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Burning Down the House

Burning Down the House published on 1 Comment on Burning Down the House

fire

This is a public service announcement!

Am I the only one who gets so annoyed with smoke alarms going off whenever I cook (which isn’t often) or when the battery starts dying that I just take them out altogether? Yeah, bad idea.

The other night I received a text from my tenant after I went to bed that he smelled something burning. After I was all like “WTF, Dude? I’m trying to sleep!” I went to check out the house and lo and behold, as soon as I opened bedroom door I saw smoke everywhere!

The culprit was an outlet but the REAL culprit was a cat. Do I have to spell out what that cat did to the outlet to nearly kill us all? It was a GFI outlet near the sink but I guess those don’t react too well to piss. By the time we got down there, we didn’t see any flames and the outlet and circuit breaker had tripped, but the wall was hot and the smoke looked as if there was an actual fire.

So, a few precautions if you have bad peeing cats. Keep those outlets covered! Of course, being eternally mid renovation, we didn’t even have an outlet cover to protect the wires. That’s probably why it was so bad. Put something in front of outlets or use child safety plugs.

And the good news is that I went out and bought smoke alarms! The bad news is that I’ve yet to install them.

The Legend of Brooklyn (The Dog)

The Legend of Brooklyn (The Dog) published on

It was many and many a year ago in a kingdom by the park that a dog there lived whom you may know…. Ah, I’m talking about Brooklyn the Ghost Dog. A big, scary looking dark dog. Many dog walkers have encountered him. I’ve looked upon him with my very own eyes a number of times. He would just sit and stare. Sometimes he took interest in the other dogs. Sometimes he would just vanish. He was always behind the fence in the woods. Untouchable.

Legend has it that Brooklyn the Dog had been living in those park woods for years. He was reported to rescuers as early as 2008 but they had never been able to catch him. The mysterious canine looked well fed and happy enough. I liked to think that he had human companionship somewhere. Perhaps the owner was as elusive as him.

This is a true story and guess what? There’s a happy ending! Local rescuer Sean Casey was finally able to capture Brooklyn last week. The massive Cane Corso was limping and had slowed down enough for people to get close to him. He’s healing now and there’s already a line of people waiting to adopt him. He also has Lyme Disease. Yes, from Prospect Park.

I’m looking forward to seeing Brooklyn in the park with his new family soon! On the other side of the fence.

New Sunset Park Digs for Animal Shelter

New Sunset Park Digs for Animal Shelter published on 1 Comment on New Sunset Park Digs for Animal Shelter

Sean Casey Animal Rescue acquired a 5000 square foot space in Sunset Park over a year ago and it’s finally ready to house homeless pets. The grand opening should be announced in June.

Sean Casey is the go-to guy for pet adoption in central Brooklyn. Check out the hundreds of dogs in Prospect Park during off leash hours on a weekend and ask where these people got their dogs from. Sean Casey is Da Man.

The original Kensington storefront will remain open for adoptions and the Sunset location will shelter pets as they come in off the street or from kill shelters. The space can comfortably house up to 42 dogs and 50 cats with state of the art kennel cleaning facilities that I wish I had in my own house.

Casey would like to open a shelter like this in every borough and I have no doubt that he’ll make it happen.

Check out the video below. Timmy is up for adoption. TIMMMMAAYYYY!!!!!!!

Via Windsor Terrace Patch

Cat From Hell Casting in NYC

Cat From Hell Casting in NYC published on

As some of you may know, the Reclaimed household reclaims not only homes, but cats. We have eight at the moment. They know our address. They ring our bell and run in as soon as we open the door, leaving their luggage for us to carry in. (No, we don’t want any more, thank you.)

The situation is out of control and I thought we could use some help, so I emailed that guy I call “The Cat Whisperer” to see if he does private consultations in New York. You know, Jackson Galaxy. He’s dude from Cat from Hell who carries a guitar case full of feline related items.

