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16 Oct 2012

Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking…

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEW WITH SAVANNAH

A Bi-Monthly Series Featuring Adult Rescue Dogs and Cats

Hiya! Savannah Here Again!…and with me today is another special furriend, one of my first Sibe pals from Twitter!

His Twitter handle is @ra_husky and his blog is RA Husky…he Tweets lots and blogs when he feels he has something to bark about…you can visit here to learn about his name, RA

I just luvluvluv his blog header…it is a take off on the famous painting by Edward Hopper called Nighthawks! Check out RA just hangin’ outside that diner! woo woo!

So purrlease help me make RA feel at home and give him a warm welcome!

APAWS! APAWS! APAWS!

Savannah: Hiya RA! I can’t believe you are here barking with me! We only knew each other on Twitter for so long! This is great!

RA: Thank you very much for having me. I’ve read your interviews and am honored to be included. (Play bows to Savannah)

Savannah: RA, I know you are part of a pack of Sibes. I think there are 3 of you? You, RA, and Nanuk and Isis.

Anyway, can you bark a bit about how you found your furrever home with Pops?

RA: Well Savannah, about ten years ago Pops was at the vet with his cat Azrael (RIP). I was brought in earlier that day by a kind lady who found me; I was in terrible shape. I had several broken teeth and a huge laceration under my tongue that made it impossible to eat. I was miserable I tell woo!

Savannah: Aiieeee!! (stretches up to gently lick RA’s head) I feel pawful that you were so hurt RA! If it is not too painful, can you woo some more about your condition?

RA: Did I mention I couldn’t eat either? My poor elbows were like leather from sleeping on cold concrete. I was down to 45 pounds (I’m 65 now). Just down and out all around I tell woo! I ended up having to stay at the vet’s for a couple days, and Pops visited me every day.

Then on the third day I heard the techs talking about me. They said I was going to be going home; sure enough Pops showed up—this time with a leash! I picked up walking on a leash pretty quickly too.

Savannah: Meowser RA! That is totally amazing that after all you have suffered you were able to walk out ON LEASH!

Do you have anything you can woo about to help us understand any troubles you had getting used to being in a real home?

RA: Hmmm, I’ve always been a slow eater. That’s something some huskerboos do, but I eat especially slow due to my missing teeth.

I was very shy too. Even with Pops—sometimes he would have to come find me when he got home from work—I’d be hiding.

Thunder storms also used to scare me REALLY bad. I’d say the first couple years with Pops were pretty hard. I’m a lot better though. I can still be shy around people I don’t know, but I warm up soon. I really love all the little kids in our neighborhood. It’s really just grown-ups that can still upset me. Kids are fun!

Savannah: That is really great RA that you like small peeps! They scare me kind of…so, how did you and Pops work on getting you over some of your fears?

RA: Hawoooo! We ran Savannah! Sometimes we would run several times a day. Exercise was what made me happiest for a long time. (At present I prefer to snooze on the couch…or my furry special foam bed with afghan).

And being on schedule helped me a lot too. It took me a while but we started venturing out more and more; down town for biscuits and gravy on Sundays; campus for meeting all sorts of people and then the open country for me to play.

Play was hard for me at first too Savannah. I didn’t know what a ball was, can woo believe that? I learned to socialize with other K9s too. And horses, I learned about horses!

And something else Savannah, Pops reads to all us pups—out loud. And he talks to us. I think that’s one thing I enjoy most.

Savannah: That is really creative how your Pops used reading to get you used to his voice and to help you be calm…what a great idea! Mom and Dad always talk to me so I know they ‘know’ I am around.

Bark, or woo, your choice Ra, a bit more about stuff you have changed over the years…you know, have you been able to show your REAL SELF?

RA: Hawooo! I’d say very successful Savvy! I am not nearly so shy—sometimes I’m aloof though BOL! Really though, we continue to train and play.

Exercise is not so important these days but I still enjoy a couple nice walkies every day.

Story time is still one of my favorite times of the day. I always sit & watch Pops while he reads.

Savannah: Your Pops is just great RA! So, the last question, do you have any advice to offer any advice our readers who are trying to help their own adult rescue dog show more and more of his or her REAL SELF?

