ready for a furever home: the "lost our home" cats

Each week, the littles and I volunteer at the cat room at our local PetSmart taking care of cats available for adoption through Lost Our Home Pet Foundation. For the most part, the littles get to play with and cuddle the cats while I scoop litter boxes, but I'm not bitter. I get an occasional cuddle, too. We see cats come in and out, and some stick around longer than others. We get to know those better, and sometimes we just can't understand why they wouldn't be snatched up immediately. I thought I'd highlight a few of the regulars in hopes they might find a forever home. Check out these sweethearts:

Calypso is a two-year-old dilute calico female. She's absolutely gorgeous and has been hanging out with us since mid-January. She was found pregnant in a feral colony. It was obvious that she didn't belong there, so she was moved to a foster home where she had four beautiful kittens. Her kittens have been adopted, and now sweet Calypso is looking for her chance. She loves cat trees (both for hanging out and scratching), and she loves to be brushed. She gets along with kids and most other animals, so would be a beautiful addition to most homes. 

Keegan is a one-year-old female flame point siamese. "Keegan" means "small flame," so she is named after her beautiful siamese markings. A nice couple found her as a stray and cared for her for several months before bringing her to Lost Our Home to find her a permanent home. Keegan is "all siamese," meaning she's talkative, social, and loves heights. She has been in the cat room since mid-November! We can't believe it! 

Lightening is a two-year-old black and white female domestic short hair. She is named after the unique shape of her tail, which is charmingly crookedish. She is very social and sweet. She'll nuzzle and curl up in your lap. She has been in the cat room since mid-December, but has been with Lost Our Home her whole life, waiting for the right family to come for her. She'd love nothing more than to sit on your lap and cuddle, if you have room for this sweet girl. She won't let you down. 

If you're local, please stop by and pay them a visit. They would love to snuggle with you!

Click here for Lost Our Home Pet Foundation's adoption application.

the dog daze of december: come celebrate with the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA

I practically live at the Ahwatukee Foothills YMCA. I work out there several times a week, and my littles have taken every class from swimming to hip-hop dance. We love what the facility offers, and we love that it's truly a tight community within a tight community. I discovered one more reason to love our local Y: they are hosting the "Dog Daze of December," a month-long celebration of our pooches!

They say, "We know that the only thing better than the feeling of a great work-out at the YMCA is the way your special pet unconditionally loves you." True, true. I'm so excited about what they've got going on. Here's the scoop:

PET PHOTO CONTEST

Bring your pet photo in by December 10th and enter to win fabulous pet prizes. Photos will be judged in 3 categories:

1. Cutie Pie

2. A Face Only a Mother Could Love

3. Member/Pet Look Alike

I can't wait to see the "A Face Only a Mother Could Love" entries. I'm such a sucker for ugly dogs. And I'm looking forward to seeing how many of my buff workout buddies have canine twins. 

FREE PET CPR/FIRST AID LUNCH & LEARN

Friday, December 12th, 12:00 p.m. 

Learn how to provide first aid and CPR for your important family member. Lunch will be provided. Please register at the member service desk.

I am certified in canine first aid and CPR, and I had to invest a lot of money in the process, so the fact that they are offering this knowledge of the basics for free is an opportunity every pet owner should take advantage of. And lunch on top of it? It's a no-brainer!

WAGGIN WHEELS PET ADOPTIONS

Sunday, December 14th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m

If you are thinking about adding a family member to your home, please come out and meet these sweet rescued animals that are just waiting to love you and have a forever home.

I can't advocate a "spontaneous holiday adoption" because I've seen so many go south, but if you've thought things through and you're ready to add a furry family member to your house, there's no better time or place. I'm so proud that our Y is supporting pet adoption. 

I am super excited that this place I call my second home is going all-out for pets this month, so sweeten the deal, I'm offering all participants in Dog Daze of December activities a discount on pet sitting services. Coupons will be provided, so be sure to take part in order to take advantage!

The Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA is located at 1030 E. Liberty Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85048. For more information, call 480.759.6762.

Dog image source: etsy.com.

what to do if you see a scorpion: our encounter

I've lived in the desert for nearly nine years, now, and I've never encountered a scorpion in my home–until this past week. My mother-in-law, Tena, was visiting from out of town and announced more calmly than an Arizona native that "a scorpion came out of my suitcase." What?! I was nervous for her, but even more so for my five-year-old daughter who permanently resides in the room in which she was staying. 

