Giz/Emma and everyones pets on the board

Bill is busy

 

Garcia stopped at the perfect spot for a photo on our hike this morning. I was rather surprised that he stood still long enough for me to get my phone out and unlocked. Gibby had to get in a photobomb.

 

I was pretty sure Lila creeps up the stairs early some mornings (between midnight at 2am - yes, I am awake at 2am so I hear her). Sometimes she'll mew a couple of times, sometimes she just sits there. So, I got a second cam to monitor the stairs since she is still a total ghost if she even thinks a human is approaching where they can see her (or entering the basement at all).

A couple of screenshots from the cam this morning





And this one is from 11/9/24. It's the best picture I've gotten of her yet.



I spend time downstairs nearly every afternoon reading silently, or sometimes reading out loud hoping to get her more used to me. I do skip days when she has been stressed - like yesterday I was down there several times putting up the new cam, doing laundry, gathering up things to go to the dump etc. I also changed her environment a bit Friday afternoon, moving some things around so her hidey hole under the stairs isn't so deep and convoluted (I had heard her on the other side of the basement when I was going down to check the pellet stove, so took advantage of that. That had her spooked enough that it took her 45 minutes to come out of hiding to eat, where it normally takes anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes after I've gone upstairs and closed the gate.

 

It is going to be a slow progress. Good idea on the cameras to keep track of her.

 

If she won't use that kind of "nest", then I think you are right, just a regular dog bed with higher sides. My Lila is the same way, she avoids the enclosed nest type that I got her. But she will use an old dog bed. I think the feral kitties value a way to look in all directions - unlike everyday house cats, who don't have the need to escape ingrained in them.

There is this, or this or this (a bit more expensive). If your Lila will get into boxes, you could even get a higher sided box and place the cat bed inside it to help hold in a bit more heat and keep off wind. But, she may not do boxes (my Lila doesn't - she won't even look at them) so you can only do the best you can to help them out within the parameters they set.

 

This past Tuesday was ‘new dog day’. This time it’s a Yellow Lab with some Golden in him too. He’s another foster Guide Dog Puppy. The Black Lab that we were raising left in September. The new one is 6 months old, house broken and well trained. He likes his new brothers. And Garcia likes having a puppy to chase around and play with.

 

the barn cat I have been building trust with, by feeding it, and it comes into the house for brief visits.

Yesterday she decided to show off her baby, that we didn’t know she has.

 

All this talk of heated cat beds made me remember years ago we had an outside cat that was old when he adopted us. He lived quite a few more years with us. I had an old opening in the side of an outside shed that he could go in but during an extended cold snap one winter I hooked up an old heating pad under a blanket in his bed. He never came out for 3 days he liked it so much.

 

Thank you for putting in all the time, energy and expense that goes along with training guide dogs. It takes a special person/family to take on this type of work. And I know that even though you know they won't be staying, that it must be heartbreaking when they leave for service.

 

I went down yesterday afternoon to feed Lila, I figured I would sit for a couple of minutes and see if she would come out. Once I set the food down, I sat down on the floor about 7-8' away (can't get much further than that). I turned so my side was to the food and her hiding place.

We meowed back and forth for several minutes while I was checking FB on my phone and I could hear her shifting, but didn't see her. Shortly after the automatic light went off (it shuts off after 5 minutes), and not wanting to push it, I was about to stand up. I moved my hand to balance myself (so I could get up slowly instead of as quickly as I normally would), the light came on. I thought to look over in the corner, and I could see her eyes back at the wall, next to the pellets.

I decided to stay for a few more minutes, still facing away from her. Hearing more shifting, I took a peek and saw she had moved up to the front of the pallet of pellets.





Progress, one tiny step at a time

 

She and her kitten are gorgeous!

 

Actually it’s not that heartbreaking when they leave. You do shed a tear or two but it’s more like tears of happiness. You know the dog is going on to do something really good. You look forward to hearing that the dog passed the health checks and is being trained and then the he was ‘teamed’ with someone.

 

Lila is making giant strides since just yesterday. At last nights feeding, she sat up by the pellets, and even came to just outside of the pellets wile I sat there for a few minutes. The pictures didn't come out great - trying to be discreet and move slowly while taking pics over my shoulder doesn't work well - LOL. Later, I sat by the main floor stove and read for a bit and she came up to the second step. She was there for the 30 minutes or so I sat there. It was great that Spot and Rainey were rubbing against me the whole time getting pets so she could watch.



Then this morning she came out to eat while I was sitting there!!! I was sneaking pics until I checked the cam and realized I could take a screen shot to capture the moment.

 

I have posted Pics of Selah here, and in most of my pictures here, she resides.

I am heading west in a few weeks, to engage in training for missionary work. Stumpy cannot take her as she is too big for the apartment people's regulations, even as a service dog.
The organization I'm heading to says she can't come along.....she is rather posessive and very bonded to me. With 20 other men, frequent missions trips, and down time at HQ, I really can't afford the distraction, or possible issues. For example, she will try to get through a door if I come home....not quite hurting herself....but stopping at nothing. In a way, I'm ok with them saying she can't be there.

So, finding a home for her has proven difficult! I'm not sure what I'll do if I can't find a home. Perhaps travel with her for a while before reporting in at HQ.
She's 7, fixed, indoor doggo, the healthy furry love of my life.
Selah has encouraged me and sucked up all my outgoing love and affection this divorce-year. Her presence saved my life once when I was viewing the bitter end of my rope.

The ex has given me a lot of internal work to do, but working on letting Selah go has brought unprecedented grief.

Still looking for a good home, but time is getting short and options fewer.

This probably will be a permanent placement, as I have no idea how long I'll be on the move for, or if and when I'll ever settle. Training in OH is 7+months, with missions work abroad, stateside, or perhaps part time return to the labor force (ugh).


65# of furry love


Stumpy says of that she wants to be in my skin. He's right.


Goofy her. Waiting for snax wilst building the wood shed last year....