It's either Wilma or Me!

Ok, so Josh never did give me the ultimatum of him or Wilma but some days I'm sure he would like to. Wilma is a talker... a very loud, obnoxious, vocal, so loud it's nearly screeching talker. It's not at one specific time of the day either. It's all.the.time! She meows the entire morning before we go to work, the whole time we're home on lunch and a majority of the evening. Josh has even left for work early to get away from the meowing. Daily, I tell Wilma she's lucky she's cute because otherwise she would probably spend a majority of her life in the basement (although, we can STILL hear her from down there). Don't get me wrong, the basement isn't some hole in the ground, scary, gross place. It's actually the cats "sanctuary" equipped with 4 litter boxes, endless amounts of food and water, scratching post, and tons of floor to puke on.

If you read my post a couple weeks ago when Wilma first joined our family, you would have learned that she is completely deaf! Therefore, Wilma can't hear how LOUD she is meowing. She meows for 3 simple things: attention, food and simply just saying hello! Wilma ALWAYS wants food and could eat all day. Although, I always keep a full bowl of food in the basement, Wilma wants soft food. This was my mistake. When Wilma first arrived in our home, the meowing started instantly so to keep the meowing to a minimum I fed her soft food every morning and every evening. Well, soft food is costly and I ran out! DON'T EVER RUN OUT OF SOFT FOOD!

I'm thinking to myself how can I help Wilma lower the volume of her screeching meow and keep her from meowing constantly without constantly feeding her soft food. Well, after some research I will be trying some techniques posted on the ASPCA website.

• If your cat meows to say hello, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do much to change things—you have an especially vocal cat who is telling you how glad she is to see you!
• If your cat is meowing for attention, teach her that you’ll only pay attention to her when she’s quiet. Resist the urge to shout at her or give her any form of attention, even angry attention. Instead, be patient and wait for a brief moment of silence. Immediately give her the attention she craves. If she starts to meow again, walk away, and only return to her when she’s quiet. If you’re consistent, she will catch on.
• If you believe your cat cries out of loneliness because you spend too much time out of the house, consider having a pet sitter come partway through the day to visit and play with her. Please see our article Enriching Your Cat’s Life for other ideas to keep your cat entertained while you’re away.
• If your cat meows at you for food, stop feeding her when she cries! Feed her at prescribed times so she learns that it’s futile to ask for food at other times. If that doesn’t work, buy an automatic feeder that you can schedule to open at specific times. At least then she’s more likely to meow at the feeder than at you! This is especially useful if your cat wakes you up in the morning to be fed—she’ll switch from bothering you to sitting and watching the feeder, waiting for it to open. For more ideas on dealing with a cat who’s active in the early hours of the morning, please see our article Nighttime Activity in Cats.
• If you’ve recently placed your cat on a diet, consult with your veterinarian about high-fiber diet foods or supplements that can help your cat feel satisfied with her reduced intake.
• If your cat isn’t prone to gaining weight, consider leaving dry food out for her all the time so she never has to feel hungry. If you feed a high-fiber diet food, your cat can feel full without taking in too many calories. Check with your veterinarian before trying this.
• If your cat is meowing to get you to let her inside/outside, consider installing a cat door so you don’t have to serve as her butler. The ASPCA recommends that cats be kept exclusively indoors to protect them from danger and disease. If you have a cat who’s accustomed to going outside and you want to keep her in, she’s likely to go through a period of meowing at doors and windows. There’s no easy way to get through this, but as long as she never gets outside again, she will eventually adjust to her life indoors and stop meowing so much. Please read our article onEnriching Your Cat’s Life so you can keep her happy by enriching her indoor world. Another option is to build an outdoor cat enclosure so she can spend time outside but remain safe. Our article,Preventing Your Cat from Getting Outside, has more information on this subject.
• If your female cat isn’t spayed and she periodically meows excessively, she may be in heat at those times. Female cats in heat typically become increasingly affectionate, rub against you more, purr, roll around on the floor--and meow a lot. This lasts 4 to10 days. An unspayed female cat who isn’t bred by (doesn’t have sex with) a male cat will continue to come into heat every 18 to 24 days throughout the breeding season (roughly February through September in the Northern Hemisphere). Indoor cats may continue to come into heat all year round. The best way to reduce excessive meowing caused by the heat cycle is to have your cat spayed.
• If your male cat isn’t neutered and he periodically meows excessively, he may be hearing or smelling a female cat in heat. He is likely to pace and meow relentlessly throughout the time the female stays in heat. Unless you can completely prevent him from being able to detect females in heat, the best way to reduce excessive meowing in an intact male cat is to have him neutered.
• If your cat is elderly and has just started meowing excessively, make sure to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for medical conditions, sensory deficits and cognitive dysfunction. Medication may alleviate her discomfort.

What NOT to Do

• Do not ignore your cat when she meows. The one exception is if you know for certain that she’s meowing to get you to do something she wants. In every other instance, it’s safest to assume that something’s wrong—she may not have access to her litter box, or her water bowl may be empty, or she may be locked in a closet. Always make sure that her needs are met before assuming that she’s just being demanding by meowing at you.
• Do not scold or hit your cat for meowing too much. While these punishments may send her scurrying at first, they are unlikely to have a lasting effect on her meowing behavior. They may, however, cause her to become fearful of you.

