Update on Sam

It has been a while that I mentioned Sam. This is because making progress takes lots of time for him. But progress DOES happen, and this is what matters.

For a long time, it was a real challenge to take Sam on a walk with other dogs. We had to use a muzzle, and he nearly panicked when other dogs came near him – or even worse – wanted contact with him: Then he yowled, growled or bit.

Every Sunday the shelter organizes a walk. My husband participates with Sam an Janet. Janet is very easy going with other dogs. She is not dominant, but she is always friendly and very clear about what she wants or doesn’t want. What makes her a good teacher for Sam, who grew up without contact to other dogs in a killing station.

On these Sunday walks mostly the same dogs and humans are there. So Sam noticed finally, that nobody wanted to harm him. He calmed down, and we didn’t need the muzzle any longer. Last week all humans agreed to let the dogs play together without a leash on a meadow. And the miracle happened: Sam behaved as if he had done this all the time. He very kindly asked other dogs to play with him, and ran around absolutely carefree. One dog tried to make eye contact with him, he just ignored it.

We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

There is still a lot to do, so it is nice when progress is made, and this was a big step!

And when he looks at me like on the picture above, I think we will reach a lot more with him in the future.

 

Pet trade fairs now and then

I went to a cat exhibition thirty years ago. Even though I was a child back then, I could see that the animals didn’t feel well. The cages just were piled up, and the cats had nowhere to hide. Many animals were restless and stressed.

So I wasn’t sure what to expect today.

But as you can see on the pictures above, times have changed. Every cage offered places to hide. Every cage had privacy protection left and right. Every cage provided water and food. Most cats did what they would have done anyway: Lie around and sleep.

We also took a look at the dog exhibition, were the pedigree dogs were graded. Most of the dogs were relaxed. Many of them had their own cage with them, where they could feel safe.

The visitors were allowed to bring their dogs along. We left our dogs at home, because we thought it could push Sam too hard. But the most dog owners had been right about their four legged companions, and many dogs were cool. There were designated dog toilet areas and vets.

All in all my impression today was, that the animals are treated better today than years ago. If that is correct, it’s a step in the right direction.

Y is for YELLOW RIBBON

My motto for this year’s A to Z is “Animals in my life – stuffed or alive”.

In the picture above is Sam’s yellow ribbon, not very tidy, but well worn 🙂 . A yellow ribbon or bandana on a dog is a sign that this dog needs space. The dog can be in training, and every distraction would complicate the learning process. The dog can be old and therefore easily be overwhelmed. The dog can be recovering from illness or surgery and just not be in the mood to play. There can be many reasons to ask for space. More information about the idea behind this can be found here: Yellow Dog.

In Sam’s case, he still is very unpredictible. On some days he tolerates other people, dogs, joggers and bikers well, on others he just can’t stand them, barks and would try to chase them away. Even though we are very careful and attentive, we don’t take any chances, and more space makes the situation easier to handle for us humans and Sam.

In my opinion it’s a good idea if everybody can recognize a struggling dog from a distance. Pedestrians know that it wouldn’t be a good idea to pet this dog, and other dog owners are given enough time to put their dogs on the leash, so the meeting doesn’t escalate. Win-win for everyone, I would say.

So, the next time you see a dog wearing yellow, think of the possibility that this dog isn’t just a fashion victim, but that it maybe needs space.

 

 

 

S is for SAMMY

My motto for this year’s A to Z is “Animals in my life – stuffed or alive”.

Of course, S is reserved for my heart cat, Sammy!

What still amazes me after living without her for more than half a year, is the amount of love she left behind.

I have to say a heartfelt “Thank you” to all those who helped me grieving. Nobody said: “It was just a cat! Get your sh*t together!” So many people comforted me, listened to me or just were there. And there was Jackie, who patiently stayed with me as long as I needed it.

My therapist, a very matter-of-fact man, told me, grieving for a pet can be as strong as grieving for another human being… At least this is true for me. And when the grief lessens, the love still stays. It is like a comfortable, yet light blanket.

At first I thought, I would never be able to love a pet again. But now I am back to my normal, pet loving self 😄. And back to my original mission: Adopt and save as many homeless pets as Sammy in this life as possible!

I think, Sammy would like this very much. I can imagine her looking me in the eye and purr: “Finally you get it!”

K is for KATZE [ˈkaʦə]

My motto for this year’s A to Z is “Animals in my life – stuffed or alive”.

