I'm an Auntie!

Being a wildlife rehabber does not, of course, limit us to rescuing only wildlife. (Thus my 5 cats and 3 rescue dogs!) If an animal is in need of rescue, we're there! It's a calling for us and there is no discrimination between species. Laurie & JoAnn often foster animals for the MSPCA and Pawsafe as well.

Laurie has had a lovely pregnant female cat for almost a month now. One of many with an upper respiratory infection that cannot be put in the population at the shelter, so they have to be fostered while getting treatment. We have been anxiously awaiting a birth, while also dreading it a little at the same time. The meds mom had to be on can be detrimental to the babies, and often they do not survive.

Well last week mom finally had her babies, so I feel a little safer giving an update!

Laurie, knowing the time was imminent, spent the night in the bedroom with her to watch over her. Of course mom decided to wait until Laurie had to start getting ready to go work to start popping them out! (and in the litter box no less...can you say messy!) No worries......she had her doting Auntie Lisa and Auntie Dee to head over throughout the day to check on the new family!! Here is the gang, just hours old!

 Momma had 5 beautiful kitties....one  grey and the rest jet black like mom. Grey kitty is a moose! A couple of  the black ones were little, but all were nursing well and seemed healthy. I'm happy to report that Laurie says all are still quite healthy and vigorous a week later and eating like little piggies....with round little bellies to match!

Laurie says it's the best....having little babies around again, and the mom to do all the work! All she has to do is sit back and ENJOY for a change! Awesome.

The crew is kinda famous!

I got an email the other day from The Bi-State Wildlife Hotline stating some of my pictures had been used on their website and is that OK?

So needless to say I checked out the link! All you people in Missouri & Illinois heads up....this is a great website to get all the help and information you need regarding your local wildlife! Of course I gave my permission....as long as the animals were being portrayed in a good light. Which of course they were since it is a rescue website as well. Whatever helps the animals, I'm all in!

As it turns out, some of the gang is famous! Gerry, Vin, Peanut, Raquel and Isles make up a lot of the raccoon page (2nd-5th pic) as well as Trooper as the thumb nail icon.(God I love that picture of Peanut eating the animal crackers!!)

While I was on there I decided to poke around a little and as it turns out, the coonies were not the only ones that showed up there! A lot of our gang is famous, and you can see them on the coyote, groundhog, squirrel and possie pages!  So I'm quite flattered a fellow rescue likes my pictures enough to use them for their website! Maybe I'm in the wrong profession.......nahhhhhhhh! LOL
Go check out their website....it looks great and it's full of awesome info on wildlife no matter where you are from!

A welcome midnight visit.

I was out in the woods last night after work and noticed a few sets of eyes scattered around. One pair was in a tree near the main pens. So I went out with a little food for the feeders and when I tried to coax whoever was near the pens down, it wasn't happening. I then proceeded to head to the feeders and put some food in. It wasn't very long after the sound of dry kibble, bouncing off the metal feeder reverberating though the woods, brought my friend in the tree crashing through the underbrush towards me! It's a good thing I'm comfortable with what wildlife is out there or I probably would have wet my pants and gone screaming through the woods upon hearing such a noise out in the dark! LOL

It turned out to be River and we had a lovely little visit. No one was with her at the time, but when I made my way to the main feeding station downtown, her daughter Amazon was there waiting on me. They are in great shape and were beautiful, as always, and it was so great to see them. The rest of the glowing eyes in various trees out there chose to stay put in their lofty perches. No one else was going to come visit me in person this night. Sigh. I would have loved a visit from Gibby.

Happy Valentine's Day!

From all the coonies...........

 From all the squirrels......

 And from all the dogs and cats...........

From my gang of fur butts to all of you and yours....

Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks for loving and supporting animals everywhere!

Two captures.....two very different outcomes!

As I was taking care of the crew Friday afternoon I happened to notice a coonie sleeping on one of the tree platforms. OK....a little unusual but given the 50 degree temps. not outright wrong, although I would have expected it to be higher up cradled in the pine branches where I usually find them. 

A closer inspection revealed a very sick coonie. While I was observing him trying to decide how sick, or if he was injured, he proceeded to go back to what he was doing before I interrupted him.....chewing off his foot. Shit!!

 There was no doubt in my mind what I had to do....not with this one. He had also been gnawing on the platform he was on...shredding it! So I trudged up to the house and got the catch pole and net....it was not a difficult capture by any means. Once he was in the net he pretty much just rolled around on his back....

 .....in between trying to continue to chew his foot off. *Sigh*

 It was very sad and I immediately had him euthanized. Not one of my immediate gang thank god...but maybe a grand kid. He reminds me of one of the wild juveniles that used to hang around out there and, although wouldn't come near me, would tolerate my presence and let me watch him when I left a snack out there for him to eat. I am saddened to think it was him. I think it's time everyone out there gets a rabies booster!

 On a happier note.....a local dog rescue had a problem. A new 4 month old puppy that had just been transported up here to go into foster care had slipped its collar and run off. Of course it was one of those petrified pups that ran in fear from people. Kristen gave me a ring to see if I had a trap. It just so happens I had gotten a fox trap.....just in case for my resident foxes! Although we really didn't think it was going to work, I am thrilled to report that the traps maiden voyage  was a total success!!

One very scared, hungry puppy is now safe and sound!!!!!!! Whew! Lost a little sleep worrying about that one all alone out there....the night before the storm that never happened was due to hit!

