This morning I came down to find 4 of my cats, Omar, Pyro, Bitsa and Charm, surrounding the stereo unit. They were trying to get behind it, but there wasn’t much room. I just knew by the way they were acting they were after something and it wasn’t a bug. Now I am not sure why a mouse would want to come into this house. Apparently, he didn’t check out the neighborhood first. With 6 cats, 4 dogs (3 of them terriers) and 11 ferrets, it just doesn’t sound like a good idea. Maybe he likes living life on the edge.

I grabbed the flashlight and looked around the stereo unit, but I couldn’t see what the cats were seeing. I moved the dog crates that line the one wall away, but still no mouse so I went about getting everyone’s breakfast together. Once I had that all done (the cats could care less that it was breakfast, they wanted that mouse), I grabbed the flashlight again and started moving things around. All of a sudden there is a big commotion on the other side of the room. The mouse had run out from behind the dog crates right into Bitsa’s open mouth. I don’t know who was more surprised, Bitsa or the mouse. She was so proud of herself!

Now what do I do? I used to have a pet mouse. This is a moral dilemma for me. Not that I want the mouse in my house, but I don’t want to see my cat kill it. Arrgghh! So I decide I am going to put it in a container and release it in the football field across the street. At least it won’t be in my house. Bitsa does not think this is a good idea. She does not want to give up the mouse, so she takes it into the bathroom and decides to put it down so she and Charm can play with it. I don’t think they wanted me to join in the fun, but I tried. Unfortunately, Mr. Mouse did not see my container as a safe place so he wasn’t cooperating and running right into like I had hoped. There’s the 4 of us (mouse, Bitsa, Charm and me) playing around the toilet, just what I want to be doing on a Sunday morning. After about 5 minutes, Mr. Mouse decides to make a run for it and takes off past Bitsa and behind the litter box. From there he goes behind the hamper and into this little cubby hole. I start moving things and Yay! there is he is. Unfortunately, I took to much time to celebrate and he took off again, only this time he heads for the door. I start yelling for Omar, who is suppose to be watching the door, but he isn’t there. Apparently, he doesn’t believe in my leadership and took it upon himself to look for the mouse under the refrigerator instead of believing it was in the bathroom. So Mr. Mouse made a clean getaway underneath the stove and into an opening under the kitchen cabinets. Ugghh, all that effort for nothing. Hopefully, the close up view of some of the neighbors will make him decide this isn’t a great place to live, at least not if you are a mouse…

We’ve used regular open litter boxes, the litter gets all over. We’ve used covered litter boxes, but I can’t help comparing them to having to use a Port-A-Pottie (I have to be on the verge of desperation). I have looked at the automatic litter boxes, but haven’t heard good reviews from friends, and the thought of 6 cats using it, the thing would be going constantly. I went to plastic storage totes and have been happy with them except for one thing- my 14 year old cat. Tyke has arthritis so getting in and out of one was painful for him. So our current set of has been several of the storage totes upstairs, 1 small box in the living room and 2 regular open boxes in the first floor bathroom (Tyke spends most of his time on the first floor).

At the beginning of January, I was contacted by the Biddy Cat Company and asked if I would be interested in trying their litter box, the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box, and reviewing it. Before contacting them, I went to their website and read through the product information. Hmmm, looking at the pictures it was huge. Hopeful that this box might be the “one”, I replied that I would be happy to try it.

When it arrived, I was more than impressed. It was HUGE. It actually took the place of the 2 regular litter boxes in my first floor bathroom. It is also a great size for my Ragdoll, Woody. Woody is a really big cat, he towers over my other felines and this box is ideal for him.

The sides of the box were high, great for keeping the litter from being thrown over the sides by my more exuberant diggers. But they weren’t too high to be a problem for Tyke’s arthritis. he has no problem getting in and out of this box.

The box is made of very high quality material. The plastic is smooth and thick. I have had boxes become stained really quickly and after almost 2 months of use, haven’t had it happen with the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box .

The box design is great. It was designed to not have those corners that collect the litter in them. The way this box is designed, you can scoop along the entire bottom of the box from one side to the other. Even my mother who sometimes pitches in for litter box duties commented on how easy it was to scoop.

I was also impressed with how the company keeps in touch with their customers. They were concerned about the box tipping when used with some lighter weight litters and contacted their customers asking for input. They do recommend using about a 2-3 inch depth of clumping litter for best results. I use regular clay litter (when you have a cat with litter box issues, you use what he wants to use) and have had no problems.

This is a product I have no problem recommending to others. In fact, I really need to measure the space upstairs and see if the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box will fit so I can get a second one.

For more information on the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box and to order a box yourself, please visit the Biddy Cat Company.

At the end of August I took a trip out to Kentucky where I adopted 2 BIG champagne colored ferrets from The Ferret Haven. These guys were born at the shelter from parents who had come from a badly kept ferret breeding farm. You can read about the shelters experience here- Shelter News.

