Fundraising Milestone

Because of a very generous donation today by my loving relative Connie N., we now have raised $510 for Running for a Paws. This amount is enough to spay/neuter TEN dogs or cats, so I appreciate all the donors so much!!!

On another note, the weather this week is pretty tough....Saturday's weather wasn't looking good until this afternoon and it looks as though some precipitation will hold off until later in the day. I know it's only Monday and everything can change, but running in temps below 30 with a breeze is pretty chilly. Ok, it's downright cold. Doable, but cold. Let's hope for at least 40-something with some sun!

I ate my weight in Chinese-type food. I made a very delicious concoction of an Asian cuisine and I'm pretty impressed. I even made egg rolls. They need more umph, but I was pleasantly surprised. Now if only I could combine egg rolls and pesto.....hmmmm.

A rare bird for Iowa in my back yard

I have spotted a Chukar, a partridge type bird, a few times on my deck. It is supposed to live on the west coast, but it found some seed and a hill I assume it likes. We like to watch it and it even tapped at our window a few times. I wonder if it was someone's pet? Why would it be in Iowa?

Anyway, we like it and look forward to it returning to visit.

On another note, no additional funds have come in for my "Running for a Paws". I REALLY appreciate those who have given and I hope others decide to do so. It's such a wonderful cause that I really want to help. I can't do it by myself.

As for the running, I did a five mile run yesterday morning. It was cccccold. I was going to do one today since it's really nice out, but we're having a very nice family day mixed in with getting a few things done. We're about to head outside and enjoy the sun since it's going to be performing another disappearing act. Plus, it doesn't seem to be windy and since it has been the past SEVEN days, it's about time for a break.....just to give us more wind later today and a lot more tomorrow.

The first ten mile race is next Saturday. I will be taking it relatively easy this week (five mile runs and a few days off) so I don't overdo it. The worst thing would be to go into it really tired and then have more wind to contend with, so I'm going on the conservative side. Plus, I always run faster in races than regularly so I know I'll be sore anyway! I certainly don't come close to the winning times, it's more of a race against my own times. I do like to place in my age group, which sadly, did change this year to the 35-39 group. :( We'll see. Sometimes I do place, sometimes I don't~it always depends on the day everyone's having.

As for the kitties, I got them out of their room today to let them explore. They are so fun! They do have different purrrsonalities from each other, but I just love them. Goldie was more protective than I thought she would be...she basically sat by us and watched her babies. They will be four weeks old on Tuesday. Snickers is in the picture at the beginning of today's blog.

Time to go outside!

A few donations

I have to give more shout outs to some recent donors...I sincerly and dearly appreciate every single cent I get for donations.
Thanks to my Grandma Smith (who made her donation before I knew who it was going to), my husband's Grandma Kerkhoff, my Aunt Shari and Uncle Roger, Uncle Jim and Aunt Betty, Lilly Family Dentistry (you're awesome!!!), my husband's Uncle Keith, James G., and last but definitely not the least, Kathy T. Your donations mean a lot to me, no matter the amount. I appreciate it so much and thank you from the bottom of my heart....these animals are my heart and soul so I can't thank you enough for helping me to help them.

I really get confused on what to name my "Title" lines. I don't want to be redundant, but "Kitten Mania" AGAIN seems to be the best fit for today. Since yesterday morning, the three week old kittens are getting up when I come in, then they start to play with each other, then they run (as fast as three week old kittens can go) around the room, play more, then sleep again. Their mom, who my sister affectionately name Fu Man Chu because of her long pointy chin hairs, is just as cool as can be. She still goes after my cats so is in seclusion in my 'cat room'. It's big enough for the kitties but not so big that they get lost in it.
Some friends came to see the kitties today and boy, did they have a fun time (the kittens as much as the people and me). I love watching these little cats grow up and I will miss them when it's time for them to be adopted out, hopefully to people who love them as much as I do. Maybe people don't understand the love for animals.....I don't always get it myself, maybe it's safer than trying to foster humans, but I just love these little beings and wish people would take better care of their animals so more unwanted are born into the world. I don't take any of these babies for granted, mind you, but there's so many and I worry that they won't find homes.
I do also thank the people who are reading this. I do use this as sort of a venting tool, but it could provide some interesting information....feedback is always welcome. My email is provided.

