Cat Tree

Still sick but feeling good enough to get in her 6FT cat tree.
And yes that is the same bed from the other pic, when she was a baby.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1322921&fr=

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to upload the video, so I just added a link. It's very funny though, especially if you have a cat. Click on the link!

PIGLET

This is my cat Piglet. She is a 4 years old domestic short haired cat that someone brought into the clinic that I worked in, in Riverside, CA. She stated that she found her in the alleyway behind the Dental office she worked in, and couldn't keep her because she is allergic to cats. I believed her when she started sneezing violently before she even left our clinic.

I took one look at this 3 week old kitten and said, "I'll bottle feed her and foster her until I can find her a good home. There is NO way I'm keeping that Torti cat, (which is what her color marking is called) because they have a bad reputation for being very sassy, and hard to handle" "Spitfire" is a good term, but my husband has a better term, "Firecracker!"

Well I fed her until she was 5 weeks old, and I am experienced enough to know that when you raise a kitten, it is rather hard to find them a home. I started putting out the word to friends at work that I had this kitten and needed to find it a home. A good friend of mine said she knew someone who was looking for a kitten. After some phone calls, she told me that this person was so excited and wanted to come that day to get the kitten and take her away. You would think that someone socked me in my stomach. I told my friend that the kitten was still to young and I would have her for at least another week or two. Her friend wanted the kitten today. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She said she would finish raising the kitten. I didn't know what to do. I called my husband and told him the situation. Then I cried. I couldn't give her away. I asked him if we could keep her, and he said "I didn't think you would ever give her away, not when I saw how you cared for her. Cooing and awing at her all the time. Yes we can keep her" I was fooling myself into thinking I could give her away, when even my husband knew I could never do it. What a wise husband I have...LOL So I gave my friend the bad news, her friend would have to find another kitten.

It didn't take long for me to find the perfect name for her, because when she started eating regular cat food and there was no stopping her. She had a red plush dog bone to play with, that was her favorite when she was little. It was as big as she was. I also tried to brake her of all her sauciness. But my methods failed. She grew up to be as sassy as the worst Tori cats I have ever seen. Here is a pic of her with her favorite bone. She thinks she's is killing it.





Well I wrote this blog because Piglet is really sick. She has had a fever for 7 days averaging around 104*F, The highest being 105.2*F She didn't eat for 6 days. My vet put her on 4 medications, 2 antibiotics an appetite stimulant, and a steroid. She is feeling much better. My vet, Dr Herrera, is wonderful and also my good friend. She has been straight forward with me and says we need to wait and see, how she responds to the medications. I post another update later hopefully with good news on Piglets recovery.

Little baby bunny

The little bunny I named Peter, died today of an infection from a little wound it got on it's nose last week trying to get out of his cage. I thought, it's not a very big wound it will heal, and it will be okay. I forgot to take into consideration how tiny this little bunny was. He weighted about 10 oz. Much smaller than the little orphaned kittens I sometimes feed and raise. So he couldn't handle any infection, since he was so little. Poor Maddy found him, and Kevin thought is was asleep. Joe had to tell him the truth, and Kevin buried him where I made my garden last year under the Ficus tree.

New Addition

Well, I do have to say this blog entry is for Caleb. He will enjoy this the most. This baby bunny was found at my husbands job site. Clearing away brush, and having probationers helping, this tiny baby bunny was found under a wood pile. I am calling it a he, because he reminds my of Peter rabbit. It is one of my favorite children's book, and very true to life.

Well I think Peter was taking a nap (Bunny nap, not cat nap...LOL) when he was disturbed by a girl doing community service and cleaning up with a pitch fork! I think this tiny little bunny was in a state of shock. As a prey species, they inherently play dead in hopes the one holding them will loosen their grip, and he can scurry away. Well, by that point my husband had it in a hard hat holding it.

Of course animal rescuer that I am my husband called me and I met him on the shoulder of the freeway to save this scared cold and hungry little bun. He didn't do much for several hours when I got it home. I gave it a little of everything I give my domestic rabbit and left it alone. After about six hours I couldn't keep enough food in it cage. It was hungry, and now it was pooping A LOT! I was amazed at how much one tiny, 8 oz. little thing could eat and poop.

As a vet tech I know the most important thing for a rabbit to do is eat. If they fast for any reason, their gut will shut down and they will die. If a rabbit is eating, then they have to poop also, because what goes in, must come out. They have very fast metabolism, so it doesn't take long.




The worst thing you can do when you rescue and rehabilitate any orphaned or wild animal, is give them a name. There is a 90% chance that it will never leave your house. Everything in me is yelling to go release it ASAP. It is not injured, it is eating and drinking, so it should be okay. They other part of me is saying fatten it up a little then go release it somewhere safe. Not by the side of the freeway were I found it. There will be another blog soon with pic's of when I released the bunny and I am sure it will be much happier, and I will have my blog and pics to remember the little bunny I helped.

