Duncan and Ginger got their Forever Homes!

Woooohoooo! NOTHING makes me happier than finding out one of our long-term animals finally, FINALLY found their forever home! Duncan, the beautiful Pyranese, that's been here over a year now, found his FOREVER HOME! WOOOHOOOO!

And the absolutely WONDERFUL couple that I corresponded with over several days, came in today and spent tons and tons of time with the cats. AND they adopted sweet little Ginger, aka Butterum. I love that cat - she is such a sweetheart and I think they'll really enjoy her. Thank you EVERYONE!

Ivan the Huggable

Ya know, when you first take a squint at Ivan, he looks like he'd take your arm clean off. He just LOOKS mean. Appearances CAN be deceiving however. Ivan is the sweetest, gentlest, laid-back cat I've ever met.

He's definitely an adult, but still likes to play a bit and loves to be held. And he purrs - oh, he loves to purr! When he was hit with the sickness that went around the Shelter, he and I would sit outside on the bench and take in the sunshine. And he'd purr. And he'd just cuddle against my chest and enjoy the attention.

Why is Ivan here? I don't know. Perhaps his owners lost their home, perhaps he got lost in a move, perhaps someone didn't realize what a great cat he is. ALL the cats at the Shelter are now spayed and neutered, including my dear, sweet Ivan. If he was a marshmallow before, he's even more so now.

Look at that face. How could you not fall in love with him?

Happy Days at the Shelter

Lots of good news to be had at Enoch Animal Shelter. Two of the puppies were taken by BAM to foster and find forever homes for, Rascal, the adorable hound was adopted over the weekend, as was Ralphie the Black Lab, Pudge the Wonder Cat and the BEAUTIFUL Seal Point Siamese was taken into Rescue as well.

Pigpen was found covered in oil and grease under a car. After a bath, he looks wonderful!


OH! And our two Senior dogs, Red and Heidi were taken in by Best Friends.


Rocko is a great young dog, that would a perfect family pet!

The Shelter is STILL overflowing with dogs sadly enough and many of them are bunking in pairs, when the kennels really aren't big enough for even 1 dog. We have some great dogs (and cats!) that would LOVE to find homes of their own.

Ginger is a gorgeous young woman!

As mentioned previusly, a huge bout of pink-eye was circulating around the cat house - this happens because of overcrowding. One cat gets sick and they pass it along to all the others. It's distressing, BUT, the antibiotics and the apple cider vinegar are doing the trick. Ginger looks great, as does Ivan the Cuddly. Nothing would help them more than getting adopted into their own Forever Homes. Won't you please pass the word? Our cats and dogs LOVE people!

Super Adoption Event at IFA

I just found out that the Enoch Shelter is going to participate in the Super Adoption Event at the new IFA on Main Street in Cedar. It's on April 30th from 9am to 2pm. PLEASE tell everyone you know to come adopt a wonderful dog or cat!

Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye

There is an epidemic at the Shelter. Pink eye is everywhere and all the cats are miserable. That makes me miserable. Antibiotics are SO expensive and some times they don't even help. I found some natural remedies that I'm going to try tomorrow. I'll keep you posted! Holistic Treatments Use a homemade saline solution. Combine 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of lukewarm water. Drip saline solution into your cat's eye using a cotton ball or eye dropper 3 to 4 times a day. Bacteria can form in homemade saline mixes so make a new solution for each treatment and use a separate cotton ball for each eye. L-lysine is an amino acid and can be found in most health food stores at a low price in capsule or tablet form. Look for 500 mg capsules of lysine that can be mixed into canned cat food twice a day, for 1000 mg total per day. Continue for five days. Owners may want to continue mixing 250 mg of lysine a day in your cat's food as an immune booster. Applying apple cider vinegar, undiluted or diluted with 1 tablespoon vinegar with 2 tablespoons water, to the scruff of your cat's neck is a favorite home treatment for all types of eye infections, including conjunctivitis. Adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your cat's water is also said to prevent allergies, which can cause eye irritation, from bothering your cat. If the symptoms are not improving after using these treatments bring your cat to the vet to rule out any more serious problems.

