Kate emailed and has a request:
I recently started a blog called “From Alone to Home: Stories of Adopted Pets“, and my hope is to collect adoption stories (and photos) from around the country and encourage other people to adopt. I work at a shelter in upstate NY, so it’s a really important issue to me. I’m really excited about collecting and sharing people’s experiences with pet adoption, and I’m sure you have a lot of readers who have adopted.
Go check out Kate’s awesome blog and submit your stories and pictures, y’all!
Texas is having horribly wild fires right now, and Bastrop (outside of Austin) is getting hit hard. Many people have had to evacuate without their animals and some animal shelters have also had to evacuate.
Austin Pets Alive (APA) has been instrumental in stepping up and managing/coordinating a response to help the animals. They have recently been allowed into the evacuation zones to help search for animals that had to be left behind.
They really need donations to help foot the bill of this very large rescue, rehome (existing fosters), and reunite mission. They have a chipin page (listed below) to help defray the expenses.
Austin has worked very hard to become very close to a 100% no kill city and dedicated groups like APA helped make it happen.
Please, if anyone can help, I know it would be much appreciated.
The pictures on that ChipIn page are just heartbreaking.
Remember, y’all – every little bit helps!
Just a quick one today!
So, to recap from last week, last Tuesday Cilantro:
was adopted! That left Clove, Coriander, and Ciara waiting for their forever homes.
And THEN, on Friday I got the word that Clove:
was adopted! She went to a home with a very active older cat and a 10 year-old boy who was very very excited to be bringing her home.
Saturday afternoon, my cell phone rang. It was the shelter manager. “Hey,” she said. “Want 7 more kittens?”
There was dead silence on my end as I (1) tried to figure out where we’d put another 7 kittens, and (2) tried to figure out a nice way to say “Um, NO!”
But before I could respond, she laughed. “I’m just kidding! Ciara and Coriander were just adopted. TOGETHER!”
TOGETHER!!!! Princess Poutyface not only has a forever home, she also has a forever sister!
Ciara and Cori are going to a family with a teenage girl, and Ciara apparently sealed the deal by climbing into the dad’s lap and making herself at home. She’s no dummy!
This has been a great week for my girls. I was starting to get worried that they’d never be adopted and then – boom! – all four in less than a week!
This doesn’t mean that the Peppers Gang will be going soon, though. There are other kittens on the list ahead of them, so they’ve got a little while yet. Unless, of course, adoptions keep up at this rate, in which case they could be going any day now. We’ll just have to see!
Last week, I got an email from the shelter manager. Someone who had adopted a male kitten – now an adult – from Challenger’s House last year was returning him. She was pregnant, and her doctor had told her that she shouldn’t be breathing in the ammonia fumes from the litter box.
(I have no comment on this ridiculous excuse except to say that ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!)
You know, we rarely ever have adult fosters here, we tend to get the little ones because, well, I do love a baby kitten and that’s just the way it tends to work out. So I called Fred and told him about the return and suggested that since Charlie and Patty were in a cage, we could move them to the bathroom and put the adult in the guest bedroom for a while and give him lots of attention. Fred was amenable to the suggestion, so I told Susan we’d take the returned cat.
Thursday, I went up and had breakfast with the usual Thursday crew, and then I went and picked up the returned cat from the vet’s office. If a cat is returned to Challenger’s House, they get a quick exam and a re-test to be sure they are still FeLV and FIV negative, and their shots are updated if need be. He tested negative, as expected, and I headed home with him. He complained the whole way home in a sad little voice that got louder the closer we got to home. At home, when I walked into the house, he sat in his carrier and growled and hissed at the other cats he saw, all the way to the guest bedroom. I let him out of the carrier, and he walked around the guest bedroom, sniffing all the smells of the other cats who’d been in and out of the room, and he hissed and growled and complained like a little drama queen the entire time. I finally left him alone so he could sniff to his heart’s content and maybe settle down a little.
All through Thursday he was very hissy and growly. Fred let Jake in to visit with him for a brief period of time, and he and Jake sniffed each other and then butted heads. Jake rubbed up against him (honestly, Jake is just the best cat on earth) and then after a few minutes Jake was overwhelmed and asked to go out of the room.