Casting got back to me. They want a tape, photos and application by this week, but it looks like we’re not going to be able to get to it.

How about you? Got a bad cat? Or two? Or eight? Jackson can probably help. And best of all, you don’t have to pay! In fact, they pay you to be on the show. The only thing is, you have to take a couple of hours to put together your audition material and then have the crew in your house for two or three visits.

The main page of the website has casting info. Go on, do it!

Related: When Cats Go Bad

Cat Furniture

Cat Furniture published on 1 Comment on Cat Furniture

We are working on making our basement a cat den. The goal is to make it as comfy as possible for them so they can mess up their own room and not the human living quarters. Of course they will come hang out upstairs whenever they want. So far, we put in an epoxied concrete floor and sump pump so we can just hose it all down for cleaning. Now we need to furnish it.

The Cat Trapeze (above) is such an awesome idea! It’s an alternative to climbing curtains, which we can never have because….the cats climb them. The real genius is the fact that it sits off the floor, making it easy to clean the area around it. Price range is $75-$115.

Love this kitty credenza! Modernist Cat specializes in mid century pieces that can take on the role of a studio apartment for a cat. Nice hiding spot for both the cat and the litter box. Yes, you can cut a hole in a vintage credenza, but the DIY method will probably cost as much as the $499 price tag. Not inexpensive, but then neither are credenzas.

The drawer tower is a designer DIY job. What cat doesn’t love to sleep in a drawer? Make sure to cushion it with things kitty isn’t supposed to lie on.

All ideas (and there are more!) from Modern Cat.

 

 

Reclaimed Dog. A Holiday Miracle.

Reclaimed Dog. A Holiday Miracle. published on 3 Comments on Reclaimed Dog. A Holiday Miracle.

Sean Casey Animal Rescue does some amazing work. They try to find homes for less adoptable pets with illnesses and flaws. Sometimes these pets stay in the shelter a bit longer than they should.

Such was the case of Tyson, an 11 year old Pitbull with a history of cancer. Tyson was abused most of his life. He wasn’t just abandoned. He was a real rescue. Unfortunately, Tyson’s woes didn’t end once the shelter took him in. He had surgeries for his tumors and sat in a cage for 15 months. It would take a pretty strong person to love a dog knowing his time is very limited.

Anybody paying attention to Sean Casey’s site knows of Tyson, the longest running resident at the shelter.

Well, yesterday when we were at the park with our dogs, we ran into our doggy circle buddy, Ed. And guess who was with him??? (Excuse me, I’m getting verklempt.) Tyson has found a forever home with the couple and their two dogs, Bianca and Des! He looked so happy running around off leash. Not that he was able to stay off for long because he kept running off. Who could blame him? It’s his first taste of freedom! He wasn’t even house trained when they got him. Truly neglected dog.

Now Tyson will live out his last days knowing he’s loved. He’ll get to the park everyday and go upstate for hikes. Isn’t that a the best happy ending ever?

Are you crying yet? Yeah, me too.

Photo via Windsor Terrace Blog.

 

Cool for Cats in Crown Heights

Cool for Cats in Crown Heights published on 6 Comments on Cool for Cats in Crown Heights

If you live in Crown Heights or Bed Stuy, you know that the feral cat situation is out of control. It’s really sad, but I just have to look away or I’d have 200 cats in my house. I’ve not yet tried TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) because I know that I wouldn’t release them, no matter how wild they are.

That doesn’t mean YOU shouldn’t help the kitties in the community! There’s a TNR workshop being offered this Saturday (June 11th) at the Crown Heights Branch Library. It’s a free workshop, but you must register here.

Many cats are terrified of human interaction. Look at us. Can you blame them? The practice of trapping them, fixing them up and letting them go may not save every cat from a starvation or getting hit by a car, but it will lower the population of strays.

Go on. Take the course. For every stray you have neutered this summer, Reclaimed Home will donate $20 to Neighborhood Cats. Um, this is assuming you’re not each rescuing hundreds.