Black is Beautiful

In every sense of the word. And don't take offense. Black cats and dogs often times get overlooked in the Shelters. I don't understand why. Perhaps it's because they don't photograph as well as lighter colored animals. It's a shame really, because we have some of the most delightful black dogs and cats I've ever met!

Take Brutus - he's had a tough young life, through no fault of his own. He's a big, fun loving Black Lab. And all he's looking for is a home of his own.

Then we have Ralphie. Which cracks me up because I have a Tuxedo cat named Ralphie. Ralphie is a small Black Lab. And he's a sweetheart. He doesn't deserve to be here. He just needs a little training and he'll be good as gold. He's not a bad dog, but when you've been in jail as long as these dogs have, they tend to be rambunctious and not as well-behaved as they would be in established homes. When visiting, you need to remember that.

And how about those black cats??? Did you know that on the whole, black cats are more intelligent than any other color? Is that why they get bypassed so often? PJ was my first black cat and he was a pistol. He'd open all the drawers in the kitchen, pull everything out, then lay in the drawer. He also played fetch with his toys. He lived a good long life, and even though I now have other black cats, there will always be a special place in my heart for him.

Take a peek at these handsome boys and girls - they want, need, and deserve love just like everyone else!

Oliver and Crash - GOOD NEWS

I love good news, don't you? Oliver, the gorgeous Shepherd mix and Crash, the puppy, BOTH got adopted over the weekend. Not to the same family, but nonetheless, hopefully they will be well behaved and love every minute of their new Forever Homes. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers this week, that they pass their home tests!