She's home!

Well she survived and so did I. It was really funny though. I was not really used to Maddy being gone. I seemed like the week didn't go by fast enough. Looking back it really wasn't that long. Maddy had a blast at science camp. Her camp counselor was Emily. She was so nice to help Maddy with her hair! Thank you GOD! She really didn't look to bad when she got home. But everything is covered in dust. They learned lots of camp fire songs. One was just like Father Abraham, except it was called The penguin dance!? They roasted marshmallows, she had Chickadees come and take food from her hand. How awesome!

The night hike was really cool. Maddy saw Jupiter through the Telescope. Her counselor told them stories at night before bedtime. She had a great time and I would recommend all children to go and learn about things, that I think are the funniest subjects to learn about.

Saddness

It is with great sadness that I make this blog entry. The wonderful mother of a family of 5 children was tragically killed in a n automobile accident. I thought long and hard as to wither or not I should make this blog entry. I know for some it will be very hard to read this, it is very hard to write it. Asada Kalar was a native of the country of Liberia or the Ivory coast I am not to sure. She came to the United states and lived near our Church. She was invited to our church when we were having outreach one Saturday, and having children, we invited them to our Sunday school. Frank and Sabrina Peavey were wonderful at making contact and going to pick up the children up for Sunday school. Of course having been the teacher of Tarley, my heart aches for him the most because I was the closest to him. They were having hard times, living in an apartment, and trying to keep up with the demands of a family of 5. Asada always had a smile on her face. She didn't speak very good english but she would always smile and nod at your questions of her. Her children were always very hungry for God. They always participated in sunday school. I had many questions from Tarley, always searching for answers about things of God that he didn't understand.

I remember one time Sabrina and Philana took them some groceries. She never asked for anything from our church, but when we gave, there was always a tear in her eye. Asada was always very grateful for everything our church did for her and her family. You could tell she really loved all her children. One time I gave them some children's clothes. I thought Asada was going to cry. She grab me and hugged me and just kept saying "Thank you, thank you" She couldn't say much more in her broken english. I remember thinking how much we have, and how much we take for granted.



When we heard they would be moving to the midwest, we were all sad. I remember thinking if they'd just stay a little longer, the boys would be filled with the Holy Ghost. They were really searching for God at this time, and even got Baptized in Jesus name before they left. I was so proud of them. They were very excited too. The move was going to be good for them, better job opportunity and cheaper rent.

We are still not sure how the accident happened, all we know is that Asada is gone and has left behind a husband and 5 children all under the age of 12 years old. Please pray for this family in there time of need, especially the children.

Out Door Science Camp

It has been a week of getting ready. Does she have enough socks? Will she be warm enough? What if it snows? All these questions and more have been going through my mind for the last 48 hours. The mad scrabble at the last minute to get everything done.



Joe was home this morning when I took Madison to school, to see her off at the bus. It was nice because he was able to get Kevin to school so I could take Maddy. She was so excited, and nervous. Then he was able to get to the school before she left to say goodbye. Thank God for state holidays. (For those of you who are not state workers... it is Columbus day, all state workers are off today.)



I'm glad she's had so much practice going to our sectional Jr. Camp. I don't have to worry about her getting home sick. I do worry about her hair though. She is not the best at taking a quick shower....well, to be truthful, 30 minutes is not unheard of, but she does have a lot of hair. At camp they are allowed 3 minutes showers. 3 minutes! I will be praying that God helps her get all the shampoo out of her hair. I'm sure I'll have fun, washing and brushing her hair when she gets back. LOL



The offical Yahoo weather for today says that Running Springs, California: high today is 78*F and the low tonight will be 41*F. They will be going on a night hike sometime this week, to study the stars, and nocturnal animals, etc. I hope it gets warmer.

FREEDOM

Freedom is a wonderful thing
I wish I could be free
but for a bird it is not good
being stuck in a cage forever
I've got to be free so I can really fly
the cloudy skies above.

It would be good to fly again to get out there
and fly away so high that I can see everything below me
It would be fun to get out there with other birds.

But I can not have freedom because I am stuck in this cage
until the door opens,
I will have my freedom to fly away.

Kevin Hall Oct 1,2007

My son wrote this today in English class and I just had to put it on my blog. He was excited when I picked him up from school and said "Mom, I wrote my first poem today." It is based on a poem by Maya Angelou, called CAGED BIRD but his spin on it was freedom.


Freedom means a lot of different things to different people. To some it might be being able to come and go as they please. To others it might be being able to say what they want, when they want to say it. To even others it might strike the picture of a Marine standing in the desert of Iraq, but to those of us who are Christians it means being able to worship our God without the threat of being arrested or even killed. Reading this poem, reminds me that we all have the freedom, the freedom to fly. We can all spread our wings and tell others, or better yet show others the freedom we have in Christ.