My kittens and other stuff

Thanks to Sonia Sue for her generous donation! We are almost up to $1300!!! Yeah! Thank you, but we still need to get more donations coming in. Spread the word and pass along this blog address so maybe we can let some new people know what a wonderful thing Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue does. Kudos to Beth and Kris!!!!!
Those kittens I have are soooo wonderful! I am taking them to Petsmart on Saturday along with their mom and Goldie. Hopefully they will be pre-adopted. We can't give them to new owners until they are given their first vet checkup. Goldie is recovering from her surgery. She scared me yesterday as she wasn't eating or moving around. All of a sudden, she came out of it and has been quietly active today. She is such an absolute sweet cat and deserves a very good home. As for the mom cat, Montana, she will have to be spayed before we can give her to the new owner but she can be pre-adopted. I really hope all of them are on Saturday!
I ran 8 miles this morning. It was strangely foggy/misty out. Do you know the smell when you walk into a hotel in the afternoon and you can tell they served breakfast that morning? Well, it smelled like that outside this morning, but add the smell of earthworms. Maybe it was some people making breakfast...plus the wet soil from the rain yesterday. Yuck. It's that time of year when it's completely dark when I start and light when I get done. Hopefully I'll be seeing some wonderful sun rises and I'll be sure to post some pictures.
I need to get some things done to prepare for our Petsmart event on Saturday (in Sioux City). Please send me your pet stories and I will post them! Send feedback as well.

Pepper and Paw Prints

Yes, it's about Pepper again. What a sweet dog, darling, loving. I have to give the biggest thanks to Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue for finding him a foster home (she will help potty train and make him feel loved) until Beth will take him to Minneapolis. This is very difficult for me to write, but I did make a mistake in adopting him without a plan. I should have cleared with everyone what I was doing and getting the ok to adopt him and then place him. I couldn't stand to have him in that kennel for one more day. He really came about the past few days and has a very positive and loving personality. What is the word for a dog...dogality? Wouldn't it be so much easier if I didn't care so much? Yes, it would, but I would be missing out on so much of the extras in life, like saving a 9 year old dog from probable death at Animal Control, where he was terrified.
Anyway, it was very hard to see him go, especially since it was so sudden. I went to the vet to pick up Goldie from getting spayed and vaccinated and Beth was there getting two more cats back from them and giving more kittens to the vet to get vaccinated for adoption this weekend.
Petsmart is having an adoption fair this weekend and many cats and dogs will be there. I believe this is nationwide but not sure.
I have to increase my fundraising efforts...not sure how, but I will do it. They deserve more funds to continue to do what they do...saving lives of our dogs and cats.

I ran 8 miles this morning. Besides not getting enough sleep last night and being stressed out with the dog (no, not potty trained or I would have kept him until I could find him a quieter home) and so many other things, it felt really good. I was upset the entire run until the last tiny shred where I walk and cool off. I felt better...then...I...saw...that...the...rabbits...ate...my...new ...pretty...flowers...in...my...front...yard. Well, good thing I don't have a beebee gun, because I was so upset that I would have done it. I don't have tulips, sunflowers, or herbs because of those *UY%% rabbits, but they are rabbits and they are cute, fuzzy, fluffy, part of nature, and my boys love them. Needless to say, the run felt good and hopefully I can run in the morning outside, as it's supposed to rain.
I am a very strong believer in God and I don't think you get more than what you can handle. I came close to my current limit and I think it was obvious by what happened today. I haven't even mentioned the cat pee and fighting in the house that's almost made me spontaneously combust) I do thank God for bringing these cats, dogs, and people into my life. It is so enriched (yes, stress too) but it makes us better. There could be so many other terrible things that could be going on, husband losing a job, major house repair, kids sick (can hardly write that down), uncaring friends, bad family members....I am so thankful for the blessings I have and the path that I have been led down. Very interesting since my husband is playing the Wii Transformers game while my two young children look on. They LOVE it. I don't get it....

