Chronicle of Furbabies: Beaumont

Adoption website photo

Just pulled from AC

Beaumont - I mentioned Beaumont in "Chronicle of Furbabies: Part III."  He first came in to the shelter in the May 2015.  He looked pretty rough, with cuts and bumps and dirty fur.  His face was a mess.  Despite his alley cat looks, he was a true sweetheart from day one.  He'd give you a meow anytime you came near his crate, loved attention and being pet, adored being held and held on to you for dear life (I will probably always have scars on my left shoulder blade as a memento).  He was a big, hefty tomcat with a one-of-a-kind face and unique ears that made everyone think he was a large Scottish Fold.  After his routine vet visit, he was unfortunately diagnosed with FIV.  As with other FIV cats we've had (like Theodore and Frosting), it was incredibly sad to learn that such a great, adoptable cat would spend so long in the shelter and be overlooked by adopters.  I enjoyed seeing Beaumont so much, though, since he was such a sweetie with a big personality.

Settling in @ the shelter

Me & Beaumont

With any cat, after a while, a routine develops.  I would approach, and get my patented Beaumont vocal greeting.  He would rush to the front of the crate upon the door opening, and put his front paws on my shoulder, read for me to lift him out.  I'd grab on to him (usually wearing a jacket, as his voracious clutch became a bit much for my skin), and we would cuddle for a good while.  When Beaumont had decided that he had sufficiently covered me in white fur and that it was time to walk around, he'd let me know, and I would crouch very close to the ground to set him down.  It was important to have access to water and a snack, though, lest Beaumont get a bit grumpy with you, so I'd set his food and water dish (newly filled) on the ground for him, first thing.  While I cleaned up his crate, he'd snack, wander around, get love from Anita, or just lay back and chill.  He never fussed about the other cats or got into any shenanigans.  My Beaumont loved his wet food, of course, and that was the only way to lure him back into his crate.  I'd pick him up again, get a few last cuddles (he was a stellar cuddle bug), and stand near the open crate.  As soon as he noticed that bowl of wet food, he would (not so gracefully) hop out of my arms and into his cage.  His attention fully consumed, I often had to close the door to the point where his rear end was flush against it, like he was mooning the room.  He'd inhale the delicious entree, and a nap would ensue.

Fostered!

With his lovable personality, Beaumont was a favorite among shelter regulars.  He found his foster home on October 4th.  Most of the time, fosters take in kittens - lucky Beaumont!  A few days later, they took him to the vet, started to treat him for his cloudy eye and an ear infection, and the foster mom reported this:

Vet visit!

"Speaking of his ears, Aaron and I thought he was a Scottish fold, but I was told the vet at Horseshoe Lake thought they were a result of frostbite. Our vet at Northgate said it could be his breed, but she thinks it could've been multiple hematomas, aka cauliflower ear, from fighting as an intact tom cat. Whatever the case, we think they give him personality. He loves to be brushed and he talks to us all day long. He's been such a great kitty these last few days, so he will probably most definitely be a foster fail."

His foster mom says he has a mismatched tail!

I was simultaneously overjoyed that Beaumont was getting the love, attention, and medical care that he so clearly deserved, and devastated that I wouldn't see him anymore.  Fortunately, the foster mom continued to post updates and pictures about Beaumont.  I followed it obsessively!  I saved every picture, seeing him so happy and relaxed, and smiled at every new post.  The fosters were discovering what an amazing kitty he was, and something amazing happened.  On November 8th, they signed the papers, and made Beaumont a part of their family.  He was officially adopted!

Adopted!

So our boy Beaumont is now living happily ever after with his adopters, three kitty siblings, and puppy brother!  He runs around playing with toys, snores underneath cuddly blankets, snuggles up on the couch, and even has a fireplace for the winter months ahead.  His really is a "Happy Tail."



Even more pictures of Beaumont.......

Beaumont & his puppy brother

Cozy fireplace!

This is an excerpt from the Fall newsletter issued by Partners for Pets.  They publish stories about
several remarkable cats and dogs in each newsletter, and Beaumont made the cut!