RA: Make a ‘safe place’ for them. My den under Pop’s desk was my safe place for the first few years I was around.

Give them time Savannah. It took me a long time to become who I am.

And talk to them; let them hear your voice. Establish a routine so they know what to expect.

Feed them well and make sure there is always fresh cool water.

Savannah: RA, I am so purrleased you agreed to come woo with me, I know you Husky types are very, very busy, what with all the running and playing you do.

This was great! Any last thought or barks of wisdom you want to share?

RA: Thank you so much Savannah for having us. We’d just say to any new adopters congratulations! We think the world of animal rescuers. Enjoy your new companions!

Wasn’t RA just pawsome! What a great guy! So much to share.

Hope you all learned stuff from RA’s rescue. Be sure to hop over to his blog and drop him a note to let him know you read his story. OR, you can Tweet him an APAWS! His handle is at the top of this posting.

Thanks for coming by, Paw pats, Savannah

peeEss..I updated this post to make it my Blog For The Change: BE THE CHANGE…I think Pops and RA ARE THE CHANGE!!

02 Oct 2012

57 Comments

Real Rescue Cats Are Talking…

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEWS WITH SAVANNAH…

Hiya! Savannah Here!

Here I am again with another Life Changing Interview…and this week my interview is with a CAT! And what a fantabulous CAT he is…

Ok…now here is the chance to try to figure out WHO THIS CAT IS!!!

This one’s going to be hard…so start thinking about it…(taps one claw up, down, up, down, up, down…)…Ok, that’s enough time…who do you think it is????

What??…You don’t know?…Can’t figure it out?…

I would like to introduce you to one very brave, handsome mancat…my furriend…

HEATHCLIFF!!!

Heathcliff is from a large extended family and they call themselves The Maple Syrup Mob and they live in Ontario, Canada…all 13 cats and their Guardians, Jane and Chris. All 13 cats are rescues…hmmm…I may have a few more CAT Life Changing Interviewees in this group!

Please help me give a warm Paw Blogosphere welcome to HEATHCLIFF!!

APAWS! APAWS! APAWS!

Savannah: Heya…Heathcliff (I think that is how they say it in Canada speak??). I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to having a meow with you!

I know…you were a bit shy, reluctant…but look at this! Here we are…meowing with each other about life!

Heathcliff: Hi to you too, Savannah! I can’t believe that I (a very shy former feral) am telling you my story, and that lots of people will read it. I hope you like me…I really need to be loved…. I really do.

Savannah: (reaches over to Heathcliff, places her paws on his)…Heathcliff, I am completely and totally your furriend, furrever and furrever…and I already just luvluvluv you…

So, let me start with something simple and easy…how old were you when you can first remember stuff??

Heathcliff: I’m four now, I will be five in November…so thinking back to when I was 7 and a half months old, starving, dirty , living rough out in the country…where scary animals live (wolves, bears, coyotes, raccoons)…and being frightened of everything…gulp…that is very difficult for me.

I did have a sibling with me but I don’t know what happened to him, he just wasn’t there one day…(wiping leaky eyes)…

I had to eat anything I could catch or find…like food put out for the birds…and that was how I found my forever home.

Savannah: I don’t mean to be too intrusive (VBP), but would you mind sharing with us how you arrived at your furrever home??

Heathcliff: Oh my, Savannah, this is really, really hard…sigh…(plops down in the traditional cat ‘meatloaf’ position)…here is what I remember…

One day I found some food in a dish by a door; it was so tasty and felt so good in my empty tummy that I went to the door twice a day to see if the dish was there.

I heard two scary human voices…you have to understand that living in a remote area I had never heard a human voice before…One said “Should we bring him in?”…the other voice said “We really don’t need another cat”…first voice said “No, but he needs us”.

Excuse me, Savvy, I just need a moment, this bit is really hard for me to say…my throat goes all lumpy.

Savannah: Oh meowser, Heathcliff…no problem…just take your time…Can I fetch you some water???…

Heathcliff: That would be really helpful Savvy…errrrr…ummmm…is it OK if I call you ‘Savvy’???…

Savannah: (waves paw…)…oh phooey…of course! We’re furriends!

