VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1

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to all the attention they were getting.  I was polite, but I wanted to yell, "Get away from them."  After all, I had only brought them for nail clipping.  They were not there for the adoption!

Then John Bennett of Folsom Feline Rescue discussed with me what might be my next foster feline.  He had a little girl kitty that tested positive for serious disease and he needed someone to foster until she could be re-tested and re-evaluated.

He thought Zoë and Ted could get their surgery soon and be off to adoption.  I found myself making excuses to keep them longer.  "Zoë and Ted are not well enough for their spay/neuter surgery," I said.  "They need more time to recover from the upper respiratory."   

Eventually, I had to face my strong feelings.  I had become attached to Zoë and Ted.  I loved them!   

Friends have since asked me what was different about these two kittens.  I don't have a good answer.  I only know that I couldn't let them go. 

Ted and Zoë Brown now reside contentedly in Roseville, California and they are the delight of the family.  They have their own tall scratching post tower with 3 cozy sleeping platforms and they have 9 feet of kitty play tunnel.  The floor is littered with tiny toy mice and toys of every shape and size.  They play and entertain each other and are great "buds." 

My husband, who did not want the responsibility and the care of cats, was even heard to remark, "It's a good thing we got two!"

My only regret is that I cannot foster any more kittens.  When I win the lottery, I will have a bigger home that will house some foster kitties in addition to my own precious Ted and Zoë.

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before introducing your dog.  Your dog is likely to be very curious, especially if he/she has never lived with a cat before.  Put your dog on a short leash, and let the cat approach the dog.  Your new cat will likely sniff at your dog, and a friendship will begin to blossom. Make these short introductions fun for both of them, giving each pet lots of individual attention. Treats for both and lots of positive praise can do wonders! It helps to have one person in charge of the dog and another in charge of the cat.  Don't be discouraged if these meetings don't go well at first.  With time, your two pets are likely to be the best of friends.

3) Know your dog.  If you have a puppy, he'll probably want to chase your cat!  Your dog might just be playing, but your new cat doesn't know that.  Some dog breeds might not do well with a cat.  If your dog spends a lot of time in the yard chasing cats, sometimes it's hard to teach your dog that your new indoor cat is a member of the household, not something to be chased.  If you are introducing a new dog to a cat that already resides in your household, you can follow these same steps.  Our dog Ruthie was so excited to join a household full of cats that she followed them everywhere the first few months and would gaze lovingly into their eyes.  Needless to say, the cats weren't especially thrilled with her behavior at first, but soon got used to Ruthie and her cat obsession.  Fozzie the cat now grooms Ruthie every chance he can get!

I followed these guidelines when I adopted each of my cats.  When we brought home our very first cat, we were anxious to see how our pups would react.  At first, Molly was hesitant and the dogs were overly excited.  As only a delicate black kitten could, she haughtily lifted her tail and her nose in the air and further impressed the dogs by ignoring them completely and walking away.  Despite this rough start, by introducing them slowly over a period of time, Molly and the dogs became good friends.  Our next three cats had all been fostered with dogs, so the transition from their foster homes to our home was seamless.  Right now, as I am typing this article, two dogs and two cats are all contentedly sleeping together near the computer.  It's great to see how close they have all become!