"Um, that's a boy job," I said, and we all looked at my husband, Big. 

"Okay, I'll take care of it. Where is it?" he asked.

"It came out of a zippered pocket. A zippered pocket! I don't know how it got in there, but it crawled out, so now I'm not sure where it is," Tena explained.

Big grabbed a glass bowl and a piece of cardboard, and the three of us headed upstairs. Tena showed us which pocket he came out of. Next to her suitcase was its contents, tossed during the initial encounter. Big began pinching little corners of clothing and shaking them out. "Glad my underwear is pretty," Tena chimed in, always one to add lightness to any circumstance.

"There he is!" Big said. "Damn, lost him." He went through that cycle about five times, shaking various articles of clothing as he went, Tena and I looking on with morbid curiosity.

Finally, the scorpion was captured.  

Though I've heard quite a few stories about scorpions and seen a bunch of friends post their encounters on Facebook, I've never seen one in my home. A couple of times I've had to man up and capture them in clients' homes. In fact, I have one client who asks me to do a "scorpion check" each time I come for a visit. But I've never been paranoid about them. All of that changed once we found one in my daughter's room.

So how dangerous are they, and what should you do if you see one?

Apparently, size does matter. Surprisingly, the small young scorpions are the most dangerous, carrying the strongest venom. If you are stung by one, it will hurt like hell, but as with bees, it's not particularly dangerous unless you suspect you are allergic, in which case you should capture (and kill) the buggar who stung you and take it with you to the doctor so that the correct anti-venom can be used. 

There are many species of scorpion. Some are more venomous than others, but most species in the United States are not venomous enough to be deadly. 

If you see one, stay calm. I was able to stay calm because Big was on the case. So I recommend finding someone else to capture a scorpion. Worked great for me. Get your husband, your wife, your mom...whomever (just keep little kids out of it). 

Scorpions are usually not aggressive unless threatened, and then look out. This trait makes capturing them challenging. They move quickly when they feel threatened, or they may do just the opposite and play dead. Whether a scorpion is scurrying about or looking expired, always use a glass jar or some such thing...never touch a scorpion, even with gloves on. 

Once you catch a scorpion, you'll want to watch him for a while, like we did, because, frankly, they are fascinating. Then you have two options.

1. Kill him.

2. Set him free far from your home.

Being the animal-loving types that we are, we opted for option two and released our guy in the rocky wash behind our house. We told him to tell his friends that the next one might not be so lucky.

So what do we do, now? Will there be more?

We live in a suburban area, but there is a lot of desert wildlife around. Our smallish neighborhood is divided from the next by little hills and hiking paths, so it's prime real estate for scorpions. It is likely that we will encounter another in our home considering where we live. Scorpions are very limber, despite their hard shells, so they can squeeze under cracks and small spaces under doors. Summer is prime scorpion season.

We're now shaking out our shoes and clothes before putting them on each day, and I'm doing a cursory check from time-to-time. We've told the littles to do the same. They are a little bit nervous about the whole thing (me, too), but I told them to be cautious, but not fearful. We can't live in fear.

Have you ever encountered a scorpion or been stung by one? Please tell me your story!

Resources and further reading:

Scorpions: We Have Scorpions in Arizona!

How to Naturally Deter Scorpions

10 dogs who should not attend a pet expo

The littles and I had a fantastic time at the Phoenix Pet Expo yesterday. I spoke to several companies I was really excited about. Overall, I'm so happy to see the pet industry taking a more natural route. I learned more about products I'd seen before and got to speak to knowledgeable entrepreneurs about brand-new concepts. And, of course, we got to "dog watch," which is one of the best parts of going to the expo. There were majestic horse-like creatures (one we saw even had a saddle), scroungy little rat-like cuties, and everything in between. Some exhibited how well-trained they could be in such a chaotic environment. And some others...not so much. 

I know you can bring your dog to the pet expo, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should. I left N.A.S.H.A. home because it would have been selfish to bring her. She's gets pretty nervous in crowds, so she seems to attract dominant dogs, which only makes her more nervous. Sure, it would have been a blast to bring her and let her sample the new natural treats and try on tu-tus, but that would have been for us, not for her. She was much happier taking her siesta at home on the couch. I hate to dwell on the negative, but here are ten other dogs I saw at the expo that should have stayed home.

