An ode to Kitty Crackhead

There's been a lot of hype and talk of Sweetie lately (she's basically a celebrity).  Therefore, my parents keep reminding not to forget about Kitty.  Initially I brushed their comments off (because of course I have NOT forgotten about Kitty Crackhead), but perhaps they were talking from experience. I mean, I came about 3 years after my sister (Sweetie came 2.5 years after KCH) and I have photographic evidence that my older sister, Kimberly, was not always overly pleased with my arrival.

Although the picture to the right suggests interest and intrigue, other photos show Kim with a scowl of pure disdain (not sure why because I'm pretty awesome).  That's the look of when an only child becomes an older (or in Kitty Crackhead's case, older younger) sibling. (I love you Kimmae!).

To be honest, since the addition of Sweetie, not much has changed.  Kitty is still queen bitch...err...queen bee in the house.   Overall, the transition has gone even better than expected (mainly thanks to Sweetie), but Kitty still feels the need to smack Sweetie upside the head every once in a while, for no apparent reason.  Fortunately Sweetie is a sweet old soul and doesn't really do much about it.

I would say that Kitty's episodes of lashing out irrationally are due to the new addition to the house.  However, she's always done this (part of the reason she earned her name), so KCH is just being KCH.  Now time for an ode to Kitty Crackhead.

Kitty came into my life in October of 2011, about 6 months in to my internship at OSU.  I had wanted a cat for quite a while, but decided I would wait for one to find me. One night when I was working an overnight emergency shift, a young adult, skinny, somewhat angry looking stray cat came in for an injury to her left forelimb.  This cat had been taken care of by a neighborhood of people who gave her some food and dewormer.  Unfortunately, no one was willing to step up when she injured so she was turned over to OSU Vet school.  Because of massive cat overpopulation and a general dearth of funds for stray animals, most injured cats end up being euthanized.  Indeed, Kitty was injured.  She was dragging her left forelimb, but the limb had sensation and she didn't seem to be in any pain.  While my colleague and I were discussing what would inevitably happen to her, we took her into a small room to let her move around, at which point she immediately hid in a sink.  I remember the moment her eyes peered above the lip of the sink and made contact with mine, at which point she immediately hid again.  Anyone who knows me well can imagine what I did next - naturally, I cried.  I didn't want this cat to be euthanized.  I didn't care if her limb had to be amputated (come on, I'm an oncologist - we love 3 legged animals!) - this kitty was coming home with me.

The first night (or rather day, since I was working overnights) Kitty came home with me she seemed so tired, but thankful to be in a quiet, dry, safe place.  Because she was a stinky lady off the streets, she slept wrapped in a towel on my bed and hardly stirred for hours.  She purred and accepted pets and scritches and seemed very content with her new life.  For the next 4 weeks, she had to be locked in the bathroom to recover from her injury (which we deemed to be neuropraxia - basically means the nerve is intact but not transmitting signals), after which she was nearly back to new (and about 3 lbs heavier).   During the time of bathroom isolation, Kitty and I went through a regular morning dance in which I tried to avoid stepping on her (in my bathroom the size of a closet) and she tried to weave in and out of my legs.  She quickly learned it was not safe to jump into the toilet or running shower; however, she never learned that mommy steps on me when I weave in and out of her legs while she is trying to do things.

Since this time, Kitty has developed in to a wonderful companion.  Like me, she is a creature of habit. She always greets me right out of the shower at which point, we have extensive morning conversations. When I get home, she always chirps her delight (and goes to town on a scratching post).  She recently has taken to sleeping under the covers with me and is a pro at determining when I really need to get work done, at which point she sits on my lap or book/paperwork/computer.  Of course she has earned the name Kitty Crackhead due to her wild antics of running around at 2 am in the morning (which only includes running across my face), hiding under the bed so she can attack my feet when I get up in the middle of the night and screaming if I don't feed her within 5 minutes of rising.  But just as crack is addictive (or so I hear), the Crackhead is as well.  I've posted two videos of KCT - video on the top is a few days after her injury.  The video on the bottom is a thank you video to my colleagues in cahoots who encouraged me to adopt Kitty.

