cats, Flannery Oconnor, foster cats, foster dogs, fostering, kittens

Becoming a Cat Person (By Default)

Cara Sue Achterberg

The boys survived their ‘alterations’ this week and hopefully, two of them will be moving on soon. Chett and Poe have an adopter, they’re vaccinated, dewormed (multiple times), microchipped, combo-tested (neg), and now, neutered. They are ready to go!

The Humane Society of Shenandoah County charges $175 for kittens and $150 for cats in adoption fees. I’m pretty new to this cat game, but even I can see that adoption fees don’t begin to cover the cost of saving these kitties.

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cats, foster cats, fostering, Humane Society of Shenandoah County, kittens

Five Little Kitties Jumping on the Desk

Cara Sue Achterberg

It’s pretty quiet here at this foster home. That’s the difference between fostering cats and fostering dogs. Dogs require a lot more attention.

But cats, kittens in this case, also require a little attention. Just like puppies, there is a lot of deworming. Plus, for the first few weeks with us, Harper needed to be bathed almost daily because she had not figured out how to take care of herself. Thankfully, she’s finally doing her own grooming. Neither of us enjoyed her baths.

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cats, foster cats, fostering, kittens, worms

My Surprising New Fostering Assistant

Cara Sue Achterberg

I have a surprising new assistant helping me with the foster kitties.

We’ve discovered that Otis simply loves the kittens. All our foster cats/kittens usually live out on the sunporch. We haven’t added furniture or renovated the area because we need to replace the supporting posts (one is rotting) and possibly the windows (which are sagging, but once the posts are replaced that problem may correct itself).

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canine health, distemper, dog rescue, euthanasia, foster dogs, shelters

A Little Dog From Texas Who Changed the World

Cara Sue Achterberg

Sometimes rescue sucks.

I’m sorry. I’m not usually so negative. I’m really a very positive person.

When my children were small and we talked about swear words, I told them, “People who need to use those words so often simply lack creativity.” But sometimes, those bad words fit the situation. And I muttered more than my share in the past week.

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canine health, cats, dog rescue, foster cats, foster dogs, fostering, kittens, Texas, Who Will Let the Dogs Out

Heartbreak and Happiness Exist Side By Side in Rescue

Cara Sue Achterberg

I don’t know what to tell you about Bippity Bop. Her health situation is a mystery. As we back off (very slowly) from the anti-seizure medications, she is still not herself. It’s like the little dog who arrived here a month ago, is gone, vanished.

In her place, is a timid pup who startles easily, is unsteady on her feet, and seems confused most of the time. X-Port Paws and I are reaching out to different doctors and rescue organizations for advice and plan to do all we can to get to the bottom of this, but my heart is heavy as she is deteriorating quickly. I just want my spunky little girl back.

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canine health, cats, dog rescue, foster cats, fostering

One Day at a Time

Cara Sue Achterberg

It has been quite a rollercoaster ride with Miss Bippity Bop this past week.

The good news is that we’ve been able to get her seizures under control.

The bad news is that we still don’t know what brought them, and the medication she is taking to prevent them is having a strong effect on her.

She is docile, dopey, and a wobbly. Gone is her fiery little personality that claimed her space at this house. Now, she seems to be sleep-walking through her days, and sleep-walking unsteadily at that. She naps all day long and is happiest if she can nap in a lap.

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canine health, dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, Texas

Rescue Comes With A Lot of Unkowns

Cara Sue Achterberg

I put off writing this post because I wasn’t sure what was really happening to my little foster dog, Bippity. I still don’t know, but I’ve decided to write anyway.

The not knowing? That is a big part of rescue.

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adopters, canine health, dog rescue, Ehrlichia, foster dogs, fostering, Texas

Bippity Bop is Ready to Bop On Out of Here

Cara Sue Achterberg

After ten days of quarantine and pumping her skinny body full of steroids, antibiotics, and as much food as she could eat, Bippity has joined our pack.

She quickly submitted to Fanny’s established leadership, will run and chase Otis but not wrestle with him (he is 3x her weight), and took no offense at Gracie’s warning snarls. She is undeterred; with her tail wagging and her happy energy, she trails all three other dogs all over the house.

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adopters, bordetella, canine health, dog rescue, Ehrlichia, foster dogs, fostering, vaccines

Bippity Bop Boom: Getting Our Latest Foster on Her Feet

Cara Sue Achterberg

Every foster experience I have is the same and different. Probably because every dog is the same and different. Bottom line, dogs are dogs, and it’s important to remember that. They are not people in furry suits. They have the same needs in terms of food, safety, comfort, health, etc., but they are also individuals.

Bippity may look a lot like Dippity and possibly even be a littermate, but she is a different dog. Bippity is quirky and confident, with a personality much bigger than you expect from a 25-pound dog who is sick with Bordetella and Erhlichia.

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dog rescue, foster dogs, Texas, transport, Who Will Let the Dogs Out

Dog Marketing and Distribution

Cara Sue Achterberg

My next foster, Bippity-Bop, is making her way eastward as you read this! Yesterday, she traveled from the Rio Grande Valley to San Antonio, where she was boarded overnight and this morning was placed on an east-bound transport.

She’ll arrive in Stephens City, about a half-hour north of us on Friday evening. That’s if all goes according to plan. Anyone in rescue knows that according to plan is often simply a fantasy.

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