Sweet as Honey

Somedays......I'm just tired. Maybe it's the exceptionally long Wisconsin Winters, the exhausting pace of keeping up in rescue, balancing work/family/life OR I'm just getting old. I think I'm getting older. I used to be able to haul 40lb bags of cat litter up and down the stairs without breaking a sweat, I have to pace myself. And my hands and feet hurt more now and look "older", rougher, tougher. I was tired the day that my veterinary clinic told me about a 10 year old dog that someone had dropped off to be euthanized because they were moving away.

The girls at the clinic must've known I was tired. The prefaced the story with their own attempts to find her a home with clients and their dedication to the dog by having her spayed and getting her medically up-to-date.

I asked for a week or two to make some room (I had a high-energy foster dog at the time who's adoption was pending). I felt guilty for asking for a little time, but I wasn't worried, the dog would be safe.

When I picked "Honey" up from the Vet's office, my heart instantly melted.

She fit right into the family. She bonded with the children, got along with the other pets and endeared herself to Tim and me by being our shadow. She wasn't demanding or needy....just there, waiting....

The kids loved her, of course. And she loved them too. What a beautiful, beautiful soul. I always joked with my rescue friends that my favorite type of foster dog, was a housebroken one. Honey made sure that "Senior" dogs made the top of my list.

Just a few weeks after joining our herd and proving herself to be the perfect dog, a family applied to adopt her.

And today, Honey went home. I think Honey is almost as lucky as the family. I'm still tired, but happy!

Jack and Jill - coming up the hill

Jack and Jill have slowly been gaining weight and getting more and more affectionate and funny.  Their kennels are open now as they are both eating well and not hiding anymore.  Jack is more openly affectionate and likes to have his belly rubbed.

Jill is more reserved and cautious yet.  Her ears still seem to bother her when touched.  There is a yearning I sense from her though and I think when she starts to trust me more it will be magic.

They are both filling out a bit more and look less gaunt and scary.  They've stopped wolfing down their food and guarding it from one another.  Jill has started to groom herself too, which is a wonderful sign and she's showing affection to her brother.  She looks a little grumpy though...maybe soon, she'll smile.

I have a silly little wish stirring.  I feel a lump in my throat when I think of them separated.  They've been through so much together, probably since birth.  I know these are feelings I'm imposing on them and maybe/probably they'd be fine apart; but that just seems wrong doesn't it?

Jill will have her spay stitches removed this weekend.  I wonder how many litters of kittens she's birthed in her life....5, 6, 10?  I wonder where they all are and if they survived and are safe and loved.  Both Jack and Jill will need booster distemper shots and continued treatment for ear infections and mites.  They had been so neglected for so long there is some extensive build up in their ears, maybe years worth....never again.  If it weren't for the supporters and volunteers in this little rescue, stories like these couldn't be told.  I'm anticipating a fairy tale happy ending for Jack and Jill.  Maybe they'll be ready for adoption in another month or two.  They still need some care and time before then.

Workshop

Many of these old "character" homes have workshops in the basements.  They are small rooms that may have been used by handy-folks to fix stuff and tinker.  I think I've put my workshop to really good use...as I fix stuff and tinker.

Taffy got here last week.  She had a large mass on her shoulder and needed somewhere to go to recover.  She's not quite ready for adoption yet.  So, until then she'll hang out in my workshop.  She also "Squeaks", which is adorable and endearing.

Don't worry.  She isn't too lonely.

Otis Spunkmeyer is in a large kennel.  He was neutered yesterday.  And just wanting to lay around and heal.  Otis is a pretty lucky cat.  Oars was asked to take him because he tested positive for FIV.  FIV is largely misunderstood and Oars has a small adoption room at our pet adoption center with FIV+ cats.  But - we retested Otis and he was negative.  So, Otis should just hang out in foster care for a month or two while we rule out whether or not he has FIV.  Learn more about FIV

Otis and Taffy don't ask for much.  Just a quiet, warm, safe place to heal and wait until they are ready for adoption.  I usually have the honor of hosting 3 or 4 foster cats.


Jack and Jill round out this Motley Crew.