**Ok, my limit is $400 total. That’s 20 cats. Care to match that or chip in???

The Pet Guy of Windsor Terrace

The Pet Guy of Windsor Terrace published on 2 Comments on The Pet Guy of Windsor Terrace

Shayna

After losing our beloved Lola to Lyme disease, we gave ourselves only  a week to mourn before looking for a companion for our depressed Pitbull, Greta.

On Sunday we wandered over to Sean Casey Animal Rescue after hearing they have about sixty dogs up for adoption. I don’t know why I expected to walk in and see a bunch of happy dogs roaming around free. They were in cages, some happy but some looked as if they had given up on life.

The most impressive thing about Sean Casey‘s shelter is the volunteers. When we walked a few dogs around the area, neighbors knew each dog by name. People were lined up outside waiting to give walks. In this Windsor Terrace neighborhood that borders Kensington, it seems the shelter IS the community.

As much as I wanted to save a dog from death row, I just couldn’t handle going into a kill shelter. The beautiful thing about this rescue group as well as many others, is that once a pet is adopted, it frees up a cage so they can pull animals out of Animal Care and Control.

And it’s not just cats and dogs. There are exotic animals on hand for adoption as well. Huge turtles. Huge! Some crazy vocal parrot or macaw. Snakes.

Frosty

Casey likes to take on the “unadoptable” pets. There was one dog I liked who was full of scars. Frosty was hit by a car and left for dead on the street. The vet fixed her up and she’s good to go now! She’s full of life and you wouldn’t even know it’s her second chance.

Tails

When I saw Tails flopping around as if he was drunk, I started to cry. He was born with Cerebellar Hypoplasia which causes him to have a lack of balance and coordination. When we asked about him they told us to bring him for a walk and see what we thought. He’s happy and adorable alright, but unfortunately, he would have been too much for us to handle. He needs to be held up so he can walk without falling. I just imagined going on a hike with him and him flying off a cliff, maybe pulling us along with him. Tails would probably work best as a single dog with someone who has time and energy to give him the extra care. Everybody is in love with him, but it will take a special person to look after him.

Dana

We thought Dana looked sad and sweet, sitting there quietly in her cage. We decided to walk her to see if we bonded. Oh. My. Gawd. Dana was a handful! She actually IS very sweet, but just needs some attention and training. Again, too much for us to handle. We saw a teenage volunteer running her and they were perfect together. She is a ball full of energy.

Finally, Charles, the shelter’s people person, took Tina out. She was shivering with fear. Not really our type of dog. She is pretty and quiet and not an uncontrollable Pit, but maybe we need to balance Greta’s crazy Pit energy. So we walked her and tested her with Greta and gave her a home. Tina is now Shayna and she’s not so demure after all. The cats are keeping her in her place although Greta is a bit intimidated by her.

Adoptions and donations info on the SCAR website.

Lyme Disease and Dogs

Lyme Disease and Dogs published on 3 Comments on Lyme Disease and Dogs

satiricallola

When our old dog Trevor got Lyme Disease some ten years ago, it was easy to spot the symptoms. He became lame and lethargic. We took him to the vet and he was put on antibiotics that helped immediately. In fact, our ex-vet upstate doesn’t even run tests. He just prescribes antibiotics at the first sign of symptoms because the disease isn’t that serious in dogs.

Or so we thought.

We never saw this one coming. Over the weekend we had to say goodbye to our seven year old girl, Lola. No limping. No lethargy. We noticed she was eating a bit slower until one day she just stopped eating. That was the same day we took her in. It was exactly one week from her initial vet visit to the day we had to put her down.

If diagnosed right away, Lyme Disease is not life threatening for dogs. Once it gets to their kidneys and the functions start failing, it is irreversible and the fatality rate is about 90%. This is what happened with Lola, although it is fairly rare. The hospitalization and the fluids didn’t do a thing for her. We ended up bringing her home to spend her last night with us before meeting her fate the next morning.