Friday the new guy was a lot calmer, so we let him out into the house to sniff around. There was no reaction at all from our other cats, but eventually the new guy got overwhelmed and started hissing and smacking at the other cats, so we put him back in the guest bedroom for the night.
Fred got up Saturday morning and let the new guy out of the guest bedroom to let him explore a little. He followed Fred to the laundry room, saw the cat door to the back yard, and was out into the back yard in about two seconds. Fred put a collar on him, and he spent all of Saturday either in the back yard hanging out, or in the kitchen on top of the cabinets. If he wasn’t in either of those two places, he was twining around my legs trying to convince me that he was fading away to nothing and needed a bite to eat. (He is not at all a small cat, so I wasn’t convinced.)
Since Saturday morning, he’s been out of the guest bedroom. He’s getting along fine with the other cats (though he and Alice are rather hissy and growly toward each other), and he is one happy boy.
It took very little discussion for Fred and I to make the decision to keep him. He’s so at home here with us, and though adult cats are adopted from Challenger’s House all the time, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to put him through sitting in a cage at Petsmart while all the kittens in the cages around him were adopted and he waited and waited. (Not that that’s necessarily how it would work – Maggie, after all, was adopted in less than two weeks. It’s possible he’d be adopted immediately, he is one gorgeous boy, but we couldn’t stand the thought of it.)
So it’s not official yet – I haven’t filled out the paperwork – but we have a #13 again. We’re not going to keep his “official” name, though, it really doesn’t suit him. We have a much better name in mind for him. We’re going to call him….
BUSTER!!!!
(Yes, it’s really the real Buster aka Bolitar the Bookworm, who went to what we thought was his forever home last December. As you see, that didn’t work out, and he’s back here with us, for good. More details (and pics) tomorrow! Also, no – I did NOT know when I posted the pictures comparing Charlie Peppers to a young Buster that Buster would be coming back here!)
Previously
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: I think that “Cats are bossy and like everything on their own terms” pretty much covers, well, EVERYTHING when it comes to cats!
2007: Human eggs, scrambled, taste just a bit too humany, if you ask me.
2006: I sense I’m being royally fucking screwed over by the goddamn advantage-taking photographer. Who’s probably lighting his cigars with $100 bills as he drives around in his limo.
2005: Ants ain’t fuckin’ welcome here, if you hadn’t guessed.
2004: No entry.
2003: What above the Bumsen is up with that?
2002: It’s the front yard or bust, baby.
2001: That’s pretty much how we all felt.
2000: That’s the price of getting old, my friends.
Hooray! Isn’t Buster just beautiful all grown up?
Well it’s sad that his owner couldn’t keep him but I am glad to see he has a home with you two. He did grow up to be a very pretty cat!
Hah! Buster Brown gets around!
BUSTER!! Corbie gets his brother back!
Buster’s a beautiful boy, isn’t he? He’s really lucky to get to live at Crooked Acres, too.
I’ve actually heard many times that pregnant women should stay away from kitty litter boxes. I’ve even heard it about women who are TTC. So, it’s a myth?
Great news about the girls getting adopted. You called it about adoptions picking up after the back-to-school chaos subsided.
There is a threat of Taxoplasmosis for pregnant women coming into contact with cat feces – however, you can also get it from gardening (outdoor cats in the neighborhood) and undercooked meats. For some reason people pearl clutch about this without hearing more about it…many people have already been exposed to it and are immune (I have read that you can get tested to see if you’re immune) I would imagine there are a lot of women who are immune to it but it’s not really suggested to them that they have the option to get tested.
You can read more here: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/toxoplasmosis.html
You said it! I was going to say that too! It is like chicken pox, you get it once, and then are immune, so anyone who had a cat/ kitten/ played in the mud or dirt outside, should be immune to it.
Buster is a lucky boy!
Buster is GORGEOUS! He and Corbie might just have to feud since they’re both so pretty!
I got that lump in my throat when I was reading how you didn’t want Buster to go back to petsmart and be an adult cat amongst a bunch of kittens and get passed over for the kitty’s
So he is now a permanent resident 
You and Fred have the biggest hearts and love for the animal kingdom. Bless you both for being angels to the homeless animal world.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You and Fred rock! Buster’s such a pretty boy and he’s one lucky cat to be living at Crooked Acres.