Chronicle of Furbabies Part IV

Still catching up (as in part III).  Some older ones from the earlier part of the year, some more recent ones, too....  But this is the last of the older stash.  I'm all caught up!!


Denny - I think this tuxedo tomcat may be the very first shelter kitty I ever truly fell in love with.  He came during a really busy time at the shelter and was in an area that we used for "overflow," so to speak.  He was super talkative, even a bit whiny.  I'd always give in to him and open up his crate.  Since he wasn't in the cat room, he couldn't run around, though.  Denny was okay with it.  He was happy with me holding him and talking to him, and I'd walk him around so he could look out the window and watch the birdies.  Being a shelter newbie, I so badly wanted to take him home with me.  I was super jealous of the very lucky people who took Denny home on adoption day, and still remember my vocal little tuxedo boy.

Denny and his adopters

Flint - It'd hard to bond with a litter of kittens at the shelter.  They're hard to tell apart, and you don't roll around on the floor with them or spend hours watching their shenanigans like you would at home.  You take them from their crate, put them in a carry crate, clean up their awful kitten mess, reassemble everything so they can just mess it all up in record time, and then put them back.  Not to mention trying to prevent escapees.  They're a lot of work.  So when I do mention a kitten, it's really saying something.  This litter of 5 were all black and white, except for one: Flint. She was the only black cat in her litter.  Convenient, but that isn't why I instantly fell in love with her.  This litter wasn't as rambunctious or omigod-messy as some tiny terrors I've had.  Everytime I got to Flint, she'd melt in my hand.  I'd feel her purring, and hold her close.  Even if she'd been playing or attempting to tumble out of the cage mere moments before, as soon as I held her, she'd want to be nowhere else.  She'd paw at my fingers, look up at me with that darling face, turn her head to the side so I'd pet her chin, purring all the while.  She melted my heart and made me fall in love.  I wanted to sneak her out in my tote bag and never look back.

Like most kitten litters, Flint's got fostered within a matter of weeks.  The foster mom was a newer foster, but she still posted a few times about her fosters.  After having the litter for a week or two, she decided she had to give in and keep one of the kittens (I hear this is quite common among newbie fosters).  She ended up picking Flint, and I smiled smugly to myself, thinking, "I'm not surprised!"  It was a good pick!!  One of her sons renamed my little midnight girl "Isavella."  So Flint/Isabella was unofficially adopted November 8th, 2015.

Flint (center) with her litter at the shelter

Flint

Flint, in her foster mama's arms

Hampton - I think he was only at the shelter for two or three weeks at the end of October (2015) and into the beginning of November.  The first thing I noticed about him was that he looked like a Siamese in his coloring, but not in bone structure or size.  He was gorgeous!  He was also quite long, filling up most of his crate without being a fat cat at all.  I introduced myself, and he was instantly friendly.  He wasn't the type to come out and wander around, but was still a very good boy with a very sweet personality.

I don't know if the events correlate, but after posting his picture to the volunteer group, Hampton scored a foster home!  Of all of the pictures I posted, his received the most comments, most of which were about how handsome he is.  I foresee a bright future for this good-looking boy!

Hampton

Kitten Litter #1 - like Flint (above), there was something special about this litter.  They weren't crazy rowdy or super messy.  They were all fluffy and sweet and the perfect Hallmark moment that you think of when you think of the quintessential box of kittens.  It was summertime, so we were inundated with kittens galore, but this identical litter of 5 itty bitty tabbies were the stand-outs.  To prove my point, they were fostered, as kittens often are, and four of the five were adopted TOGETHER!  The fosters couldn't choose!!!  They were named Sir-Pounce-A Lot, Nanako, Barnaby, and Kotetsu (don't ask me - I didn't name them), but how they ever tell them apart is beyond me!

