Tag Archives: Adoption

Everyday Inspiration; Day 19: Feature a Guest

Posted on by Gertie
A picture of Billie Dean the Kat who is the featured guest

Good Morning, World!!! I know it is weird to have a cat or any animal as a featured guest on a blog. My plan is to ask him questions and answer them the way I think he would answer them as he were able to speak human and not just meow like the cat he is. Here is the “interview.”

Me: How did we originally meet?

Billie: We met while you doing a regular volunteer shift at PAWS Cat City.

Me: Was it love at first sight for you?

Billie: I think it was love at first sight for the both of us. I know you love my crinkly ear and you can’t deny that.

Me: When you came home with me, how did you feel?

Billie: Do you really need to ask that question? You know I love you unconditionally.

Me: What can I do better as your parent?

Billie: You can feed me at the butt crack of dawn when I ask for it then. Hell, you can feed me whenever I ask for it even if there is still food in the bowl.

Me: You do realize I’m not going to get up at the butt crack of dawn to feed you when I know you have food?

Billie: Yes, but do you remember who runs this home?

Me: Of course I do. You run this home, I just pay the bills.

Billie: I love you but I’m done with this interview. It’s time for another nap.

Advertisement

The Healing Love of the Cats of My Recent Life

Posted on by Gertie

Lil Gertie the first cat that captured my heart as an adult. She was only 8 when she crossed over the rainbow bridge, I would still adopt her even only having a year an half with her.

Lil Gertie wasn’t exactly the type of cat I would looking for. I go into wanting a black cat knowing the realities I might not connect with a black cat. Anyway, after filling out the survey, I talked with a volunteer who I know from his place of work. He said we have a cat who needs to be an only cat. She is all white and the two of you share the same name. Then he explained to me about her ear issues and fell in love with out looking at her. So I decided to not put her on hold as I wasn’t sure at the moment and wanted a couple days to think about while still giving her a chance of being adopted sooner as I made my decision. So two days later I made my decision to adopt Lil Gertie. Sadly she got cancer and ended up having a mini stroke. It was the best choice to let her cross over even I only had a year and have with her. She got her furrever home and helped with some hard shit like the the first holiday season without my grandma as well as the first Mother’s day with my grandma. She was also there during the first anniversary of my grandma’s death. As much as I miss Lil Gertie, her untimely death helped me put into action becoming a volunteer at PAWS Cat City in Seattle.

I now volunteer there and started January of 2020 so we continued volunteer through mid-March. Volunteers were furghloaded till June were a hand full off us could start back up and I was one of the first to start volunteer again.

Billie wanting to take a shower with ne when he realize he didn’t lie it;’

I was very lucky when I adopted him because it was right before the lock down from Covid and he helped me through the initial part of isolating and not go to big gatherings like I was planning on going to. Billie was the on constant in my life during Covid-19 pandemic. In fact he has helped me be more mindful in my life and realized he has now ended two jobs with me and started two new jobs one of which I started this week. Billie helped me realize that working nights once a week and an occasional on call shift was not for me so I got a job as a full time Peer Specialist at an agency that treated me like family. Sadly after being there for a year and half the agency permanently closed its doors. Staff found out March 1st of this year and I didn’t find out my lay off date till two weeks before hand. My last day was June 3rd. Billie was and is my calming affect through all the recent work stuff. If I didn’t have my loving Billie on June 3rd, I don’t think I would have lived much less continue to want to work. Billie’s unconditional love is what got me through a very dark time that I hadn’t had in four years. The Healing affect of Billie helped me get back on track and I started a new job this week as peer.

Both of my cats have healed me in ways with their love that human could not do. My cats are family to me even the ones I help take care of at my volunteer job at Cat City. Thank you for listening to me babble on about my cats. Peace Out, World and go pet a cat.

Everyday Inspiration; Day 4: A Story in a Single Story

Posted on by Gertie
Bilie acting handsome for his mug shot

When it comes to a story in a single image it is usually the same four pictures WordPress chooses so I chose on o my cat,; Billie Dean. I adopted Billie from my volunteer job Which is at an animal shelter. Hell, I wouldn’t be volunteering at PAWS Cat City in Seattle if it wasn’t for my positive experience with adopted Lil Brooke. As much as I a miss her, I am happy to volunteer at Cat City and have adopted Billie during one of my volunteer shifts.’