Pregnant women shouldn’t change litter boxes, but it has nothing to do with breathing ammonia fumes–it’s because you could get toxoplasmosis, which is dangerous if you are pregnant. If you have had the cat for a long time though, it’s likely NOT going to be an issue as long as the cat is an indoor only cat.
Am I mistaken, or wouldn’t Buster be #14?
I agree, KarmaCat. I’m coming up with 14, too. Maybe Robyn’s in denial at the moment?
While I was reading the post, I thought “Well, why can’t the kitty’s original foster mom/dad take him back?”
So, so happy Buster’s back! Do he and Corbie seem to recognize each other?
Well, shit. Apparently I can’t count – you’re right, he’s #14. Eek!
I was thinking – hmmmm I thought they already had 13, but you threw me with the #13 again remark. I got scared thinking someone was gone. Phew! Did Buster remember you?
I may piss some people off, but people that get rid of their pets just because they’re having a baby are fucking assholes. I’m not talking about pets that aggressive with children, or kids with allergies; I’m talking about the couples that find out a baby is on the way and immediately dump the family dog or cat at the shelter. Thank God that Buster had a loving home to return to!
I am highly cranky today so maybe I’m not seeing both sides of the equation, but when my husband and I set out to start a family we did the usual research into good/bad for pregnant women thing. Litter box scooping is bad (which is why he’s in charge of that HA!) but you can deal with it by using rubber gloves and a dust mask if you have to. Maybe Buster’s former owner had other issues as well but it would have taken more than “fumez baaad” from the doctor for me to give up my cats. OTOH, welcome back Bolitar!
(maybe it was a karma thing or something)
Awwww crap, of course you’d post a touching story about a kitty sitting in a cage while all the kittens got adopted…of course it’s the one day I am actually wearing makeup to work. I knew it was a bad idea! lol yayayaya for Buster! So happy for both of you.
And also – I’m with boo. Previous owner sucks. I hate that pets are expendable because you’re having a preshus baybeeeeeeeee. ugh.
That doctor is an idiot — “ammonia” fumes? Everyone knows it’s the (rare but serious) toxoplasmosis that poses a threat. Which as boo says you can deal with by using gloves or do what I did — put litter box duty on your husband! 11 years later, the poor man is still in charge of the boxes (he never did figure out I could take it back after the baby was born).
Buster is a beautiful boy!
This makes me S O H A P P Y (and I needed happy after this weekend.)
Man alive, did Bolitar turn into a stunner!
I have to say that if there are “ammonia fumes” emanating from the litter box, you’re not keeping it clean enough anyway, so maybe it’s for the best that Buster’s out of there. I hope the doctor told her not to pee for the remainder of her pregnancy; those ammonia fumes, man!
Robyn, I was *wondering* why you were sidestepping the name of the cat so carefully – all I could think of was that it was something vulgar and/or offensive (I used to live in that area and while most folks were neither vulgar nor offensive, the ones who were really worked hard to even things out…) and you hadn’t yet decided on a rename. It’s funny that now all I can think of when I look at Buster is, “You got a real purty mouth!” (He DOES!)
*she’s not keeping it, or the universal “you” – not YOU, Robyn. Of course.
LMAO at the idea that Robyn would sidestep something because it was vulgar or offensive!
LOL True to an extent, but the specific TYPE of “vulgar or offensive” I had in mind, I do think Robyn would never post.
(Think “slurs” instead of “profanity.” And I don’t want people to think I’m stereotyping or making assumptions about the South, which is why I mentioned that I lived in Huntsville for a while and know that it’s not TYPICAL, but definitely POSSIBLE. One of my then-husband’s golf buddies had a dog with an unrepeatable-by-me name, and thought it was the cleverest & funniest thing ever. When I scowled, the guy said the dog’s full name was Barknold Woofzenegger, as if that was supposed to make me go, “Oh, okay, in that case hahaha!”)
HA – my mind didn’t even go in that direction. I was wishing I’d claimed they named him Motherfucker McGee.
(Which would be an awesome name for a badass cat, I think.)
I know you think Corbie is the most beautiful cat ever, but I have to disagree – Buster is FAR more handsome with his little splash of color on all that white. LOVE HIS FACE. I would have adopted him, too.
So funny… reading on my netbook, I scrolled down to the very top of the picture and thought, “Hey, that looks just like Buster!” And it was!