I knew about the babies before they were born and went back and forth about adoption. I didn’t need another ferret, but when I found out they had champagne boys I decided I had to put in an application. I love the champagne coloring and with all my ferret girls here, I wanted a big ferret boy. I decided to indulge myself and since you can never be sure how a ferret will fit in with current residents, I decided I would apply to adopt 2 so they would have each other if my ferrets wouldn’t accept them.

I was so happy when my application was accepted and could hardly wait until they were old enough to leave. At first I wasn’t sure how they would get here. We could have seen about setting up a transport with Ferrets Across America, a group that helps transport ferrets to their new homes, but in the end I decided I would take a roadtrip. I broke it down so I wouldn’t be driving more than 8 hours a day and went over a weekend, staying a bit more than halfway between my home and the ferret shelter. It was worth it., Jerri, has a real nice shelter and great support. The boys are awesome. The D boys as I call them - Devious and Dervish fit in well after a good talking to by ferret matriarch, Sugar. They are big, Dervish being much bigger than Devious (I don’t have current weights, but Dervish must be around 4 pounds and Devious around 3) and so much fun to have around. (They are hard to photograph unless they are sleeping.)

The D Boys

Dervish

Recharging

They aren’t the only new addition! Check back to meet him!

The Adopted Dog Tails Carnival gives us a chance to share our stories and tips on adopting a dog. We hope it inspires you to give a dog a second chance.

Robin recently made the decision to adopt and shares the news of her new addition. In her post Adopt A Dog, meet her dog, Newman, over at Soul Seeds of Inspiration.

Linette at The Virtual Garden helps promote Adopt A Dog Month by sharing her adoption success stories and explains why you may want to consider adopting an adult dog.

Johann The Dog tells about her Gotcha Day, the day her human was lucky enough to adopt her from a shelter in Johann The Dog: It’s my Gotcha Day! over on her own blog, Johann the Dog.

Sometimes you never know what destiny has in mind. Miss T shares her adoption story, how she accidentally adopted the perfect puppy, in Miss T’s Perfect Puppy at Prefurr.com.

There are many disabled dogs who are also looking for homes. DoggieWoggie shares “What Dogs Can Teach Us About Handling Disability” at Doggiewoggie - All About Dogs.

If you are considering adopting but looking for more information to insure you are making the right choice you can find resources in Thinking of adopting a dog? here at afFURmation.

Thank you to all the participants! Pet adoption is a cause that is near and dear to my heart and it is great to be able to share and let people know that adoption is a great option to choose!

Technorati tags:

adopted dog tails, blog carnival.

Here are some resources to help you.

Making the decision to adopt a dog shouldn’t come lightly. Here are some thing to think about before adopting-

Things to Consider Before Adopting A Dog…

Are You Really Ready To Get A Dog?

There are many places to adopt a dog. Many people are familiar with their city or county run shelter, but there are also private run shelters and rescues to adopt from. Look for a group near you at:

Petfinder

Pets911

1-800-Save-A-Pet.com

For someone looking for that extra special dog, you may want to visit-

The Senior Dogs Project

Pets With Disabilities

Deaf Dog Education Action Fund

Once you find a shelter a rescue, it is important to make sure it is reputable.

What is “A Reputable Animal Rescue”?

“HOW TO CHOOSE A REPUTABLE DOG RESCUE GROUP”

Then, of course, there is choosing the dog that will become a part of your family. It can be difficult, especially when you see so many dogs looking for a home. Remember this is one of the few times you get to chose a family member, you want to make sure it is a good fit.

Choosing the Right Dog

Choosing the Right Dog for You

How To Find the Right Dog Breed For Your Family- even if you are looking for a mix breed, it helps to know about different breed characteristics. This is a great post that discusses the different types of dogs.

Choosing the Right Dog

Adopting A Shelter Dog

Once you have chosen your new best friend, there are things you can do to make his adjustment to his new life easier.

Tips on Adopting a Dog - A guide to the First Few Weeks

Adult Dogs: Adjusting to a New Home

Before the New Puppy Comes Home

What to do after adoption

Bonding with Your Dog

Naming Your Dog Well

Welcome Home: Preventing Problems from Day One

Introducing Dogs to Each Other

There are many more resources available online, these were just some that I thought would be helpful. Once you’ve added that new furry family member, be sure to come back and tell us! Good luck!

Ricochet- adopted in January 2001 from the Luzerne County SPCA.

Share how your adopted dog has affected your life, stories about your adopted dog, reasons to adopt, or how to find the right dog to adopt. Deadline for post submission is Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 11pm Eastern time. The carnival will run on Friday, October 19.

Submit your post at Blog Carnival. The Deadline for post submissions is Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 11pm Eastern time. Watch for the carnival to be posted on Friday, October 19.

Let’s show people why there is nothing better than giving a dog a second chance!