Kitten Litter #2 - Currently, at the shelter, we have a litter of 5 that have essentially grown up in a crate.  They are only a few months old, but we've had them for a while.  We're currently looking for someone to foster them.  Why they're memorable and in the "Chronicle:" they are the craziest, rowdiest bunch of furballs I've ever seen.  They are constantly wrestling, tumbling, and flying across their cage.  One of the three orange tabbies is the craziest, always pinning littermates, pawing at the walls, kicking all the food out of the bowl, or attacking your hand even though he's barely bigger than it.  They are the messiest, loudest, most insane bunch  I've seen.  They keep me on my toes, and the only picture of them is one that someone else took of them during the only time they stand still - food time.  These munchkins will eat 4 cans of wet food in one sitting!!!

Margaret - When she first came in, I was so taken with how pretty Margaret was.  When she came up to me with affection and a demeanor that was as sweet as her face was pretty, I knew she would be an instant favorite.  Laid back, but affectionate to a fault, she wasn't at the shelter long before she found her forever home.

Margaret

Martin - yet another kitten who invalidated my "I don't normally bond with kittens" mantra.  Yet another one that I very nearly brought home.  I had a soft spot for this little grey and white face, and would carry him around.  When I would have spare time after a shift, I'd lift him out of his crate and snuggle him, wishing I could keep him and snuggle him every day.

Martin

Mary Ann - this mama cat came to us with her two baby kittens, who were so little that they were still still nursing at the time.  She wasn't the best mama, as she liked to sit on the crate's shelf (tiny kittens are too little to get up there) and she would get so excited for attention that she would walk over her babies.  But I didn't judge - Mary Ann wasn't cut out for motherhood.  She was cut out for cuddle time.  That was her #1 priority, whether you paid her attention or not, she was going to headbutt the heavens out of you!  She was sweeter than sugar, a definite attention monger, and I loved her for it.

She found a foster home, but ended up back at the shelter when her kittens were old enough to not need her anymore.  The foster held on to the kittens, though, and I felt sorry for such a sweet girl.  I was sorry she lost her foster, but glad I could give her love again.  She did find a home afterwards.

Mary Ann (during her 2nd stay at the shelter)

Robert - During the kitten-crazy days of summer, Robert also joined the ranks.  He was no kitten, but a lanky tomcat.  I don't know why I was so taken with Robert.  He was quite the laid-back, cool cat.  He loved to stroll around, get a pet here and there, but most of all, he loved to chow down.  He would even eat the dog food that was set out for one of the dogs in the iso room.  Something that I can't quite put my finger on struck a chord with me about this handsome guy.

Robert

Robert

Travel Journal: CHINA

Installation #2 in the Travel Journal series!
(Missed the first one?  Don't fret, just click here.)

In June of 2012, I was planning my wedding (which was only four months away), had just accepted a job offer, and was on my way to China with my parents.  They had planned a family trip to Eastern China.  Everything would be orchestrated through a tour company; all transportation, lodging, excursions, and meals taken care of.  It was amazing, and, without a doubt, the trip of a lifetime.

I’ve always been one to journal and to want to remember the past.  It’s especially important to remember the amazing trips we take to places we may never see again.  Reading these journals just 3 years later, there are already things that I have forgotten about my experience.  Pictures are priceless, and I took a boatload of those as well, but journaling captures something pictures can’t.

The first installment is the emails I sent to my husband (who was my fiancé at the time) that include my daily journals.  He responded to my emails, but I didn’t include those as I didn’t want to exploit him unnecessarily.  Emails are italicized.  Notes circa 2015 are not.  To China!



6/14/12
I’m journaling in my iPod as things happen so, consequently, I’m likely to send you far longer emails than you bargained for. We just got to the hotel and I think we are all about to nap. Freaking exhausted. So here's my thrilling tale thus far...:

THE JOURNEY THERE
At Lambert, I hit my head on a large steel support beam out of pure grace. Tears and instant headache. Short flint to Chicago, then business class seating to Beijing - the most kick ass plane seating I've ever experienced. Roomy seats with tons of leg room, a TV screen and remote equipped with movies (I watched Beauty & the Beast and realized it's about Stockholm syndrome), shows, video games and more... But the best part has to be the electronic seat controls that allow you to recline and adjust independent parts of the seat to the extent of creating a makeshift twin bed. The 3 meals, unlimited drinks, and complimentary care pack (toothbrush, socks, eye mask, etc.) complete the package. Downsides? The flight attendants make the strongest drinks I've ever tasted and I'm dying without smokes.

