How not to shave your legs #kittens #foster @furkids

The hazards of fostering kittens.  Especially when they start to climb.

Feline Friday #kittens #fosterkittens #kittenproofingyourvideogames @furkids

We tried just blocking off the video game consoles, but the kittens quickly proved that an exercise in futility.  So, I upped my game a baby gate.  3 baby gates and zip ties make a great "cage" to keep kittens away from cords and consoles.  The front gate is also zipped to the table that everything is sitting on to help in stability.  We do pull the little sensor bars out to use the Wii, but they go back under when done.  Otherwise, kittens are quite likely  to eat the cord.

The next issue is under the old sewing machine desk.  The kittens were (and are) very good at getting to the power cord of the old sewing machine stored inside.  Duct Tape worked for a while, but they figured out how to pull it off the table (which made for yet more toys).  While cleaning up stuff from the attic, I found an old drawing a friend from HS had given me.  Framed, it covers the area under the desk nicely.  It's reasonably heavy too, so it will make it harder to move.  I've zip tied it to the desk itself so that it can't fall.

Anyone else had to get creative to kitten proof a room?  I haven't even tried the house.

My foster kittens @furkids #adorable #kittensontheinternet

I decided now was a good time to let my foster kittens take center stage. I've posted random photos of them on instagram, so now they've made the blog.

First up is Kiwi.  He's the runt of the litter at just 2 pounds.  He's what my daughter and I call a "pocket kitten".  He is Mr. Adventure.  The first to go explore if I'm not quick enough to close the door and he's convinced he needs to be wherever I am.  He also has a "silent meow" where just his mouth works.

In this picture with Kiwi is Peach.  An adorable torti/calico.  She's relatively quiet, but don't let that fool you.  She loves belly rubs, though she'll also wrestle your hand.  She's the "actual cat" of the group.  For those that have cats, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

Then there's Mango, aka Little Miss Trouble.  She likes to play with the humans in the room.  They're much more interesting than siblings.  A very pretty torti, she's a lovebug at heart and with the right introduction would do just fine with other cats.

Last but not least is Papaya.  This boy is the biggest of the litter at 3 lbs.  When it's nap time, he really likes for there to be a human around to curl up with.  He's all black and reminds me of Toothless the dragon.  He's going to be a big boy who loves laps.



These guys aren't available for adoption yet, they still have to be spayed/neutered.  But watch for them to hit the FurKids website.  They'll make someone very happy.

I #volunteer as a way of life

I'm a volunteer. I don't know how not to find something or some cause to get involved with. I currently volunteer at the Georgia Aquarium and as a leader with American Heritage Girls. My daughter has me involved with FurKids and I sponsor soldiers through Adopt A US Soldier. In the past I was a Cub Scout Leader for my son, a reading buddy at his elementary school and helped in the library.

If you go back further, I worked for a time with SE Newfoundland Rescue. I worked with Collie Rescue of Metro Atlanta and with Gwinnett Animal Control. In college I was part of a group called Angel Flight. The list goes on.

I've come to the realization that if I'm not volunteering for something, then my life feels "off". It's not a conscious thing for me, but it is important enough for me to recognise it and make sure that I'm making me happy by doing it. So, later this month I may be embarking on my next project. I go for the "interview" in a couple of weeks and will have more information about it then.

Playing with Cats

My daughter chose to play with cats for her science fair project. She wanted to know which they'd prefer, a string cat toy or a toy filled with catnip. What it allowed her to do is spend time playing with her cat (1 yo Jack, seen to the right, we adopted from FurKids) and my cat (15 yo Dodger adopted from Gwinnett AC years ago) and still be doing school work.

It wasn't quite the adventure as we had with Robert. Since she plays with the cats fairly regularly, though, it was an exercise in remembering to log what she did. She also had to remember to make sure she had her designated toys on hand when she did so. Simple enough in theory, but when you're doing most of the "real" experiments during the holiday and she's not very organized to begin with, a definite challenge too.

Her final day of experimenting happened at FurKids. I took her with her toys out to the shelter (we're already volunteers) and we spent time in the adult cat room.

She learned fairly quickly that you cannot get the cats riled up by playing with them and then take your attention off of them. They'll continue to play with the toy dangling in your hand whether you're playing or not. No harm done, just surprised her when one decided to make a leap for the string toy she'd had dangling in front of the cat's face. We always enjoy visiting and I usually get shots of some of the adoptables. The catch this time is the adoptables I was taking pictures of were busy playing with my daughter or the toys she brought. So they don't really show them off to their advantage. Maybe next time I'll be a bit more successful.

PSA: @FurkidsInc Open House & Adoptables

This weekend, FurKids is having an open house today and toorrow at their shelter off of Pleasantdale Rd. You can see some of the adoptable dogs and kitties when you visit and support a great cause at the same time. $5 pays for a bbq sandwich or veggie burger, homemade veggie baked beans, cole slaw, chips and a drink. $2 gets a bowl full of home made ice cream (Strawberry or pineapple). Not to mention the baked goods! YUM!

Some of the adoptable kitties that we saw today:

Yahoo, a wonderful big girl more interested in pets than play.

Confetti, a wonderful calico very sweet.

Ezra is a handsome boy, very friendly

Mango is one of my favorites. I love to visit her when we get to go visit.

