FYI, it has now been 2 years since I announced Dennis had become a permanent resident. I will be honest and tell y’all that I really really REALLY didn’t want to keep him. Not because I didn’t like him well enough or there was anything wrong with him, I was just becoming a little overwhelmed with the number of permanent residents we had and didn’t want to add to that number. But I worried about how he’d do at the shelter, and didn’t want to send him to Petsmart since he’d reacted so poorly to being there.
So, we kept him. And I love him so very much. He is the sweetest, the prettiest, the most wonderful cat and I’m so glad he’s ours.
Despite Fred’s insistence that we were going to rename him, he has remained Dennis or Denny-bun or Princess or any other from a long list of nicknames (more often than not, he’s “The Princess”, but he’s still officially “Dennis.”) And although he started out great as a nanny with some of the fosters, he has since decided that he’s now all growed up, and pretty much doesn’t want anything to do with them.
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Webster is havin’ a think.
Snuggly boys.
Oh, dear. The dishwasher has another kitten infestation. How does this keep happening?!
Stefan and his mini-me Webster – watching Felix blur on by.
There might have been a feather teaser involved.
And Stefan might have tried to impress the little ones by trying (and failing) to catch it with his mouth.
Stefan and his minions.
After a lot of pictures, I finally got one both kittens looking in my general direction. I needed a picture for the Facebook page, and these two weren’t making it easy!
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“THOU SHALL NOT PASSZZzzzzzzzzzz…”
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Previously
2015: No entry.
2014: “You’re already home,” she said to me.
2013: “Is he… biting my belly? How very odd!”
2012: “BABY STOMPERS HAVE FLOOF ALSO, STUPID LADY. ALSO BABY STOMPERS TINY AND CUTE. COME HERE, BABY STOMPERS WANT TO BITE YOUR LIP.”
2011: “Yes, I’m wearing my tiny hat. What of it?”
2010: (Have you ever seen a grown male cat, unneutered? My GOD those things are big!)
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: A new litter box = Big Excitement in Kittentown.
2006: No entry.
2005: Mister Eggs does his bat imitation.
Aw, yay for Dennis all over again! He sure lucked out! He’s probably at that age where he wants to be taken seriously so he can’t be seen playing with anyone younger! Gasp, you might think he’s da baby!
NO one would think that with Unca Stefan though! hee hee
(But he is SUCH da BAYbee! Hehe)
Stefan and Webster… They made me think of those “Dear kitten” commercials.
Yay for Dennis! What a beautiful little bug. (Don´te tell him I said “little”, he’s all grown up now).
He IS all grown up, but except for Kara, he’s our smallest cat. I don’t know if it’s just taking him longer to reach his full potential, or maybe he’s just meant to be small. Not that I care, of course, I love him so. 🙂
I believe all of my cats came to me for a reason, though I didn’t realize it at the time. I was hesitant about keeping Tuxie and Sabrina when all four weren’t getting along and I was constantly rotating upset cats in and out of closed rooms. But I can’t imagine life without them now, and I’m sure you feel the same way about Dennis!
Absolutely! I love that boy. 🙂
A moment of whining….
Well, it looks like I won’t be able to foster anymore after my current foster. The shelter’s vet hours are not I Have To Work To Eat friendly. I have to get off work early with my boss’ permission. If I end up with a sick foster, I’m done for. They do not allow you to take them to your own vet, even if you pay for it yourself. There are so many fosters, that people were complaining that they couldn’t get a vet appointment for a month. How sick can they get having to wait a month with a URI, UTI, etc? I understand staffing issues etc…but…but…but…
Robyn, if you have any pearls of wisdom to talk me off the ledge, I am all ears.
have you asked the shelter how the other foster people handle it? Maybe you could drop them off before work and pick them up after? and how bizarre that they won’t let you take them to your own vet!?!?!
Are there other shelters in the area?
I am at work at 6:00 am. That is where the rub starts. When I get off work, then I would have to drive out to the intracoastal area, get my foster, drive right back downtown. The vaccine clinic is first come first serve so I would be at the bottom of the totem pole by then and if they didn’t get to me by their end time, it would be for nothing. Too bad, so sad. There are over 800 in foster right now at my shelter so all the vet timeslots are full and your baby may have to wait up to a month. (Of course, I think, “Oh hell no, not my baby!!!”)
There is one other shelter in my area. I will check out their policies.
Exact quote about going to my own vet: “Absolutely not. XXX animals must be seen by XXX vets only unless it’s an emergency and the shelter isn’t open. It’s the protocol because all animals are considered under our vets’ licenses and they are legally responsible for their care.”
Worst case….it will allow me to be a {coughing really loudly} foster failure for Binx {more coughing}.
I will still volunteer and do all the adoption events, helping out customers looking for a new kitty/kitties, and help out in the foster coordinator’s office (feeding new arriving babies, defleaing, running fosters to and from the main room, etc.). Arrrggghhhh… If the other shelter is the same then I will just wait till I retire and foster. I do promote it and encourage others. I have gotten a number of new fosters for our shelter. They do, however, live and work right by and have diff schedules than I do.
Friday is Binx’s vet check for his cold, then I have to come back Saturday for his vaccines and micro chipping. I am going to see if the vet will do it all at once. I live at the intracoastal area and the shelter is downtown. A number of friends said that they could not foster if their spouses weren’t retired and could do the appts for them. That at least help me know that it wasn’t “just me”.
I agree with Connie – maybe early drop offs and late pickups? I also think it’s really bizarre that they won’t let you use your own vet!
I should have just said “What Connie said”, because I too am wondering if there are other shelters in the area. Surely there are?
Happy “Official” Gotcha Day Dennis !!!!!!!!!
I remember the day you announced that you adopted Dennis. I teared up! That was a happy day!
I teared up then and I teared up just now, re-reading the adoption post. Such a sweet boy, that Dennis!
Stefan and his minions is an awesome shot. I love how pronounced their zippers are 🙂
You know those zippers are gonna pop wide open any moment now! 😉
Ahem, Stefan has asked that I make you and the L&H community aware he totally MEANT to miss that feather teaser. He was merely being a Good Cat Uncle and didn’t want the littles to feel bad if they couldn’t yet match his hunting prowess.
Yeah.
Totally.
I would expect nothing different from Stefan. Sure, he’ll hold down a little kitten and nibble on his neck ’til he cries, but when it comes to the IMPORTANT stuff….
I adore seeing how much Dennis and Stefan are at home. Just thinking about Dennis’s official adoption announcement makes me tear up.
I still worry about old Creed- 🙁 I hope his home is out there, or at least a temp foster. Wish I did not live so far, i would meet him!
I wish Creed’s people would come along too, but he doesn’t have it too badly at the shelter. He’s first to greet people who walk into the cat room, and he gets plenty of attention. He’s in a big room at the shelter, with plenty of places to sleep and play. I’m sure he’d prefer not to be with so many other cats, but it’s not so bad ’til his forever home comes along. 🙂