Beth’s Blog

For me, the beginning of a new year means working even harder to help homeless animals find warmth, safety, and love for the rest of their lives. No matter what I’m doing, even when I’m having a fireside chat with The Moosh, I’m always looking for ways to save more lives. And with the help of my Animal League America colleagues and my IG community, I know that 2024 will be a year to remember.

For me, no month summons up more memories and emotions than December. It’s such a resonant season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, or Winter Solstice. December is the time when many of us look back on the past 12 months and forward to what’s next. So in that spirit, I’m taking a look at 2023 to share just a few of the moments that will stay in my memory forever.

She looked like she’d swallowed a bowling ball. From other angles, she looked like a kangaroo. No matter how she sat, lay, or stood, she could not get comfortable. She didn’t walk, she waddled. And she ate like she was feeding a football team. Then, after days of watching and waiting, her seven sweet nuggets arrived…and I finally got some sleep.

I’ll never forget Fig and Dumpling, two of the most challenging kittens ever enrolled in my socialization program. When they arrived in my guest bathroom in 2016, they were beautiful but emaciated…and they were manic! They scaled the walls, peed and pooped everywhere, and ripped the curtains off the windows.

I read somewhere that September represents endings and new beginnings, which makes sense. Summer ends, autumn begins, vacation ends, and the school year begins. Speaking of new beginnings, there are currently two young nursing mammas in my program, with a total of nine nuggets. Once the kittens are weaned, we’ll have 11 new beginnings to celebrate.

Everybody — and “everybunny”— needs TLC. In the last few months, since adding rabbits to my foster program, I’ve learned a lot about caring for these precious bun-buns. For instance, I’ve discovered that they are highly social and like to cuddle and that they have sensitive digestive systems and need a proper and balanced diet along with plenty of fresh water. And like all pets, they need veterinary care, including vaccinations.

As awful as it is to have to euthanize a beloved friend, there is comfort in knowing you freed her from suffering. But there’s another way to lose a pet that I think is even worse, and because July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month, I want to talk about this important topic, no matter how terrifying it is.

It’s June, so no surprise: My house is abuzz with kittens and moms. The playing is nonstop, and at mealtime, the sound of kittens eating — all that adorable lip smacking — is priceless. Another kitten thing I love is the sneaky side trot, clearly intended to instill fear but always getting a laugh instead. There is a lot to love about kitten season, with one big exception: There are too many cats and kittens in this world!

What were you doing in 2003? Howard and I were dating, so I remember 2003 pretty well. But two decades is a long time in any life; for a cat, 20 years is about five years more than the average lifespan. Tazz was born in 2003 probably around this time of year…kitten season…when most felines come into the world. This spring, his humans decided he was too old and brought him to a vet to be killed. Thankfully, that did not happen.

It’s called “helper’s high,” that exhilarating feeling volunteers get when they realize they’ve made a difference. It’s a sensation shelter volunteers feel deep in their hearts every time they watch a frightened dog or cat gain confidence and get ready to fly. And with April being Volunteer Appreciation Month, I think it’s the perfect time to celebrate what it means to “get high” on volunteering…and changing a homeless animal’s life forever.