019!

Best,
​Joann 
 

Throughout the month, I’ve been helping a client, Tracy, catch and socialize a family of feral cats that came across her front stoop (while I was sitting with her own cats) when she and her husband were on vacation. I kept them all fed and coming back to the house until she arrived home; then we caught the family. To protect her own cats, and—in an effort to determine (and isolate) whatever health issues the cats had--her wonderful husband, Chris, kindly built a cozy little enclosure not only for them, but—large enough for us to sit in there with them and play so they could be properly socialized as we waited for all the health clearances and such. They all received excellent care: trips to veterinarians to get tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV (they tested “negative,” yay!) and their vaccinations, deworming, etc. And, they were fed premium food! Of course, the mama was spayed as well. And, all the while, they received lots of love and cuddles in an effort to get them socialized for their new owners (which were not hard to find for these adorable little things). Tracy (my client), her neighbor, Suzanne (another client), and LeAnn (a new friend and fellow cat-lover) all came around to visit the kitties and let them know how great some of us humans can be!

Yesterday, the mama headed up to her new home, a farm up in Wisconsin. As a feral adult—who’s lived her life in the outdoors—this is a good place for her to be. Shelter, warmth, and food is provided—and, she will act as a “mouser,” which really is the most natural, humane form of pest control, isn’t it? She is now a country cat!

As for the kittens--oh, the sweet kittens! Both Siamese mixes (a big boy with an adorable nose and white paws) and a little girl (with cute little striped legs like you’d see on a rag doll) are headed off to their new home today. Their new owner is SO excited!

Throughout the week, the little Tabby (a little boy who loves to play and climb) and the Black and White (a gentle little fella who will watch your every move and loves laps) will also be on their way to be with their new owners.

Tracy and I are both sad (for ourselves) and glad (for the cats and their new owners) they are leaving. But, this experience has been wonderful. We saved their lives, and the memories of time spent with these sweet little creatures will be forever in our hearts.

I love you, Kittens. I love you, Mama.

And, most of all…I love you, Tracy. Thank you for sharing this joyful experience with me. We did good by these cats...  : ) 
​​

Check out the above link for a neat story about a high school track team that has CANINE running partners!

On this Memorial Day, I'm honoring those military dogs who not only help serve and protect, but whose loyalty to their handlers is, at times, simply amazing...

Photo found at www.thedogfiles.com

A good friend of mine designed the delightful graphics for this website of mine; I love them.

Her name is Cheri.

Unfortunately, her dear dog, Lacy, passed earlier this week. And, this was so soon after her dear cat, Bobbie, passed late last year.

They were loved by Cheri, the rest of her family, and--many, many others.

This entry is dedicated to them both.

One of my clients lost a pet this week, dear little Sebastian. In respect to their privacy, I will say no more than this:

I love you, Sebastian. Rest in peace, little one.

"Dr. Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus in psychology at the University of British Columbia, writes in a Psychology Today blog post that hugging a dog actually increases the dog's stress level."

Read the full article, on www.npr.org, here:

http://www.npr.org/2016/04/30/476212898/lets-not-hug-it-out-with-our-dogs

Thoughts?

I'm not so sure about this study. But, of course, I would never wanna make a dog feel uncomfortable. So, I think I'll leave it up to the dog to decide if he/she wants to be hugged. Dogs do a pretty good job of letting us know how they feel, don't they?