Heathcliff: Ok, thanks…that helps me feel more comfy…

One day I went to the door to see if there was food in the bowl, it was thundering and lightening and very scary, I was soaking wet.

The bowl was in a wire thing…I stepped inside because I was so hungry. BANG!!!

I was trapped inside the wire thing, and then one of the humans picked up the wire thing and carried it.

I was jumping up and down inside screaming “LET ME OUT! DON”T KILL ME!”. Then I was in an inside place…I’d never been in an inside place before…”LET ME OUT! I’M SO SCARED!”

I tried everything I could think of to get out…I screeched loudly to scare the humans… I ran around the room to try to find a hole in the wall I could escape through, I tried to make a hole with my claws but it was no good…I climbed up the walls and began to bite the wall to make a hole, but still no good….I was trapped.

Eventually, I was exhausted trying to escape, so I found a dark enclosed place to hide in to wait and see what the humans would do to me.

Ahhhh…ummmm…Savvy…I’m sorry if this brings back bad memories for any of your readers, Savvy, but it might help human people understand how far I have come to reach this point in my recovery journey.

Savannah: Oh, Heathcliff, thank Ceiling Cat you are brave and courageous enough to talk about this…I was also “trapped”…we must all help each other realize how terrifying this can be…even if it leads to a really good result…thank you for being so strong to tell us!

So Heathcliff…would you be OK meowing about what has been your greatest challenge in learning to trust and depend on your Guardians?

Heathcliff: Savvy, my biggest challenge (and I have many…cough, cough) is trust.

How did I know that the humans were not going to hurt me? I thought they might even kill me. I couldn’t let them see ME; I hid away in my safe room. If they came near me I fought and screamed in case they were going to hurt me. No way was I going to let them touch me!

Six months after I was captured, a kitten (William) came to live with us…he had been hit by a car and had his own recovery to think about but he was fun and I liked him…and he really liked me. I would wait until nighttime when the humans were asleep and William and I would play, then the other cats joined in.

Every night I would come out from my hiding places (and boy, did I have a lot) call for the other cats and we would all play.

…ummm…Savvy…you can see we aren’t all playing in this photo, but I wanted to share some of my sibs with efurryone…

One day the other cats made me feel so brave that I didn’t hide away in the daytime, but slept cuddled up with them on the humans’ bed. I started doing this every day. The lady human (I now call her Mummy Janey) walked past the bed one afternoon, and touched all the other cats as she went by…I was so busy looking at what the other cats did that I didn’t notice when she touched my leg…and it didn’t hurt!!!

She kept doing this every day; she walked past me on the bed…touched me and walked away…then one day, 10 months after I arrived, she started her usual walk around the bed touching everyone, and just before she got to me I started to purr because now I knew that her touch didn’t hurt…in fact I really liked it. She cried.

Savannah: oh my cat!…I have to learn that too…I am so afraid of being hurt by a human touch…tell me more…maybe you can help me and my Mom and Dad learn how to help each other…

Heathcliff: Savvy, my humans (see how I now call them mine?!) invented the “Heathcliff can predict the future” method of recovery (I don’t even need a crystal ball, heh…heh…heh…heh).

I HAVE to know what is going to happen next; otherwise I do the ‘feral freak out’.

For example…picking me up …yes, I did say picking me up (!!!),

This is how I learned (I do this with Janey…I’m working on Daddy Chris!).

Several times a day Janey touched the top of my back, then added a scritchy scratch . I learned that touching me meant a scritchy scratch. Then she touched my sides…scritchy scratch…under my belly…scritchy scratch…you get the picture (I love scritchy scratches).

Janey progressed to holding me around my middle…followed by guess what? YEH! Scritchy scratches. Janey spent two years working on this (I helped by standing still for scritchy scratches), then she put her hands around me and lifted me off the ground; about half an inch.

Janey kept working away with me being helpful by offering my butt for scritchy scratches. Would you believe that this year (four and a half years after I arrived) she picked me up to her face height and kissed my cheek (I’ll pause a moment for you all to cheer and tell me how clever/brave I am). Throughout all this, if ever I began to struggle, Janey put me on the floor and held me firm for just a second, I relaxed and offered my butt for scritchy scratches. I know that the routine for picking me up is ALWAYS the same.