So this brings me to reason #5 why senior dogs (and senior animals in general) rock!

What you see is what you get!

Don’t get me wrong – who doesn’t love puppies and kittens?  NOBODY!  Puppies and kittens have the perfect combination of furry, big eyes, big belly, rolly-polliness that makes your voice (well, at least mine) go octaves above its normal register.   Is there anything cuter than puppy breath or the high pitched “mew!” of a kitten?  Nope!  But do you know what is less cute than that?  Kittens climbing your curtains or puppies chewing your favorite pair of Jimmy Choos.  Ok, who am I kidding, my navy blue Crocs.  In addition to all of the delights that come with puppy and kitten ownership, there are also a lot of questions.   Will my puppy like other dogs or enjoy digging large holes in the backyard?  Will my cat find great joy in peeing outside the litter box ?  Although puppies and kittens need homes just as much as senior animals, adopters must be prepared for personality traits, both good and bad, that may develop in the future.   If you relinquish a puppy because it’s peeing in the house or chewing your futniture – you’re an idiot; it’s a puppy – give it time and more training.

Once again, I must hake a disclaimer that all older dogs aren’t perfect and all puppies and kittens aren’t the spawn of Satan.  However, before I got Sweetie, I was told she was a sweet, but lazy (stinky and chubby) lady.  And guess what, Sweetie is a sweet, but lazy, stinky and chubby lady!  With Sweetie, the best surprise of all was that there weren’t any surprises!

Ok, now let the Sunday morning cuddle session with the two legged creatures continue!

Foster failure :-)

Well it seems that my recent blogging activity has been about as erratic as my emotions.  As some of my coworkers, friends and family know, the last 48 hours or so have been a roller coaster of emotions, which ultimately culminated in...A FOSTER FAILURE!

On Friday afternoon, I received an email from the head of the rescue saying there was an approved adoption application for Sweetie.  Upon reading that email I felt like I was going to cry, vomit and poop my pants all at the same time.  Fortunately, only the crying part happened and I immediately ran to Tamra's office (Tamra = foster mentor/crazy girl that got me in to this!) for advice.   Tamra was not there, so I proceeded to ask every person I came in contact with (probably about 20 people throughout the afternoon) for advice on the situation.   However, I knew that even if one hundred people all told me the same answer, I had to do some soul searching and decide myself.

On Friday evening, I had a moment in which I imagined what it might be like to be a parent to a two legged child.  I looked at Sweetie and thought: "I never want her to be sad, lonely or in pain a day in her life."  While I knew there were likely many houses that could become a home to Sweetie, I knew I had to be the one to make sure her sad days were over (although Sweetie is so chilax I'm not sure she has had many sad days).  To make a long story (with LOTS of tears) short, it had to be me.

So it's official.  Sweetie is now Sweetie Brown (not Sweet Brown - ain't nobody got time for that!) and she will spent the rest of her days with me.  Hopefully those days will actually be years.  However, whether they are days, months or years, I will strive to make them as wonderful as possible for Sweetie.  I'm not sure who posted this comment on my Facebook, but they said that Sweetie will..." make the good days great and the bad days better."  In the 3 weeks I've had her, that has been so true and I'm so thankful that I stumbled across this wonderful lady.

To celebrate the wonderful day (officially 3/22/13), Sweetie and I made a trip to Mutts and Co, where she got her official (steelers) name tag (and a nice blue rain coat since she basically goes everywhere with me).  And at the end of the weekend, I have one tired and happy pup to call my own (and KCH is giving me the stink eye right now...) :-)

Love, love me too! You know I love you!

It's been a while since my last blog, but as I always like to tell my clients (for people not in the veterinary profession, that means owners of pets - because dogs and cats always forget their wallet when they go the vet's office!) - no news is good news!