The Festival of Cruelty

If you haven't heard of it, consider yourself lucky because it's the most horrific and disgusting case of animal cruelty that is actually celebrated in Yulin, China. It's the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. The Festival of Cruelty. 

Thousands of dogs and cats, many of them stolen pets, are captured and transported over long distances under horrific conditions to Yulin, a city in China's Guangxi province. There, they're held in crowded cages without food or water until they are killed. Often, they are beaten and their throats are slit in front of other terrified animals. Most Chinese citizens reject this practice, and we’re committed to supporting them in changing their laws.

Last year, thanks to overwhelming international pressure, Yulin authorities announced that they would not support the festival. The result was a subdued event and fewer dogs slaughtered. More recently, the authorities have claimed that the festival wouldn’t happen this year, but preparations for a mass dog slaughter are underway despite this statement.

Please, sign HSI's petition now to show Chinese officials that the international community is outraged by this carnage!

Join the hundreds of thousands of other advocates who have taken action against the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. Please sign the petition NOW! 

https://action.hsi.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=104&ea.campaign.id=38221

A Love Like No Other

WARNING: Sappy Post but I can’t resist. There is no greater love then the love you have for your children, furry and non-furry.

This morning, I sat in my bed with Deuce at my feet curled up, April next to him, Barnes on the floor right by us, Wilma to my left and Leo cuddled right on top of me thinking how amazing life is and how the love of your animals can truly be the greatest blessing.

All three of my cats were found as strays, about to live a life with no shelter, food, or love but all of a sudden they became a family member and life changed for not only them but us as well. It may be an “animal lover” thing but I can feel the massive amounts of love from my cats each and every day, Leo especially. He’s a total Mama’s Boy! April just wants to be held ALL the time. She will sit on your hip like a toddler, it’s the weirdest thing but I love it. Wilma is not much of a cuddler when it comes to humans but she warming up to our morning cuddling sessions.

Prior to us adopting Deuce, he had NO idea what love was. When he arrived in our home, he didn’t cuddle, he didn’t like to be pet, and he didn’t know what a humans love felt like. Now, he is the world best cuddler (and bed hog). He will sit nicely as you pet his head and remove his eye boogys. He’s truly been a blessing in disguise for our family.

Last but not least, my big boy, Barnes. He is the sweetest thing since sliced bread (I always say that even though it doesn’t make sense). He is honestly the most affectionate, loving and sweet dog you will come across. If his big smile doesn’t brighten your day then I don’t know what will. As he ages and becomes more fragile I don’t take one day for granted with him.

Of course there are days where I wish I lived in a home without massive amounts of hair, or didn’t have to scoop four litter boxes, or get up at 6:00 AM to feed everyone and let them out potty but those days are minimal. Life is better with a companion (or 5). Just like a child, they are truly a blessing. Leo, April, Wilma, Deuce and Barnabee all complete our family one way or another - if it’s there naughty behaviors, screeching meows, annoying habits or odor, we love them. We wouldn’t be the Gondeck Zoo without them.

Shit, literally!

It’s been quite a shitty week, literally and it’s only Wednesday! Between the stresses of starting a new job, getting my wedding invites out, sending out a large amount of packages for my jewelry business and taking care of everyday things such as the house, animals, family, etc. Deuce has had the runs all week.

Huge, gross, smelly, gag worthy shits ALL OVER! It started on Monday morning, right before I left for work, when I found a couple (mind you, he was in his kennel for about 7 hours) runny craps in there. Therefore, since I had no time to clean, Deuce got to spend the day roaming the house. We occasionally let him roam the house during the day while we’re at work but more times than none, we come home to something chewed up in a million pieces. Well, nothing was chewed up when I came home Monday evening… puke, pee and crap EVERYWHERE! It looked like an atrocious vandalism scene where kids think it’s funny to put dog feces all over.

Picture this, vomit all over our ‘L’ shaped couch, running, almost watery poop on the hardwood floors – that actually after cleaning it up still stained Joshy’s beautiful hardwood floors L also, urine, that resembled a flood filled our laminate hallway. It was horrible! Plus, we had the windows closed in 80 degree weather so not only did the feces from the main level bake all day but the shit that I left in his kennel BOILED for 8+ hours. Could you imagine the smell? I gagged walking into my house and damn near vomited when I walked upstairs. Deuce spent the majority of his evening outside until it was time to return to his kennel for bedtime while we spent the evening trying to get rid of the absolutely disgusting smell that filled our house.