Initial observations - most signs are in both English and Chinese; androgyny exists only in hair styles here (women are all dressed quite feminine); traffic lanes & stoplights are just suggestions.

View from my Bejing Westin hotel room

Tomorrow we are doing our first tour, so those ramblings should be slightly more exciting. Also, the hotel wifi sucks pretty hard. Pretty much all it will let me do is email. :-( But oh well. Email me back, shnookums. And remind Percy that his mama loves him.


6/15/12
I did sooo much walking today. I know there's even more to come tomorrow. No, the ppl aren't as short as Americans exaggerate. I mean, they are certainly shorter on average than Americans. But they are by no means midgets. I am taller than most of the women (except the younger girls because they're ALWAYS wearing heels) but not the men. There are indeed a lot of ppl, but that depends on where you go. At the tourist attractions, there are hoards of ppl. But here in town it does not seem to be as crowded. Ok, today's journal:


DAY ONE OF BEIJING

Forbidden City

The elevators in our hotel are all in stealth mode. Very quietly, they open and close, and with amazing speed. Attempting elevator use when sleepy is nearly impossible. The hotel breakfast buffet this morning was amazing. A plethora of Chinese and American food that all tastes amazing. Delicious sushi, enormous strips of bacon, decadent pastries, Chinese porridge.... I tried dragon fruit for the first time - interesting, strange looking, but not my favorite. Admittedly, the Beijing Westin is very Americanized.

Summer Palace

The mornings here are surprisingly quiet. No people, no cars. During the day, people, cars, and bicycles are everywhere. We toured Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, the latter of which was the most architecturally beautiful site I've ever seen. I could have spent days exploring the huge complex. The history and the design were breathtaking. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable but also extremely long winded. We ate lunch at a restaurant with a lazy Suzan that made me think immediately of the opening scene from Temple of Doom. Then to the Summer palace - a beautiful lake and palace for Empress Cu Xi.

Observations: in certain parts of Beijing, street vendors will mob you, swarming tourist groups, relentlessly peddling cheap crap; most non-American tourists are other Chinese; the "big city" part of Beijing has skyscrapers, and looks like every big city you find in the U.S. (except for the Chinese characters everywhere).

I miss you already. I don't really interact with my parents a great deal except for at meals. Kinda lonely. Don't worry, I know you don't miss me yet. ;-) Love you love you love you. Email me more. :-D kbai!



6/16/12
Zao shang hao! (Good morning!) It is 12:30 am, Sunday here right now. :-)

This one is kind of long. But you like to read, right? ;-) I sent you 3 pictures. I got some really awesome ones today. To answer your questions... Yes, we have a tour guide who stays with us the whole 2 weeks. He seems to know the entire history of China, but I prefer when he teaches us Chinese phrases (though this happens much more infrequently than the history lectures). At the Forbidden City, there are big black vats here and there occasionally (for water, I believe) but not really any vases. As for not interacting, the tour process is part of it (to hear our tour guide at all times, we have little headsets). Having my own room is another part. And there's also the fact that we are often exhausted. :-/

I cannot wait to show you all of my pictures. I am about 1/3 of the way through my trio and have already taken over 150 pictures. O.o everything is just so pretty!!! Lol. So are you having regular d&d Monday and/or Tuesday? Trivia? Anything exciting going on?

DAY TWO OF BEIJING

Jade museum

we started off the day with tourist heaven: a jade "museum." a peppy young girl with a heavy accent gave us a short tour about jade which was very interesting. Different colors are significant here and all have very specific meanings. The jade piece my parents bought - the Happy Family design - had a great story behind it. I also loved the tradition of jade bangles being passed from mother to daughter through the generations, growing in value all the while as the jade darkens. However this neat tour was somewhat of a trap, as the finale was a giant jade jewelry and statue store.