I absolutely loved watching The Bookworms grow up here, and all four of them were some of the prettiest cats I’ve ever seen. (Personality helps, I guess, because they were such CHARACTERS, too!) I know Kathy and Reacher are doing well, but have you gotten any news on Rhyme?
So happy about this! And when you eventually get a picture of Corbie and Buster snuggling up I’m going to keel over from cute.
Oh, Buster and Team Anders0n, you made my day.
I’m happy that Buster has a home with you. I do have to comment about his previous owner ditching him though. I can’t believe a doctor would tell a pregnant woman to get rid of a cat because of ammonia. It’s ridiculous. I have worked at an animal shelter for ten years and this is the lamest excuse ever! I cleaned up after forty cages of shelter cats full time during my pregnancy. I wore gloves (still do cause touching poo is gross). My ob/gyn knew about my job and was very supportive of me. She should have gotten rid of her doctor not her cat. Also, you can have a baby and a pet at the same time. Cats do not suck out the breath of babies. Okay I’m climbing off of my soapbox.
Myself, I’m wondering if the lady didn’t just make up the “my doctor said” thing. Seems like the most logical explanation – that she didn’t want to keep the cat for whatever reason/s but was (rightfully) ashamed about saying so, and thus added “my doctor says” to her excuse for extra credibility and blame-dodging.
Curious, though – everyone I’ve known who’s had to take a pet to a shelter or rescue agency says they give you the third degree about your reasons for relinquishing. A former friend had an unrehab-able sprayer and her landlord said it was her or the cat; when she tried to take the cat to the rescue agency they told her they needed a letter from her vet saying that the cat had been checked for UTIs and attesting that the owner had done, in the vet’s opinion, everything possible to properly box-train the cat and that relinquishing was the only option. And a friend of my mom’s wasn’t going to be able to care for her dogs after a major surgery, and got the same type of response from a different shelter – they were willing to take the animals (with a suitable donation) but they really grilled her long and hard about other options… friends, family, boarding until she was recovered (which was expected to be up to 18 months, so not feasible) – they even suggested that one of their volunteers could come over a few times a week to help with big stuff (grooming, yard cleanup, walks) in exchange for the same “donation” they would require for her to relinquish the dogs. They really ran her through the wringer; she didn’t want to have to give them up and it seemed like they made it as hard as possible for her, even though she was expected to be bedridden for 3-4 months and then minimally mobile for at least a year after that. (One of her grandchildren eventually moved in with her to help out, and they were able to re-adopt the dogs back. Yay!)
So I’m curious now whether the people at Challenger House challenged (ha) the lady’s story of “ammonia fumes,” or if they just decided it was better to take him back than to risk her dumping him off in a field somewhere.
“Cats do not suck out the breath of babies.”
I actually saw a recent Craigslist ad where a man said his wife was pregnant and they had to rehome their cat because “we do not trust it around our baby.”
Could. Not. Believe. Then again, I don’t believe half the ads that say ‘my kid is allergic’ either — I think it comes down to kid wants kitten, kid can’t scoop litter pan, parent won’t scoop litter pan, cat has to go.
So sad. But at least Buster’s back (anybody else got “Blockbuster” by Sweet running through their brain endlessly now?)
You look in his eyes, don’t be surprised
If you don’t know what’s going on behind his disguise
Nobody knows where Buster goes
He’ll steal your woman out from under your nose
and we know Buster, Corbie, and Reacher have good homes.
Any updates on Rhyme?
To be fair, unless the craigslist post specifically said something about sucking the air out of the baby’s lungs, I wouldn’t judge too hard on that one – there are some cats for whom that is a perfectly reasonable position. For instance, if I had a newborn, I wouldn’t trust my mom and dad’s cat, Doc, around it at ALL, even though Doc’s been declawed (a decision made after my father had to go to the ER to get a scratch to stop bleeding; he was on bloodthinners and even the tiniest scratch would just bleed and bleed).
