A SIMPLE TO DO LIST FOR SUMMER

Summer is fast approaching and here is a general check list of items to address for our pets health, safety and well-being: 

• Make sure your pet is spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted litters of puppies or kittens.
• When adopting a new puppy, enroll in training classes to head off behavioral issues.
• Learn how to prevent dog bites and how to train your pet not to bite.
• Educate children on how to interact with dogs and cats.
• Teach children not to tease dogs and cats or chase strays and ferals.
• If your pet does have behavioral problems realize they can be health-related. A complete annual medical exam conducted by your veterinarian will prevent such issues or resolve them quickly.
• Make sure collars are in good shape with up-to-date identification tags to enable your pet's return if lost.
• Consider a microchip as an extra measure of protection.
• Develop and implement a plan that includes your pet's needs in the event of a natural disaster.
• Put together a pet first aid kit for emergencies. 
• Designate a family member or friend to take care of your pet in the event of a personal medical emergency until you are able to resume responsibility for your pet.
• Have your pet included in your will. Set aside money for their care and designate a caretaker willing to care for your pet for the remainder of your pet's life.

Following this simple list will give you peace of mind and provide a good measure of security, safety and care for your pets, family and friends.

ORPHEE AND SURGERY

The big day finally arrived Monday and Orphee was off on his second adventure this time to be neutered.  We dropped him off by 8:30 AM. After going through what would be done and what we had by way of a medical history, we were instructed to return for him between 5 and 6 PM.

Artie and I used the opportunity to vacuum and wash the hallway stairs and floor. We emptied and disinfected his litter box, filling it with fresh litter. Then we settled in to wait. I discovered I really missed him being around even though he only hangs out in the outer hallway. Artie felt the same. Annie kept looking for him as well which was funny because he won't let her get near him.

We picked him up, received instructions for his care, found out he did fine and were told repeatedly what a handsome guy he is. They also couldn't get over how big he is. At last weigh-in Orphee was 14 lbs. Needless to say, Orphee was a bit groggy from the anesthesia. When we arrived home we put the case on our couch to let Annie and Orphee get to see each other eyeball to eyeball and to smell each other. That went well.

Orphee surprised us by calling us after he used his litter box (apparently he decided it needed to be cleaned). He also sat upright outside the apartment door looking inside. Artie brought him in and walked him through each room allowing him to get a good look at 'the lay of the land', hoping he will become more at ease with his new surroundings. Then we placed him on the floor.

He surprised us by slowly walking to the apartment hallway and hanging out there for awhile before deciding to head back to the outer hall and his stairs. He also surprised me by crying very loudly for food; something he never did before.

By the end of the evening he was fully alert but surprisingly exhibiting more of what is probably his real personality. Orphee is getting comfortable with us and coming into his own. We're thrilled.

TAIWAN STRAYS

My blog has been getting quite a large amount of hits from Taiwan which prompted me to do some surfing to check out the stray animal issue there.

Apparently strays are an issue no matter where in the world big cities are. In the past I've posted about the dogs of Pompeii Italy and strays in Singapore, now Taiwan.

From what I've found on the internet, black dogs and black dog mixes are prized as guard dogs. Their lives are spent tethered by short leases. Dogs that are no longer wanted by their families are let loose to become strays living terribly hard lives.

Cats and dogs are still used for food. There is an old abandoned mining town populated by stray cats that has become a destination for amateur photographers and tourists. The cats there are fed an taken care of to some extent by local people and volunteers.

There are other websites that depict the suffering of animals in ways too upsetting to contemplate. Whomever is reading my blog in Taiwan please do what you can to get others to change their attitudes about animals. We have a long way to go here in the United States but there are many dedicated people doing what they can to improve animal welfare. The Taiwanese people can do it too. All it takes is one person to start and your actions become like a pebble thrown in a quiet lake; the ripples will move into bigger and bigger circles.

Gandhi said the greatness of a country can be judged by the way it treats its animals. All nations need to become more humane in our treatment of animals. Start by alleviating the pain and suffering, make citizens accountable for what they do to animals, institute spay/neuter laws.

NEUTER DATE SET

I've been in touch with The Toby Project and we've set the date for Orphee's neuter surgery - March 4th.

In the meantime, we are still trying to get him to join the family but he's sticking to the hallway as his home. With all the stairs, his food and water bowls, the litter box and his scratching post out there I guess it really is home to him.

Late one night and very early the next morning Artie heard scratching at the door. He opened it to find Orphee looking up at him. Orphee began a conversation and Artie asked him to come in, opening the door wide. Orphee just stuck his head in the apartment, looked this way and that but did not venture any farther.

Hopefully his curiosity will get the better of him soon. For now, we are spending time sitting with him, talking soothingly to him, trying to get him more comfortable with being petted and handled. This is going to be a long process.

And how does Annie feel about all this? She looks at Orphee but doesn't get excited or cry anymore. Annie just gives him a sorrowful look. I guess she's wondering when he will join the family. For now, we all wait.