Ever since our move to God’s country our plot of land has steadily become a working hobby farm. I believe “hobby” is a misnomer though because nobody would work this hard at a hobby, and the word “hobby” makes you believe this is anything but the lifestyle change we have dreamed of and finally made happen through years of planning and a whole lot of work. After O’Fallon grew by 41 subdivisions over 10 years without a like increase in infrastructure to take care of the additional families, we couldn’t take it anymore and knew it was time to make our move. As blessing sometimes happen in life, the most beautiful 25 acre property I’ve ever laid eyes on came available at the very moment we were ready to make our move. It only had one small problem, it didn’t come with a house but it did have an old dirt floor pole barn and an 8’ X 12’ wooden storage building, so we purchased a 5th wheel as temporary housing and made our move. After a few visits to town to do laundry we decided to run water to the storage building and put our washer and dryer back into use because there wasn’t room in the 5th wheel to hold all the dirty clothes generated during the 105 degree heat wave that happened the entire month after we made our move. The building was full of mouse poop but after a lot of elbow grease it was finally clean, right up until the next morning. I noticed immediately there is a difference between city mice and country mice, bringing me to my first moments of understanding that we all live in a Walt Disney cartoon if we take the time to really look at our surroundings. Every time I took a load of clothes and my magazine to do laundry the mice would sit on the rafters and watch me, as entranced with my actions as I was with theirs. I decided to name our laundry facility the Mouse House. A snake made his hole at the front leg of the Mouse House, patiently waiting for whatever delectable meal happened to come his way, and from the sheer number of mouse turds that appeared every morning there was no shortage of dinners available. Throughout our three years the sheer numbers of mice have continued to be a problem but with our animals we did not want to use poisons to control the population, but when one dismantled the 4-wheeler seat from the bottom up my husband finally had enough and said it was time to add a barn cat to the mix. In the years since we moved in the old pole barn has gone through numerous incarnations depending on the immediate need, but with the addition of a new pole barn it finally settled into a workshop/storage/cooler building and could comfortably house a cat, and since my husband spends every day working in the barn the cat would probably see more of him than the rest of us. We went to the humane society and brought two males home, one a young adult and the other an older kitten. I wanted to insure the cats would understand that in the farm hierarchy the chickens are important and to be protected, so I took the crates into the big barn where the chickens spend their days pecking around when they’re not out in the garden. I put the food and water bowl in front of the crates, then spent a good hour telling the cats what their farm lives would be and how much fun they would have being part of our bigger family. When I felt they had calmed down enough I opened the crates, and to my surprise they ran out of the barn so fast I almost didn’t see which direction they went except I figured it was towards the door. After a couple of hours I found the kitten but the older guy was no where to be found. We looked and looked, called and looked some more. In the meantime the kitten settled into his new life as Thomasin, barn cat. He’s very friendly and just what the doctor ordered, a new love monkey to share our lives. But it soon became obvious that Thomasin needed more in his life than an occasional house mate dropping by to play so after days of not seeing the big cat we went back to the shelter and adopted two more male kittens, Black Bart and Senor Delcato. The three kittens settled into play time in their huge play room, running to give us kisses and love every time we walked into the barn. Life was perfect. Right up until I looked out the front window last night and there was the big cat sitting on the front porch, looking at me as if to say “I give up and want to be your cat now.” I walked out with a bowl of cat food and he hasn’t left since, deciding those scary chickens are well worth the price of having a full bowl of food at your disposal. So we are now a family of four male cats, three dogs, eighteen chickens, one rooster, two steers and a pregnant cow. And it just doesn’t get any better than this. We just hope one of the four cats will be a mouser, but if not that’s okay also because they are just too much fun to have around to limit their worth to the work they do. The joy they bring to our tired souls is worth more than a 4-wheeler seat any day. If you are ready to bring laughter and joy into your life with a minimum of work involved, think about adopting a cat, especially a house cat but barn cats are good also. As with our other four legged friends you will be rewarded with a smile so big your jaws will hurt from their antics and you’re doing a good deed at the same time by offering a poor soul that has no one a home where they can be cherished as they should be in a perfect world where there are no shelters. And never forget, it is only through you that the Randolph County Humane Society continues to save lives, one by one.
