Updates, Updates...

Foster coordinating is going well.  Sort of.  It keeps me very busy and has its ups and downs, really.  I've fallen into the position fairly well, though, and am more or less keeping on top of things.  Recruitment is going slowly and is an uphill battle, but we are rescuing, and even brought in a heartworm positive pet, so that's good.  I am due in May, though, so this summer I will be taking a bit of a break from it.

Unfortunately, all of our other managers are also taking breaks of the more permanent variety this summer, so I'm not super certain how we will hold together as an organization.  I guess we'll see.

I don't remember if I already updated this, but probably not.  All six TNR kittens have passed away.  We affectionately referred to them as our feleukers.  Dove went first, declining quickly and suddenly.  Traveler was next.  Overnight, Pickles passed away in the room without our help, and that same night I found Cowbell and Kitty System to be horribly on their way out.  I held them for hours and hours.  Second only to losing my first child, this is my hardest memory from 2012, and one of the reasons I am glad it is over.  I drove them out to Zulch, since it was a Sunday, and got a wonderful vet's help putting them down.  Cowbell did not even need euthanasia - he got the sedative shot in his tummy and his heart stopped while I held him.  Kitty System's pupil had blown, his teeth had fallen out, and the sedative hit him like a miracle - he was unconscious before the euthanasia hit.  Each time, my friend leaned over them and told them they were owned, they were loved, they belonged, and they could go now, it was okay.  A couple of weeks later, Freddy's time came.  Since he had never shown symptoms and we had assumed he had an immunity, this was hard for us to swallow.  We held him until the vet opened.  We held him at the vet.  I wondered out loud if he was going so we could use the room for the baby.  My husband whispered into his fur, silly Freddy, we wanted you both.

Deep breath.

Next came Doug, I think.  Douglas Adams was a pit mix who was called out of traffic by a friend in Houston.  He just found his home finally with a great pair of chicks back in Houston, after about 5 or so months in our home.  He's a real sweetie, and I'm so glad he has someone who lets him sleep in the bed now.

Woohoo Doug!

So today, a mere few days after setting Dougy up in his new home and out of ours...my husband has me go out to the shelter and turn in a foster application for Roscoe, a basset hound/lab mix that is heartworm positive and at the top of the euth list for space.

Sigh.

So it looks as though as of Friday we shall be fostering again, but this time for an organization that can actually take the pet back if we have to stop.  They don't cover expenses, though, so that bit's on us.  At least we still have some donated food left over from Mr. Douglas (who ate like a BEAST).  I also went ahead and put down that I can do bottle baby kittens, since it is about that season and why not.  KMR is cheaper than dog food.

I think that's really the bulk of the updates.  I mentioned I'm due in May, right?  The next three months are going to be a veritable whirlwind of getting ready for a baby, cleaning and prepping the house, getting the dogs used to the idea, getting the foster Cattens adopted out, and kind of freaking out.  I guess the rescue helps me keep my mind off of it.  I'm good at rescue.  I don't know if I'm good at being a mom yet, but I'm good at rescue.


-Mouse

Ah, such a very short break.

For a couple of days there, my phone wasn't going crazy with email notifications.  No one was calling me.  No facebook tags on puppy dog faces or posts about cats.  It was just so lovingly quiet.

The kittens are doing wonderfully and progressing just perfect.  Their momma couldn't love them more - I doubt they're going to be adopted so much as four fuzzy little foster fails.


Ahhh...and then the emails started rolling back in.

And my boss made me increase the number of days I work, so that now I only have one night off.  My husband has no nights off.  I have a foster app to process, one to encourage, a foster who needs a new pet, BOATLOADS of paperwork to do both for IAF and my own pets, a house that will now never get cleaned, and a ton of pets to follow up on.

Oh, and I think a fundraising event this weekend?

And yardwork for pay in the morning.

And pulling pretty much all of the money out of our savings that I had been hoping to use on a functioning car and you know, a family...

I just called the only orthopedic vet in our area for a quote to repair Penny's luxating patella, and for the love of fuck, we're looking at about $2,000-2,500 all said and done.  To fix a knee popping out of place, that's only popping out of place because of her FIRST incredibly expensive surgery.  And she's about 4 years old, best guess, and could really use a dental cleaning.  Which would be about $500.

Fuck.  Me.

There may need to be a chip-in if I can't find a cheaper vet.  I wish my normal guy did weird surgeries...I adore him.  Maybe he can at least do the dental stuff cheaper.  We tried to give her pain meds for the knee, since she is favoring it every time she goes outside now and hopping around like she can't even use it, but it just made her dopey and SO unhappy.  So I guess it's we-go-broke or dog-goes-dopey...and I hate both of those options.


So we're working more and hoping the money will help us NOT miss rent anymore... hoping for coupons, donations, some kind of aid...and having zero time to really handle anything even if it came our way.

So anyways.  Busy, REALLY busy, but at least no current crises.  Just...not nearly enough hours in the day for all the commitments and everything we're doing to try to make a little extra cash.

That's really it for now.  Gonna maybe put up a new pet of the day for ya, too.


-(stressed out and very broke) Mouse