Janey and Chris use the “Heathcliff can predict the future” method for all of my challenges. I’m very proud of this achievement, Savvy.

Savannah: squeeeee!! Oh Heathcliff! My Mom and Dad are so gonna try that method (VBP)!! I can’t be picked up yet either!! I am so afraid of having a human face close to mine!…Thanks!

Heathcliff: Savvy, I know that I have come a long way in my recovery but I still have challenges.

My first experience at the vet’s was a bad one…I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next and I had a ‘feral freak out’…there was blood everywhere and I was really scared. I just can’t go in my carrier or anything that reminds me of the wire thing that trapped me.

A few months ago I was really bad to Chris and he had to go to the Drs because he tried to put me in the carrier to go to the vet. I was just too afraid of the carrier…I didn’t know what was going to happen. Janey and Chris are working on that challenge. It’s going to take time.

If there is a situation where I can’t predict the future..ie a knock at the door, a strange noise, a visitor, “STRANGER DANGER!!” then I hide in my safe place until it’s just me and my family. Having a safe place is still very important to me.

Savannah: Oh Heathcliff, I totally understand. I have need of a ‘Safe Place’ too..

So one last question…can you offer any advice to our readers to help them support their adult rescue cat, or one they may be thinkin’ about bringing into their home, through its recovery process?

Heathcliff: Savvy, is this our last question already? Purrrrr…I think you are a great listener.

Anywho, you know that saying, “more haste, less speed”? Well it could have been written for an adult rescue cat.

We need time to trust our new family…we can’t be rushed into trust; there is a lot for us to figure out.

Our forever people need to be patient…yes, four and a half years of daily work to be briefly picked up and kissed seems a long time, but it would never have happened if Janey had tried to rush things. Consistency is also key…we rescues need to know what is going to happen in any situation…if people aren’t consistent then how can we learn to trust them and their actions?

Finally, love…love us unconditionally, and we love you back in return, but let us show you our love in OUR own way. Love is what makes it all worthwhile.

Savannah: (reaches over to give Heathcliff a soft paw pat)…Oh Heathcliff…I know this was not your most fave thing to do…but do you have any last thought or words of wisdom you want to share?

Heathcliff: Savvy, if only I knew then what I know now….biting walls doesn’t taste very nice!

Thank you for letting me share my story, I hope it helps people to understand that even feral cats can have a future.

…Savvy…here are a couple of last photos just to show efurryone I really do play and have a great time with my family…

…and one more…

Savannah: OMC!! Heathcliff…your bravery in pawing forward to meow your story is so helpful for so many Guardians who are considering adopting adult cats and for those who already have adopted adult cats…like my Dad and Mom…you Heathcliff are my hero Mancat!!!

PURRLEASE HOP OVER TO HEATHCLIFF’S BLOG AND GIVE HIM A WARM HELLO…HE REALLY NEEDS TO KNOW WE ALL LOVE HIM…THANKS

I hope you all found some great tips and helpful information about adult rescue cats. We are special and worth spending the time with us to learn about our REAL SELF.

Paw pats, Savannah

Posted in Mental Recovery, Savannah's Life Experiences and tagged adopt adult cat, cat recovery, real rescue stories, scared cat, shelter rescue cat, special need cat rescue, trust

18 Sep 2012

47 Comments

Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking…

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEWS WITH SAVANNAH

Hiya! Savannah Here Again with Another Wonderful Adult Rescue Dog!!

This is a special guest for me because this dog is my ever faithful Champion Jetty, of Hey, It’s Jet Here!

Please give him a warm welcome!!

APAWS! APAWS!! APAWS!!

Let’s get started…

Savannah: Hiya Jetty! I am really tickled to have my Big Guy Champion with me today!! Thanks lots for stopping by and having a chat with me

Jetty: Hi Savvy, I’m so excited you invited me to participate in your REAL RESCUE CATS AND DOGS ARE TALKING series (blushing a little). Since you and I know each other well, call me any of my names you like!

