Happy Mother’s Day!

I wanted to write a quick post wishing everyone a happy mother’s day. Today is a very special day after all and all the amazing women out there who have cared for a child, human or otherwise, deserve a whole lot of love.

That being said, when I texted all of my mom friends today, much to my surprise, I received a bunch of “You too’s!” This really got me thinking. What better day than today to announce one of my big surprises?!

You may have guessed it by now, and YES, David and I are expecting our first two-legged child! Since we have four children already that move around on four legs, I felt it worth noting  that this one will in fact walk upright on only two legs. (I guess we are moving up in the world – pun intended).

So there you have it folks! David and I are due to have our first human baby on October 31st.  None other than Halloween! I guess my three black cats are a good omen after all. 🙂

‘Till next time!

-C

A typical off-day

I can’t get enough of my love-bugs. Excuse me if you will, but this should warm your heart. Besides, it is totally baseball related; This is how David spends his typical off-days. 😉

Three Cats and a Dog 2.0

I remember being in a similar situation a year ago, prior to having spent a full baseball season with David and even before knowing what it would be like to travel with our furry babies. For many reasons, however, I stand today unsure of what to do about our four-legged children this coming season.  Last year proved traveling with our mini zoo to be much easier than I would have imagined, so why am I still on the fence? Ha – totally unintentional pun. 😉

One of our three cats, Julius.

Well, when we left to report for Spring Training last weekend, leaving the babies felt more like abandoning them than a temporary arrangement – despite the pet haven that is my parents’ house. Truthfully, I am not sure if this separation results in more anxiety for them or me.  Our babies seem happy as can be with my parents, yet I still feel like I am neglecting the parental responsibilities I owe my adopted family. I can’t truly say whether or not they are happier with their mommy and daddy, despite the living arrangements, or if a stable environment trumps the love they have for David and me. I just feel like six months is a long time to be apart from your pets – after all, it is more like 3.5 years from their perspective.

As of right now, David and I are very much leaning in the direction of taking our animals with us regardless of the obstacles that we may face with housing and traveling; we see it as a small price to pay for the unconditional love and companionship that they so selflessly provide us.  In the mean time, we are traveling back and forth between Tampa and Miami every weekend possible to spend some time with our children. Coming back home to them yesterday, after five whole days apart, made my heart smile. 🙂

Vegan Tuesdays goes All-Star

Call me a slacker but I am taking a Big League break this Tuesday.   Today is day 1 of a much needed break from back to back to back…I could go on for over 140+ games, but you get the point.  I really haven’t even thought about cooking as of late given that 1. David’s family was in town July 6th thru the 9th, 2. my birthday was the 8th, and 3. All-Star break is here!   All wonderful excuses to be well, LAZY!

The next few days are screaming rest and that is exactly what the hubby and I intend to do.   Baseball season is long and whenever you get a rare day off you don’t take it for granted.   Currently I am watching the All-Star game on Fox praying that the American League will get a run, avoiding a shut out in the next inning and a half.   Why do I care?  Only because David plays for the Yankees organization and I enjoy rooting for his team.  Other than that, I am pretty much indifferent.   I hail from Miami so I can argue for the National League too, but at the end of the day don’t we all just want a good game?!

On a few side notes: I lied a few months back when I wrote a post that said I would never join twitter.  Never say never!  I got sucked into this thing called social media – Ew!  Weird thing is I am actually enjoying it.  Hush – don’t tell!  I am also laying in bed watching 4 cats get along quite well.  Call me the cat whisperer (or not) but the introduction of Sir Thunder to my three quick-to-hiss brats has gone rather smoothly.  Perhaps Jackson Galaxy from “My Cat from Hell” needs a side kick – I’d be 4 paws in! 

Until next time.   Toodles! 

An Homage to a Cat Named Thunder

Remember when I posted a few days ago about a 4-5 month old kitten I found and wanted to rescue?   Well fast-forward to today and that cat is currently residing in the downstairs half bathroom and is undergoing treatment for parasites.   The cat who shall now be named Thunder, also happens to be a 2-3 YEAR old neutered male that weights in at a whopping 5 LBS.  Let me just say, yesterday was his lucky day!

It all started when I was out for a walk with Charlie.   I saw a few young girls carrying this cat who had come up to them begging for some food and more so, love.    Despite trying to avoid getting involved, I grabbed my roomie Breanna and ran over to what was now, ring around the cat.  That poor little baby had 6 children sitting around in a circle of what you would think was show and tell.   They were feeding it and giving it milk, which is a NO NO for animals.  Knowing that humans are the ONLY species that actually consume another mammal’s milk just reassures me that being vegan is the way to go.