Pepper

No, it's not a very original name, but it suits the newest little dog. He is such a sweetheart and deserves a nice quiet home where he can sit on your lap. He looooves to be held!
He is approximately 9 years old and weighs 5.4 pounds! How in the world did a 9 year old dog end up at Animal Control?????
He is healthy and will be getting neutered (yes, I asked if it was necessary for a 9 year old dog) and his teeth cleaned next week.
Let me know if interested in him.

Doggie up for adoption

We adopted a poor little dog yesterday. I feel so sorry for him! He is an Affenpinscher/poodle mix, who knows how much of each breed. He is not a puppy but needs some time like a puppy does. He's very small and is very sweet!

He was shivering in the back of the kennel when I went to get the current mom cat and kittens the other day and I couldn't stop thinking about him-I lost a lot of sleep. We are not ready for a dog yet and wanted to purely bring him into a home environment and then find him another home. He needs a lot of help with potty training, which I was unaware of when he was brought home, but we are giving it a try.
I'm hoping he can be adopted at Petsmart next weekend. I'm getting all of his shots taken care of and hopefully neutering him as well. Poor little guy, just needs a home with someone who can help him out a little!
He is already coming out of his shell a little bit, and it hasn't even been two days yet. I wonder what happened to him before.... he was obviously mistreated.

As for other things, I'm up to my ears with things and have been terrible about blogging, so sorry to my followers. I will do better, but I am in the process of uncluttering my life with "other" things. I have to give things up, like making and decorating cakes for friends, not being a care group leader for MOPS, Mary Kay, and the pet situation. It's not fair to them, me, and especially my kids. I am here for them first, so the other things need to go.
If anyone knows someone who wants a great little dog with a lot of heart, let me know.

Goldie is getting better-NEWS!

My Goldie girl is getting better. She's still not up to par and the vet said they can seem better then take a turn for the worse, but she's eating so much better and has been zipping up and down the stairs with me. She does follow me around like a puppy!
She is available for adoption.......well, pre-adoption since we won't release her to a new home until she has been spayed and we can't do that until she is healthy.
Here's pics of the kittens. They are a blast and I love them dearly. They are also available for pre-adoption and the kittens will be released very soon!
There's going to be some news later today or this weekend, so be sure to check back in!

I am continuing my running and seem to be getting in much better shape. My five mile runs seem so easy now and I've been finishing the last mile in around 6 minutes. Too bad I can't do three miles at that pace!
Check back soon for my recent news and updates!!!

Goldie and the new "kids"

Goldie (picture at left) is staying the night at the vet tonite. She's getting fluid and they're going to monitor her to make sure she's going to be ok. I sure hope she is! I am so fond of her and she would make someone a very wonderful pet. She followed me around today like a puppy....I so wanted to just make her sickness disappear "poof"! I miss her tonite!

Here's a picture of the new kids on the block. The mom cat and her three babies were dumped at animal control today. The grey one was as well so it turned out to bring them all to my house so they can get immunized and stablized. They were pretty scared when I got them but they're settling in well. They seem to have been fed fairly well and are friendly and playful, so I see them being adopted out very quickly.
I'm in the process of naming them and have come up with some very cute names, but they have a theme. I hesitate to be 'cutesy' but I want them to have good, strong names. Feel free to email me and let me know if you have any ideas. Considering I'm in the fostering business for a looooooooong time, I will always need cat names!
More pictures when I can get them to be NOT blurry!

Goldie is sick

Dear Blog Followers,
Just wanted to post and say that my wonderful momma cat Goldie, is very sick. I got her back last week and she started getting sick almost immediately. I guess it's very common for momma cats since taking care of those babies takes so much out of them. She raised 7 very healthy babies and she wasn't a big cat to begin with, so no wonder!
I had no idea cats could get colds, but she started sneezing, then was stuffed up and now is even more stuffed up and isn't eating like she should. I'm taking her to the vet this afternoon to get her what she needs. She is already on some antibiotic to prevent infection. Colds are serious in cats.
This is yet another reason why cats should be immunized. They should also be spayed, but not to take away from the beautiful lives she created, but to prevent this from happening again and again and again. We could very well lose Goldie due to her irresponsible owner not taking proper care of her. It's just not fair.
On another note, I will be getting a new batch of kittens along with their mom. I hope this litter does as well as Goldie's did, with a happier ending with the mom cat. I'll post pictures when I get her settled in.
As for my running, I'm trying to get more races scheduled and picked out. I ran 7 miles this morning and flew on the last mile. No wonder I wanted to stop and barf!! :) I think it was a tad less than 6 minutes for the mile; mind you, it IS down a slight hill, so I could never do it that fast the other way, but I was very pleased and was in disbelief when I saw my watch when I was done. Go, Speedy, Go!!!
More updates on the cats as I get them.