Momma cat and a long run today

Here's some new pictures of the kittens. I love the one on the left where Snickers is looking at me. You can see that they are trying to play. Little is basically under the grey one, Tigger. She is a tiny thing, but has quite a voice and is extremely sturdy. They are still slow, but they're getting it more every day. They're having visitors tomorrow as some friends are coming by to see them.

I let Goldie, the mom cat, out of the room she and the babies are staying in. Of course, she took one look at my cat Bailey and attacked. So it's back in the room for her! She's such a sweetie but I can't let her scared the gajeebers out of my cats, darned it. By the way, I am not sure what gajeebers are.

I decided that I wanted to get my long 10 mile run in today, so Andy came home from work 30 minutes early so I could get a good start. It was windy so I thought it would be really difficult (especially since I really dislike running/biking/being in the wind), but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too awful. Some days when I run in the wind, it seems to come from three directions....every time I turn, it's still windy. I don't quite get that phenom, but it's true. Not the case today as it was clearly out of one direction so I had a good tail wind and a side wind. It took me about an hour and 23 minutes, although I cut a tiny loop out, which would maybe stretch out to half a mile, and I even had to stop once because I thought my stomach was going to explode. Of course it didn't, and once it quit hurting, I started running again and it didn't come back.

The best part about running so much is that my metabolism increases a lot and I can eat more. Yes, there are limits or I'd end up actually gaining weight. I have a possibly unhealthy obsession with pesto, so I got to eat quite a bit of it for dinner. I love pesto! I'm looking forward to making some fresh from my garden this year. Well, the basil will be from the garden, the rest from Fareway. I guess that's fresh. Gotta go watch Bunny Town with the boys~the one where the plate of spaghetti plays the guitar...they love that one and the underwear bunny one. They are such boys!

Kitten Mania

The kittens are just all over now! They are three weeks old today and developing their personalities quite quickly. They will open their eyes and try and wobble over to us when we come and see them. Goldie is still quite content to be in her room with the babies, but I did let her out on Saturday (the nice warm day) and she looked like she wanted to go outside. I think not. She's still such a sweetie and was protective toward my other cat so I think I'm keeping them separate as long as I can to prevent fur flying and hiss fights.
I've tried to get some pictures of the babies, but it's difficult when they move so quickly and when I get close, it's blurry. I'm going to keep trying and post what I can.

Update on running and fundraising:
I have to admit that I am really disappointed I haven't heard from anyone else but four people. It's discouraging, but it's supposed to be a spring/summer/fall campaign so I'm going to keep trying. As Tyler's favorite movie says, "Just keep swinging.". So I will. I have raised a total of $185 so far. I was shooting for about $1k by now.....JKS
I haven't run that much since it's windy and I've been really tired from last week. I'm working on strengthening the past two days and plan a longer run on Thursday due to weather. Looks like winter is coming again Friday and Saturday...I hope to goodness that our race next weekend will be nice and sunny so more people come out and it's more fun to run! It can be cold but I do not want to run ten miles in the rain!

New Pictures!

Here's some pictures of the kittens-they are two weeks and three days old. They are really starting to move around with confidence and play with each other. They don't hiss at me either! Goldie is such a sweet momma too. I just hold her and she purrrrrrs. They will be very hard to let go when fostering is done and they're ready for adoption!

The article came out in the paper yesterday about my running challenge. I got a lot of response and support, but just hoping that some donations follow. I am so inspired by Paw Prints and hope I can help them out. Hopefully, this article is just the beginning as I have some more publicity in the works!

Contact Information

Thanks for that wonderful article in the paper today, Tim Gallagher!!!!!

Contact me by email: runningforapaws@cableone.net
Send your tax deductible donations (checks to be made out to Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue) to me:
Email for contact info.

If a company would like to donate, I will put your logo on the shirt I will be wearing in races this spring, summer, and fall.
If you have other things to donate, contact me and we will arrange to get it from you.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

The cat and kittens in the paper will be available for adoption in April. Let me know if you are interested and you can come and pick one out! They're wonderful. Many other cats, kittens, and dogs are now and will be available for adoption soon.
Keep checking this blog and I will have more pictures of just some of the animals available.

