Goodbyes

Our little Sugar baby is heading home very soon.  I could not have asked for a better guest and first time foster dog experience. I am a bit sad to see her go but thrilled that a dog will soon be reunited with her human mom and her pack.

I have a ton of photographs of this sweet and elegant girl but when I saw her and Willy laying quietly on the edge of the bed, I just had to snap a few more.  It's so rare that Willy holds still or is in lighting that I can take his photo. And there they were relaxing together in the late afternoon light.

Just as I began to think my photo-taking was becoming excessive, I felt a horrible pulling of my hair. I was reminded of my childhood and my mom struggling to get the snarls out. I have forgotten how tender-headed I am!

For those of you who have wondered how Mittens the Maleficent has settled it... well... she's the Queen.  I don't believe I've ever met a more naughty kitten. But I adore her. She and Willy play together, chasing each other through the apartment.  Sugar isn't afraid of her but is far too dignified to be bothered with the kitty shenanigans.

The photo session ended with Mittens combing my hair to get my attention.

My little family will soon number three again. Willy the dog, Mittens the kitten, and me... her grey twin!

Thank you so much to the owner of Sugar, for allowing her to come visit and to add to our lives. I will not forget her adorable dances to get treats, finding her burrowed inside of my pillowcase, and the way she sits watching everything that's going on.

Solving Litter Box Woes

Cat Box Furniture

My dear Mittens the kitten was adopted and moved in with us a month ago today. There was a bit of
excitement that delayed her adoption and I knew that she was going to be a challenging kitten.  I knew that she may cause some excitement in my home. And she has. The first problem I've had to address is the disgusting litter box problem.

Mittens, despite all of her extreme naughtiness, is great with the litter box.  There have been no accidents. And even though I have moved the box several times during this month - which is not something I wanted to do - she doesn't hesitate to use it. Thank goodness for that small favor!

The problem is the dog. Willy, my young dog, used the litter box as a snack buffet at the very first opportunity. There are two things I cannot stomach about being a cat owner. One is the cat walking on the counter where I prepare food (all I can imagine are dirty litter box footprints) and dogs snacking in the box. So Willy's sneakiness has to be the very first thing I address. 

Mittens and Willy getting acquainted

Small Living Limits Litter Box Placement

I live in very small apartment with little extra space. And no extra room or closet to turn into the "cat" room. All of my past options are not an option in this small space. 

• Bedroom - In days gone by, I would use a baby gate and block one room off from the dogs, and place the litter box in that spare room. But I don't have that luxury here. 
• Closet - Due to creative space-saving issues for my belongings, my bedroom closet doors are permanently open, so keeping the litter box in the closet, behind a partially open closet door is not an option either. 
• Bathroom - My bathroom is barely big enough for me. Not an option.  

Litter Box in a Crate

Dog Crate with Side Door

On the first evening that Mittens was out of her crate and roaming the house, Willy was found in the crate helping himself.  We had transitioned Mittens slowly, letting her out of the crate for small periods of time and she was doing well settling in. I didn't want to move backwards by keeping her crated more in order to guard the litter box.  A very good friend suggested that I turn the crate so that the door opens from the top of the cage.

I did exactly that. I turned the crate so that the side door opened on the top side of the crate. Mittens, the spirited kitten, had no qualms about entering the crate and accessing the litter box through the top. Because it is a dog crate, it was solid and held her weight. I just placed a towel on top to protect her little feet. The crate kept the litter box safe from the dog. However, that left a large crate in the middle of my bedroom. A perfect way to break a toe in the middle of the night and a complete eyesore.  It was a fantastic temporary solution but clearly not a good permanent solution.

Cat Bathroom Furniture

Are you aware that furniture is made specifically for hiding a litter box? Until I had started looking for solutions I had not known this bit if information. There are very beautiful pieces of furniture than can be used to hide the litter box. I looked at them all.  The only problem with the pre-built furniture was that it all looked as though the entry hole for the cats would also be large enough for Willy's head. It seemed unlikely that the cabinets would be dog-proof.     

I also found a wonderful article, with step-by-step photographs, about building your own furniture to hide the litter box. So I had decided to make my own.  I planned on going to used furniture stores to find the perfect end table to re-purpose.

Cat Box Furniture in Brown or White

Thump Thump Thump

As the days passed and I was stubbing my toe on the crate in the middle of my tiny bedroom, I was waiting for the opportunity to go to the used furniture stores, and wondering who I'd borrow a saw from, I realized the answer was right before my eyes.  Thump, thump, as the kitten was playing in the aquarium stand and was batting the door open.  Our aquarium, sits on a stand that is backless, but wooden, with a hinged door. Viola, the perfect solution to the cat bathroom problem.  Mittens clearly already entered and exited this cabinet freely.

Bowfront Aquarium and Stand

I moved the empty Aqueon brand aquarium and stand (I haven't had fish in it since moving to this apartment) to the bedroom. I will be using the aquarium as a miniature seed starting greenhouse. The lid on it will keep that cat from spilling the tiny plants. The cabinet is backless, so she enters it easily but it is close enough to the wall that the dog can't get in. And the large front door of the cabinet makes cleaning the litter box easy. 

