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Pets

Man attempts to rescue stray kitten and quickly discovers he got more than he bargained for

Here kitty, kitty! Oh wait, there are 12 more of you?

Photo by Dorothea OLDANI on Unsplash

It's kitten season!

Who can resist a sweet little kitten trying to cross the road? Even if you’re not a fan of cats, you’d likely stop for a baby animal in the street. That’s what happened to Robert Brantley of Louisiana. Brantley was on his way to work and spotted a tiny white and gray kitten trying to get across the street. Being a kind human, he stopped his car to bring the kitten to safety. But he got more than he bargained for, because as he was scooping up the little thing, several more kitty cat siblings came running out of the nearby grass.

In all, Brantley counted 13 kittens. Twelve more than he planned on caring for, but by the looks of his Instagram page, his family has taken their role of cat rescuers seriously. With kitten season being in full effect in these warmer months and pet surrenders remaining high since the return to work from the pandemic, Brantley taking on fostering 13 kittens is much needed. Humane societies across the country are reportedly full or even over capacity. My own local humane society currently has nearly 150 animals over its limit and is begging for foster families and adopters to help clear the shelter.

It’s not only humane societies that have reached or exceeded capacity. Animal rescues across the board are in dire need of people to take animals to make room for the inevitable drop off of puppies and kittens from the current litter season. Mating season, which subsequently turns into puppy and kitten season, starts in early spring and lasts throughout the summer. This inundates local shelters and rescues.

Some shelters, like my local humane society, are asking people who find litters of puppies or kittens to do exactly what Brantley is doing.

Foster them and attempt to adopt them out on their own. It looks like Brantley's wife decided to get these now cleaned up kitties in their Sunday best to have a photoshoot in her makeshift studio. One kitten sported a bow tie while the others climbed around the enclosure patiently awaiting their turn. It also seems Brantley himself is having fun with the situation—in one video he talks about what he packs to go on a marksmanship match and includes 13 kittens along with his tripod and toolkit.

In one of Brantley’s most recent updates, he says that two of the kittens, Michael Scott and Nala, have been adopted by a family in Alexandria, Louisiana. In the same update he informs his followers that one of the kittens still left to be adopted is currently on daily medication and the family is keeping up with check-ups for the rest of the furry crew.

Here’s hoping that all of these little guys get adopted out soon. And may more people take Brantley’s lead to foster the kittens or puppies they find if they have the means. This can also serve as a reminder to spay and neuter your pets and any strays you may be caring for outside of your home.


This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Joy

'Pawternity leave' is a real thing and a few companies are leading the way

All of our loved ones deserve the care they need.

Photo by Isabela Kronemberger on Unsplash

Pawternity leave is a real thing.

Getting a new puppy or kitten can be life altering in the best way, but those first few days can be a doozy. Trying to get a new animal acclimated to your home and schedule isn’t always easy and if you have other pets, it can make it downright impossible to do without taking some time off to monitor everyone. That’s where the concept of pawternity leave is helpful. You may be thinking pawternity leave sounds made up, but it’s actually a real thing for some companies.

It’s totally true. Several companies offer some form of pawternity or furternity leave for employees to welcome and acclimate new pets into their home. The range of time varies from 10 hours of paid leave to up to two weeks. MParticle, a company that offers two weeks of leave, has one stipulation on those two weeks. You must be adopting a shelter pet to qualify. Some companies even offer paid pet bereavement time. After all, these little furry guys are members of the family, so when we inevitably have to say goodbye, being able to take a day or so without guilt is important.

Pets can help with things like anxiety and depression, and some can be trained as service animals to help people live safely in the world around them. If someone adopts an animal from a shelter, they’re helping to clear out some of the overpopulated shelters to make room for other animals in need. Employers trying to be more in tune with what their employees need and providing some sort of leave when adding a new pet or during the time of pet loss is a wonderful step in the right direction for so many reasons.

Which companies are providing this unique benefit? There are a few. For example, Rover and Mars Petcare provide employees with 10 hours of leave and up to a week off for a new pet, plus the added perk of bringing the pet to the office after the 10 hours is up. MParticle pays for up to two weeks' leave if the employee adopts from a shelter. BrewDog, a Scottish beer company, offers a week of leave. Collective Measures, a marketing company in Minneapolis, and Zogics, an industrial cleaning supply company, also offer pawternity leave, while Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants of San Francisco, The African Garden, VMware, Maxwell Health, Trupanion and Drugmart.com all allow for some form of pet bereavement leave.

Though these companies are in the minority with their pet leave policies, we can only hope that more companies will join in the future to allow an easier transition for new pet parents.

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This gang of Chihuahuas is why older dogs deserve all the love in the world.

Age is really just a number. Even if you're a dog.

When Julie Docherty first laid eyes on Sir MoMo, her first senior Chihuahua, she fell madly in love.

And honestly, how could you not?

The newspaper clipping where Docherty first saw MoMo (she later shortened his name). She held onto it for years.

Even though she had only just moved to Los Angeles, she was so taken with this little face, she simply had to have him. So she headed over to Tiny Loving Canines Rescue (TLC), and with their support, she brought MoMo home.

MoMo had been neglected by his previous owner and thus needed some extra care. Docherty was more than up to the task, and as a result, their bond grew exponentially.

According to Docherty, MoMo's super calm but also a people-pleaser, aka the perfect dog.

"I realized how ideal having a more mature pup was and how bringing him along to work with me was easier than I had imagined," Docherty wrote in an email.

Since her first foray into senior Chihuahua motherhood went so well, she decided to adopt another one. And then another one. And then another one.

Now she has a proper Chihuahua posse.

From left to right in the top photo, meet Choli, Paloma, Benito (also known as RL or "Really Literally"), and MoMo. Docherty rescued Choli and Paloma from TLC, the same organization where she found MoMo, and Benito/TL from Animal Synergy.

Now that they're together, they're pretty much an unstoppable force of hilarity and cuteness.

COUCHella 2016 #ChiLaxing #chihuahuas #superseniorsunday #rescuedogsofinstagram #coachella

A photo posted by @jemandthemisfits on

And their owner couldn't be happier with her "mature" charge.

Docherty with her four pups and a friend. Photo by Julie Docherty.

They love greeting the mailman.

And of course, taking naps. Well, some of them anyway.

Choli's the bossy class clown.

He's a genius photo bomber. Photo by Julie Docherty.

"When he gets to know you, he becomes a fearless rag doll who will throw himself onto you," Docherty said.

And Benito squeaks like a cat when he's excited.

Meanwhile, Paloma's the unassailable diva.

"This is my most recent portrait. Don't I look FABULOUS?"

And finally, Sir MoMo, the original senior Chihuahua, is the lover.

"He's gentle and sweet and loves meeting people, which is pretty special for Chihuahuas who can be a bit overprotective," wrote Docherty.

Sure, it's not the easiest taking care of elderly dogs, but Docherty says the rewards far outweigh the costs.

None of the pups have teeth anymore, and they all take meds for arthritis, but that doesn't stop them from being playful and loving with their human mom and each other.

Senior Chi style back massage😴 RL & Choli ⭐️ #chiatsu #chihuahualife #chilaxing

A photo posted by @jemandthemisfits on

So if you're thinking about adopting a dog, don't overlook the older ones. They might not be as spry as puppies, but they possess all the cuteness, silliness, and warmth you could want in a dog with maybe just a bit more of a yen for naps.

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