Running...

On Wednesday, I ran my 10 miles in the morning. Boy did I crash that afternoon! Luckily, I get a few snoozes when my 3 year old takes his nap, or honestly, I don't know how I would make it until 10pm. I did get up at 4:50 to get the run in and be ready by about 7am. I like to get my running in first, then I can tackle whatever I need to during the day, which is usually a mixture of accomplishing tasks around the house, shopping for groceries or home improvement stuff, or playing with the kids/play dates. If it gets uneven and I spend too much time with things other than the kids, I get very uneasy and make sure to back off the "other" stuff and absorb into the boys. It's a delicate balance. I have to say that I am extremely lucky to have a husband who understands me and supports my need to have something other than , "stay at home mom" things to take care of. Running is such a big part of who I am and what I do. It is like therapy for me so it's almost like eating...I HAVE to! The bonus is that when I do get up in the mileage, I get to eat more! It's all good!
Anyway, here I go rambling off again. I did the ten miles on Wednesday, then took yesterday off, then I did 8 miles this morning. It was a whopping 50 degrees out when I got up so it's the first time this spring that I was able to run in my shorts, no jogging tights! Yeah! And the birds were just singin' away....ahhhh, what a way to start the morning!
I may even get up and run a quick 3 in the morning too....then I will for sure take Sunday off. I don't have a race for a while, but I need to work on speeding up my shorter distances.

As for the mom kitty, she has a sniffle. We're getting her some medicine. I didn't know cats could get colds. Poor thing. She meows LOUDLY when I leave~ I heard her when I was out blowing bubbles with my little one after lunch. So I wonder if she's missing her babies and I make her feel comfortable, or maybe she just misses me!

I have a cake to decorate...well, design first, then frost, then I shall decorate tomorrow morning. Better go. Please, again, send me your rescue stories. I've gotten a few but I need more to share!

The Story of Thomas and Updates

If I didn't mention it before, I am looking for your dog and cat stories....please email me your stories of how you rescued your animals. I am hoping to write them here and can omit your name or not, whatever you wish. So comment away or send me a personal email with your story! Runningforapaws@cableone.net

You'll be happy to know that two of my kittens, Snickers and Tigger, were adopted to wonderful homes. I was still considering keeping Snickers, but I'm happy to know that she'll be in a great new home. I will be getting the mom cat, Goldie, back for a few weeks until her surgery, then she will be up for adoption. Well, actually she's available but can't be actually given until she is spayed.

We got another donation from Maggie and Whitey F., so thank you!!!

Regarding my last blog about my dog PJ, I completely forgot to mention that my sister is a huge and avid animal lover and she tried for over a month to find PJ a home before she called animal control. She has always tried to find all those homeless animals homes, but I just neglected to mention it! It all worked out so I'm guessing that it was just the way it was supposed to work out! We've always joked that stray dogs and cats have an internal radar system that points directly to her!

Speaking of my sister, she has a nice story to tell about her rescue cat Thomas, who is now 15. Here it is, in her words, so thank you to my dear sister, Randee!

My story of Thomas:
It was Thanksgiving of 1995 and I walked across the street to dig up a pine tree in the woods. I heard a teensy mew and looked down in time to see this little tabby kitten climbing up my jeans. He hasn’t left my side ever since. Our neighbor told me that Thomas had been abandoned in the neighborhood with his brothers and sisters and while an unkind neighbor took the rest of them and dumped them in another neighborhood, Thomas eluded his capture. Smart kitty! I took Tom home and gave him kitten food and water. He was so hungry and ate until I walked off to do more gardening. He followed me everywhere around the garden and would only eat if I went to the bowl with him and stayed until he was done. There started my little guardian cats career of following and protecting me everywhere I go. He spent many an evening tucked into my sweater and many days dragging my undergarments through the house. But he grew up and started protecting me. He caught an adult bird when he was still tiny and dragged the thing up the sidewalk, dragging it because it was twice his size. Then came the snakes. He would catch small copperheads and water moccasins and leave them at the door. He even left a few for our neighbors. Since they were poisonous, nobody ever objected.