These 4, plus lots of others, are available for adoption. Our Jack Sparrow came from FurKids last year.

PSA - @FurKidsinc some available cats

My daughter and I visited the FurKids shelter Saturday for a bit. In the process, we took some pictures of some of those that are available.

Maddox - a big boy, very sweet. He liked my daughter's lap.

Mango has been there a while. A very sweet girl.

Fifi wanted to visit and had an odd sort of meow. Not much more than a squeak, she did voice her opinion.

Michael has been there a while too. A very sweet boy, definitely a lap cat with a very quiet meow.

He tucked his head under my arm to sleep while I was holding him.

Mini-PSA - FurKids

We stopped in at the FurKids shelter yesterday to pick up our little one from his neuter surgery. While waiting, we visited one room of kitties. My daughter and I took a definite liking to these two. The first one is 'Brandon'. A wonderful boy, very sweet. I LOVED the markings.

This is Grace. She was my daughter's favorite of the evening. Can't you tell?

Tomorrow is a big day in our house. Not only will I have 5 teen/tween boys in the house, but my son will have his 13th birthday. Oi.

PSA - FurKids

My daughter and I visited the kitties Sunday. We were inundated with kitties whenever we sat long enough for them to visit.

This is Mango (on my legs) and Tangerine (on my lap). They were sweet girls willing to share and purr. They were very disappointed when I stood up.

This is Peter, a very sweet boy.

Peter and his 'crew'. Diddy Kong is on the left with my shoelace, Donkey Kong on the right.

Jack Frost - a big boy with lots of love to give

Sassafras could easily be a Sassy. A sweet little girl that batted at my when I stopped paying attention to her. She wanted me focused on her.

Last, but certainly not least, was Gooseberry. She wasn't sure of us at first, but she happily settled nearby to be visited with. She's an oversize bundle of love.

There were lots of others that were total sweet hearts. BamBam adored my daughter. Betty Boop followed us around the room while we 'visited' the other cats. FurKids is a wonderful group to find a cat from, they're definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a friend.

PSA: FurKids Open House

My kids and I visited the FurKids' shelter Sunday. As usual we found several kitties that were adorable. We re-met up with Lucretia, an oversize sweetie who was happy to be petted.

And then we met Daisy, a newcomer to FurKids. An absolute doll of a cat.

We're starting the adoption process for kitties for my daughter. She's been earning the right to have a cat of her own by taking care of our current two. She's done well with that, so now she has to earn the adoption fee (or a majority of it).

In other news from FurKids, they're having an Open House this upcoming weekend (Sept. 24-25) at their shelter. It's from 11a-4p. There will be festivities featuring their cats, dogs, door prizes and a BAKE SALE too. For more information, check out their web site: http://www.furkids.org

Furkids

My daughter had some donations for Furkids after her birthday party, so we went out there on Wednesday to visit and drop them off. I didn't get as many pictures as I normally do, but I wanted to share them anyway. This first cat is Aurora. She's a very lovely cat, very friendly. Right after I snapped this picture, she meowed in my daughter's ear like she was telling her a secret. It was hilarious to watch. This one was Confetti. Very pretty, very sweet.

My daughter wanted me to mention that her favorite from last time is still there, Orchard. A pretty calico that you can check out on the Furkids website.

Public Service Announcement Day

PSA part 1 - Special Committee Meeting

My brain is at the capitol today (or at least for the morning). The first meeting of a special committee to evaluate the Supreme Court ruling on the Georgia State Charter Commission being illegal. The principal of the Georgia Cyber Academy (and others) were invited to attend. The meeting itself is at 10a today. You can read the article by TalkGwinnett here.

PSA Part 2 - FurKids

More interesting PSA is for Furkids. We visited yesterday and got some great photos of some really sweet kitties.

Someone had Nintendo on the brain when they named these three cuddlers. This is Donkey Kong. This is Dixie Kong. This is Diddy Kong. All three are very sweet and LOVE to play with the 'red dot'.

This is Orchard. She and my daughter sat for a while just cuddling. She didn't want to share (hissed at cats passing too close) her lap. Though out of her lap, she did fine.

This is Foxy. She has a "twin" brother named Roxy. She's a cuddler, Roxy loved to play with the 'red dot'.

Another lap cat, this one is called Eclair. A sweet good sized girl.

Buffy snubbed my daughter's lap and came to mine instead. She was very happy there. She's rather petite in size.

On the opposite end size wise is Brownie. She's a tank of a cat. When she sits on your lap, you won't have a lap left.

I also wanted to note that Furkids now has their own thrift store. You can donate to it or purchase from it to help the shelter. The address for the Thrift is 4015 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Norcross.

FurKids visit

My kids and I got out this afternoon and paid a visit to Furkids to see what was up and who was there. A bit of turn over, which is a good thing. Quite a few need a lot of TLC, but these caught our eye..

This is Mango (dmh), a pretty little girl. Very friendly.

Eclair (dsh), another sweet girl. I sat down and she sat with (on) me.

Cocoa Puff (dsh) was a sweetie. She was very happy to see us and have us pet her (as you can see, she LEANS into the petting).

This little one (dsh) we couldn't find the name on. My daughter sat down and he sat with (on) her. I sat down and he transferred laps. When I stood up, he went back to my daughter quite happily. Definitely a lap cat here. As always, you can find out more information on these and others at their website: http://www.furkids.org.