I started writing this post with a nearly 7-week-old kitten sleeping on my chest, and it marks a peaceful moment in this very active, high-needs but filled with love house. I thought you were due an update because a lot of changes and new faces are here, and while I was thinking about that, things changed again!
I’m devoted to this rescue lifestyle, and in the middle of writing committed to picking up another senior dog foster. Murphy – a 15-year-old deaf and partially blind cocker spaniel makes my fourth senior dog foster currently. Add to that the four kittens and my residents: four dogs and a cat, and you’re starting to get a picture of what I’m working with here on this Sunday, May 16, 2021.
It sounds overwhelming to people, I know. And there are moments that it definitely IS overwhelming. Mealtime, for instance, can turn into actual chaos when a new rescue joins us and doesn’t have a designated eating spot figured out quite yet. Even without a new rescue, I have to pass out the food to every dog (praise be at least 3 of them are blind, it makes them a little slower!), keep everyone focused and get one insulin shot in foster dog Melvin’s neck. All of this usually also includes refereeing while my own dogs Finch and Sal simultaneously try to enforce their hunger strikes while fiercely defending their bowls from fosters. Not many of my roommates take things easy on me when food is involved.
If I’m on my game, I’ll have fed the kittens their soft food dinner in advance of dog dinner, so they are nicely tucked away in their suite, which is my half-bath upstairs. They have done their best to destroy that bathroom with their lack of litter box aim, and when they move on to their next phase in life, a bleach treatment will be necessary. Such is the kitten life. Their cuteness truly does make up for how disgusting they are with their bodily needs.
So here we are. Murphy, the senior cocker spaniel joined our pack tonight. I picked him up from the humane society right before dinner. He didn’t eat much, and didn’t even eat his peanut butter and pill pocketed med. So I’ll face that challenge here in a bit while I also try to get some eye drops in one of his eyes (wish me luck!). On this May 16, 2021, we have 8 happy dogs, 6 of them seniors with a spectrum of needs – but they’re slow so that helps, and 5 kittens – one of them being Tuna, my own 1-year-old foster fail from quarantine 2020.
I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. Except I’d love more space both inside and outside to keep this up. Which is why some land and a house in the country is my ultimate goal. If you’d like to help me support that effort (I can’t even begin to tell you how appreciated it is), please shop in my Etsy shop The Piperbee Market or make a donation.
All our love while we live our second chance!
Here is my current pack of residents. [I lost my last long-term senior “Golden Girl” Quincy 6 weeks ago. I’ll write a post about that one soon. 🙁 ]