What can you do to prevent your dog from getting bitten by Lyme carrying deer ticks? I wish I knew. We used Frontline drops and a flea and tick collar and we still had to pull ticks off of them whenever we walked in the country. We would spot them immediately on our tan dog Greta, but Lola was black and it was impossible to get them all.

There is some controversy concerning the Lyme vaccination. It may not work. There may be side effects. In retrospect, if someone told me that my dog would only live to see seven, I would have risked the vaccine.

Lola was a tough but timid chick. She sent two of our Pitbulls to the emergency room but she was terrified of getting a bath. She once stole a bagel right out of a stranger’s hand in Prospect Park. She was a rebel.

When a pet dies, there’s always the doubt. What could I have done differently? Is this my fault? Did I overlook something? I’m going through all of that at the moment. If we had remained in the city, she would still be sitting here by my side. On the other hand, she had six years of mountain hikes, huge backyards and river runs in the country. That’s heaven for a dog. And hopefully, that’s exactly where she is right now.

Dog Walks:Brooklyn Bridge

Dog Walks:Brooklyn Bridge published on

Well, it has finally happened to us. Our little Greta is one of the “bad” dogs in Prospect Park. After four fights, we can no longer let her off leash. The odd thing is that she’s been fine with most dogs. She seems to attack only dogs with high-strung owners who continue to freak out after Greta is pulled off within a matter of seconds.

Anyway, it’s been a blessing. Not for the dogs, because they have to stay on leash. But we’ve been exploring different dog friendly options around the city.

A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge seemed like a great idea. Usually a lovely place to be on an early Spring morn. It wasn’t a very pleasant walk with 2 dogs. The pedestrian path is fairly narrow, with tourists stopping to take photos every three seconds. The cyclists are zooming by, so if you need to pass a tourist, you must look behind you in the fast lane. Kind of like the FDR.

We ended up turning around before Manhattan and went to the Main Street part of Brooklyn Bridge Park where we found the dog run empty. We let the girls run wild there for a bit.

The bridge walk wasn’t horrific. We would do it again. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it 5 paws.

Dogs Welcome!

Dogs Welcome! published on 1 Comment on Dogs Welcome!

Gone are the days when you had to leave little Fido or Fifi alone while you went out on the town. Fido Factor is a beta site that allows you to search local pet friendly facilities.

Looking for a dog friendly restaurant, bar or hotel? B-i-n-g-o. FF provides maps and reviews. Parks, pet services, yada yada!

But check it out. Hel-lo iPhone App! Fido Factor is located in some pretty major cities (of course, NYC) so you can hit the road with your mutt and research that perfect watering hole for both of you whilst on your way.

Just make sure your dog understands the definition of “watering hole”.

Pet Rooms

Pet Rooms published on

Black in Blue

It’s no joke living in a multi pet household and our current situation is less than ideal. Oh, we’re working on it! But at the moment all of the pets are confined to one area.

Our lovely cats are scratching the molding and peeing on floors. The dogs are being terrorized by the crazy new feline rescue.

We took over the parlor floor (in addition to our garden apartment) four months ago but have yet to close in the stairway. This means the pets can’t go into the hallway because they’ll bother the neighbors on the 3rd floor. They would also need to go into the hallway for the backyard and basement. So, they are confined for now unless we escort them. Which is a pain in the arse.

The plan is to have them in the once-nice-but-now-destroyed room, plus basement and backyard. The basement will be a kitty paradise, as well as a human paradise for cleaning purposes. Cement floors with heavy duty epoxy and drains so we can just hose it down. There will be litterboxes galore and scratching posts and a cat door for them to go outside into the cat-fenced backyard.

Can’t wait! But for now, I’m just looking at some ideas. Hence the pics. Not mine. And to tell ya the truth, I thought I’d find way more ideas.

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