December, the last month of the year. 2018 is almost gone. It has been a busy year, but my blog was not updated. Here is a summary of what went on:
- The time I dedicated to photographing fosters with FOR was reduced. But this non-profit continues to save lives, and makes a big difference for animals and humans alike. There are still too many dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens that need help. It is heartbreaking to know that so many are still euthanized, but every life saved deserves to be celebrated. FOR volunteers are amazing!
- My husband and I teamed up with FOR to work with feral cats. As a result, three young feral sisters were spayed, and brought to their new home in January. They spent a month in a cage, being fed and taken care of by a single caretaker so they could get used to their new territory, and (hopefully) start trusting the human that took care of them. They were released in early February, and a small group of volunteers continues to take turns providing food, and water, and keeping watch for sightings of the newly released members of the community. These days we have daily interactions with two of the original three cats, and hope the third one is still in the area (just not willing to interact with us). A separate entry will chronicle the evolution of this part of our lives, and the ups and downs of this rewarding experience.
- Patches, one of my two indoor cats, had a medical crisis. He was diagnosed with heart disease in 2016. In March he had severe complications that descended into “heart failure“. His lungs accumulated fluid, making it difficult to breathe. Our vet contacted a specialist in Nashville, TN, and after removing part of the fluid we drove north late in the afternoon. Patches spent 36 hours in an “oxygen tent”, and the vet clinic’s staff stabilized him and saved his life. Almost nine months later, he has a “new normal” life. Medications keep him going, and we drive him to Nashville every three months for evaluation.
It’s time to look back, be thankful for our experiences, mourn our losses, and look forward to the next year. I intend to write about this in the next three weeks. I hope you will find it useful!