Bruce

Many times Max would prepare for bed, but before he could fluff his pillow or get completely tucked in, there was Bruce.  With one gigantic leap Bruce would claim the center of the bed.  Bruce insisted on a little extra room.  I'd laugh and say, "Thank you, Bruce, for picking us.    Then I'd say, "Max, thank Bruce for picking us."   And, Max would mock,  "Thank you Bruce for  picking us, can you give me little room, please?"    That was our routine.

Deciding Bruce could stay six years ago, when he moved in as a foster cat, was the easy part, knowing that we had to let him die peacefully was hard --  very hard.    His kidneys were deteriorating, he wasn't always eating,  his weight kept dropping, sometimes he just stared off  into space, AND he wasn't jumping  on Max's  bed.  

I will always be grateful that Bruce chose to live with me.  Bruce died Friday, August 20, 2010.  I love you Bruce. 

Bear Cub Battles Human Carelessness

Cathy Connolly's  Associated Press picture of a black bear cub with a plastic container stuck on his head reminds us that our actions can negatively impact others, including  wildlife.  The accompanying article read,  "The clear plastic container was removed from the 6-month-old cub's head after being stuck for at least 10 days. The cub poked its head into the jar when digging through trash in a neighborhood in central Florida. Biologists say the cub was days away from death because the jar made it impossible to eat or drink. The team had to tranquilize the mother bear and then grab the cub to remove the jar from the bear's head."  It's really amazing  that the cub survived. 

Jubilee Needs a Home!

Cute, huh?  Those eyes, that little black smudge on her head.  Jubilee is the kitten who spent the night at my house last month.  Never did I think that all these weeks later she'd still be waiting at the League for her forever home, but she is.  She's in a window with two friends.  In fact, she's had lots of friends while she's been waiting for someone to notice her and say that she's the one.   That just keeps happening to her window mates.  They get adopted and Jubilee keeps growing and living in the window.  Before long, she won't be a cute little kitten, she'll be a teenage cat and then full grown.  They grow up so quickly. 

Trouble is, Jubilee is not perfect.  You can kind of tell from the photo that her back right leg is not quite right.  I don't think Jubilee knows it though.  She runs, plays, jumps  and tackles her window mates nonstop.  She was born with a defective back leg.   It's been examined by veterinarians.  It's even been looked at by specialists, all say it's okay, just looks funny.  And, because Jubilee's leg looks funny, would-be adopters keep choosing her window  mates.  They want a perfect kitten.  I'm really surprised.  I thought someone by now would say, "that's her, I LOVE the kitten with the funny-looking leg!"  Jubilee's ideal home would be one with another cat, so she would have a buddy to romp with and race through the house at top speed and then climb to the back of the tallest chair and dive to the ground.

Doing the Right Thing

Our July 12th FREE pit bull spay/neuter day was such a success, with so many people showing up with their dogs, that we had to schedule several overflow appointments on July 30th.  People were happy to return.  "We believe in being responsible and that means getting our dog neutered," one guardian said as she waited with her big bruiser of a dog.  If only every dog and cat guardian would feel the same.  This is a particulary tough time of year for animal shelters -- puppies and kittens, litter after litter, all needing homes showing up daily.  AND, there are still lots and lots of wonderful, deserving discarded adult cats and dogs anxiously waiting for their opportunity to be placed in forever homes.  

I nominate the  caregivers who brought their pit bulls in for surgery on Friday as my heroes of the week.  Thanks for making sure that your dogs are NOT contributing to the overpopulation crisis.  AND, considering that pit bulls remain one of the most abused and most misunderstood breeds of dogs, those guardians get an extra gold star in my book.

Our next FREE pit bull spay/neuter day is Monday, AUGUST 9th --

• No appointment necessary
• No income or residence restrictions
• Plus FREE rabies, DHPP, and bordatella shots
• Drop off is between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.  -- Spots often fill up by 8:15 a.m
• Pick-up between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.