If you have a cat and are looking for a litter box solution, I highly recommend that you get a cat litter box piece of furniture. Whether you buy one or re-purpose an existing piece of furniture, it is a great way to store that litter box.  Now, on to solving the other Mittens issues!

Disclaimer: In affiliation with Amazon.com, Dawn Rae is a content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of these products - at no additional cost to you. 

Mittens the Kitten

This is Mittens.  She is a 7 month old kitten at the local animal shelter. 

I have been considering adding a cat and a dog to the family for about a year.  I kept flipping back and forth about which would come first, cat or dog.  

Then I found Mittens. And the decision was made.

She is listed as a "spirited" kitten. The definition of spirited seems to be as follows - she puts her head down to be rubbed and after less than a minute passes she scratches, or hisses, or bites, or all three.  She does all of this while purring and flicking her tail tip.  

I came home with three scratches on my hand and the adoption paperwork.  She remains at the shelter in order to have her spaying completed. I pick her up on Thursday.

I will introduce her to Willy, my dog, slowly.  As much for her comfort as his protection!  And I will hope for the best.  I don't want a cat that scratches and hisses. But I think she will settle in and be the type of independent and opinionated cat that I like.

During my adventure of shelter visits, I was reminded that I really, really like cats. Many cats.  I could probably easily become the crazy, old, cat lady.  There is only one type of cat that I don't care for and those are orange tabbies. And I only recently remembered the stray cat that bit the hand that fed it (mine, as a 7 year old child) was an orange tabby.  The mystery has been solved about my hesitance about orange tabbies.  Now that I've remembered that, maybe someday I'll like orange tabbies.  Until then, I love every other type of cat there is.  

365 CATS Calendar

I've decided to get a cat calendar for my desk at work.  So I can enjoy looking at many different cats without bringing them all home. I found this calendar and love the little story bits that come on each page.  

Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy

I also have some shopping to do.  I've purchased the required things I need; litter box, carrier, litter, scoop, and etc.  I'm sure she will need some toys to keep her occupied.  I'm holding off a bit on the toys. I want to get to know her a bit better so I have a better idea of what she might like.  But I'll purchase one of these immediately. My last cat loved it.

In my experience it seems that cats, much like dogs, do not develop problem behaviors if they have enough mental or physical stimulation.  Cat toys in addition to attention from their human will usually keep cats from clawing the furniture. 

I am so excited. I can't wait for Thursday to arrive and my kitten to come home. 

Disclaimer: In affiliation with Amazon.com, Dawn Rae is a content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of Amazon products

No Dog with a Loving Family Should Have to be Relinquished to the Animal Shelter

As a child, I brought home every stray animal I crossed paths with. I was about 7 years old when I was feeding that big stray cat that came around.  Even when he bit my thumb and hung on for dear life  as I tried to make him let go, and even after the drama of trying to find out whether or not I would need rabies injections, I couldn't be dissuaded.

I continued to bring animals home and add members to our family.

Alaskan Malamute Portrait by Lynn M Stone

As a pre-teen, I found a large, angry Malamute dog in the neighborhood where my friends lived.  He
had clearly been abused or neglected. And would growl and snap at any adults who approached. If you imagine a cross between a junkyard dog and a wolf, you would be close to what he appeared to be.  I begged my mom to let me have him.  Fortunately, my mom was a bit, um, impulsive.  Despite his clear aggression toward adults, she told me that if I could get him into the hatchback of our small Vega station wagon, I could bring him home.  I did and she kept her promise.

As a parent, I'm not sure I would have done the same. I would have given more than a second thought to putting an angry dog in my car and driving miles down the road.  My child in the back of the steel and glass trap with this unknown beast. That scenario could have turned out badly.

I'm glad she was a bit unpredictable like that.  And I'm really glad that he didn't bite my face off as we drove those miles home. King turned out to be the best dog we had for many years and lived his life into old age with us.  He was never aggressive with any of our family members; adult or child but he was the best guard dog a farm family could ask for.

As an adult, I have limited the number of pets in my home. My focus was on raising my children.  I've also lived in limited space with limited finances.  Even so, I daydream about the day that I can continue to give animals in need a loving and safe home.

Friendship

My children grew up and opened my eyes  to some of the difficulties of life in the armed forces.  I watched as our soldiers gave up their cars, their personal items, and worst of all, their pets, due to relocation and deployments.  The ongoing daydream I had about stray animals began to shift.  I began to dream of the day that I could own a kennel of sorts. A place to keep family pets while their people were deployed.  I kept thinking, "some day, I can do something to help."

Imagine my surprise and excitement when I recently found a way I can help now!  The opportunity comes through an organization called Dogs on Deployment.  I immediately signed up.

People register on the site to "foster" pets in the short term, while the service persons are sent to trainings, have to relocate, or are deployed. Service persons can list their pets that will soon need temporary homes. I won't rehash all of the information on the site, because there is so much information there, But I encourage you to register and have a look around. 


If you need proof that a program like this is important or you think that dogs aren't happy when their family members return, watch this.

I am limited with the size and breed of pets that I can foster due to living in an apartment.  But I have signed up. And I look forward to having a visitor while the owner is deployed.  It is the very least I can do for our service people who don't want to relinquish their pets to the shelters while they are serving our country.


written by Dawn Rae
Disclosure: In affiliation with AllPosters.com, Dawn Rae is a blogger and content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of Allposters products.


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