Family Finds Dog Missing Nearly A Year

Found this story on the local news. I don't know how long this link to the video story will work, but for a while at least: Click Here for Video News Story. --If you've lost someone, keep hope and keep looking.

BURIEN (Western WA) - A spotted white and brown Chihuahua was at long last reunited with his humans this week after the dog went missing nearly one year ago.

"Buster Brown" was deemed a stray when he showed up in the backyard of a Burien home last month. Burien Animal Care and Control took the dog in, put him on a routine 3-day hold and then neutered and readied him for adoption. Buster's caretakers didn't realize the dog already had a home...on the other side of the country.

BACC listed Buster with all of their other adoptable animals at PetFinder.com. It's a website that was closely being watched by the Jackson family in South Carolina.

Long-haul trucker Eddie Jackson was staying at a Tacoma hotel in September of 2009 when his own Chihuahua disappeared. Jackson went to authorities, fearing the dog had been stolen, but no leads were ever found.

Ten months later, the Jacksons recognized Buster on PetFinder and recently made a week-long trip across the country to claim him as their lost dog , Cisco.

The Jacksons will soon begin their trek back to South Carolina with Cisco. After that, it's unclear if Cisco's traveling days will be behind him.

Cat Fence Is Up!

Finished the cat fence today! They love it! Running up and down the hill, checking out the pond, sniffing the air, discovering the jungle under the crown ferns.

Willow had been an outdoor-with-supervision kitty for 6 years, then got grounded last fall when he crossed the road two days in a row. With summer here, he's been waking me at 4am every day to talk about it. Rohan and Luna have never been outside in their 3 years, except for 8x15 cat alley. Today, I was able to let them outside in the fenced backyard. Rohan's already proudly sporting a burr tightly tangled in his gorgeous plume tail.

Moving Soon: How Can I Prepare The Kittykids?

Hi everyone! Later this summer I'll be moving to the house across the street. Joyous thing! I have four cats, as you regulars know: Willow (6), Rohan (2), Luna (2), and Sable (8?). Sable was a runaway kitty I found on the freeway, so for her, to move from one house to the next will be no big deal. Feed her, give her sunshine to lie in, she's happy. But for the other three, this is the only house they've ever known. They don't have a concept that it could suddenly change. Everything in their world will change, except for me and the furniture.

In grad school, I moved 13 times in 12 years, so Tinsica and Cheddar thought it was no big deal. "Boxes again? Well, alright." I did learn that it sometimes helps to lock them in a single room at first, so when they finally do venture out, they have a 'safe zone' to retreat to.

Willow is SUCH a scaredy cat. Anything new scares him. Laundry on the floor scares him.
Rohan holds stress. Last year he got crystals, and it dang near killed him. He is doing well now, but you can understand my reluctance to see him go through stress.
Luna is quite resilient. She goes through periods of eating too much, but that's correctable.

My plan:
talk to them about it now, lots
plug in Feliway for the first month we're there
use flower essence
most them over last, after the bed goes over. We'll all move in the same day as a family.
keep them in the bedroom for the first day or two, until they relax and get curious about What's Beyond The Door.
the yard will be fenced, but I won't let them outside for a while, until they relax indoors. (Roh and Lun have never been outside yet at all.)

On a whim, last weekend I put Luna in the carrier and walked her over to the new house. On the way over, she started to meow, "MAMA!!" When I got to the house, I opened the door to the carrier, and she wailed, "MAMAMAMA NOOO! MAMA! MAKE IT STOP!" So, I immediately realized the error of my ways, and took her home.

Is there anything else you can think of that would help them with the transition?
Kim

Goofy Cat Pics:

Hi all, I just have to share this photo. What a weirdo! Willow sleeps in the oddest positions! If this pic were 3-D, then you'd see that his tail is curled in the air. Yet he's sound asleep. Nutball. Don't you just want to eat those back feet?? Please, share your photos here of your weirdo /fun /funny babies! ~Kimberly

Happy Ending!

A friend of mine volunteers for a local cat shelter. This is an email I received from her today:
"Today, I had the extreme pleasure of reuniting a Shelton cat that had been missing for 4 weeks with her family. Ariel had a micro chip which was discovered at Animal Services, in Lacey, where she ended up. No one will ever know how she ended up there, but without the chip, she would not have found her way back to the family that loves her. They never would have checked for her at a facility that is about 30 miles away! Tonight this very thin, very tired little cat is back home in the arms of her family, purring up a storm...."

I post this so everyone who needs hope can find some here.

Speaking of another lost-then-found kitty, Sable is doing very well. It's almost been a year since I found her on the freeway. I'm trying to find a route to give her glucosamine & chondrointin for her shoulder. She won't eat food if I mix Cosequin powder in it, and she won't eat the chicken strips infused with it. I've heard Cosequin comes in a flavored granules form to sprinkle on food -- anybody know where I can get it? ~Kim