Shelter Time

Communication is tenuous, and we offered to clean the shelter twice this week. We only found out an hour ahead that we weren't needed for the morning, but we did our usual evening rounds.

We got there just as Miss W. had gotten there with Piper. Poor guy has been returned for the 3rd time. Most adoptions take, but this poor guy has had terrible luck. His latest says she is tired of taking him to the vet for recurrent ear infections. Well, he never had those before, and don't you promise that you understand you might have lots of vet expenses when you adopt, and you agree to take that on? Well, anyway, better that they be returned to us than some of the bad alternatives. That's why we take any cat back, any time.

Frieda, the office cat, is becoming friendlier and more talkative than ever. As long as you don't accidentally cause a bit of static electricity when petting her. Then she just becomes annoyed with you. She hadn't eaten much, so I didn't put more food in her bowl. We will have to watch that.

Lulu is recovering from cleft palate surgery. She didn't want her meds, but really didn't fight much. She did try to hide in her litter box after, but let me pet her. She is friendly, as long as she doesn't think you have meds.

Baby, or Ms. Babie as it says on her collar, is another recent return. She is so mad about being in a cage that she is using the most unladylike language I have ever heard on a cat. With Miss W.'s permission, we just gave her fresh water (her food bowl was full), snatched the box out and scooped it -- she managed to claw me as I did -- and called it good enough. I don't like not washing down the whole cage, but there was no way. I would have been torn to ribbons.

Sandy and T-Boy are in cages, waiting for space in the colony rooms, and happy and sweet. We also have two new occupants back there, Sebastian and Cali. Cali is a beautiful long haired calico who is 9 years old, and Sebastian is a handsome old gentleman pure bred Himalayan, show quality, and 11 years old. Their family had to move to St. Jude Children's Hospital to be with their 2-year-old, who has cancer. They didn't want to give up their babies, but had no choice. Both cats are friendly and healthy.

I went in to check on Ginny, Prissy, Curley Sue, Grady, and Clint. Grady was let out twice -- not by me -- and I searched for and found Clint without too much trouble.

Angel and Dustie are both glad that no meds are forthcoming at this time, and are so clean in their room! Anyone who thinks it is all nurture and no nature need to go in the girl's colony room with them, and look at the mess level, then go in with Tiger and Buddy. Yes, JuJu is in with the boys, too, but she hides all day. The boys are the reason that room takes longer to clean. Yes, I remember how nutty Curley Sue can be, but she is the exception. Even among cats, you get the occasional tomboy.

Nacho still has that spot under his neck that no one can diagnose or get rid of. It is in just the perfect place that an E-collar would irritate it and make it worse, and he scratches it back into being big and nasty every time it shows any sign of healing. Rory is still playing shy in there, and sweet little Cherry, who is half the size of the boys, gently keeps them in line.

Mamie is still isolated, but no one has heard any sneezing from her and I think she should be cleared of quarantine by next week.

Muffin, Grayson, Tiffany, Sophie, Roxanne. Francie, Allie, and Rosie are in various rooms and doing great. They cycle in and out of the adoption center, and are put on display on adoption evenings, and are on Petfinder on the web, so someday their dream home will come.


Today is:

Evacuation Day -- Tunisia

Global Handwashing Day

Mertz of All Possible Mertzes

My Mom is a Student Day

National Grouch Day

National Inhalant Abuse Awareness Day

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day -- U.S. and Canada

National Roast Pheasant Day

Rainbow Pickling Day -- Fairy Calendar

St. Andeol's Day (patron of Switzerland)

St. Teresa of Avila's Day (patron of Spain, lace makers; against headaches, heart attacks)

Teacher's Day -- Brazil

White Cane Safety Day

World Poetry Day


Birthdays Today:

Sarah Ferguson, 1959
Emeril Lagasse,1959
Tanya Roberts, 1955
Richard Carpenter, 1946
Jim Palmer, 1945
Penny Marshall, 1942
Linda Lavin, 1937
Lee Iacocca, 1924
Mario Puzo, 1920
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., 1917
John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908
Friedrich, Nietzsche, 1844


Today in History:

Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Vandals, 533
Commissioned by Catherine De Medici, the 1st ballet "Ballet Comique de la Reine," is staged in Paris, 1581
Asser Levy is granted a butcher's license for kosher meat in New Amsterdam, 1660
The Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon marks the first human ascent, by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, (tethered balloon), 1783
George Washington takes the first formal presidential tour, of New England, 1789
Napoleon Bonaparte is exiled to the Island of St. Helena, 1815
Child labor law takes 12 year olds out of the work force, 1874
Edison Electric Light Company is incorporated, 1878
Koln cathedral is completed, 633 years after it was begun, 1880
The German dirigible "Graf Zeppelin' lands in Lakehurst, NJ, 1928
LaGuardia Airport opens, 1939
Fortran, the first modern computer language, is shared with the coding community for the first time, 1946
The start of the 2500-year celebration of Iran, celebrating the birth of Persia, 1971
The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England, 1987
Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL, 1989
Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1990
The first supersonic land speed record is set by Andy Green in ThrustSSC (United Kingdom), exactly 50 years and 1 day after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in the Earth's atmosphere, 1997
The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn, 1997
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io, 2001
China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission, 2003