Photographer Ginger Monteleone

This is a long article, but well worth the read! She's definitely a woman after my own heart! Real estate photographer Ginger Monteleone has been making headlines recently -- but not for her pictures of dining rooms and yachts. Monteleone has been photographing a much cuddlier set: dogs in need of rescue. And she's taken her love for four-legged friends even further by starting her own rescue group, Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue. Cali, Monteleone's first foster dog, is to blame. After learning of the dog's mistreatment by its previous owners, Monteleone knew she needed to help. She began fostering Cali, and posted photos of her on Facebook to entice potential adopters. But when they came to pick her up, Monteleone had a hard time letting go. "With Cali, I got so much fulfillment from it that, even when I struggled, I wanted to keep her. When the Smiths came to pick her up, I was crying. My husband said, 'let them take her now or you never will.'" Monteleone realized that she needed to complete her mission -- not only to rescue Cali and foster her, but to find her a home. "I needed to complete the cycle," says Montelone. "Finding her a home left a space open in my home." Monteleone decided to offer up her skills as a photographer to animal rescue groups, taking color shots of dogs that allowed their personalities to shine through -- and helping hundreds of pets find good homes. She also began volunteering at Miami-Dade County Animal Services, helping individuals and families find the right dog for their situation, in addition to taking and marketing photos of the dogs on her own site. In November 2010, she took her mission of getting dogs adopted a step further: she created her own rescue group focused on caring for larger breed dogs that are normally overlooked. "I guess I did it so that I could help specific breeds of dogs that other people don't normally take in," says Monteleone. "Smaller dogs were being rescued more often, adopted faster. Big dogs were always left." She says that even donations to the shelter, like blankets for the winter, were geared at small dogs. Large black dogs, in particular, are repeatedly passed over for adoption; there's even a name for the phenomenon -- black dog syndrome. That being said, Monteleone will help any dog that needs it. "We've had some small dogs, we always joke, 'sneak' into our rescue somehow," she said. "We'll take them in. We are a big dog rescue but we wouldn't turn our back on small dogs in need." Since the group's inception, it has saved 30 dogs and adopted out 19. Many have been pit bulls, which are banned in Miami. Monteleone's rescue group is foster-based, with no shelter or facility. Their small network of foster homes varies in size, but always includes Monteleone's house, a satellite office in Fort Meyers and one in West Palm, and a select few others. Big Hearts recently took in one very ill dog after the Miami-Dade shelter was hit by a storm of infectious diseases and forced to get rid of all their dogs. The pit bull, who had been confiscated from a fight ring, was so sick Monteleone wasn't sure he was going to make it. But he's now recovering at a vet's in Fort Lauderdale, and Monteleone says he was a "pile of love" when she went to walk him last week. NBC News recently covered Monteleone's efforts to get dogs adopted through photographs. She says that since it aired, she's received a barrage of communications from photographers who want to do their own version of her photo project. "This week, I've been contacted by several photographers, professional and novice, who want to help in their communities. One photographer, a real estate photographer like me, emailed me to tell me that he wanted to do it; then he actually called me after his first photo shoot and said 'I just did it!' When he first contacted the shelter, they weren't interested. He forwarded them the NBC video, and after they watched, they said 'Absolutely! Please come in." WATCH: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy How You Can HelpSo what does Monteleone tell fellow photographers that want to follow in her footsteps? That the most important thing is just getting photos of the animals out there. "It's going to be harder for people that don't have a background in marketing to market their images for the pets, but a picture really is worth a thousand words. It generates a response, it generates an emotion. People will go down to a shelter because they saw one picture of an animal and just fell in love." (See below for more tips on how photographers can start their own photo pages.) As for the non-photographers that want to help? Though she says it's become cliché, Monteleone reiterates that getting pets fixed is still the best way to cut down on the number of pets in a shelter, because animals that haven't been fixed are the often the ones escaping from yards to follow their urges. "The number one thing is to spay or neuter. We've all heard it a thousand times, but I don't think anyone really realizes the seriousness until they go into a shelter and see how many dogs are dying." Monteleone's 12-year-old autistic son, Sebastian, has been a huge help with the rescue dogs; she refers to him as her "junior rescue super hero." Now, when he tells her, "Mommy, every dog should have their own home," Monteleone tells him, "we're working on it." Fellow photographers can share their favorite rescue photos, offer advice, and network on Monteleone's Flickr Group page. Donate to Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue. Buy a dog a toy or donate dog food from Big Hearts's wish list. It will be shipped directly to them. Want to act now? Check out dogs currently available for adoption and Monteleone's tips for volunteering your photographic services.

Anitra Frazier's Vita-Mineral Mix Recipe

Anitra Frazier's Vita-Mineral Mix 1 1/2 cups yeast powder (any food yeast; brewer's, torula, or nutritional) 1/4 cup kelp powder or 1/4 cup mixed trace mineral powder 1 cup lecithin granules 2 cups wheat bran 2 cups bone meal, calcium lactate, or calcium gluconate Mix together and store in a covered container. Be sure to refrigerate (everything but the lecithin and minerals perishes at room temperature). Add 1 teaspoon of Vita-Mineral Mix to each cat's meal (2 teaspoons per cat per day).

Chicken and Rice Recipe

This is what I fed Ralphie for about 4 weeks when he first came home. As you can tell from his Before and After pictures, it worked wonders!

Whole chicken 2 cups water

Cook chicken in a slow cooker until meat falls off the bone. About an 30 minutes before it's done cooking, put in 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup brown rice. Cook until rice is tender. Let cool and dispose of bones. Place chicken and broth into blender adding water as needed.

I add the following ingredients during the blending process:

5 tablets of L-lysine (good for the immune system and for eye problems)

5 tablets of bone meal

5 tablets of Brewer's Yeast

5 tables of Digestive Enzyme

1 Tbsp of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

1 Tbsp general cat vitamins (or 5 tablets)

5 tablets Bio Plasma (cell salts to aid in pumping up the immune system)

(You can also make a blend of Anitra Frazier's Vita-Mineral Mix in plae of the bone meal and Brewer's Yeast Tablets. It's great stuff!)