The word “Katze” (german for “cat”) was something my parents learned to hate in 1978 and the following years!

In Summer 1978, we were asked to catsit my cousin’s cat, Sascha (everybody thought it was a male cat, until the cat become a mother, so don’t wonder about the name).

Sascha, as you can see on the picture above, was an absolutely adorable kitten. She came to my bed at night to cuddle. She also drove my father nuts, because she liked to hide and attack him. She liked food with tuna in it, and the whole appartment reeked of it. She soon discovered the budgie cage and would sit in front of it for hours.

But I wasn’t allowed to have a cat as a child. And rightly so, I might add. My parents were of the opinion a cat should be able to roam outside, which wasn’t possible back then (I am not of the same opinion, but they wanted a cat to be happy). My parents also always liked to travel, and it is difficult to find somebody who takes care of your pets responsibly. It is easier to find somebody who looks after small pets, so bugdies and hamsters were all I was allowed.

But having cats never disappeared from my mind. My husband, who grew up with cats, always wanted to have one. So, in 1996 Micky joined our home, and we never regretted it.

 

G is for GINGER

My motto for this year’s A to Z is “Animals in my life – stuffed or alive”.

Well, I have a confession to make: I always wanted to have a ginger cat with blue eyes. The cat in the picture was from Austria, near Salzburg, were we went skiing twice with my husband’s family. It was a male cat named “Purzel”, what roughly translates to “tumble”.

But somehow I never have been adopted by a ginger cat. Please note that I said “I was never adopted”, not “I never adopted”.

When my husband and I are looking for a pet, we try to push our expectations away for the moment. We introduce ourselves very calmly and respectfully to the animal and then wait what happens. Animals are very good in judging humans, they gather so much information from us in just a few moments. And they are very honest with us! If a pet shows no interest in us, it basically says: “Thanks, but this will not work.” And I have to admit: Our pets were always right!

Most animals are brought to a shelter, because their humans didn’t listen to those signals. Most humans have a very exact image in their mind what they are looking for, and they are not willing to look elsewhere. I don’t say that future pet owners shouldn’t think things through before they adopt a furry family member: It is very important to be aware of the conditions the pet will live in. A big dog in a small appartment will likely cause problems, as will a cat if a family member is allergic to cats.

But why limit yourself to a certain breed… or the colour of the fur? Other things are more important: That your character and the temperament of your pet match, for example. And let me tell you this: This moment, when a pet shows you it choses you as a life companion (and they never settle for something less) is pure magic. I was lucky to be adopted by Sammy and Jackie, and I still am at a loss how to put this into words.

So, trust the instinct and the wisdom that are alive in all pets. And prepare yourself for a fascinating bonding experience!

Thoughts about animal protection, Part 3

For the past ten days, I participated in a kind of charity project. Every evening we reported the number of our steps to a fellow blogger, and he donated 0,10 € per 1.000 steps to a private animal rescue organisation that supports a former Hannoverian brood mare as well as stray dogs, cats and sheep. I donated 30,00 € too, because these small rescue organisations always are short of money. Needless to say, I was a horse lover myself, back when I was a teen.

When I was a teenager, I was crazy for horses. My parents couldn’t afford to buy me one, but I took riding lessons twice a week. I looked after horses and was responsible for their care. I spend a lot of my free time with horses. My parents didn’t object and let me do what I wanted, as far as my grades in school didn’t suffer from it. I remember many magic moments from this time. Humans and horses are so different, but they can become so close. It was a heady feeling, not only while I was riding. Horses are fascinating creatures.

But even as a teenager, I noticed the horses were treated differently. The privately-owned horses spent their time in generous stalls, where they could easily lie down and wallow.

The school horses, that were owned by the riding club, earned their living by teaching humans how to ride. They lived in narrow crates, which forced the bigger horses to stand all the time. And they always were tied to the wall near their head, what made even chasing flies difficult.

Every school horse was assigned two grooms, they had to take care of the horse six days a week. I was trusted to take care of two horses during those years, one was a brown Trakehner mare named “Marina”, the other a dapple grey gelding named “Cäsar”. It was checked if we took proper care of the horses, and we were trained well. This was important, because ailments or illnesses better are caught early. In this time I learned how to observe my pets and take note of every change.

And yet… While the privately-owned horses were given the time they needed to recover from an illness or injury, chronically ill or old school horses disappeared after a short time and were replaced by other horses.