Nevertheless, I intervened and ran back home to grab water and food.  They were feeding the cat mostly treats and rationing out food that they had from their own cats.  What this poor cat really needed was water, since it was obviously dehydrated, and a good meal free of commotion – throughout this entire process the kids where being loud and frankly obnoxious subsequently scaring the cat.   In the midst of the moment, and due to my breaking heart, I screamed out that I wish I could adopt the cat.   I can look back at that now gratefully, but at the time that was a huge mistake!

The next day I had two little girls knocking at my door asking if I had seen “Oreo.”   My first reaction was “How did you find me?!?”  I am still not entirely sure how they tracked me down but the very next day they found him and brought him to my front door.  Pretty soon thereafter Breanna and her hubby decided they were going to adopt him.    Well it was a done deal!

When us girls took Thunder to the vet, they explained to us that he had been neutered and he was in fact 2-3 years old.    This just broke our hearts even further as we came to the realization that he was, at some point, someone’s cat and most likely tossed out when they moved.   It all made sense now… he is super loving and not afraid at all of people or the dogs, not even big Ol’ Charlie.

Thunder before we took him to the vet. He was camping out in front of our apartment. Poor baby broke my heart.

Thunder is now on his way to being dewormed and well nourished so that we can introduce him slowly to my three cats.    He is definitely a sweetheart and major love bug.   Oh yeah, and did I mention he is black and white!?!   I joke around with everyone in the house that it was meant to be because he is the same color as the house favorite, Julius, who is the friendliest of all!   It also didn’t help that Breanna made a comment just the day before we found Thunder, that it wouldn’t be the same going home to Florida and not having a cat to love on.   There you go!  She put it out into the universe and God definitely heard us.  🙂

In the end it’s a happy story.  Little Thunder won the kittie lottery after a rough start and he will be back to full health in no time.   His love is just a huge blessing!

Below is a video of Thunder sneaking in a bite of Charlie’s food!

Love…Fight….& R-E-S-P-E-C-T

While my immaturity may have gotten the best of me when I was younger, I am happy to say that my intentions of being a Lover, not a Fighter are very much in effect these days.  This goes for my friendships, relationships within my family and with my husband.    As a Cancer ;), I am extremely emotional!  I empathize with most and I shed a tear for those I have never met.

Yesterday I found a 4-5 month old kitten I was ready to adopt on the spot.  She was so skinny that my heart broke, but I have to consider my other animals and my husband before jumping the gun and taking in another kitten.  Sigh.    Is it a lot to ask the Lord to grant me with the ability to rescue all those in need?   I really don’t think so, and I pray for that nearly every day.   If I could give you ONE reason I want wealth, that reason would be to give back.   Sure, I want the house of my dreams, but what makes me the happiest is seeing that I can save the lives of so many homeless animals and that I can also enrich the lives of those individuals that are less fortunate.

I tell myself every day that while I may not have the monetary wealth to make a world of difference at the moment, I have so much wealth in other areas of my life that afford me the opportunity to do more than I give myself credit for. I will come out and say it, I make excuses.   I tell myself I can do more when I have the money, but what about my bare hands?  What about my feet?  My brain?   There are so many ways that I can do more, but I am the only one placing limits on myself.    Moses and Jesus barely had clothes on their backs or food and water, yet they moved mountains.  I realize NOW that my faith CAN indeed move mountains.

If I could use one word to describe my ambitions for 2012, it would be philanthropy.   While my year so far is better described by words like change, deliverance and adaptation, I strive to use my abilities to do more for others less fortunate.   In the future, David and I will have a foundation that we can leverage to make exponential difference in the world, but for now, I will have to step outside my comfort zone and give more of myself – my whole self.

Empathy, being a common theme that governs my life, is something that I take for granted in other people.   I assume that everyone has the empathy and the understanding that I do.   It is for this reason that I have a hard time comprehending why others do things that I would NEVER consider doing.   The Golden Rule states that you should”Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you.”   I work on fulfilling this rule every day.  I want to give back partly for this reason.  But what if others don’t know how you want to be treated?  This rule also goes the other way around – don’t allow people to treat you as you would not treat them.    Recognize that this means you have to speak up and tell people when they are making you uncomfortable or are treating you in such a way that you do not deem appropriate – I struggle very much with this due to my dislike for confrontation.  Sighhhhhhhhhhhh.

Another important point to address is that when in doubt, put yourself in other’s shoes. Having the ability to understand that we are all at different points in our lives and going through varying situations allows you to see how others may be uncomfortable where you are not.