Slow progress on some renovations!

Lets just say it started in October and it's getting there slowly but surely! Mostly because it's just been me and my dad doing it all! Such measures are required when one is counting every penny!

The two rooms off the kitchen (the "dining" room and my "office") are being transformed into rooms more compatible to a multi animal household. The off white carpet (that at one point was wall to wall throughout the whole house....who in their right mind!?!...) is slowly getting eradicated! Yayyyyy!

Room one....originally a dining room,(although never used for such a purpose!), gets a new floor with dad's help after I happily ripped up the crappy carpet!

It looks awesome, it's easy to clean and it's Pit bull approved too I might add!

It is now my office/dog room. Not that the dogs don't have the run of the house when I'm there, but a couple trouble makers need to be crated when I'm gone! Like Bernard who decides to chew and eat his blankets....narrowly missing an obstruction surgery, and Boo the counter surfer, because no matter how hard I try, I never remember to push anything edible out of his reach before I leave! With a new puppy in the house....it's a busy room sometimes! LOL

On to the next room.....slated to be the cat room! Ripped up the gross rugs....and that was about as far as we got before I got sick that time in the beginning of November when I was in bed for a week! I had furniture, boxes, new flooring and just crap everywhere! On top of not being able to get out of bed for a week and do any general cleaning.....it looked like a hoarders paradise! I was totally horrified when Brian from the Animal Rescue League brought Boston over the night he caught him......and OMG! had to use my bathroom and witness the hideous nightmare! Forget about the fact that I looked something like a cross between Medusa and Sasquatch! That bothered ME far less than the condition of my home, however probably had him wondering why he wandered into the dark woods without backup! Anyway I'm pretty sure Boston is quite happy things worked out the way they did! See Brian....I'm not really a crazy lady in the woods, living in squalor, that doesn't interact with people......(or make the ones that visit mysteriously disappear! LOL)!

So feeling better, onward I go. Got the floor cleaned up....and we still have not managed to get the new flooring down (the same as in the dog room) but it's all neatened up in there.

Doors have been added......

.....and the fun things cats love are in there...as well as 3 of the 5 cats who, despite something like a hundred litter boxes all over the house, insisted in peeing all over. Yesssss.....instead of getting rid of some of my kids, I built a cat room for them instead! So maybe I am the crazy cat lady after all......but I don't care, once you adopt them they are not just disposable if things don't work out perfectly!!! Problem solved anyway.....not a single mess outside the boxes since they've been in there!

Thanks to a wonderful co-worker of mine, there is also an outdoor section for them as well! Thank you Ted!!!! He built it off one of the windows (you can see the frame of it outside the window behind Lucy, the grey and white kitty) so all I have to do is open the window and they can go in and out all they want. I'll get pics of that on here eventually! For now it is closed. It's winter and they have been indoor cats all their lives. Come spring the window can open and they can get used to it! I still have to decorate it out there too. Gotta find stuff to put out there that can handle the elements......any suggestions welcome!!

So, it's far from finished but it's getting there!

The girls show themselves.....sort of!

I know it's been a while since we've seen or heard anything from the gang out here! Some of it has to do with a little nervousness and mistrust after watching the boys get hauled away. Chicken and Laurie's girl were very nervous to begin with, but now just avoid me all together.

 A lot more has to do with the fact that they are acting like raccoons should act in the winter....lazy couch potatoes, unmotivated by nice weather, a visit from Mom, or even food! I know, I know.... you're all shocked to think these voracious little chow hounds won't even stir for food!

Unless of course I bring in some tasty sweets they haven't had in a while! Then I can't get them to leave me alone! So I tricked them into an impromptu photo session.

Pebbles (top) and Porcelain (off to right) generally ending up coming out to say hi to me regardless...but add the sweets and Isles has no problem darting out of the den box to get her share!

Once Isles' fat ass is out of the way, Rizzoli decides to see what is up, with a little coaxing from Pebbles from above! Chicken, Springer and Laurie's girl are still tucked way back in there somewhere....

....and they are not planning on coming out anytime soon apparently! LOL Yup...there are 4 squished back in there!

But Rizzoli is in there and reassures all that I'm not coming in to haul anyone off. That's good enough for Springer who makes here way to the front of the box with her to get some treats.

My beautiful girl Porcelain! She was not shy at all and once she made it to the floor, I had her hanging out of my jacket pockets while I tried to move around in there....she knows where Momma keeps the good stuff and goes right to the source!

 Isles and Rizzoli waiting for more!

Pebbles finally ended up planting herself in the den box entrance. Although Chicken and Laurie's girl wouldn't come out with the rest, they felt secure enough with Pebbles "guarding" the entrance to poke noses and hands around her....where treats "magically" managed to end up in their mouths and hands!...... and they were able to bring them back into the depths of the box to enjoy......pleased that yes, they were the ultimate Ninja coons!!!....and they were sooooo sneaky they were able to grab them without ever being seen! LOL-silly girls!

 Alas....the treats finally ran out....and one parting shot of Rizzoli's opinion on that circumstance and I was outta there!

The boys are being equally as evasive. But they are such good boys and are taking great care of Boston, having accepted him as one of their own! Despite having 3 den boxes down there I usually find all 6 of them smooshed into 1. Boy is it toasty in there when I put my hand in to feel it! Makes me want to crawl right in there with them.