I also add about 1/2 cup pumpkin. Pumpkin is an amazing fruit. It works for animals with constipation and with diarrhea. Must be the fiber. For a little color, I also add about 1/2 cup cooked carrots.

I also put in 5 pellets of a homeopathic called Arsenicum Album. It's for diarrhea. I give this to my cats and dogs (and me!) and it works wonders.

Blend this whole concotion together until it's the consistency of baby food. I usually only give about 1 tbsp to start in a glass bowl. Plastic bowls tends to hold bacteria. I can always tell when my cats eat out of too many plastic bowls because they get cat acne, the little black specks on their chins. Since it makes so much, you can freeze some and pull it out as needed, or cut everything in half and only make up half at a time.

My Shelter Boy

I just wrote this e-mail to FreeKibble.com because I really want to win free food for the Shelter! I thought I'd post my story here so you can see that I volunteer at the Shelter as WELL AS adopt! LOL!

I am a Volunteer at the Enoch City Animal Shelter located in Enoch, Utah. Thankfully, it's a No-Kill Shelter because I work just a stone's throw away. I tell the people I work with that I'd have to quit my job if Enoch was a "kill" shelter because I couldn't drive by every day to see those dogs, knowing their fate! I already had 3 dogs and several cats when I first met Ralphie. Ralphie was a Failure-to-Thrive kitten, weighing about 3 pounds at 1 year of age.

Ralphie's the Poster Child for "Feed Me!"

That's Ralphie, next to his full-size brother.

Ralphie had SUCH an attitude, even at such a tiny little size, that I immeditely fell in love with him. The Animal Control Officer wouldn't adopt Ralphie out to just anyone because of his stature. She also didn't take him to the Vet until he reached his 1-year mark, afraid that he'd never make it that far. When Ralphie turned 1 year old on April 3 of 2010, I told Chris I wanted to Foster him. I thought he'd do better living in a home, instead of at the Shelter. He had a skin condition, constant diahhrea, plus his growth problem. With 4 other cats in the house, and 3 large dogs, I kept Ralphie in a kennel at night and then confined to the bedroom during the day. He got high quality dry cat food plus a mixture of blended chicken and rice and vitamins.

Ralphie, lounging in the sun about a week after he arrived home.

Ralphie soon took over the household as well as our hearts. His skin started clearing up, and his diahhrea all but disappeared. And he talks. Not like humans, but I've never heard a cat carry on a conversation as much as Ralphie does. He also didn't know how to play when he arrived, but now is King of the cat toys (and the dog toys!). None of the other cats, OR the dogs intimidate little Ralphie. I took him back to the Shelter for a visit one day and no-one would believe it was the same cat. I try and stress that getting cats out of Shelters and into homes is the best medicine. I didn't realize how empty our home was until Ralphie came to live there. Foster? No way. He was part of the family a week after he arrived. He isn't going anywhere! Ralphie now weighs about 8 1/2 pounds. He'll never be a large scale cat, but his personality is bigger than the whole state of Utah!

New Cats in the Shelter

It's good to get the strays off the street, but it's sad to see them end up in the Shelter. We are currently FULL and cannot take any more. Kitten season is coming, which makes it doubly sad. Why can't people spend the money to get their animals fixed. I mean, we live in Utah, where children are breeding children, but that doesn't mean our animals need to do the same thing!

Fat Toby is Flyin High in Nevada!

I just got GREAT news today! A WONDERFUL family from Nevada drove all the way here to little ole Enoch to adopt cutie pie Toby. He was such a cute, fat little fella. Even though he was just over a year old, he either got fed way too many table scraps, or he had a hormonal imbalance. At any rate, he was the chubbiest little Yellow Lab I've ever met in my life! So, I hear that he's going to be living with another dog, going on hikes in the mountains and getting lots of exercise. Nothing could make me happier. We ALL have Forever Homes waiting for us. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to find the right one. I couldn't be happier that Fat Toby finally went home.