Living life in a Disney movie
May 31, 2009
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Animal Lover, pets, shelter dogs | Tagged: abandoned animals, animal shelters, cats, Dog Time, dogs, kittens, mice, no-kill shelter, pet adoption, poison, shelter dogs, strays, Tail talk | 
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Posted by tailtalk
Enjoy them while we have them
May 23, 2009Action Jackson, the half-starved shelter puppy we adopted last year from the high kill shelter, has made the leap from Shelter dog to farm dog like he was born for this life. He has a gravelly voice that could easily be misunderstood as aggressive if you didn’t know this is his sweet voice. My husband calls him Joe Grumblebub because he sounds like he’s complaining the entire time he’s giving him kisses. When we lived in the city, our king shepherd that crossed the rainbow bridge used to howl at police and fire whistles while Budward howled at train whistles. Once we moved to the country we thought we would never again hear the sweet howl of a bub but we were wrong. Lately Jack has taken up howling at the end music of the TV shows Sex in the City and Two and A Half Men. Except his howls don’t sound like the howls I remember from the past, his howls sound like he spent too much time at the tavern smoking too many cigarettes, a sound I vaguely remember from my many years past. In the evening we like to turn the TV timer on with the comedies playing as we fall asleep, yet there we are with our heads bobbing like prairie dogs as the music begins so we don’t miss anything because it is just too funny to not enjoy. There’s something about the sound he makes coming out of the little “ooooo” of lips you only see during a canine howl that is as addictive as anything I’ve ever experienced. Now when we have friends over we change channels on the TV just so they can enjoy the spectacle normally there for our enjoyment only. You remember the dread you feel when people get out home movies of their vacation? That’s us about our dogs. Not our kids and grandkids, although they have their day also, but mostly it’s the bubs. Budward, our crippled husky-mix, can no longer go down the three steps into the dog yard so we have a sling that goes around his belly to help him. As he navigates through the house looking more like a drunken sailor than the fine specimen of dog he is he sometimes leaves little presents in his wake. Years ago I worked with a guy whose wife worked for the Eukanuba, a rather pricey brand of dog food. I asked him what made the difference in price worth paying and he said it’s because the food has the right amount of fiber that leaves neat little packages rather than large messy ones, a distinct advantage at this stage of life. Some things are worth paying for, and firm, compact packages out of a 100 pound dog are one of them. He still insists on drinking only toilet water out of the guest bathroom toilet, the one that has the very slow leak so it’s always full of fresh, cold well water. I tried substituting water from the sink faucet but there was no fooling him. Whenever I fill his bowl he keeps an eye on me to insure I’m hand dipping from the toilet and not cheating him out of the special nectar that only toilet water provides. I know we’re getting to the end of time we have together so it’s a small price to pay for his companionship. Last week I spent three days in the hospital, leaving my husband to perform the tasks that I take care of. I guess Budward wasn’t sure he could be trusted because as Tim turned around with a fresh bowl of toilet water there was Budward, leaning so far over he looked as if he would topple over any second, making sure Tim was dipping from the toilet bowl. It’s funny when even your animals are looking over your shoulder to be sure you are performing tasks to their specifications. As it is with everything in life worth having, nothing is easy but the payback is enormous. Girlie Sue is our sweet, deaf girl that gives us no trouble at all. I don’t know whether male dogs are more gregarious by nature or if Girlie Sue is just especially sweet, but it seems as if my stories are all about the males. She spends her days quietly trying to please, right up until an unwanted critter gets into the yard and she turns into Girlie Sue, warrior princess, while the boys sit back and watch. She still takes care of business, insuring the area around the house is free from harm’s way. Girlie Sue and Budward are old for big dogs, and their time with us is short. We take special care to insure quality of their lives is good and that every day they play, have fun and take joy in their existence. When that no longer happens it will be time for us to put aside our selfishness but the decision is difficult with much second guessing. The Veterinary Medicine Guide offers these suggestions for when it is time to say goodbye to an old or terminally ill pet:
- Is my pet enjoying the activities that s/he used to? Eating, walking, playing, interested when you leave or come home?