Jill is in rough shape.  She's so thin her legs shake when she walks.  She is missing patches of fur and has some rotten teeth and her ears were infested with ear mites.  She has suffered years of neglect.

Jack and Jill are sealpoint siamese mix kitties (I think).  They came from a hoarding situation and may have been used for breeding.  Jack was neutered on Monday - Say "Hi" Jack!  Jack's not much better off than Jill, but equally affectionate and sweet.  They both came from a humane society that was short on longer term care options.

Both kitties are eager to leave their quarters and explore and snuggle.  They are eating a lot now.  Jill will be spayed on Friday.  They will be so beautiful when they are healthy and happy!  Jack gives kisses.

Some of the Oars volunteers have a spare bedroom or a laundry room where they might host a kitty who feels under the weather.  It's an amazing way to turn a little extra space into hope and life for those with no other options.  I'm grateful for my little workshop and its temporary visitors.

They listen to a little Jazz music during the day.  And I visit with them each morning, afternoon and evening.  This group needs a little extra TLC, high quality food, daily medications and attention.

I love tinkerin' and fixin' -- quite a hobby....

Nicole B

Addy's Journey

Addy was found "at-large" wandering the streets in Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin.  She was a friendly little dog, but obviously pregnant, cold and hungry.  Addy had been someone's pet once-upon-a-time.  She was housebroken and seemed to have good manners.  Her eyes are soulful.  No one came to claim her and she found her way to Oars so she could have her babies in a warm, loving, home.

She had 3 beautiful pups.  Addy was a wonderful mama-dog.  She was protective, nurturing and sweet with her babies.  As the puppies grew and became playful she would romp with them and play.  When they were old enough to venture out into the snowy backyard she'd herd them and run with them in the snow.  As the puppies would sleep though, she'd go to the door and just wait for someone to notice her.  She wouldn't bark or paw at the door that led from the "puppy room" to the main part of the house.  She would patiently wait.

There's always a flurry of activity at my house from 4pm to 8pm.  The kids get home from school.  The parents home from work.  Meals are made.  Homework is done.  Dogs are walked.  Baths are taken.  Foster animals are loved and played with.  Around 8pm though, we all fall into some quiet time.  I usually retreat to the couch to watch some HGTV or Animal Planet and just relax for an hour.  I found myself inviting Addy to join me each night.   She was so sweet and eager, it was impossible to deny her.

Addy seemed to reflect how I felt after a long day - one tired mama to another.  But she had this affect on everyone really.  She liked to snuggle and she'd stare right into your eyes.

Usually, in rescue, the adorable puppies get adopted first.  Then mama would wait and wait and eventually be adopted.  I honestly, didn't even think to post her online until after her puppies......my husband, Tim, mentioned he had a co-worker who'd like to come by.  This happened often enough.  People would stop by to see and play with the puppies and sometimes drop off donations of food or puppy pads.  This was always welcome and part of the fun of fostering puppies.  I mean, they were unusually adorable puppies.

This visit was a little different.  The visitor and her young, autistic son came to visit Addy.  The connection was undeniable and surreal.  The young boy laid down on my office floor and Addy proceeded to lay right on top of him and clean his face with the sweetest kisses.  The boy giggled, the mom teared up....see, the boy rarely giggled.  I explained that Addy wasn't quite finished with her mama duties and needed to be spayed etc.  The family visited her several times over those weeks and Addy seemed to know when they were coming and that they were "hers".  

I took her to their home on a particularly cold Saturday morning.  She sat in the passenger seat of my car, looking out the window.  She'd periodically glance over at me and wag her tail.  I really felt she knew she was going home.  When we got to the house, she didn't bark or jump.  She waited in the seat until I attached her leash and lead me to their front door.  When the door opened she walked in and sat down in the living room and looked at me, like "So, this is it huh?  Not bad" and the boy started to show her all her "things".  

    

Addy has her own family now and I feel like we did our part to ensure the trip was safe, warm and loving.  Of course, her beautiful puppies all found wonderful homes too.  But Addy will always have a special place in my heart, she got the whole tired-mama thing I got going on here.  Addy's journey involved the efforts of numerous volunteers and several foster homes.  My home was just lucky enough to ferry her and her puppies to their final destination, but it's a callaborative-team effort.  What a beautiful soul!