Now, if I could get Duncan and the rest of the dogs a home, I would be doing the dance of joy!

A Feel Good Story from Ashely

I've been meaning to write this email for months. I got the most wonderful cat from the Enoch Animal Shelter. She's awesome. I had a really hard August. August was not good to me. First, I broke my toe...making it so I couldn't work for nearly a month. Second, my cat, Stan, died of FIP. He got it from Cedar City's Animal Control. It broke my heart...and I still miss him to this day. Third, a co-worker gave me a cat...but I had to give her back because she didn't like being with me. Lastly, a sweet little kitten named Ginger came into my life...and quickly left. The day Ginger died, I went to the shelter..."just to look". I had no intention of getting a cat that day. The lovely lady that helped me pointed out one of the "bigger" cats...and I had to pick this big one up just to see how big she actually was. She was massive. I put her down to look around, however, this mysterious...fat...cat made it nearly impossible. I looked down at her and said, "We'll, I guess you're coming with me..." I wasn't very thrilled about it. LoL. However, I was wishing she'd make it...seeing as cats were dying or leaving me left and right. Well, attached are pictures of this wonderful cat. She is so much more than I ever anticipated she'd be. She's more like a dog than a cat. She is incredibly needy...and funny. She's got the most wonderful personality...and the loudest purr I've ever heard. She loves like there is no tomorrow...and I know that she's waiting for me when I come home from work. I am SO glad I went to the shelter that day...and I'm so glad Betty picked me. I sure got a winner when I got her. Thanks! Ashley

And thank YOU Ashley, for telling us your Happy Ending story. It sounds like Betty definitely found her Forever Home! Congrats!

Some very sad news

I just heard from Leo's new Mom. Apparently Leo got Distemper and he didn't make it. It just breaks my heart totally and completely. Such a wonderful little kitten.

Distemper comes on suddenly and rapidly. It wasn't anything they did or didn't do, but it doesn't make anyone feel any better.

I am a HUGE homeopath and natural remedies person, especially when it comes to my cats and dogs. With the amount of animals I have, Vet bills are just one more thing that I can do without.

First signs of Distemper are high fever and severe dehydration. Vomiting often follows. It's not really the Distemper that kills the cat, it's the secondary infection that destroys things such as the white blood cells.

There ARE things you can do if you catch it early, including high doses of Vitamin C. Unfortunately, most people don't realize there ARE things that can be done. I don't fault anyone here, it's just a tragedy that may have been avoided.

Leo, you have passed over the Rainbow Bridge and are busy celebrating with others that have passed before. Always remember though, even in your short time on this earth, you were loved.

Leo found a new home!

God bless the wonderful people out there that want to bring new animals into their homes! I got an inquiry about Willis from a delightful woman that lost one of her fur-babies and wanted to get another to keep her cat company. She stopped by the Shelter yesterday to look at the cats.

Willis, being the manly cat that he is, was a bit skittish and shy. Leo, of course, is a ham, and he caught her heart and her eye. She wrote me the most delightful e-mail, thanking me for the pictures of Willis and to tell me that they adopted Leo. I am delighted! Willis needs some training to get more used to the general population, and he will get that. For now though, Leo has a brand new adventure ahead of him. She sent me a picture of Leo with her adorable little son Blayze. Now, I tell you, if this doesn't make your heart melt, nothing will!

I think Aspen found a home!

I went over to visit with the kitties today and didn't see Aspen. I'll keep my fingers crossed that she got adopted. Crash, the adorable little puppy that seems fully recovered after having been hit by a car, has a "Hold" sign on his kennel, so we'll keep our fingers crossed for that one too!

Didn't see Willis, one of my favorite cats, today. I'm hoping he's at the Vet, getting neutered and maybe a cortisone shot to help his skin irritations!