12 Lives Saved

Paw Prints just saved 12 lives today. Animal Control of Sioux City called and said that because they do not have room for more and the influx of cats coming into them, they would have to euthanize 12 cats. Of course Beth and Kris came to their rescue and the cats were vetted and sent to a home. Not all of them are healthy, but they will be loved and given a chance to heal and at a happy life.
Thanks to Paw Prints for a happy ending today.....

Happy St. Patrick's Day. More Running

The weather is good enough that I can finally plan to run outside!!! I sure hope that it stays that way.
I ran 10 miles yesterday morning. Last year after I ran that much, it was pretty tiring for the rest of the day. Yesterday, I had just as much energy. Amazing! So I decided to run 7 miles this morning. The only negative effects I have are from getting up early~I'm ready for Ryan to take his nap so I can get in my 20 minute snoozer. It's amazing how refreshing a little sleep in the middle of the day can be.
I'm averaging a 9 minute mile, which I'm happy with at the moment. I hope to shave off some more time, but I know when the race comes in just over two weeks, I should be doing a consistent 8 minute mile. I'm going to find a plan that includes speed work so I can get my times down even lower. Maybe that full marathon isn't completely out of the picture either. That would be quite an accomplishment for me!
*Kittens: They are cute little fluff balls! I will include an updated picture in the next few days. They are starting to move around more and Little even purred yesterday. Goldie let me hold her for a while. I think she needed the attention.
*For some better news, my sister is coming to visit. She has been a huge supporter of my Challenge so I am looking forward to introducing her to the Paw Prints people and my kitten babies.

*Adoption update: Five cats were adopted out over the weekend until yesterday. That's wonderful! I met some of the new owners and they will make good kitty parents. The bad thing is that there are tons more cats that came to Paw Prints so we need more foster homes and new adoptive families.

A Nice Quiet Sunday-Go UNI Panthers!

Just wanted to update on the kittens....they are starting to walk around their big box and playing a little with each other. Another week and they sure will be playing wonderfully! I'm looking forward to figuring out their little personalities!
I am rooting for the University of Northern Iowa Panthers, my alma mater. Just found out they will be playing Purdue (yikes) in Oregon. I think I am losing my husband to Kansas City at the end of this week. Clemson made the Big Dance and is playing in Kansas City....he needs to go!
I digress.....I am sending out tons of my pledge forms tomorrow and am looking forward to a positive response. Hopefully more than three people are reading this blog!!
BTW, momma cat, Goldie, is just a sweet darlin' and I held her quite a while this morning and she just loved on me and purred. It's going to be hard to give her up, but she will make someone very happy.

Shout Outs!

I need to give huge shout outs to:
(needed an updated pic of the babies so be sure to ooooh and ahhhhh over them)

*Petsmart for allowing us to adopt out from there.

*Peak Performance for allowing me to place my brochures describing Paw Prints and my fundraising/running challenge. They also found me a great pair of shoes....PINK!!!! Gotta love that!

*Mary Ann O. for the donation today and interest in what we do. I hope to hear more from her!

*Anne B. for her very generous donation, my first of this fundraising challenge.

*The other volunteers for Paw Prints. Kris Kava isn't just a volunteer, she's a co-founder, but she volunteered her time to drive over 20 dogs to Minneapolis this morning so they could find forever homes sooner. Thanks KRIS!!!!!!

I love raising awareness about Paw Prints and I hope my "Kelli's Challenge" will really spark an interest and get people talking!

Adoption Fair Today and my heart breaks!

There was an adoption fair today at Petsmart (here's a HUGE shout out to Petsmart for allowing non-profits to adopt at their facilities!!!!). There were SO MANY cats that need homes and only one from Paw Prints was adopted. Happily, he was about the sweetest cat ever and could be carried around like a babydoll, so I'm sure he will be happy. I fell in love with a grey one year old female named Silk. I have a feeling I will be fostering her next week. Who knows after that! These cats need good homes and my heart just broke for all of them having to go through the stress of being carted to Petsmart and put in cages. They are used to being in homes so they need to be adopted soon so they don't have to go through this!!!!

Another beautiful cat (pictured above) who needs a home is Butterscotch. He is 2 years old and is good with other cats and dogs. He is loving, but doesn't like to be picked up. My cats are the same way but they will climb on me on their terms.

A beautiful little black male cat with the shiniest fur caught the attention of lots of people today. For some reason, I can't remember his name but I told about a hundred people his name today...! So frustrating. I am holding him in the picture from today. He let me pick him up out of the cage and would play with people when they stopped by.