Doc goes after my (17 year old) son every time he’s over there, chasing and slapping and biting, with absolutely NO provocation. In fact, to give you an idea how unpredictable he is, I was taking care of my parent’s animals while they were away, and after I fed and watered and cleaned up after everyone, I decided to give Doc some treats. I tossed one treat to him, and he chased it down and ate it and rubbed up against my legs asking for another. I gave him a second treat; same thing. I gave him a third treat, and he chased it down, sniffed it, turned around, hissed and spat at me, then launched at my leg, biting my jeans. When I reported this to my mom, she said, “Oh yeah, he doesn’t like the orange ones; he’ll bite if you try to give him one of those.”
The only human that Doc *never* tries to bite is my dad, but he will still slap/swat at my dad and hiss at him if something doesn’t go his way. They’ve had him since he was a kitten, and he’s never been mistreated, neglected, or abused in any way (other than, arguably, the declawing, something I argued vehemently against but was overruled). He’s a small cat, and black, so he can move around behind furniture and appliances and come up suddenly in places you do not expect – and most of the time, he comes up angry and fighting. My mother’s worried to pieces that if she and my dad die before the cat does, I’m going to send the cat to the pound because he’s so mean. I have promised her I’ll keep him, and I will, but I don’t know how the hell I’ll manage it without one cat or another getting killed.
The only way I would ever have a baby in the same house as a cat like Doc is if I could either watch them 24/7 – and I mean have them in my direct field of vision at all times, i.e., never sleeping, showering, bathrooming, yawning, reading, doing anything that would require removing my eyes from one or the other – or keep them separated 24/7. The first is not possible, the second is probably not kind. Odds are good that nothing major would ever happen, but [speaking as the survivor of a dog (long-term family pet) attack when I was 15 that almost cost my life] when you throw a baby into the equation, those odds are not good enough. IF (and that’s a big if) the adults know their cat is unpredictable and aggressive, rehoming him might well be the most reasonable option in the face of an infant addition to the family.
So does anybody say “o no you didn’t!” to Doc? It sounds like everybody is afraid of him and lets him get away with murder.
I once knew a woman whose husband loved their cat, and the cat loved the husband, but not the wife. Cat harassed the wife, and wife was afraid of cat, and which came first, I don’t know. She didn’t go anywhere in the house without a can of air for self-defense.
If the Craigslist guy is trying to rehome a cat who was allowed to intimidate its owners, he’s worse off than I thought. Wait until Junior grows up to be a rebellious teenager. :/
I sure hate when a cat I did the adoption for comes back but i in this case I am glad to see Buster in the best home for him and now he can grow up with his brudder. So happy about the girls getting adopted!
Honestly, diapers are WAY more noxious than cat box fumes. I sortve hope the baby is a really stinky pooper (I know, I’m terrible).
I have to believe Buster is better off at Crooked Acres. He won’t have to deal with crying babies or a lil tyke pulling his tail.
And super news about the girls getting adopted!
Welcome home Buster!!!
He’s so beautiful!!!
Aw, Buster is gorgeous! Is his fur as silky as it looks?
Reading that about Buster coming back just made me cry. Thank you, Robyn and Fred, for your good hearts
I hope she gets a colicky, non-sleeping baby. That projectile vomits. And poops. Into her MOUTH.
Not that I want the baby to be miserable. I just want the baby to make the selfish mom miserable.
You and Fred are the BEST. And Buster’s gorgeous! And back with Corbie! I’m verklempt.
I love Buster’s face…so glad to see that he has found his real forever home. I saw this page on my local online newspaper and thought I would share, it is such a cute idea: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/cats-316700-sept-cat.html
I really, really, REALLY needed some cheering up today, so I clicked over here and HOT DAMN I was not disappointed.
WELCOME HOME Buster! You are one lucky cat
Beautiful boy! Obviously meant to be … ‘If you love something, set it free’ quote!
Humph, that family who gave up our boy Buster just didn’t know how lucky they were to have an Anders0n kitteh; people are stoopid, but I’m sooo glad he’s back home with you :)! You guys truly rock and it always makes my day to see what’s going on at Crooked Acres :)!
Oh, he’s so gorgeous! I’m sure he’ll be so happy to be with you again. I’m glad he’s a keeper!
What a surprise! I’m super pissed at this owner, but so glad Buster is back! Glad he is adjusting well. And so happy for the girls getting adopted!
There is a cat at the shelter I volunteer at named Buster, and I am not even kidding that every time I see this cat I think “Buster Brown gets around”
Aww, best ending ever!! So cool that you posted his baby pics last Wed.!