Pet Care Assumptions

I just read this article and HAD to share it. It's from a great e-mail newsletter I get from Trusted Pet Partners. Read it and share with your family and friends. The information is SO TRUE!

Pet Care Assumptions
Sharon Jones - Partner

I have begun to notice just how intrusive the conversation regarding pet trusts is for the general public. You may say "no duh," but being a partner in an internet business I don't have daily contact with the public. Attending conferences and pet expos, where I get to meet and speak with pet owners in person, has put me in touch with just how intrusive the conversation really is for most. When I ask "Have you made arrangements for your pets if something were to happen to you?," the number one answer I get is "My kids will care for them". Thank you very much, end of conversation!

Shelters, with whom I do speak with more regularly, would love to show the public all of the pets they have who were suppose to be cared for by the "kids". One shelter told me a story of a daughter who called from the mother's death bed asking them to come pick up the dog she was suppose to care for. Another shelter told me the story of the son who contacted them to take the dog because it had become blind, and he didn't want to, or know how to care for, a blind dog. Every year every shelter (6000) receives 75+ pets due to the owner's death or disability. You may say, well that is not much, but add that to the pets they receive due to financial hardship, divorce, puppy mills, and "just don't want the pet anymore", and they are drowning in our irresponsible planning.

I know it is not easy to face the fact that we are all going to die, and that many of us will become disabled, but when inviting a pet into our home planning for continued care of your pets is essential. Many of the pets who survive the owner are old and have not experienced any other home. In a shelter setting they are traumatized by the strange environment, and by missing the only person they have known for their care. If we cannot face our own mortality then perhaps we can get concerned with the fate of our loving companions, our pets. The golden rule seems to apply here, treat your pet companion the way you would like to be treated, with respect and dignity. They did not ask to be here!

Aspen the Dachsund Mix!

I understand that people have opportunities that they just can't pass up. And being 18-19 years old and getting the chance to study in Spain is something no sane young man would pass up. What I think is insane, however, is making the decision to give up your dog, your baby, your companion of 2 years. Just to give it to a Shelter and hope for the best.

Aspen is a cutie! She's very well behaved, is current on everything, spayed and good with other dogs, kids, cats and humans in general. She doesn't understand why she ended up at the Shelter and I hope she doesn't have to stay long. Dogs don't have long memories, but I don't want her early years to be tarnished by staying at the Shelter for any length of time. (Remember Abby?)

Come take a look at Aspen. She's got really wonderful coloring, is a low-rider dog and would look great walking by your side!

Feline Leukemia

Scary sounding disease, and frankly, it IS scary. I just heard that one of the cats at the Shelter was diagnosed with it after they were adopted. Could it have come into the Shelter with it? We don't know. The people that called didn't leave their name, phone number or even which cat it was they adopted.

The Enoch Shelter isn't exactly a fountain of money and FeLeuk shots are 3 times as expensive as other vaccinations. I need to have a fundraiser or something to get those cats vaccinated. My first cat died of FeLeuk long before they had any vaccinations for the disease. It was pretty horrific.

As I've read though, some cats NEVER show the symptoms. Their immune systems are built up enough to fight it off and live a good long life. So.....if you find out your cat has this disease, don't run them to the Vet to euthanize them. Read up on the disease, get a natural therapy book and fight back. You wouldn't euthanize your child because he had cancer, would you? Cats (and dogs!) can live very long lives with debiliating diseases, and they can be GOOD lives. You just need to work a little harder at taking care of them.

Don't stop caring for your fur babies. Ever.

One of my favorites!

Miss Abby was one of my favorite dogs at the Shelter. I started working there over a year ago now, and she came in a couple weeks after I started. She was a Chow-Chow, and she, along with her Cocker Spaniel sister, were left at the Shelter because their family lost their home. And it's tragic because it is happening to so many families! Sometimes we forget that when people get displaced, so do their animals. Way too many animals end up at Shelters because of the economy.