Now that my feelings are alllll out there, my question is…why don’t they just get it!?

I have a hard time understanding why the basic rules that govern my life can be soooo far off from those of others.   I run my life in a way that I consider other’s feelings – sometimes more than my own.  Why?  Because I want others to consider mine… DUH!   There are a million rules that apply to my life, that I find have no place in other people’s lives.   Maybe I am just different than most, or perhaps we live in a world where people have no regard for anyone but themselves… Yes, we are all somewhat selfish, I am definitely selfish sometimes, but I would never just impose myself on others.    Maybe one day the world will look a little different and we can all follow the rainbow to the pot of gold at the end.

Rain Rain Go Away…Cat To Come Another Day

I woke up yet again this morning to thunder and a lot of rain. Coming from a tropical state and a city adjacent to the everglades you can imagine the shock I was in when I realized it rains more in NJ and PA than it does in FL! I say this from experience, not scientific fact. It almost feels like the rain is following me to be completely honest. Nevertheless, the name Trenton Thunder is starting to make a lot more sense! When I left Miami a month ago there was a torrential downpour and yet again when I arrived in Richmond 15 hours later for a night and yet againnnnn when I finally arrived in my new apartment in Pennsylvania. After a few days in my new town, just when I thought the sun was going to finally come out and the rain go away, I realized that the rain was not subsiding any time soon.

So far, in about a month’s time, I have attended about 5 games where it rained and I have nearly killed myself in the mud another handful of times while walking Charlie. Yeah, go ahead and laugh…I know the idea of me killing myself in a big pile of mud is hilarious! Anywhoooo, this afternoon the cable guy came by to fix the box that appeared to have blown during a bad thunder storm – shocker! During the visit I had to hold Charlie the entire time since given the opportunity, he would sit on this poor guy and inevitably slap him repeatedly in the face with his killer tale. After about 30 minutes we had to go upstairs to swap out the box in my bedroom.

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While up in the room, it took me about ten minutes to realize that Tara was missing. I knew in my heart of hearts that she was just hiding scared but after looking in every crack and crevice of the house, I started to panic. I went so far as to look in the washing machine in case I accidentally threw a 12 LB cat in there when I did a load – ridiculous right? I prayed so! I looked in the dryer even though I hadn’t even opened it today and same with the fridge. This debacle persisted for about 30 minutes but after a few prayers and me screaming out her name, I saw something moving under a blanket in my bedroom. Prior to seeing the evidence I was convinced she was nowhere near my bed. I had literally looked everywhere around the mattress and the dog beds that were covered by said blanket with nothing to report. I still don’t know how she managed to sneak in there sight unseen and blend in so seamlessly, avoiding being seen.

When I did catch her, I popped out my phone to record my discovery in order to send it to everyone I had made aware of the ambler alert. Below is the video as proof that I am not going crazy! You can hear me out of breath since I was running around and up and down stairs for half an hour looking for Tara! Can you believe I didn’t even get an apology!?!?! Unbelievable!

Charlie’s Purpose

I mentioned a few posts ago that I bought David an arsenal of books for his birthday, one of them being A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans by W. Bruce Cameron.  This particular book caught my eye, along with Mainstream Vegan, just as I was about to take the escalator down to pay.  I couldn’t resist buying it when I saw the cute dog on the cover and how Kirkus Reviews described it as “Marley & Me combined with Tuesdays with Moorie.”  By now you probably know that I am a huge animal lover and that I adore my three black kitties – I say this as my VERY spoiled brat Julius is meowing relentlessly at the bedroom door in an effort to be let out.  I am not sure what it is about me, but I think I have “pushover” written on my forehead for all my animals to see.

Throughout my blog I have made my adoration for my cats evident, but I have neglected to give much attention to my first-born, Charlie.  Very appropriately, Julius is now on his back begging for attention from his much larger canine species big brother.   What can I tell you about Charlie?  Well, he fluctuates between 65-70 LBS, he is white with light brown patches throughout his body and he is a total and utter spaz.  Truth be told, I adore him more than words can say, and I know David does too.

This is the look he has mastered very well. “I want LOVE, Pleaseee I am soooo Needy!”