Another cat's story was sad....Tarzan was adopted from Paw Prints a few weeks ago and returned because he didn't get along with the owner's two little dogs. It was only two weeks ago and I could only assume that the little dogs annoyed him or he annoyed them- who knows-? Anyway, I appreciate the owner returning the cat to Paw Prints instead of another alternative.

Thank goodness it's Friday!

Boy, has it been a long week! With the bumper problem and the hard drive crashing on my laptop that I won from the bank less than a year ago, I'm ready for a break!
I have run 27 miles this week so I'm very happy about that and feeling strong. Looks like the weather will be nice and warm for me to run outside next week (ok, 30-40 isn't warm but it's great running weather), so there will continue to be longer runs.
I'm starting to hand out my pamphlets to get my Challenge officially started...not getting the best response because many people aren't even reading them, but I guess everyone is busy. I just hope to get some feedback at some point...soon after I get them out.
The babies are doing great still. I will post pictures tomorrow of them and from the adoption fair that Paw Prints is having at Petsmart. I hope to get some interest in my challenge as well from tomorrows patrons.
That's about all for now....have plans to be outside since it's finally nice again. The boys seem like they're on caffeine, but I think they're excited about the warmer weather and playing with their friends too!

Why the Humane Society here is not very humane

Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue to the Rescue....
The story is that an elderly woman, who has to go live in an assisted living facility, took her 10 year old dog to the Humane Society. She was told that they do not take elderly dogs and she was to pay $55 for them to euthanize it. Of course, she freaked out.
Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, she did not decide to have the dog euthanized (I guess they consider that to be humane????) and took it to the local Animal Control. Animal Control called Paw Prints and guess what.....the dog is in a foster home and will be adopted out to a loving forever home.
I certainly do not want to bash another business, but goodness people, you don't go around euthanizing dogs because they're too old. Don't call yourself the Humane Society if you do that because I'm guessing 99% of the population DO NOT THINK IT IS HUMANE!
ANimal Control of Sioux City and Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue saved a life today, plus they made it a little easier for a woman going through a huge transition in her life.
I will post more about this dog when I get info.

The kittens are opening their eyes!

Just a little maintenance......
The morning started out fine, but with it being about 3 out, our fiberglass vehicles don't stand to be in minor collisions. So I'm without a quarter of my bumper. It wasn't all my fault although I have a feeling I will be blamed and financially charged with the tiny repair for the other car. I still don't understand what happened.
Anyway, the kittens are still great. They hissed a little at me, which is very precious. They are starting to open their eyes, which is pretty early from what I know. My boys named another one, so I have Big, Little, Tigger, and Snickers, plus the mom Goldie. Oh, the other random yellow kittens are called Charlie.
They're doing great so I'll post pictures later this week.

I was wrong

When I said yesterday that I wasn't that physically tired or sore from running ten miles, I was wrong. I was reading to Tyler last night and man, my legs were pins and needles! It was better a little later and maybe it was from actually resting for the first time all day, but geez, youch! I slept until about 5:45 and got up and did my weekly cardio sculpting to help the non-running muscles stay strong. It's a workout from David Kirsch that I've been doing for probably four years now and love it.
It's going to be below zero out tonite and I think tomorrow nite, so I'll be back on the treadmill.
That's ok, it's almost time to be exclusively outside running, so one more week or so isn't too bad considering it feels like November was a few weeks ago!
The kittens are doing great. I got another picture that I will post later this week of them all lined up while sleeping. I wonder if their mom does that for entertainment??? Haha.
Better go, Tyler is out of school again today and they're having a lot of fun in the basement, which is too suspicious for two little boys!

Pile of Kittens and Running 10 Miles This Morning

Those unfamiliar with kittens may find it relatively amusing that when they are very young, they pile on each other when they sleep. I'm sure they do it to feel safe and to stay warm, especially when their mom is doing other important duties. The kittens I have are growing wonderfully and are so cute and fuzzy. My son, Tyler, wants to name the small one Little. So now the mom and three of the babies are named. I can't tell the larger yellow kittens apart so I can't name them!