Sweetie was officially introduced to society yesterday at Mingle with the Mutts (debutant ball of the doggy world).  Sweetie, along with another dog from Central Ohio Dog Rescue League - Spice - was  wonderful.   While other dogs were barking, jumping and chewing on things, Sweetie and Spice sat quietly and patiently while they waited for attention.  Of course Sweetie didn't get as much attention as the other dogs and even a family that came looking for an "older dog" inevitably gravitated towards the puppies.  This isn't my first rodeo, and I know that it takes longer to rehome a senior dog (and Sweetie can sleep in my bed for as many nights as she needs!).   At the end of the two hour event, Sweetie and I did some shopping in the shelter store (see picture) as I didn't want Sweetie to feel unloved (because she is perfect!).  I felt so happy that Sweetie was coming to my house to spend the rest of the afternoon sleeping on the couch, rather than the cold floor of a shelter.

In general, I try not to anthropomorphize things.  While I don't doubt that dogs and cats experience pain and have feelings, I don't think they stress about their winter weight or worry for hours after they took a big dump on the new white carpet.  However, I see the picture below and wonder what senior dogs think as an endless train of people pass their run at the shelter. Perhaps they used to sleep on someone's couch and were left behind when their family moved away.  Perhaps they enjoyed long walks before they got "too old."  In such situations, I cannot help but think about all the years these sad eyes have seen.

So, now I will break my rule about anthropomorphizing and tell you reason #6 why senior dogs rock:
Older dogs still have so much love to give.

One of my vet school fosters, Sylvia, landed in the shelter after her owner died. She quickly came to our house still confused about the sudden loss of her life-time companion.  Her eyes said it all - she was scared, panicked, confused and spent most of the day staring out front door, which we suspected was owner seeking behavior.  However, in the days and weeks that followed, the look in Sylvia's eyes changed from fear to trust and eventually, to love.  Did Sylvia forget about her previous owner?  I think I've seen enough youtube videos showing dogs reuniting with their owners (particularly war veterans) to know that's not very likely.  She simply had more love to give to me and my roommates. And when she found her furrever home, she had even more love to give to her new two legged companions.

Senior dogs are good at many things including sleeping, letting you sleep, cuddling, enjoying sunsets, leisurely walks.  But above all, they're best at giving love. <3

What a difference a bow makes!

Many of you have already seen Sweetie's glam shot, but for those that haven't, feast your eyes on his pretty lady!  This picture is just too cute for words!  Unfortunately for you, I rarely am at a loss for words, so let's continue...

This past saturday, Sweetie, along with a dozen or so other dogs, got primped up and went for a photo shoot with a local photographer, Claudine, dog lover and owner of Simply Dog Photography (http://www.simplydogphotoblog.com).  Aside from being "tots adorbs!" take a moment to think about the actual impact of these photos.  Quite often, photos of dogs in shelters look more like the picture shown below.  This is not necessarily due to a fault of any person, but more likely due to limited resources, staff and quite simply, way to many homeless animals.  For many people, they don't even want to look at this photo, let alone adopt this dog (Brownie), as it's a harsh reminder of what life can be like for many homeless animals.   So what Claudine is doing, other than taking jaw dropping, awww-inspiring, ridiculously cute photographs - she is saving lives.


Even despite Instagram's ability to make everyone look a little better, I'm no photographer. Fortunately, at this time in my life, I was able to open up my home to Sweetie and help in that way.  So how can you help animals in need?

Under Facebook pictures of animals in need on Facebook, there is quite often comments (which I have been guilty of leaving) such as "I would love to, but I can't with my work schedule" or "So cute, but my pack is full."   So next time you or I make that comment, let's think of ways in which we can help.  Claudine is kind enough to donate her gift of photography.  Here are some ways that you could help:

1. Trying to lose some winter weight? - donate time to walk dogs (or if you're already in great shape - socialize kitties) at a local shelter.  Everyone (two legged and four legged benefits from a little TLC).
2.  Doing some spring cleaning? - any old towels, sheets, blankets could surely be used at a local shelter or rescue group.
3.  Are you technologically savvy? - volunteer to help a shelter or rescue start or improve their website
4. Own a business? - donate 5% of your proceeds to an organization on a given night
5. Rich? - giving money never hurts (and if you're tall, dark and handsome - call me :-)

Bottom line, saying "I can't help" is a big fat lie.  Like Claudine, we all have gifts and services to offer to make the world a better place.