- Is my pet able to eat and drink? If my pet needs to be assisted, is my pet getting adequate fluid and nutrition?
- Is my pet able to urinate and defecate ok?
- Is my pet in pain often? Is pain adequately controlled with medication?
- Is my pet part of the family, or alone most of the time?
- Does my pet now become stressed or afraid when left alone?
- Does my pet continue to recognize me?
- Does my pet seem to enjoy interaction with other pets and family members?
It will never be easy, but after all the years of joy they give us the least we can do is insure they don’t suffer at the end. Then we start the cycle all over again, opening our hearts to another even though we don’t think anything will fill the void we feel from our loss. The heart has an amazing capacity to love, and when your new friend comes into your life it completes the circle as we begin the cycle anew. If you are ready to bring a love monkey into your life to help fill the void that seems to permeate the world we live in please visit your local shelter. And never forget, it is only through you that the Randolph County Humane Society continues to save lives, one by one.
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Dogs and children and such
May 15, 2009While watching the news about the 3 year old Missouri boy that had disappeared into the deep woods one recent rainy afternoon, one news station mentioned that the rescuer that found Joshua noticed two dogs in the woods in an area he thought unusual to see dogs. When he checked them out he found the boy that had been missing three long, rainy days. The same boy that if not found soon would certainly not survive the wilderness he was lost in. What I found most interesting about this is that the dogs did not belong to Joshua or anyone in his family or any of the many rescuers scouring the woods. They were shelter dogs that belonged to a woman that lived in the area. Apparently the dogs found Joshua while playing in the woods and stayed with him. There is no doubt in my mind that without those dogs to keep him warm and protected in an area inundated with coyotes and bobcats the story would have had a very different ending. There is a special bond that happens between animals and children. I believe it is because children have the generosity of spirit that allows them to accept the love pets have for them unconditionally without obligations and time constraints getting in the way. A child would never worry about whether or not dinner is on the table when they’re caught up in a moment of play with their very best four legged friend. When I think of saving shelter dogs my first thought has always been that it is the adults of the world that offer the caring and support the animals that have no one need, but I am beginning to change my thoughts on this. Since writing Tail Talk I am confronted with story after story of kids that give up everything in order to help the animals that have nothing. Again this week it happened. The National Honor Society of the Sparta, IL High School spearheaded a school wide bake sale to generate money to purchase dog and cat food and treats for the Randolph County Humane Society. The school’s SKILLS USA Industrial Arts club built a beautiful dog house and donated it to the cause. Speaking with the Sparta National Honor Society moderator, Connie Frederking, she said every year the kids decide on a need they are going to address and the RCHS was the lucky recipient this year of their goodness. She said the program was so popular this year with teachers and students alike that they are considering honoring the RCHS in future fundraising events. Jeanne Fithian, V-President of the Randolph County Humane Society, mentioned the entire Sociology class of Sparta High School, in addition to individual students, volunteer to walk the dogs for the shelter three days per week. This is just one school. If every school was involved in helping the least of them among us, the shelter dogs that have no one, think of the mountains that could be moved. The kids of this world certainly have the capacity to work miracles. The dogs they help save are adopted out into families, just waiting for the day when they get to be the savior of a little three year old boy, lost in the woods in the rain, or the mother suffering from post-partum depression that believes suicide is the answer. You never know whose life you’ll save when you help in the rescue of a shelter dog. But never forget, it is only through you that the Randolph County Humane Society continues to save lives, one by one.