10 dogs who should not attend a pet expo. slogan source: Phoenix Pet Expo

the darter on a long leash–I didn't come here to get clotheslined. Rein it in.

the guy who was pissing on everything–And I mean everything. I've manned booths at pet-friendly events, and I always wonder why you allow your dog to lift his leg on the table cloth upon which I am displaying my information. Or worse, yet, on someone's leg. Yes, that happened yesterday.

the one who attacked another dog–The mobile veterinarian told me about this one. She attended the event to provide information and show off her complete office-on-wheels. She didn't bargain for severe wound care, but thank goodness she was there.

the one taking all the samples–It's simple sample etiquette. One sample per person. Not all dogs get that. Shame on the pet parent who thought it was cute to allow your pooch to devour the entire bowl of samples.

the one splashing all of the water out of the bowls–It was 104º yesterday. Sure, we were indoors enjoying the AC, but some of those pooches needed a drink. Don't let your dog be an a-hole and knock over all of the beverages.

the two in the stroller who would. not. stop. barking.–I don't like to stereotype based on breed, but you know the type. Little Napoleons brave within the confines of their screened-in box on wheels. I mean, seriously. I'm trying to have a conversation with someone, and there they are...yap, yip, yap, yip, yap, yip, yap, yip, and so on. I don't even know how they kept up their oxygen levels. And the owner did nothing. Perhaps he was deaf. 

the one who was jumping on all the kids–To be fair, he was probably jumping on everyone, but I noticed the kids because I saw two of them go down.

the one who was cowering–It's just cruel. Why don't you leave the poor dear home where she's comfortable?

the one who was aggressively lunging at every other dog–There were a couple of these, actually. I realize that not all dogs get along, and a couple of squabbles are to be expected in such an intense environment, but when there's one that's not getting along with anyone at all...well...perhaps there should be a bouncer at the pet expo. 

the one with diarrhea–Sure, maybe it caught you by surprise upon arrival, but maybe it's time to go. Like, now.

I blame the pet parent in each and every case. If you're going to bring your dog into this type of situation, you need to be able to control him, and he should be comfortable. Not all dogs are meant to be placed in a large crowd with lots of other dogs, people, noises, and temptations. It's a shame that so many people are too selfish to recognize that in their own animal.

At any rate, there were still plenty of well-behaved animals to interact with. And I swear I saw a few of them roll their eyes at the dogs that should not have attended the pet expo.

the wild horses of the Arizona desert

There is a stretch of road–the infamous highway 347–that stretches between Phoenix and the city of Maricopa through the Gila River Indian Reservation. As a day-in day-out commute, the desert's beauty can sometimes lose it's luster, but there is one main attraction. If you're lucky enough, you can catch a glimpse of the wild horses.

We've all seen horses, so it may not seem spectacular, but it is rare to see so many at once in the wild. They come out predictably just after the rains that stimulate the brush to be as lush as it can be in this parched climate.

Since it rained a lot last week and we had to drive that stretch of highway a couple of times this weekend to visit some animals, I thought we had a pretty good shot at catching a glimpse of them. Searching for them keeps the littles occupied during what would otherwise be a long, dull trek. There are only so many cacti a kid can take.

Typically, the horses appear as tiny figurines in the distance, their movement and grazing barely perceptible. Sometimes you'll be lucky enough to catch them running. The tell-tale dust cloud is easy to spot, but when it's so hot, they are usually still, conserving their energy.

What a fantastic surprise it was to see them grazing just yards from the road yesterday!

Since I'm always telling the littles that it's far too dangerous to stop on the 347 if they've dropped their shoe or graham cracker, they were amazed when I pulled over. They could see just fine from the safety of the air-conditioned minivan, but I braved the spectacular danger of standing inches from cars blazing past, commonly at 90 mph. There were several of us parked by the road in awe, and I've seen some fantastic pictures–far better than mine–posted on my friends' social media feeds. What a treat!

We could see their sinew and ribs, but they seemed strong and powerful. And so calm, considering they had human spectators and screaming-fast cars just yards away. The sight of them was truly spectacular.