Well. Who is going to tell the enthusiastic girls, who bustle around the horses happily, that their darling’s life ended at a butcher’s hook? Not the parents, that’s for sure. Maybe they suspect it, but they want to keep their child happy. Not the manager of the riding club, thats for sure, too. They want their paying members to stay. After a few years, we got a new riding instructor, who implied what was really happening. He said, the horse “was died”, instead of “it died”. He also was very open about the fact he liked the quality of horse meat, because “it’s low fat. They keep moving until the end”.

The horse next to me on the picture above is Dingo. Dingo is one of the few lucky school horses that had a life after this hard time. Someone bought him for his daughter. But this is not the rule.

Of course our relationship with horses is different, compared to dogs or cats. We are close to cats and dogs, because they live in our home. Horses often are assigned a task, dragging logs, sports or breeding. It doesn’t matter if this tasks are getting done or not, keeping a horse is expensive.

A creature, that willingly works for us its whole life, deserves to be cared for in the sunshine years. Who makes the decision to buy a horse, owes it to his companion to think ahead. There is a german saying: Thinking should be left to the horses, because they have a bigger head. But it is us humans that need to think this over and act responsibly.

Six months without Sammy

Living with pets means accepting that their lifespan is shorter than ours. Sammy lived a long cat life of eighteen years, and her time just had come six months ago. Today I remembered her last hours with us very vividly. Most of this time she was lying on my tummy, one of her favorite places. I couldn’t have thought of any better way to say goodbye to this special cat.

And then she was gone and life went on, right? At least this is how it was in the past.

I should have known better. Nothing is or was ordinary with Sammy!

Immediately after her death, the behaviour of Sammy’s daughter, Jackie, changed completely. While she had preferred staying with my husband, she now rarely left my side. At first I thought this wouldn’t last. Of course she felt my sadness, maybe she enjoyed being the only cat in the house, maybe it was Sammy letting us know everything is alright from the Rainbow Bridge, who knows…

Well, she didn’t change a bit. She takes her time to stroll outside, or to lie on the fish tank, but she keeps coming back to me. She lies on my tummy, like Sammy used to do. When I shed a few tears, because this reminds me so much of Sammy, she licks me and purrs.

The abilities of animals will never cease to amaze me. How they recognize our feelings and react to them puts the empathy of many human beings to shame.

They say “Saving one animal won’t change the world, but it will change the world for one animal.”

We may have rescued Sammy back then, but she changed our world. She still does

Purr-amedics

We were looking forward to this weekend, but my husband caught a cold at work. It is very rare that both of us are ill at the same time, but this time we were out of luck. My husband is more affected than I am. I felt overwhelmed, because I rely on him for so many things. But I managed to do the groceries on Saturday, and the sunshine and rising temperatures were good for both of us.

While the humans tried to get better, our furbabies were on alert. They felt we were not well, and that I was tense. They can not help by doing chores, but they can be near struggling members of the pack, and this made us feel safe. While the dogs watched my husband very closely, the cat, Jackie, never left my side.

Our furbabies brought with them lots of calmness. And warmth – both physical and for the soul, patience and time. They don’t ask when it will be over – they take it as it is. And they give us all they have, unconditionally. I am very sure that I am not the only person in the world who feels unbelievably comforted by a purring cat or by stroking a dog’s fur. I know pets are no substitute for human contact. But I understand the homeless, who don’t want to leave their four-legged companions. If I had it my way, old and sick people would have more access to pets.

For now, I hope our furbabies soon are relieved of their paramedic duties. I am feeling so much better now, we just need to work on getting the Master become well again.

The half empty glass

Days like today just have to be endured.

Taking the Milnacipran today was very unspectacular. Instead of being glad, I was annoyed that I still have to wait for the positive effects. I know it is too early, I am really difficult to please, or just fed up😉.

It snowed again, and I fell while I tried to clear the driveway. Nothing bruised except my ego, but it was simply too much. I spent the next hours crying in my bed.

Until my husband came home from work, our furbabies tried to cheer me up. Jackie (picture above) treated me like a kitten, licking me an purring. Sam laid down at the foot of the bed and kept watch. This helped a lot.

My husband came home from work and had to dry my tears, again. I just couldn’t stop crying today. My mind can’t convince my soul everything is alright.

Well, I’ll have to write this day off and hope for a better tomorrow. It’s a pity I didn’t manage to do anything productive today.