Savannah: awwww…you know I luvluvluv calling you Big Guy! But, guess I outta be more formal…so I’ll use Jetty. My first question is really just asking you to tell us a bit about how you arrived at your furrever home.

Jetty: hmmmm…it was 2008…and Mom was checking the Golden Rescue South Florida website in October for driving directions to their first Rescue Reunion that November. Mom visits the site a lot to read the stories of the current K9s available for adoption.

She quickly scrolled down, saw golden, golden, black dog, golden… huh?…”black dog”??

She read, “Hi, I’m Obie, I know I’m not a golden but I’m a flat coat retriever”. Mom was cooked! She always wanted a golden and a flat coat but believed in rescue and flat coats are hard to find, let alone in rescue. So, she called the group, learned that I was saved from Miami Dade Animal Services with 4 days to spare because Miss Carol liked my face. I was in Palm Beach at the time, so arrangements were made for Mom to meet me in Ft. Lauderdale.

Mom learned that “meet” in rescue world meant bring a leash, a check and I’m yours! She brought Rachel, my human sister, and even though finances had tightened since Koko’s adoption in 2004 (Koko was a golden), she took one look at me and next thing I knew, I was in the backseat!

…this is me withHuSis Rachel about 3 years later…we are really close…

Savannah: Do you remember about how old you were back then Jetty??

Jetty: well, they think I was between 6 months and even 18 months old. It might have been tough to tell for sure because…shifts paws on the floor…scruff, scruff…well, errrrrr…my legs had a lot of muscle atrophy…you know…they were weak and not exactly normal size and strength I guess.

Savannah: (reaches over with paw, gives pal Jetty a soft paw pat)…I’m sorry Jetty. Do you feel like going on…

Jetty: (wiping leaky eyes with paw…he has handsome paws with little white tips)

Oh sure, Savvy…let’s go on…I’m OK…after all…I have to maintain my Champion like behavior so readers know I am perfectly fit to protect your honor.

Savannah: oh Jetty, you silly…(gives his paw a squeeze to reassure him)..What are some of the toughest challenges you and Miss Lori have had to get through to help you be your Real Self?

Jetty: Well, I was super nervous the first few months. I ate Mom’s couch arm the first week, a basket the second, and a bag of treats AND the bag they were in during the third week…ooopppsss!

Golden Rescue told Mom that they thought I was abused and heard that I had been confined in a small space…like a cage, a little room or some little cemented place??? Not sure…sigh.

Mom noticed that anything resembling a stick—like a pressure cleaner hose thingy, a broom, etc., made me shiver and shake like a leaf. Also, I could not jump onto Mom’s bed, which was not high off the ground—probably because my hind legs were not strong enough.

Mom noticed I drank copious (vocab building project VBP) amounts of water, too. Mom thought I had hip dysplasia and diabetes and took me to see Dr. Schaffer right away. Thank goodness I had neither, just results from fear and muscle atrophy. As storm season approached the following April/May, Mom noticed I was beyond terrified of thunder and lightening.

Slowly, as Mom took Koko and I to the dog park, it was winter and comfy out, I learned to run again; play and enjoy other K9s (Mom called me Mayor of the Dog Park); and I learned to swim and feel safe.

…here’s a couple of early photos at the dog park and me swimming and learning about using my legs again…

…and swimmies are the very best!…

Savannah: Oh Cat! Swimming must have felt so great for your leggies! Jetty, can you talk with me about some of the ways you and Miss Lori worked together to help get you into your recovery and try to overcome your issues or challenges?

Jetty: Like I mentioned above, Mom took Koko and I to the dog park a lot because we don’t have a fence. And, I learned about chew toys—Mom ordered American hooves, CET Hextra chews, marrow bones and eventually antlers—and my destructive chewing decreased over time.

Storm anxiety—oh, I’ve got this BAD! Mom’s tried homeopathic drops, thunder shirt, pheromones, desensitizing, man cave#1 and man cave #2, cotton in ears, Benadryl (under Dr. Schaffer’s guidance) and any other suggestion she received!

Of course, Mom’s really affectionate and loving, so I learned I could trust her. Also, if your readers will permit…ummm, errrr…ahem..koff, koff…Mom tried some alternative stuff to help me. No, really…she did!!