Billie gives me unconditional love and particularly never leaves my sight. I love Billie so very much. It is hard to know who loves who more.

2 Year Anniversary of Gotcha Day of Billie Dean

Posted on by Gertie
Billie Dean sticking his head out of his enclosed bed to say “it’s time for bed.”

Good Afternoon, World!!! Today marks exactly two years since I adopted Billie Dean. I adopted him from the same place I adopted Lil Gertie from and now volunteer at. In fact, I met Billie during one of my volunteer shifts a PAWS Cat City. I fell in love with Billie and adopted him.

Billie is one of the sweetest cats I have met. He is quite the talker. He loves his catnip. He enjoys spending hours in my love and insist sleeping with me when I go to bed. Most importantly he is family. He is my family and I love him and I know he loves me unconditionally.

I don’t have much more to say in this particular blog post except that I love my cat, Billie with all my heart. Thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Happy Friday

Posted on by Gertie

Happy Friday, World!!! Today marks two todays since I officially met my cat Billie Dean while doing a volunteer shift at PAWS Cat City even thought I didn’t officially adopt Billie till February 6th of 2020. Which was about a month and a half before lockdown happened due to Covid-19 the dreaded pandemic everyone wants to go away.

Even though today is the the two day anniversary of officially meeting Billie Dean while volunteering, I put him on hold for two days so I could adopt my cuddly, loving, talkative, fifteen pound kitty who knows how to love me unconditionally as well as a sweet cat who loves everyone especially me. I am grateful that in two days it will be the two year gotcha (adoption) day or Billie. I love my cat so much an am grateful that I was able to adopt Billie right before the lockdown happened and I truly think Billie helped me through the lock down from this stupid pandemic.

In fact today was the first day back to the office after have Covid-19 myself. My colleagues mainly discussed our cats today and how loving they are and how helpful they are for our own mental health. In fact my colleagues have been coming friends to me which is a good thing.

Since becoming friends with colleagues we decided to end our Friday and begin our weekend with going out to dinner. We has some pretty good food from a restaurant across the street from our work. Great food and awesome happy hour drinks at a cheap price.

Having the support of colleagues that are becoming friends as well as the love of my cat Billie surely help me with my every day life as well as my mental health symptoms. It’s great to have friends, colleagues and pet to help me through my depression.

Having great support is awesome. I do not not have much more to say in this particular blog post except thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. I am also grateful for it being Friday and the start of the weekend for me. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great weekend and a happy Friday. Peace Out, World!!!

Wanting to Escape from My Own Reality

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! Right now I really want to escape my own reality. The reality of the depression I am dealing with. I personally think the depression I am currently dealing with has something to do with being in quarantine due to Covid-19.

Let’s start with first things first, work helps me not focus on my own reality as I need to make sure the needs of my clients get met. Plus it feels good when a client accomplishes a goal that they have bee working on for a long time. I love being able to walk along side of people who are working on their own personal journey of recovery.

Another thing the helps me escape from my own reality is volunteering at a local animal shelter. Even though I have my own cat to play with it is gratifying to see cats get adopted into a furrever home. Seeing cats adopted is rewarding in itself and I am thrilled to be able to experience that and not just with the cats I have adopted but cats that have been adopted by others.

Another way, I find a way to escape from reality it reading. Reading all sorts of books including comics or comic books. I do have to say be favorite comic book is Wonder Woman and I have my dad to thank for that. Despite my dad loosing his ability to read, he always encouraged me to read. In fact my favorite genre’s of books are science fiction, fantasy and horror books. Since my dad is unable to read due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI), we call each other every evening and I read him books. Doing this has helped mend and heal our issues. We do occasionally read comic books but that is more my thing that my dad’s thing. I am just grateful that reading to my dad is healing our relationship.