OARS Celebrates our 1000th Adoption!

We are truly blessed this holiday season to celebrate a true HOLIDAY MIRACLE! Our sweet, beautiful girl, Miracle, has been adopted, and it was our 1,000th adoption!

Our sweet Miracle came to us months ago and has been in loving foster care homes since. She is a loving soul, despite having a rough start to life. She was found malnourished, and her tail was improperly docked. A wonderful person took her in, brought her to a vet for repair on her tail, and gave her a second chance at life. Miracle truly IS a miracle, and we are blessed that her foster home took such wonderful care of her and that a loving new forever family found her and brought her into their lives!

Here are snapshots from our beautiful, magical 1,000th adoption!

Miracle's new family gives her some lovin

 Miracle's new dad shows her the special toys she got for being the 1,000th adoption

 Miracle's adopter with her foster mom Jane, who took wonderful care of her!

Miracle's foster mom Jane, OARS Canine Adoptions Director Amy, and Miracle's new family! 

OARS SNiP Helps again!

Tonight was SNiP's second spay neuter run.  Almost 80 animals have been touched by SNiP, it is magical differences that this program is making.
SNiP has been working with a colony north of Appleton with over 30 cats and kittens.  There is health problems with the care takers and they were struggling with all of them.  We had been helping them spay and neuter all of their cats so the over population could stop.  Tonight we were able to help take in a couple of the tamable kittens to turn in to wonderful house pets.

These lucky kitties will live in OARS care while they get special attention to make sure they can be happy healthy house pets.

Some of them will need a little more work then others, but a couple of them are already very trusting of people and just want to love on us.

Country Side Vet Clinic in Appleton has offered to help move some of these kittens in to loving homes by hosting adoptable kittens at their location.  Licorice is currently there waiting for his forever home, and some of these new babies are waiting to get in!

~CK

Wild!

Wild kitten taming is a favorite pastime.  "Wild" cats are called "Feral".  They haven't had the benefit of human interaction and are extremely fearful and even dangerous.  They can bite and scratch.  These three little monsters were trapped in a backyard.  The homeowner saw then scurrying around and started feeding them.  They are just little babies, maybe 6 weeks old.  The weather here is getting cold now and their chances of survival and likelihood of becoming prey to bigger animals, cars or just the elements are stacked against them.  I wore welding gloves to move them from the carrier to the large kennel in my basement where I do my taming - magic.

Day 1 - they hiss, spat and scurry away from me.  I talk quietly and whoo them with my yummy food and kitten milk.  Revolution is applied to ensure they are mite, flea and tick free.

Day 2 - they hiss and watch me cautiously.  I touch each one briefly on the top of the head and speak reassuringly.  I leave all the lights on and doors open so they can hear the sounds of my home...children, dogs, tv, people etc.

Day 3 - I cautiously stroke each one.  The darkest tabby, purrs quietly and pushes his head into my hand!  EEEEK!  Then I wreck their trust by giving them shots and dewormer...yuck.

Day 4 - I stroke each kitten, rub them under their chins and carefully pick up each one.  They hide their faces in my arm but purr and make eye contact.  I harass them as often as I can now and stop in several times a day to pet them.  New Moon (the boy) purrs as soon as he sees me now...

Day 5 - They play now when I'm in the room and purr as soon as I approach.

I bet in another week they seek the attention and crave affection.  This is crucial to their progress and hope to be able to adopt them into a home one day.  I hope next week to be able to let them roam the room, cage-free.

This is Twilight.  She has beautiful, luxurious fur.  She was the slowest to accept me and purr.

This is New Moon.  He was the first to purr and is playful and funny.  Here he is just hanging out in the kitty hammock.

This is Eclipse.  She is really funny and has super soft fur and striking markings.  She is very attached to her siblings and is usually cuddling Twilight, her sister.

These kittens are some of the lucky ones.  They will be spayed and neutered in the next few weeks and when a bit older and more outgoing they might be ready for homes of their own.  I do love the transformation from scared little, destructo-kittens to adorable, purr monsters!

NB