She consulted a nationally known animal communicator after I went for a year plus with less than 5 hours/night sleep because of my severe storm anxieties. You see I wake up @ 5:00 a.m, and if I was up most of the night pacing and acting out because of a storm, then Mom wouldn’t get hardly any sleep either. The three of us communicated (details upon request!) and Mom learned:

I liked living with her and my new family.
I would be willing to try swimming and the treadmill to get more exercise.
I would like to try pet therapy.
I would try to let her sleep a little more.
If she communicated in a certain way one to two times a day that I was safe and loved (details upon request), I would learn to trust her, bond with her and therefore believe her when she told me I could do something because I was safe.

Mom found the right type of brush for my coat and then I learned to LOVE our special brushing time.

Oh, forgot to say that Mom kind of put 2 and 2 together after about 9 months and discovered I was probably a flat coat/border collie mix aka “follie”. When she researched border collies, she learned about anxiety, herding and other behaviors that matched me to a “J”! She then had a deeper understanding and honored this part of my character. She even tried to find a herding spot in Miami! (doesn’t exist!)

Savannah: Meowsie wowsie! Miss Lori certainly tried everything she could to help you feel safe enough to show up as your REAL SELF Jetty! What a great day when you two found each other!

You mentioned some ‘alternative’ methods and other stuff you guys tried, so can you help us understand how successful you have been in managing your anxieties, etc.?

Jetty: hmmm…raises one paw and starts to tick off progress…

Chewing—all better.
Grooming—all better.
Muscle atrophy—all better.
Copious drinking—I now drink with a purpose, more measured and timely.

(switches paws to keep ticking off progress)

Bonding with Mom—super duper.
Fear of sticks—improved.
Storm anxiety/loud noise anxiety—smidge better, sometimes my man caves help, especially if Mom hangs out there with me!

…oh, take a look at this to see how far I have come…this is me in my Hannukah crown…(Savvy whispers ehind her paw…see his cute little white tips on his paws???)

Savannah: High Paws Jetty! (reaches over to exchange high paws with Jetty)That is some great progress!!

Last question, can you offer any advice to our readers to help them support their adult rescue dog, or one they may be thinkin’ about bringing into their home?

Jetty: We’re worth it!

Know that an older rescue arrives with more luggage! We also arrive potty trained! (usually).

Know that a commitment is required to build a bond. Don’t believe everything you read in the paper! (or everything you are told about our “issues” when you adopt up)

Observe negative behaviors and try to discern (VBP) the cause and modify constructively. (i.e. after new guardian freaks out that K9 has eaten arm of couch, guardian realizes that they have a nervous chewer! Provide chewies and understand the issue may decrease over time.).

Observe resistance and honor it, allow for baby steps…we are all a work in progress.

Assume the end result will be harmony in the house…know that we pick up on our Guardian’s energy.

Savannah: What great tips!! You and Miss Lori, sorry…’Mom’… have worked really hard and always together Jetty.

Any last thought or words of wisdom you want to share?

Jetty: Thank you Savvy, very few beings ever want to know my whole story. In Casa Jet, we hope that if we share, we may help at least one creature have a safe, loving forever home sharing unconditional love with their Guardian (s).

Mom wants everyone to know that she feels that we’ve helped her in equal measure. JJ, Puffy (and Fluffy) have/had their own tales to tell. If you ever want them to share, let me know!

…here’s a shot of me and JJ (…ahem…ahhhh…Savvy, I may not have mentioned that I lost my first sisfur, Koko, 3 years after I came to live with Mom…then Mom and I adopted Miss JJ in December 2011. I love Miss JJ , just don’t print that..ok?…JJ might use it for leverage to get my share of the cantaloupe and yogurt…)

Savannah: Of course our readers will want to hear their stories. And, ummmm…Jetty…I know that you recently lost sweet Fluffy…but his story is impawtant nonetheless.

Let’s have another round of APAWS, APAWS!!! For Jetty!!

Thanks everyone for stopping by to learn about Jetty’s path to gaining trust and confidence in his furrever home…he is showing his REAL SELF as much as he can.

Let me know if you have a cat or dog furriend with a rescue experience we can all learn from. Until next time…