Of course I can forget my sweet loving cuddle bug of a cat that helps me escape the realities of what life has to bring. The cat love is unconditional and am grateful for my cat Billie Dean.

Let not forget the most important of escaping reality which is sleep. Sleep can be a major reality escape especially with people dealing with depression and other such mental health diagnosis.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading m blog as if it wasn’t for you reading my blog, I would not be witting my blog. It is great appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Everyday Inspiration; Day 4: A Story in a Single Image

Posted on by Gertie
Billie’s first night home giving me a hug as he lays on my lap and chest.

Todays, “assignment” was to tell a story of an image. WordPress gave four images to choose from in which didn’t inspire me to write. So, I picked one that would. I picked one of my cat Billie Dean’s first evening at home with me. He is laying on me sleeping and it looks like he is giving me a hug.

Billie inspires me every single day especially when the symptoms of my depression increase. He inspires me to keep going. He is an inspiration because, he helps me stay focused on what I need to do to stay in Recovery. I love my cat and I love being in recovery. So that is why Billie is an inspiration.

Everyday Inspiration; Day 3: One-Word Inspiration

Posted on by Gertie

Choice

Choice is the word I chose to be my inspiration to write about. Choice is a loaded word. For me choice is the reason why I am here today. I made the choice to be in active recovery. I made the choice to continue living in Seattle where I have an awesome job helping others with their recovery journey and an amazing volunteer job where I help cats get their furrever homes.

To me being able to make my own choices helps me keep hope alive in my own self. It helps me keep the hope alive in myself because helps make the decisions or choices to stay in recovery. Staying in recovery is what is important to me. It’s important to me because I want to help others with their recovery. It’s important to me because I want to be here for my cat, Billie. It’s important to me because I want to make sure other cats get their furrever home. So the choice to stay in recovery is what keeps me alive. That’s why I chose the work choice. Life is nothing but choices.

Sleepless in Seattle Type of Night

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is 5:24 in the morning here in my corner of the world known as Seattle. I haven’t been able to sleep for multiple reasons. Some reasons are known like dealing with an never ending migraine which is a chronic pain issues. Other reasons is due to PTSD and insomnia while some reasons are unknown. Sadly, due to the lack of sleep and migraine, I am unable to volunteer at PAWS Cat City today due to the lack of sleep and the migraine. Yes, I did leave them three voicemails and an email letting them I won’t be there.

It makes me sad that I won’t be able to volunteer today due to insomnia and a migraine. I really love to volunteer at PAWS Cat City. They are an amazing organization. Plus, I get to help a community that has helped me with adopting my last cat, Lil Gertie and current cat Billie Dean. If it wasn’t for the awesome experience of the adoption with Lil Brooke I would have never become a volunteer. Yes, I also had an awesome adoption experience with Billie but by the time I adopted him I had already been a volunteer for a couple of months at PAWS Cat City.

Billie, my cat has been extra cuddly tonight as I think he knows I haven’t be feeling well. Part of wonders if the lack of sleep and migraine has any thing to due with the stress I am having around the holidays which includes the Holiday Blues, Depression, and PTSD that comes this time of year due to trauma related things. I am trying to make my own Christmas traditions around Christmas which are helping a great deal but some days or in this case nights are tougher than others days and/or nights.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you do read my blog as if it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. It really means a great deal to me that you do. Happy Holidays and Peace Out, World!!!

A Lazy Sunday

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It is a Sunday evening and it was a great day for many reasons. Lets start with how I started the day. I started the day by volunteering at PAWS Cat City. I love volunteering especially at an animal shelter where I can help animals and people alike. I get to help people get a new pet or should I say a new family member when they adopt a cat.

Speaking of cats, after volunteering, I came home to my cat who didn’t leave my side today. He was on my lap most of the day. He laid on my lap as I watched the last day of the Olympics. The Olympics were pretty cool this year despite it being held a year late due to a pandemic which is still going on. The Olympic tend to bring the world together even in the middle of the global pandemic.

It looks like this is going to be a short post as I do not have much more to talk about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. If it wasn’t for you my reader, I wouldn’t be blogging. I hope everyone has a great week ahead. Peace Out, World!!!