I decided to go for it and run outside this morning. I was thinking of going 8 miles but decided that it could be another week before I get outside again, so hey, why not go 10??!! So it took me almost 90 minutes to do 10 miles and I am quite amazed that I don't hurt this afternoon! I'm glad that I'm in better shape that I thought I was, so hopefully I can go a little faster and further than expected.
It was really foggy out this morning during the run and I did have to dodge some ice patches here and there. I'm really exhausted now, but it's from lack of sleep (thanks daylight savings) and from being so darned busy the past few weeks. I don't really enjoy things being urgent all the time, but this is part of the deal. At least I get time to play with my boys and take care of my other little side jobs (cleaning and decorating cakes for friends).
It's time to go design my new "Running for a Paws" shirts that I will be running in, so better get that done before I fall asleep!

Past foster dog/cat

Here's a picture of the dog, named Sunset, and her NINE babies. She was a very sweet and beautiful dog. I believe that all of her puppies as well as her, are adopted now. They were transported to Minnesota when the pups were three weeks old.

There's also a picture of a mom cat, Summer (we affectionately named her Summersum for some reason) and her babies. They were adopted locally.

Kittens are so cute when they hiss!

I checked on the cats this morning and three or four of the babies hissed at me when I petted them. Of course they can't see me yet, but they knew I was there. A kitten hiss is the softest little 'leaking' sound...one of my favorites. They're not scared of me but wanted to let me know that I was on their turf. CUTE!
Goldie (the mom cat) meowed and purred a lot at me so I need to make sure I give her lots of attention today. She's such a sweet cat and I'm developing a soft spot in my heart for her! She's taking very good care of the babies too so that makes her better-they are six days old today! At least she doesn't have to do housework.....
I was going to do an 8 mile run tomorrow morning but with the snow today, I doubt that will happen. The weather this week doesn't look conducive to running outside, but you never know!
Now if I could just get some pictures on this blog.....

Training and a few other things, plus the recession

**I ran another 7 miles on Friday morning and I thought I was going to feel tired...it felt great! I'm looking forward to pushing myself with some interval training and speedwork. I have never really done that before and it's 'different', but I know I will need to try what the experts suggest to bring in my best times, hopefully my personaly bests, even before I had the boys!
**If anyone reading this wants to sponsor me, I will put your logo on my shirts.....
**I'm hoping to get my fundraising letters out early this week.
**It's really difficult for me to pick what charity I support....I would love to help everyone but I know I can't. And with all the economic news going on, it's very difficult for me to ask people for money for animals. BUT, isn't it true that it shows what society we live in when we can at least show animals some dignity? I know this will make a difference to many people and animals so I know I'm doing the right thing. I hope others can follow.
When I am faced with having so many different charities to help, I almost shut down....like denial or something. But in order to make my dream of making a difference come true, I have to step up, face reality, and JUST DO IT! Thanks Nike!
**I really hope people will read this and follow my blog. I hope to write every day and keep others posted on what is going on with Paw Prints and my Challenge....Running for a Paws.

Mommy Cat Has a Name

I have had the mom cat and her seven babies since Tuesday. There is a small one but (I assume it is a girl) I think she is doing ok. They seem to have puffy bellies when I check on them. The mom cat is now named Goldie...mostly because my son, Tyler's friend, Ethan, has a stuffed cat he loves so much and this mom cat looks just like her. So Ethan, a big thank you for helping me along with a name for this wonderful mom cat. I just cleaned up her room and she drank a little, then went back into her cozy box with the babies. I petted her and gave her some loving words and she put her paw on my arm while I was petting her, and it seemed to say "thank you for doing this for us". She was looking at me and put her paw on me....what a neat thing. I know I'm doing the right thing....

New Foster

Two days ago, I got a momma cat and her SEVEN babies to foster. Someone dumped them at Animal Control and she had her babies. The do not thrive when they are kenneled so they are in our spare bathroom all comfy. She is a pretty yellow cat with five yellow babies, one grey and one black-ish baby. The grey and black ones have some yellow spots on them. They are so precious! She is a sweet kitty and purrs a lot and is a very good mom to her babies. All the babes are doing well and have relatively big tummies for how tiny they are!
I am running more starting today. I ran 7 miles this morning and it felt great. I was happy to be off the treadmill so hopefully it won't be too cold so I can get outside in the morning again. I hope I feel this strong for the 10 mile race in one month and can do better than I did last year, which was surprisingly well for the amount of running I did last year.
Better go!