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The life I saved was my own
May 6, 2009Last week I wrote about our great sense of loss in having to return Vinson to the shelter, and in particular about my grief over my promise to give him a forever home that I was not able to keep. There are people out there that wonder about statements like that and why someone would feel this way towards an animal. I was raised with pets my entire lifetime. I don’t ever remember a time when I didn’t have a dog to share my life, and I remember many, many times growing up when the only understanding and acceptance I felt came from my four legged furry friend. That’s not to say there weren’t people there that tried, but they were there with words like “oh it’s just in your mind” and “you shouldn’t feel that way” among others. My dog, on the other hand, was satisfied to lay next to me, watching me, waiting for me to talk while always letting me know they would be there no matter how horrible the situation I was dealing with. That comfort and compassion has lasted through to my adulthood, bringing me to my story about my very first shelter dog. After my first husband (you’ll understand in a moment why he’s no longer in my life) and I were married we took our wedding money and went out to purchase items necessary to our daily living. But after walking past a pet store we came home with an 8 week old female Cocker Spaniel instead. Then we purchased a male with the grand idea we would raise puppies. Great idea except our puppies were ready to go around the first of September, the same time everyone was broke from buying school supplies for the year. I finally called around to the pet shops in St. Louis and found one that was willing to purchase our puppies. Fast forward a couple of years and on the evening news I see that they’re closing down the pet store we sold our puppies to because they were a puppy mill, and in the arms of a reporter was the most beautiful cocker spaniel and I knew immediately that was one of our puppies. I applied for and was approved for her adoption through the Humane Society. During the years between we had three children, all boys, the oldest and twins that were born 18 months later. After the birth of the twins I began to suffer from post-partum depression, something that was unheard of 34 years ago. It was the most horrible time of my life and I knew I needed help, even asking for it repeatedly, only to be told to just buck it up. As my depression got worse our lives suffered dramatically until the tipping point when I began to save dirty diapers, an unimaginable mess with three babies going through at least six diaper changes daily. But it was finally enough that my mother took me to the hospital and I was admitted to the psychiatric ward for a three week “vacation.” It was the best thing that ever happened to me, and after three weeks of therapy and medication I was ready to come home and greet the challenges that I thought would be waiting for me. But upon my return home I found my babies preferred to be with my parents’ and my husband had started an affair with my best friend. During my three weeks away my world fell apart. While I had the tools to overcome these obstacles it was too much for me to handle all at once, and I decided the world would be a better place if I wasn’t a part of it. My kids preferred being with my folks, my husband preferred my “best” friend, and my best friend was no longer someone I could talk to about what was happening in my life. I had lost it all. I had a brand new prescription of antidepressants sitting on the night stand and I got out a pen and paper to write a letter to my children to explain to them why their mother had decided to kill herself. While lying on the bed, crying, composing the letter in my head before putting it to paper, my shelter dog jumped up on the bed and licked the tears from my face. At that moment I knew I couldn’t die because I knew there was no one that could love that dog like I could, and with everything she had been through I knew I had to live to take care of her no matter what my new life would be like. I got up from my bed with a new conviction to do whatever it took to get better and make the best life I could for myself, my children and my pets. If it hadn’t been for that shelter dog I would not be here today. There is never a day that goes by that I don’t remember that it is through the unconditional love of an animal that I am here to share the blessings of life with my family and friends, and now all of you. I know the rewards of adopting a shelter dog better than most, but I feel that all of our pets make that kind of impact in our lives every day. We may not realize that they are there to help us through life and death situations but they are, and there will never be a time when I will be without the love and companionship of a pet because I know my life depends on it. If you don’t have this generosity of spirit guiding your daily lives there are shelter dogs waiting to help you through the very worst of times at this very moment at the Randolph County Humane Society and other shelters in your area. Don’t delay in bringing this love into your home because your life or that of a family member may be saved through their unconditional love, just as mine was. If you are unable to adopt at this time then think about making a donation in appreciation of all that your pets do for you and your family on a daily basis. And never forget, it is only through you that the Randolph County Humane Society continues to save lives, one by one.
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Posted by tailtalk
