Vaccinations

Nadia and Nicole seem to be overly aware of what is happening in their lives.  Starting around the age of 8 months they became fearful of going to the doctor.  They are terrified of vaccinations.  Nicole refuses to walk into the doctors office.  She is fine going to other doctors, just not her pediatrician.  Nadia will walk in but starts crying when we go back to the room. 

We have been trying to think of ways to lessen the fear of vaccinations.  They have seen me receive cortisone injections and seen Charles and I receive our flu shots.  While this seems to help a little, we are still searching for other ways to calm their fears.

Today they got to  witness our foster kittens receiving vaccinations.  The kittens needed their distemper boosters and Nadia and Nicole went along.

The kittens slept the entire ride and were very calm.  The kittens received a nose drop instead of an injection.  Even with having drops put in their noses, the kittens were calm and didn't go on the attack.  Afterwards they slept the drive home and are still asleep in their carrier.

I think it was good for Nadia and Nicole to see other species being calm about vaccinations, even if they are different from the needles they are used to.  It also lets them know that they are not being singled out for this "torture" and it happens to everyone and every animal.

Maybe the vaccine researchers can find a way to make vaccines into a nose drop for the youngsters.

Purebred Animal Rescue

Before I had Nadia and Nicole, I worked at a retail pet store that did not sell animals.  Often we had customers coming in looking for cats and dogs.  As a big supporter of animal rescue, I always suggest rescues first.  Many people would state they wanted a purebred animals so they would go to a puppy store.

The majority of puppy stores get their animals from puppy mills.  Puppy mills are in the business for money and the conditions are deplorable. Besides being extremely expensive, most animals from mills are sickly, malnourished, and poorly bred.  Many of the animals have chronic health conditions and do not live long lives. 

Fiona, purebred White Persian

Jazz on left, Atrus (ours) on right, purebred Rottweiler

All of our animals have been rescues, coming from shelters and local adoption agencies.  A few of them have also been purebreds.  Petfinder is a search engine for adoption agencies.  You can search by breed, age, area or gender.  For those looking for a specific breed this is a great way to find local adoptable animals. 

Mr. Jinx, Blue Point Himalayan

The ASPCA is another great resource for locating adoptable animals.  Each state has its own chapter of the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals.

Most breeds also have breed specific rescues.  With a little hard work and patience, it is very possible to find purebred animals looking for a home.


Besides saving an animal's life by adopting, adoption is also cheaper than pet stores.  Most adoption agencies charge small fees (under $200 for dogs, around $100 for cats) for their animals.  These animals have already been spayed/neutered, had their shots, and often come with a free vet visit.  So next time you are looking for an animals, think adoption first.

Homeward Bound

I am a lover of all animals and believe that animals improve peoples lives.  We started the day Nadia and Nicole were born teaching them a love and respect for animals.

In addition to our own animals, we strongly believe in animal rescue.  While my schedule does not permit me to volunteer at any shelters or organizations, our family does foster kittens and cats for a local cat rescue, Homeward Bound.

www.homewardboundcats.org
www.facebook.com/HomewardBoundCatAdoptions
We are currently fostering four 6 week old kittens.

Fostering involves providing love and shelter for cats until they are old enough to be adopted.  Many people wrongly assume there are many people who are fostering so they won't be needed, however, there is always a lack of foster parents.  Another misconception is that it will be hard to return the cats when it is time for them to find their forever homes.  The joy that comes from a kitty finding their forever family outdoes any heartache that comes from returning the kitties.

 Nadia and Nicole love the kittens we foster.  They have learned to become gentle and play nicely with them.  Since they became old enough to interact with the kittens, Nadia and Nicole have become more careful in all their activities.  They have learned to respect the animals boundaries, as well as becoming more respectful of peoples boundaries.

Fostering has been a win win situation for us. I highly urge everyone who is able to volunteer in any capacity with an organization.  The benefits are more than can be counted.