He’s also sensitive. If I raise my voice with another person or my husband, he’ll sit in between us and start a fight with another cat. He’ll get a strained look on his face if he can tell I’m upset. If I stay outside all day and he thinks it’s time to go inside because he’s tired, he’ll start meowing at me, walk to the door, look back to see if I’m following, and repeat until I finally go inside. He won’t go in without me. My dog was very rambunctious as a puppy and would accidentally hurt me. I would yelp and Thomas would jump on the dog and ride him like a pony to make sure Mom didn’t get hurt again. Thomas is getting older now, but hasn’t slowed down much. He still follows me everywhere and makes sure my toes are dry when I get out of the shower. He sleeps on his own pillow at the head of the bed and occasionally goes past touching me and lays his head on mine, fang digging into my head and all.

He also loves his Dad. He will sit and stare at him for hours until Dad acknowledges and pets him. If Dad raises his voice at him, he sulks until they make up. The last episode lasted for 3 days until I begged Chip to make up with Thomas because Thomas wouldn’t even let me sooth him. He was angry with me and with the other cats until Chip talked lovingly to him and pet him and all was suddenly fine. Go figure. We’re hoping to get another home soon so he can have a great sunroom and fenced backyard for him to enjoy. Our move won’t be complete until he is happy and settled in somewhere. For nearly 15 years he’s always been there and I can’t imagine a day without him.

The story of my dog, PJ

I am beginning a new subject since I don't have any kittens at my house right now. I'm assuming that will change soon and I'm actually looking forward to it. I am going to be writing about my three rescue pets plus others that may be of interest to you blog followers. Before I get started on the story of my dog, PJ, I want to send a huge thank you to my recent donors....another $175 was collected since last week. It IS making a difference and the total I've collected since a month ago is a whopping $1117!!! Thank you to everyone!

Joe D., Kristin D.(I absolutely LOVE your Hello Kitty checks!!!), Jackie G., Molly P., Matt K., Joyce K., and Kevin O.. THANK YOU!

Here's the story of my dog PJ:

After I graduated from UNI, I moved to Indianapolis and started working for First Union (then became Wachovia and soon to become Wells Fargo). After a year of working there, I got restless and my boss offered me a position in Wilmington, NC. My sister lived about two hours from there at the time, so I was thrilled. An Iowa girl working a mile from the beach???? Who would have guessed?

Anyway, while waiting for moving day to arrive, I was talking to my sister on the phone while listening to ABBA and preparing to go out for the evening, and she happened to mention that there was this gimpy dog wandering around her house (people frequently dumped animals near her place) and she had called animal control to come take the dog since she already had a dog and a few cats. I asked what the dog looked like and she told me the dog was black with brown dots over her eyes. I was sold. So my sister called the dog over and she came running. I had already decided to call my first dog PJ. It didn't stand for anything, but went back to high school, where a guy a few years older than I was, had the name PJ (Parker Jay). I didn't have a crush on him per sey, just his name! Since I wasn't dating, I thought saving the name for a child was a waste of a good name, so I named my dog PJ. It wasn't meant to show disrespect by any means, and it's difficult now, because the schoolmate PJ, was tragically killed in a freak auto accident at a very young age. It was hard to hear that and I know my grandma told PJ's parents that I loved his name so much that I named my dog after him. I think they were flattered. I hope they were anyway, but they did mention it to me when I came back to town for my grandma's funeral.

ANYWAY, that is how I aquired PJ. She was not full grown, not a puppy, and had not been in a house before. She had also been hit by a car and had a back leg that was improperly fused together, so she limped. She had also grown out this ugly grey hair because she was finally being fed and her undergrowth hair grew in to keep her warm. So I had this ugly mutt with a gimpy leg now....then I realized what a sweetie she was, how FAST she would run with me, how much she loved to run on the beach and drink ocean water, and how much she loved me for saving her. I was the lucky one! *Her ugly hair fell out after she was nourished enough and it warmed up.