I first rescued Charlie from Miami-Dade Animal Services nearly two years ago in an attempt to give him to my parents.   Since things are never as simple as they seem, I am going to tell you just how complicated they can get.   Charlie was a 43 LB ball of skin and bones when I rescued him.   He was absolutely adorable and even though he was curled up sleeping at the time, he called out to me.  I don’t think I walked past more than a handful of dogs before I asked to see him outside of the kennel.   After I was done walking him around the open area I told the volunteer that I needed a few minutes to think this through fully.   Well, it was at that very second that a supervisor passed us, pointed to him, and said that he was showing signs of respiratory infection and that he would need to be placed outside with all the other infected dogs.   In case you are not aware, the sick dogs don’t have a fighting chance of making it out of there and I knew in an instant that if I didn’t take this adorable one year old pup with me, he was going to be PTS (put to sleep).

This is Charlie at the Vet the first week I had him. He was only 42 LBS and very sick. He also hates the vet and was very scared. 😦

I walked out of the shelter with this poor sick pup and a bottle of antibiotics for what I thought was kennel cough.  It became very evident very quickly that what Charlie had was not kennel cough but distemper.    This reality was brutal and the chances of him making it were slim – distemper is usually a death sentence.   The story of his treatment is pretty heartbreaking so I will spare you, but I will tell you that I spent months caring for a very sick dog with no idea whether he was going to make it or not.    As you can imagine, I was elated when he started to make drastic improvements and gained a whopping 25 LBS.    Along with his improvement in health, an energetic and playful puppy started to emerge.   I had no idea what I was getting myself into because up until that point he had been incredibly calm.    I should have known however, since he was sick and extremely lethargic that once he got better his energy levels would spike.   Ohhhh did they spike!

I now have this amazingly special, albeit spastic Labrador, American Bulldog Mix that has lightened up my life and who takes as much care of me and his three feline siblings, as I do them.  He is still immunocompromised and I will have to watch his health for the rest of his life.  There is also the possibility that he can show neurological symptoms as he ages due to the distemper, but I am optimistic that this baby of mine will live a long and healthy life.

Julius giving his brother kisses. I think Julius has a special love for Charlie even though they are all affectionate with each other.

Charlie holds a special place in my heart and has taught me things about myself that I never knew.  He keeps David’s side of the bed warm during away trips and shows me unconditional love.  I dedicate this post to him for being the most amazing dog I could ever ask for.

Charlie loves falling asleep with his toys in his mouth. I thinks he uses them as pacifiers. So cute!!!

Even when he was a very sick boy he loved sucking on his toys to fall asleep. Such a sweetheart!

Cat Walking…For Dummy

Got this one off Pintrest and it was a must add! Too funny!

For those of you who know me, I am not the most patient individual when it comes to waiting around or following directions for that matter.   I am that girl that is 30 minutes early to everything simply because she can’t wait around to get ready or leave the house.  You can imagine where this is going since the header for this post is Cat Walking…for Dummy.   Let’s just say, I am the dummy in this story.

If you couldn’t already tell by my mini zoo, I am a HUGE animal lover and advocate for our furry friends, but I’ve never pretended to be an animal whisperer.   Honestly, animals do love me but my training skills are null.    Needless to say, when I attempted to walk my tomboy cat Blade in order to satisfy his wild cat needs, it was a major FAIL.    Since I am eager to jump at everything 2 human feet and 4 furry legs in, I bought not one but three harnesses and leashes for all of my cats.    I really should have been sensible enough to try walking each cat individually prior to buying each of them their own pair…but that is neither here nor there at this point.    Nevertheless, my impatience got the best of me and when I attempted to walk my most easy-going cat (who also happened to be a stray the first six months of his life and an indoor/outdoor cat up until our move last month) it looked like a cross between a scene out of “The Exorcist” and “Friends.”

The walk seemed promising for the first few minutes.   I took him outside and he walked a few steps and then laid down.   I thought he was going to do just fine based on his body language but then suddenly he started running and went right into a bush.    I thought this was cute for about five minutes but when he wouldn’t come out I started to worry.   This is where it gets kind of funny… more so for you than for me.  After a few failed attempts at drawing him out of the bush, I decided to go through the bush myself.   Yes, you can picture me on all fours while getting caught in about a million branches.   This was a pretty big bush with a lot of sharp branches and lots and lots of bugs.   SHIVER.

As you can probably deduce, I made it out on the other side in one piece, but here is where the story becomes a little more “Exorcist” and a little less “Friends.”   Once I was safely on the same side as Blade, I picked him up despite his growls and placed him in a big open grassy area.  Ohhhh BTW it rained a lot today so it was veryyyy muddy to top everything off – who would have thought it rained more in NJ and PA than FL?!?!   Once Blade and I were well away from the dreaded bush, I though things would start looking up for us.   Call me dramatic, but little did I know that the high grass area nearby would be our demise.

