Up on a Soapbox

I’m going to get up on a soapbox for a minute here… Please, please, please all of you pet owners reading this, spay or neuter your pets!  Unless you plan to breed them, there’s just no reason at all good enough not to do it.  As I’m searching for new homes for my two fur babies, I’m being confronted with the sad truth.  There are just FAR too many homeless dogs and cats out there.  Shelters throughout the country are just filled with them, and many don’t have room to take any more in.  Many animals are euthanized at shelters every day for no other reason than there isn’t the room to keep all of the animals coming in.  There are far more homeless and abandoned animals coming into the shelters than there are being adopted out.  The number one way we can help this issue is by stopping there being more stray animals from being produced.  And the best way to do that is simply to have your pet spayed or neutered.  It’s a quick procedure in the vet’s office, and pets generally recover very quickly and easily.  The vets I’ve talked to in the past few years are doing a better job than ever before of making sure your pet is given pain medicine and kept comfortable during and after the procedure.  If money is an issue and you feel like you just can’t afford it, please talk to your vet or local animal shelters about any low cost spay/neuter programs in your area.  These programs exist in lots of places and are designed to make it affordable for anyone to have their pet spayed or neutered.  And if your concern is your pet’s personality will change after the procedure, well, please talk to your vet about this concern so they can lay your fears to rest that their basic personality will not change.  Your pet is relying on you to be resonsible for them and their health.  So it’s your responsibility to have them spayed or neutered… Please be a responsible pet owner.

Bittersweet

I should be on top of the world still right now.  I should be jumping for joy still about my new job and the move to be closer to my family.  But I’m not.  Instead I’m sad.  I’ve made the very difficult decision not to bring my cats with me along for the move across the country from Ohio to Oregon.  This decision was made for various many reasons and not made lightly.  I’ve spent several days racking my brain trying to come up with some way to take them and just can’t find a workable solution.  So I’m working on trying to find them good, safe homes.  They’re my fur babies and I love them dearly and would hurt anyone who didn’t take good care of them.  I’m praying a lot for safe homes for them and feeling a little desperate that I won’t find them homes in time.  I only have three weeks to find them homes and it seems that everyone wants cute little kittens… not adult cats.  There are far too many cats that are strays and in shelters, so I’m up against a big obstacle.  I am actually still happy about the new job and the move home… it’s just a bittersweet situation.

Life is really, really good

Yes, life truly is really, really good right now.  I officially was offered a job at the hospital back home in Oregon today!  The pay is absolutely fantastic, they’re paying my moving expenses, and I get a nice sign on bonus for wanting to work night shift.  The whole package was very appealing and much better than I expected.  I would have happily accepted the position for less money and no moving expense reimbursement or sign on bonus.  But of course I didn’t tell the nurse recruiter that.  I just smiled and said thank you.  I may be a lot of things, but a fool isn’t one of them. 

I have to be in Oregon by August 27, so I went ahead and posted some furniture I don’t plan to take with me on Craigslist.com.  I placed ads for six items.  24 hours later, five of the six items are paid for and picked up.  I was really surprised how quickly these things sold.  Pleasantly surprised, of course, since I wanted them out of here.  I want the apartment cleared out so I can start packing the last of what’s left and getting rid of what I’m not taking with me.  I’m going to be living out of a suitcase for the next four weeks, but it’s worth it to know I’m going to be home where I belong soon now.