My PJ and I had some good times and a few bad times. She enjoyed chewing up pictures of people that I cared about....she DRUG THEM OUT OF MY BAG to eat them. She loved garbage cans and cat poo. But, she was a dog after all.

I took her everywhere with me! We went running at the beach, we went to visit my sister together where she loved to play with her dog, Hektor. They were like siblings...I would keep them both for a few weeks here and there and they would wake up in the morning and just play, sort of like my two little boys do now. We vacationed together and when I met my future husband, she loved him, so I knew he was a good guy. She did show her love by going pee in his kitchen and poo in the spare bedroom within 60 seconds of us arriving to visit him for the first time. Ahh, the moments. My husband and I still took her everywhere with us...she was a fixture in our lives and was great with our kids, never barking or jumping...very calm and loving. You would look at her silly and she would quickly wag her tail and slink towards you...you told her to stop staring and she actually did! Yes, she could drill holes in you while you ate dinner in front of her! She knew when I was upset and would come lay by me when I was. She loved to ride in the car and once, she growled at the big truck behind us like she was going to jump out and attack it. She loved to sit outside and sniff the air, especially when we went to my parent's vacation "hut" by the river in Ponca. She chased deer, bunnies, turtles (yes, it can be done), and me. I could lift her up and she would dangle by her rope chew toy while growling. She would bury her rawhide bones in the carpet...I would know this because she would have a red patch on her nose and all the carpet around the bone was pointing to it. We had so much fun with her.

We nicknamed her all sorts of silly things....Peanut Butter and Jelly, Triangle Face, Gimpy, Pooj, Peej, Poojo, Peegeepoo, Poopers....you get the idea.

Because of her leg problems and probably due to all the running I used to do with her, she started showing signs of arthritis about five years ago. I kept her from using stairs as much as possible and gave her special vitamins that helped her joints. That severe bout didn't last long and was back to normal until about a year ago. I took her back to the vet and got her more medication for her joints. She was slower than before, but she loved to climb the steep hill full of weeds and critters that dogs like, and she was great for my boys...very gentle and didn't bark or jump on them.

In September of 2008, PJ got to the point where, most of the time, we would have to lift her hind end up so she could walk. After another vet visit and some pain medication, I thought things were going to be ok. Then one Friday, she quit walking. Saturday she quit eating. Now this is the dog that always thought that her one bowl of food was her last one, so she would wolf it down in seconds. Once, right after I got her, I let her eat all she wanted. Well, almost. She ate about five bowls of food and I decided that I just need to deal with her paranoia of never getting the next meal, and ration her food. I couldn't blame her...she was starving when my sister found her and probably thought it COULD be her last meal. Anyway, I digress.....

Saturday, she quit eating and drinking, and then Monday, I visited the vet and got more medicine. By Tuesday morning, I knew it was time. She was holding her head and body sideways even more and wincing when I touched her and petted her. We had to pick her up and take her out to go, then she couldn't move after she was done. It was her time. Per the vet, it was probably a brain tumor. I just could't let her go through any more pain and suffering- and she was suffering, I could tell. They couldn't have done anything else for her.

I took her in myself and was with her the entire time. I still choke up frequently when I run by the vet office, which just happens to be on my running route. I never knew how much I loved and would miss that silly dog until she was gone~I knew I loved her, but didn't know how powerful HER love was to me. PJ was the perfect definition of unconditional love. We had her cremated and she is in a rock in our back yard, where she loved to be.

As I sit here tearing up and trying to hold back my crying, I think of all those dogs out there that just need a chance. I'm running for them, for the cats, that need a chance at what PJ had~ someone who would watch over them and love them throughout their entire lives, no matter what. They add so much...they are worth so much...they have hearts and feelings and love. They need a shot, a chance at being a part of a family, whether it's one or a hundred.

That's why I am Running for a Paws....now where is my kleenex?