The first thing I thought of Tuesday morning when I woke up was, “I hope I don’t have to clean up shit this morning!” I let Deuce out of his kennel and brought him out potty when I noticed that the entire side of his white body was BROWN! UGH! I grabbed paper towels and ran up to the kennel. SHIT… everywhere! What the hell! I am gagging while picking up these massive amounts of turds out of his kennel. Keep in mind, I am NOT a gagging, feel sick when I see vomit, scared of poop type of person. I worked in a bar for 5 years and cleaned up massive amount of vomit. I was the go-to girl for puking incidents but the smell of this kennel explosion was more than I could handle. Finally, I decided, we’re just throwing the blanket away.

Deuce spent the day in his kennel with no blankets and apparently when Josh went home from lunch there was more poop. When I came home from work there was more poop. That evening, on our side door rug there was poop. So. Much. Poop. Well, obviously something is wrong so I turn to Facebook (because who doesn’t when they have a question). Surprisingly and not surprisingly, I received lots of remedies to control a puppy with an upset tummy. I knew I had some great animal geniuses out there! They asked, “Did he eat anything different recently?” Why yes, he did!

After Josh’s Bachelor Party on Saturday, he brought home the bone from the pig they roasted. It was a huge bone full of pork that had our dog’s names written all over it. He split it in half and gave a bone to each dog. After a few hours, we through the bones away and the dogs were happy, and full. Well, we forget that Barnabee is built like a shit brick house and can eat anything under the sun without getting sick or having an upset tummy. Deuce on the other hand is our more sensitive puppy who can’t enjoy the little things in life like a giant pig bone.

We came to the conclusion that the pig bone was just too rich for Deuce’s non-brick shit house body and his tummy didn’t agree with the yummy pig fat and meat. To calm his tummy, we mixed his hard food with some rice, boiled hamburger and potatoes to help calm his tummy. The verdict, we woke up this morning (Wednesday) with NO POOP in his kennel! We’re not in the clear yet but it’s a start.

Moral of the blog: Watch what “treats” you feed your dog! Those treats may be glorious for the hour or two of devouring it but not-so glorious for the 2-3 days after. Just like a child, you hate to see your animal sick. You feel so helpless. Keep in mind, as well, these accidents your dog may make do not call for reprimanding. These are uncontrollable actions caused by YOU not thinking before giving your dog a “treat”. Lesson learned.

Welcome, Wobbly Wilma!

Meow - Welcome to the Gondeck Family, Wobbly Wilma! Why the funny name? Well, her name is Wilma and she walks a little wobbly... (you are probably thinking "Poor Kitty"!) Don't. It's make her special, unique and sometimes a pain in our butt. See, Wilma is also completely deaf so therefore she can't hear her VERY loud screeching meow at all times of the day and night. Wilma also has Feline Cerebellar Hypoplasia. If you can't say it then just call it "Wobbly Cat Syndrome"... get it, Wobbly Wilma? I can't take credit for the clever name. What's Feline Cerebellar Hypoplasia? 

Feline Cerebellar Hypoplasia is a non-progressive, non-contagious neurological condition that results in walking and balance issues. A kitten, like Wilma, is born with "CH" the part of her brain that controls her small motor skills is under-developed. CH cats may also experience head tremors, the uncontrollable shaking of the cat's head when she is trying to focus. Wilma walks fine, for the most part but we see this syndrome affect her most when she's trying to concentrate. She's a head wobbler. She is constantly whipping her hair back and forth (like she's in a Willow Smith music video). Fortunately, Wilma has a mild condition and it won't worsen with age. 

Wilma is fitting in purrfect with our family and keeps us constantly laughing with her silliness. I could live without the screeching loud meow but we'll live. She loves loves loves dogs! She is always up in there face or laying with them... she even licks them like crazy! Deuce didn't know how to handle a cat actually liking him at first but then he learned to be gentle. Barnabee gave Wilma a firm warning that he's old and doesn't like to be touched (I'm sure that's not but he said but it's true). Now she stays clear of his face.

It took a while for my feline pack to accept her but it's a slow and steady ride. I have a Mama's Boy for a cat and the other is a complete b**** so with that, I think things are going well. 

I will continue to keep you all updated on Wilma's progress :) Deagan and I lover her SO much but Josh is taking a little more time to adjust. 

Gondeck's for a Cause

This past weekend, my lovely soon-to-be Gondeck Cousins hosted a beautiful Bridal Shower in my honor. It was nothing short of amazing and I am so blessed to be joining a fabulous family.

You may be asking yourself why I’m writing about my Bridal Shower on my “pet” blog. Well, because my cousins requested that each guest attending bring a donation for the Tri-County Humane Society. How great is that? When I first received my invite and saw that they were requesting donations for the Tri-County Humane Society in my honor, I cried (p.s. I’m a really emotional person). They know me so well that they knew I would love to give back to my favorite place (and where 3/5 of our animals are from). Mind you, all my cousins also have as many animals as I do so my house full of furry children does not take them by surprise but instead we can discuss how many litter boxes we have in our home and what vacuums work best for pet hair. You know, the normal conversations that crazy animal people have. 

Thank you to my wonderful, amazing, soon-to-be cousins (although, I feel like we're already family) for hosting a beautiful shower and thank you to all my cousins and sister-in-laws who donated for a cause that means so much to me. 

I am that much more excited to be a Gondeck!