Please feel free to write down more ideas in the comments section below - I'd love to hear how you have or plan to help homeless animals!

It's tiring being so cute!

We had such a fun afternoon at the dog park!

I met so many nice people (and dogs too!).   When a woman sat down on the bench to drink from her water bottle, I jumped right into her lap!

I really enjoyed the sun and the warm weaaaaaaa.......

YAAAAAAAAAAAWN!!!! I'm a pooped pupper!

And I'm out.  Good night!

Thug life

In the words of T.I. Sweetie says she's "been thugging all [her] life, can't say [she] don't deserve to take a break..."  Ok, perhaps the name Sweetie doesn't give her much street cred, but she rocks the sideways hat and badass grill with the best of them (the hat was one of the many stops I had to pull out this afternoon to help the Buckeyes win the basketball game...I'm only a little superstitious).

In reflecting on the last week that I've had Sweetie, it's been quiet uneventful.  In the past, coming home to the foster pup was always a surprise.  Was I going to find that the dog had pulled a Houdini and gotten out of her crate (China, a pittie) or come home to find the dog gone, having busted through a screen (Kota, a mastiff)?  And don't forget the never ending poop and pee presents!  In contrast, Sweetie was and still is, perfection.  She's a great companion - in the house, in the car, on a walk.  She's just happy to be living life.

And that brings me to reason #7 why (adopting) senior dogs rock.
#7: When you adopt a senior dog, you save a life.   So many people overlook older dogs at the shelter and as a result, they are often at the top of the euthanasia list.  Just before I got Sweetie, I had inquired about fostering a little 12 year old mixed breed dog.  I posted something on facebook (asking if the dog could be cat tested), only to find that my post and the dog's picture was gone a few hours later.  It turned out that the dog had been euthanized.  It was a hard lesson but unfortunately, this is the reality for many older dogs that set paw in the shelter.   When there is no more space, someone has to go and it's often older dogs.

By adopting a senior dog (or any dog for that matter), you may actually be saving 2 lives - the dog you adopted and another dog that gets the spot on the adoption floor (or in the foster home).  You get a companion and save two lives at the same time - not a bad day's work.

 

Coming soon - pictures of Sweetie's photo shoot!

The dilemma - dog person or crazy cat lady?

It's been a busy week, so Sweetie and I are hanging in tonight - wild, I know.  Since catching some of the Oscars the other day, I've been wanting to watch Dallas Buyers Club.  However, Sweetie is having a professional photo shoot tomorrow, so she requested that we watch reruns of America's Next Top Model (she actually referred to it as ANTM) so she can figure out what poses work the best for her.  So far we've discovered that drawing attention to her neckline with a bandana or diamond necklace would take attention away from her waistline.   However, this is the best pose she's got - we have a long night of work ahead of us...

Since my last blog, I realized I've been going through a bit of an identity crisis over the last two and a half years.  Shortly after I adopted Kitty Crackhead in October of 2011, I discovered an unforeseen love/obsession with cats.  This included typical crazy cat lady things such as watching endless cat compilation youtube videos as well as purchasing (several) cat articles of clothing.  I have grown up with dogs my whole life and always considered myself a "dog person."  However, I whole heartedly jumped into the world of the crazy cat lady (I mean, I'm almost 30, single and writing a blog about a "pet" on a Friday night).  However, since fostering Sweetie, I find myself straddling the fence between being a "dog person" and "crazy cat lady."  Therefore, I figured I could address this dilemma by making a list of Kitty Crackhead's likes and dislikes, as compared to Sweetie's.

Kitty Crackhead's likes:
1. Cat food
2. Trying to stealthily hide herself so she can attack me unexpectedly

Kitty Crackhead's dislikes:
1. Belly rubs
2. Butt scratches
3. Cats
4. Most dogs
5. Car rides
6. Some people
7. Vacuums
8. Hair dryers
9. Washer and dryer
10. Winter

So, this probably makes it sound like Kitty is an evil crackhead, which in fact she is not almost 25% of the time.  However, it's interesting to see some of the behaviors that I adore in cats would be completely unacceptable in dogs.    Am I a cat lady or a dog person????? - screw deciding.  I'm both!