Within a few seconds Blade decided to run into an area behind a giant fallen tree trunk with shrubs and tall grass.   I was at ease for a moment and began thinking he was enjoying himself, that was until he tried to haul it into the bushes and became possessed when I held him back.   I made a few failed attempts at picking him up where he started hissing and growling at the leash and me.  You should probably know that Blade has never hissed at me or any of my other animals so I knew something was wrong.   I managed to find the courage to pick him up but quickly dropped him when he began squirming in my arms and scratched me.     It was at this point that I started to seriously panic and pray that my roommate Breanna would come out to check on me.   When my prayers didn’t work fast enough I resorted to yelling her name, which I knew wouldn’t work anyway.

Just when I thought I would be outside all night, by the grace of God I found an area in the tree trunk where I could jam the leash while I ran back to the apartment to ask for Breanna’s help.    When I opened the door I looked at her and said “I need your help! Please bring me a towel, fast!”  I quickly ran back outside concerned that Blade would find a way to get loose.  Despite all the chaos, the poor baby looked so cute poking his big eyes and ears over the tree trunk.   I knew he wasn’t under duress because his body language and eyes were calm but I had to find a way to get him back inside ASAP.    Pretty soon thereafter, Breanna came running out with a kitchen towel LOL.    I realized that I must have scared her and given her the impression that someone was hurt because she ran outside through the mud barefoot!  Since I knew what I needed to get him inside safely, I had her hold Blade while I ran back in to grab a big towel I could wrap him in.     Luckily my plan worked without a hitch even though Blade managed to scratch Breanna with a rear paw right before we made it back inside.

After an eventful 15 minutes, I was pretty worried that my furry baby would be traumatized.  Truthfully, I think I am more upset about the entire episode than he is because after a few minutes inside with the harness and leash off, he was back to his old self, rubbing up on us and playing with his toys.   Phewwww  – that was a relief!   Being the emotional basket case that I can be, I was worried he would hate me forever.

I know I shouldn’t call it quits but I think it is safe to say though that I am done trying to walk my cats.  I will be happy to let them out when I buy a house and have a nice big outdoor enclosure built for them.  Yeah- I think that will suffice.  😉

Blade relaxing on a table after the “episode.”

Blade seemingly at ease soon after our walk.

Charlie loving on Breanna before we went on a walk. I think I will stick to walking him from now on.

Why Black Cats Rock!!!

I have been sitting in bed for the past few hours watching Animal Planet’s “My Cat from Hell,” and as I watch all these cats with behavioral concerns I becoming increasingly grateful for the amazing kitties I have.    I also realize that our upcoming move, which is fast approaching, is going to prove difficult for them.  I am trying to stay positive however, in hopes that the cats take comfort in being with me, and each other during the major adjustment.

The main reason I wanted to write this blog is because I have three black cats and I wanted a chance to address the stigmas associated with these loving animals.   For centuries, black cats have had a distinct reputation differentiating them from other breeds.  In truth, these cats are just like every other, and in many ways they are even more amazing.

 

It is a known fact that black cats and dogs are the last to be adopted at shelters and the most often to be euthanized.   There are many reasons why this is the case, but mostly, people think that black animals are dull and unexciting.   I can tell you that I, myself, happen to LOVE Bengal and Tabby cats, with unique markings and colorings, but there is a special beauty that I see in black cats.

 

Despite my bias, my babies are some of the sweetest that I’ve ever met.   They are super friendly, quite vocal, and incredibly playful.   Every time I take my cats to the vet or have company, I am told that they are beautiful and super sweet.    I never have to worry about them fighting with each other, Charlie, or biting any of my house guests – except for the occasional love bite.

 

In doing research on the topic, I found this interesting study that shows that cat temperament can be closely associated with coat color.  This is because both traits are genetic and as such tend to carry together.   This same study shows that Black and Black-and-White cats tend to have the best temperament and greatest overall health.   I can tell you that based on my experience I would have to agree with this study.  I have rescued MANY cats and still, black cats are among my favorites.  I’m blessed with their love; they are the most amazing cats and get along beautifully with one another, and with my, giant-in-comparison, dog, Charlie.

 

If you’re ever in the market to adopt a cat, I would HIGHLY recommend a black or black-and-white cat.  Before concluding, I want to note I am not saying that black cats are immune to behavioral issues or that other breeds are inferior, I am simply saying that black cats should not be ostracized and that you should definitely give them a chance!  I promise they won’t jinx you, in fact, I think they are good luck.  🙂

 

I have included a few pictures of my babies for your viewing pleasure and a link to the article I referred to above.  (From top to bottom; Blade, Julius, Tara).

Is Coat Color Linked to Temperament?