Too many end up at Shelters because "we're moving and we can't take our dog/cat with us." Well, that's just B.S. I moved down here to Cedar City from Erda (just west of Salt Lake). I rented a big van, piled all the dogs and cats in it and drove down here. Then I rented a horse trailer and did the same thing with the horses. My husband was already working down here, so it was up to me. If I can do it, there's no reason others can't.

Anyway! I digress.

Everytime I went to the Shelter, Miss Abby had a new room-mate. She was such a gentle soul, always happy to have another dog to keep her company. Her sister, Cinnamon, was adopted just 2 weeks after coming to the Shelter. Abby stayed. And stayed. And stayed. She was there OVER A YEAR! A wonderful womany named Andrea got involved in the search for a home for Abby. And she finally found one. I can't begin to thank her enough for all she did for this wondeful dog. The girl that tried to make the best out of a bad situation, finally had a home of her very own. The following is a follow-up letter from the wonderful family who adopted her. I thank God every day for people like this!

We rescued Abby from a shelter in Enoch after recieving her information from Cause for Paws. ( Petfinder.com) she was in the "No Kill" shelter for 15 monthes. We saw her and immeadiatly fell in love with her. she has the sweetest brown eyes.She adapted right away to our children in which they are inseperatable. She enjoys walks, snack time, play time, bath time, and taking the children to the bus stop. She is the best dog we have ever owned. We only wish we would have found her sooner. how nobody wanted this beautiful, wonderful, caring chow chow is beyond me. She is happy,loved, and most of all our family member. We love our Little Ms. Abby-Girl, and are thankful each and everyday to have her a part of our lives. ~The Richards Family~

MaoMao

Here are some pictures of MaoMao. I call him that because he meows at me when I come into the Cat Room. Then he hisses, then he meows. It cracks me up. Ralphie was a Failure to Thrive kitten when I adopted him from the Shelter a year ago next month. He'll be two! Check out his Blog. He was the teeniest little thing I'd ever seen. I put him on a diet of chicken and rice (with vitamins and minerals and veggies), blended up like babyfood. He ate that for about 6 weeks. His diahhrea went away, the scabs on his body went away, and he started gaining weight. He'll never be a "full-sized" cat, but he weighs about 8 pounds now. And he talks all the time - much like MaoMao does, but Ralphie gurgles more.

Anyway, MaoMao is getting friendlier every day, and I'm doing my darndest to get a little weight on his tiny little body. If someone would seriously consider adopting him, I'd definitely fix you your first week of chicken and rice, and give you the recipe!

New Arrivals at the Shelter

Puppies abound! I think people got puppies, then forgot they had them, because we had 5 of them show up at the Shelter on various days last week. Nothing about a puppy I don't like, especially the Chocolate Lab puppy that was there. AND his name was Moose. Why is that significant? Because my 9-year old Chocolate Lab is ALSO Moose! I wanted to adopt him and name him MJ, but someone beat me to it. Congrats to the new owner!

Crash is a really cute black and white Heeler, 12-14 weeks old. He was hit by a car, but seems to be doing just fine. Mercury, 12-14 weeks as well, is a charming Black Lab. Runt is a crazy Lab/Heeler Mix. At 5 months, he's ready to rock and roll.

ButterRum, who was named Ginger (but I just like saying ButterRum!) is a beautiful, altered, orange Tabby. She enjoys being picked up, likes her head scratched and just really wants to get out of the Shelter.

I've been going over to the Shelter every day at lunch, just to spend time with the cats. Cats are very social animals, but if you don't hang out with them, they can become shy. Take MaoMao for example. He's a Failure to Thrive kitten - just hasn't grown hardly at all. When I go in there now, he runs up to me, meowing and hissing at the same time. I love it! I've been giving the "special needs" cats a mixture of chicken and rice every lunchtime. It worked for Ralphie, my "Failure to Thrive" cat who weighs about 8 pounds now!

Check out these pictures. These are great animals and they all need homes.