Since coming to Texas, there has been an empty spot where my critters usually occupy. While I’m several states away and friends and family are caring for the rascals, I am animal-less. Thanks to the example of a couple of friends, I figured out how to fill the void for the next few months.
My neighbor Brooke and my friends the Mannings and Emily over at Our Waldo Bungie have each been inspirational when it comes to volunteering countless hours to homeless pets. Brooke runs miles every week with the dogs at the local shelter and she, the Mannings and Emily foster animals that otherwise would’ve had a grim destiny.
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| This guy reminded me of my ill-fated cat RJ. Had he not been adopted right in front of my eyes, there was real danger that he would have come home with me. |
Had I the space (and if I could convince Jack–what a party pooper), I’d be fostering as many animals as I could get my greedy hands on. Since that’s not an option, I contacted the humane society and asked what I could do.
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| Deciding who was going to be our victim. Evie was so excited by the chihuahua that she couldn’t stand still. Neither could he. |
Turns out, there is an awesome program that allows volunteers to check out a cat or dog during the day for trips to the park, walks around the neighborhood, to give them a warm bath or let them pretend they have a home for a few hours. Since I’m not exactly in a position to help scrub out kennels or clean up doggie doo while dragging along two toddlers, this program is perfect.
Elmo and Major Tom getting some attention from the girls.
We went to orientation and the next day, decided to spend an hour petting, brushing and otherwise loving on some kitties, among them Major Tom (who’d make an excellent barn cat–affectionate yet adept with his claws), Elmo, Ghost and a gorgeous yet unnamed Siamese/tabby cross.
It was a good reminder too of how lucky I am to have cats that tolerate children. None of the cats were vicious but true to feline nature, some were less than patient with excited children dancing and screaming in front of their enclosure.
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| Ghost |
By the end of our visit, we were plastered with hair but grateful to have had the chance to give some lonely felines much needed one on one time. Before we left, we strolled through the dog pens and found several precious canines, one of which will be getting our attention hopefully tomorrow. There’s always more to do but the girls and I are happy to put our animal cuddling skills to good use.