Sacred Way

Next, the Sacred Way walkway. Very pretty with symmetrical willow trees on either side and noble-looking statues guarding the path... But the long walk in 97 degree weather is something I'd recommend future tourists skip. Pretty, but not a must-see.

Lunched at another lazy Suzan restaurant on the second floor of a massive cloisonné workshop/market. Pretty, ornate, overpriced and slightly gaudy wares lined tables. The food was much more similar to the Chinese food in the U.S.

Finally... the Great Wall. Truly great. I can now appreciate how tall and how very steep it really is. You can see the green hillside and mountains and expanse of wall for miles. There are look-out holes near the floor to fire arrows from and ditches running left to right on the floor for rain run-off. At times, the climb is nearly a 45 degree slope. I took a lot of pictures - the Great Wall is perfect for amazing photos.

No extraordinary dinner or festivities. We skipped the opera (me because of a migraine) and ordered room service. It is our last night in Beijing. I think I will miss this amazing shower the most.

Observations: I'm beginning to understand why the stereotype exists that Asians are awful drivers (on long bus rides, I entertain myself by watching cars merge n- it's amazing stuff); young Chinese girls wear dresses and heels to the most ridiculous places (like the forbidden city and the great wall); gift shop employees often ask if we are a family; Americans fear chop sticks; indoor smoking is banned but many places seem to ignore this; there is no floor 4, 13, 14, or 24 (the Chinese word for 4 - su - is the same as the word for death).

6/16/12
Also, in addition to my last email:

Last night:
We went to a restaurant for the Peking Duck Welcome Dinner. As it turns out, duck, done right, can be fairly tasty. I tried most everything except for the duck feet.  The people in our tour group are quite the American tourist stereotypes. One man in particular is quite the pompous asshole. Even my parents are repulsed by him. I came precariously close to losing my temper and telling off the old scumbag over a lazy Suzan issue and a snarky self-important remark.



6/16/12
Yup, they are all Americans. I encountered Irish tourists at the jade museum - that was cool. The food isn't like American Chinese food, just the one restaurant. What is the return address on the packages? I haven't ordered anything...

I'll email you tonight too. We spend the morning in Beijing and fly to Xi’an this afternoon.

6/19/12
I managed to get wifi on the cruise ship but only in the dining area. I don't know whether you want me to send you all of the journals I've done - it'd be awful lengthy. Lol. I also called you at 830 am your time and left a voicemail but now I can't dial out. There probably isn't a tower anywhere near Fengdu, this mountain city we are docked at. Email me back... Have you gotten any of my postcards?



**There are no more emails from me in my server after that.   He responded to that last email, but I don't see any journaling emails, just some pictures I sent.  Luckily, I am a hoarder even in the electronic sense, so I still have most of the journals on my iPad.  I would have lost them years ago, but Apple looks out for hoarders and keeps all of our things tucked away in the cloud.  ;-)   **



BEIJING/XI'AN

Rickshaw ride

We started the day off with a rickshaw ride around the more residential part of Beijing. This was definitely my favorite part of the day. Though I felt bad for the poor man cycling the rickshaw, the rest of the experience was amazing. The buildings alone had me smiling the entire ride.

Tea ceremony

After the rickshaw ride, we visited the "Hutongs." I'm still not certain what that means. What I do know is that we sat in a Chinese couple's home and courtyard while our tour guide spoke about the history of that specific residential area.
We walked to a beautiful building - a bell tower, I think - and partook in a tea ceremony. It was interesting and, though I don't enjoy tea, I tried all but one of the five flavors that were served to me. I've never seen anyone make tea quite as deftly as the fast-speaking Chinese girl.

Besides the rickshaw ride and a moment in the Hutongs where a little girl peddling wares earned a dollar from us for being extremely adorable, the day wasn't all that wonderful. The evening consisted of a delayed flight to Xi'an, a very warm and crowded airplane, and a disappointing dinner at the new hotel's buffet.


TRAVEL ON!
PAGE 1: Bejing, China <-- You are here!
PAGE 2: Xi'an, China
PAGE 3: Yangtze River Cruise & Shanghai, China