A nice long weekend

The house was so quiet without the kitties! I really missed them although the cleaning up was a pain. I am still thinking about getting Snickers back, but having three cats plus taking in fosters would be awfully hard!
I took a jog this morning and the birds were marvelous!!!! That's probably my favorite thing to listen to in the morning...the birds, then my kids laughing! They chirp so much in the early mornings during the spring, but they don't during the summer and fall...I wonder why.
I will be seeing some beautiful sunrises and will be taking a few pictures and sharing with you.

I will be taking this Easter off from blogging. I'm on vacation in Kansas City and I have a house sitter taking care of my kitties at home and holding down the fort. I hope she doesn't get bored...maybe I should have left the kittens there so she could play with them and keep her company!

Have a very Happy Easter...remember the reason for the season! I will talk at you next week!

I miss the kitties!

Picture top left: Little is looking at me with Tigger (grey) and siblings wondering what is going on.

Picture above: A new method of feeding.

Picture at left: Kittens being kittens!

Here's some pictures of the kitties. They had to go to Beth's (from Paw Prints) to get prepared for adoption. I miss them meowing at me and running up to me when I came downstairs to either see them or do whatever. They are such a special bunch and who knows, I may end up keeping one of them :)

They boys already miss them and I was really pleasantly surprised at how much they wanted to interact with the kittens. It's always nice to see rough and tumble boys show a very soft and loving side...not that they never do, but it just helps after seeing them roughhouse with each other!

I'm not sure what the plan is for the next batch. I'm sure there's more to come and soon, which is unfortunate since there's just so many cats out there!

I would like to make a note that after seeing Beth's beautiful house, she has sacrificed so much for these babies! She has cats in almost every room and in those rooms, she has covered her beautiful furniture so the claws can't ruin it. She spends a few hours a day feeding, cleaning, and caring for them, whether it's giving medication or brushing or just loving on. It is a neat operation, but it's all consuming. And that doesn't include the very important paperwork. As I've mentioned before, if anyone can volunteer, it is much needed, just as donations are!

As for the running, I'm taking it relatively easy this week, with a 6 mile, 5 mile, cardio, and tomorrow will be a 5-6 mile run. I will get back to doing long runs after the Easter holiday. My next race is on May 10th...it's a short one, but need to get some speed work in to see if I can beat my time from last year!

Well, my youngest has come over about ten times to get me to race with him (race those big truck things back and forth across the basement). I'd better go!

Donations and...the...kittens...last...night...here. Kleenex please!!!!

The mom cat Goldie is currently meowing at me, probably saying "What did I do to make you take me away?". Oh, it stinks, but I can't have them here when no one is going to be here and no one that I want to bother enough to ask to check up on them a few times a day. So they're going to Beth's (co-founder of Paw Prints Rescue) and will hopefully be pre-adopted this weekend so I don't bring a few back home and then "accidentally" forget to take them to Petsmart for the big adoption week at the end of April. I think my husband and Beth know better! I have totally fallen head over paws for Snickers, so if she's not pre-adopted this weekend, I might have a household of three cats instead of "just" two. There's just something about that cat!
The kittens meow at me and climb all over me when I come into their room. I won't miss the specific kitty odor, but I will miss their meows and loving looks and tiny scratches on my hands from playing. I just stopped a minute to go talk baby talk to a few yellow kittens and one gently patted me on the nose, then attacked her brother. They prance out to see me and many times, I have six of them on my legs and/or back, just crawling and playing.
My one wish is that they find loving homes. And selfishly, I hope they don't remember me and think that I left them.....
By the way, the one thing I am allergic to is cats. I found out when I was pregnant with my 2nd son. Something was driving me crazy and since I couldn't take my "good" meds, I was stuck with basically kleenex and zyrtec, which didn't do anything for me. It's gotten better at my son has gotten older so maybe, just maybe I will grow out of being allergic to them? After playing so much with them today and my currently itchy face, I doubt that dream will come true.

Anyway, to a HUGE development, I received donations of $162 just today. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all you donors. This makes my total funds raised to be $942 NOT including the pledges. Awesome!!!! Thanks to Dawn B., Rachel and Ryan S., my husband's brother and wife-Stuart and Allison, and my blog follower Linda M. You rock!!!!

Well, I'm sure I'll have more to post about the babies leaving (yes, the mom cat too-she's way cool and will make someone a wonderful house cat) tomorrow. I will have my kleenex in hand.

By the way, I ran 6 miles this morning while watching Nights in Rodanthe (sp). I enjoyed the movie and actually ran an extra mile so I could get past the hurricane scene. Do they end up together????? I shall see in the morning!

**Note: Movie was ok. That's all.

10 mile race today

The first race of the season was this morning. It could have been sooo bad, but I do thank God for listening to our prayers to have the rain hold off! It was about 40 with 20 mph winds from the east, which is not the best running conditions, but it could have been soooo much worse!

I finished in 1 hr, 21 min, 46 sec, which is 2nd of 12 in my age group, 9 of 58 in for women, and 37 of 120 total. Considering the circumstances, I was very happy with the outcome!

I had an upset stomach and the wind was fierce, but all in all, a very good day! I do have to wonder why the parking lot of the casino was so busy that early??

Because of the people who have pledged, I raised $70 today for Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue by running 10 miles.

For those not familiar with me or what "Running for a Paws" is, here's the story. I love to run and love animals. I've raised money by running before so decided to make it a local thing. I heard about Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue last fall and am so thrilled to be a part in helping them save the cats and dogs in the Sioux City area. They take dogs and cats from people who cannot take care of them any longer, homeless dogs and cats that are found, and from Animal Control of Sioux City. It is a priority to have all these dogs and cats spayed/neutered and vetted and then find them forever homes. They are "home raised" which means that we depend on foster parents to keep them until they are adoptable. They are not kept in kennels.

I am taking donations of money and/or supplies for Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue (all donations are 100% tax deductible) and also taking pledges for the running that I do in races this year. I hope to run a minimum of 50 miles this year and top it off at the Sioux City Marathon in October, hopefully completing the full marathon but most likely doing the 1/2. Still, 13.2 miles is quite a lot!

Paw Prints was started in June of 2008 to make the life of Siouxland's dogs and cats a better one. Beth Storm and Kris Kava are the co-founders and they pour their lives into this rescue. They amaze me and I hope that I can help.
To date, I have raised $790 cash donations, received cat and dog food from Bomgaars (THANK YOU!) and have about $300 in pledges...so far. I hope to continue the momentum and raise at least $5000. It's a huge goal, but I know it can be done!

I have been keeping a momma cat and her 7 babies since the mom cat was dumped just before she had her babies-it's so amazing how often this happens. They are all thriving (see pictures on prior post) and they will come up for adoption in just a few weeks.

Please let me know if you are interested in donating anything, fostering (much needed) , and transporting them to other cities that are short of adoptable dogs and cats. My email is provided.

I met a nice woman today at the beginning of the race...sorry I didn't ask her name, but she was very interested in what in what I was doing. I hope your race went well for you!!!!!!! Let me know if you have any questions about this Running for a Paws! It makes running in bad conditions so worth it!!!

Thanks to my newest donors Betsy C., Molly, and Bob L.!!!! You rock!!!

Kudos to Missouri River Runners and Bev's for today's event. Wow!

Pictures of Kittens, need I say more?

The kittens learned how to climb the stairs today! They are so wonderfully curious about everything. I'm falling in love with Snickers, so not sure if she'll end up back at my house after Easter or if I should let her go to another loving home so I can continue to foster. We are going to be gone next weekend to visit my husband's parents in Kansas City so we have to take the babies and mama to Beth's house so they can be taken care of properly. I will miss them!!!!

Pledges and Donations

Wow! We got some great donations in! Thanks to my mom and dad-in-law Wayne and Nancy, Carol and Jared M., Tony G., who works with my husband, and Mary Beth and Tony G.!
I really appreciate it!
Thanks to my neighbors, Larry and Malola for their pledge of $1 per mile. You inspire me to keep on running!!!!! I really appreciate it!!!!
Another shout out to Bomgaars for their dog and cat food donations!!!!

You are all helping to make a difference!

Race on Saturday, Pledges and Donations, Sean and Rita in the AM

The 10 mile race is on Saturday. Watch for me in my "Running for a Paws" shirt, or at least I plan to unless I will be running in my snow suit! It starts around Bev's on the River at 10am. The forecast looks bad but I'm trying to stay positive. I will be running in the rain/snow/wind, whatever it throws at me. Some of the reasons are listed a little later. As I have said before, I am not good enough to be a competitive runner for these races. I do like to place in my age group, so watch out all you 35-39 year olds. :) Not really. I run based on how I feel and my own times and there are plenty of people, younger and older, that are faster then me. That's ok since I just love to run. I think I will blog soon about how I got into running at a very young age thanks to my Grandma Nolan.......
My playlist on my MP3 is quite diverse and many times when I'm running, I quietly mouth along with the words to good songs and sometimes I dance a little bit, of course, depending on my mood. I have a feeling that if I'm running in the rain on Saturday I won't be mouthing anything from a song and absolutely nothing that is kid friendly. I have 103 songs currently and hope to add two more before then.
Here's a small selection:
*Battle without Honor or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei (song when Bumblebee transforms into New Bumblebee on Transformers)
*River of Love : George Strait- I just love this song
*Eat the Rich : Aerosmith- my son loves it when he burps at the end although he can't listen to it anymore due to profanity near the end
*Fat Bottomed Girls : Queen
*Gunpowder and Lead : Miranda Lambert
*Ignition : TobyMac- love it due to the motivation
*On the Road Again : Willie Nelson (obvious)
*Starry Eyed Surprise : Paul Oakenfold- this song was featured in a Diet Coke ad when they were roller skating around
*There's another one from Ocean's 12 that I'm trying to figure out how to download-it's the one during the time the French guy is going through the security in the museum (thanks Randee!)
That's a tiny bit of the variety of music I listen to when I'm cleaning or running.
*OMG, I forgot Dave Matthews. Oh hope lightning doesn't strike. I didn't mean to forget my all time favorite....we've only been to 20 concerts!!!!!!

I mailed a letter to Sean from KG95's Sean and Rita in the morning. He was talking about his slutty cat that kept getting out and getting herself knocked up. Well, I offered to get her spayed BUT SHE IS PREGNANT AGAIN. Now Sean, we all know better and now you know that there is a huge overpopulation of cats so PLEASE, follow through on what you said, get that cat spayed when she is done nursing her babies. Yes, I will be sending you another letter to see if you will give the kittens to Paw Prints so we can ensure they will be spayed and neutered so the cycle stops. We will take care of them. To anyone, we will take any unwanted kittens and take care of them, vet them, and find them homes. Just let us know.

Now I saved the best for last. I have received a total of $565 in donations. That is absolutely great and wonderful!!!! Thank you thank you thank you for all of you people who have donated to this cause. We always need more, so keep the donations and/or pledges coming in.
Pledges explanation: I will take pledges from people or businesses who want to donate a flat amount (due Nov. 1st) or a dollar amount per mile that I run in races this year. I will put your business logo on my shirt......so donate today!
I have gotten TWO pledges so far for $5 per mile and $1 per mile! Based on my minimum of $52 by the end of the year, I will be running for an additional $300, at least. Now that I have that, I am so much more inclined to run in bad weather, additional races that I may not normally, or races out of town.
CHALLENGE ME, PEOPLE!!! Keep 'em coming in! Make me run and run and run so much that I will even complete a FULL marathon in October! At this time, I am planning to run the Sioux City 1/2 Marathon, but if I get more pledges, I will increase it just so I can bring in more funds for Paw Prints.

We got a very generous donation of just-expired dog food from Bomgaars to be given to needy pet owners who, under dire financial circumstances, cannot afford to feed their pets.
I can't thank you enough for your help. These dogs and cats would probably have to be euthanized otherwise and that's just not good enough! Thank you!
Please contact me if anyone wants to donate any dog or cat food or supplies!

Thank you and wish me luck on Saturday. I'll be posting pictures of me, probably looking like a drowned rat!!!! But I'll have a smile on my face because I know I'm Running for a Paws :)