Adventures and Kitties (amongst other creatures..)

Well, I survived a month in Costa Rica, getting sick soon after returning home, some last minute photo gigs, and the Christmas rush of family and friends!

I also survived a whole month without my boyfriend and, of course, the subjects of this blog, my KITTIES!  I'm sure they missed me, but true to cat nature, they were pretty nonchalant about my arrival home:p

We've all settled back into our routine of cuddles, napping and playtime.  Fluffy and Dan bonded a lot more while I was away, which is great:)  She's as comfortable with him now as she is with me, which gives me hope that she'll be able to warm up to other people as time goes on.  She LOVES being brushed, which is awesome, and we have daily brush time.  She also sat on my lap (for a few minutes) for the first time the other day!!

Danger also loves the brush.  Honestly it's the first time in my life that I've had long-haired cats who like to be brushed...makes things SO much easier!  I need to bring her (and complainy Stitches) into the vet for nail trims very soon though, probably this weekend.  The kittens are no problem...I trim their nails when they are sleepy and Yin actually purrs the whole time:)  She's turning into a little cuddle kitty! 

Danger is still either "on" or "off", but is getting more affectionate and often purrs herself to sleep, which is super adorable.  Her and Stitches are cuddle buddies, as you can see from one of the pics below:)  Danger's latest thing is to grab Stitches head in both her paws, and kiss his forehead!  I NEED to get this on film soon:)

Belly rubs for the "feral" cat?  YES!!

She's still a Mom :)

Yin, stalking the coffee maker as it was brewing.  She looks like a mini panther now!

Cuddle fest!!  I was on the cushion beside them:)

Sisterly LOVE :D

Stitches and Danger cuddles!  My heart nearly burst watching them snuggle together...I love them all so much!!!!!!

While I was in Costa Rica, I had the privilege to stay with my friend and also help her with her animal rescue!  She founded Nosara Animal Care around 6 years ago, and is making a huge difference in both her community and nearby villages where the people don't have access to proper vet care or education in animal wellbeing.  I assisted during a spay/neuter clinic in a very poor village, helping the animals recover after surgery and providing flea/tick treatments and general care.  Some of the people were so poor they couldn't even afford the minimal cost, so the surgeries were done for them as no cost.  It's more important for NAC to help the animals and educate the people, teaching them to take proper care of their pets. It was an amazing experience!  

While I was staying with her, she had both a couple of kittens and an older malnourished and neglected doggie dropped off for rescue/rehabilitation.  I was happy to help take care of them while I was there, and I also learned about her process in helping these poor neglected animals.  Within a week, the older dog, Zion, was walking better and starting to feel good..by the time I left her place (I was with her for about 2 weeks) we took him for a walk to the beach and he had a great time!  I've included some pics below of the clinic day and the rescue animals:)

Little kitten babies!  Brought to NAC in a box, bellies hungry and full of worms.  They hung out with me the whole time I stayed in Nosara:D  Now they're super healthy and looking for a home!!

Zion, the day he was dropped off.  He was living at a local pizza place, surviving on scraps.  Covered head to toe in ticks, his nails giant and paws cracked and bleeding.  Lacking muscle mass in his hind end and severely anemic from the ticks. 

  
You can check out http://www.facebook.com/NACCostaRica?fref=ts
for more recent pictures of the kittens and Zion, who is now SO much healthier and up for adoption :)

Below are a couple pics from the Spay/Neuter day.  You can see more, and help with NAC's efforts by donating or helping spread the word about the amazing work they are doing.  We have an Indiegogo campaign going on right now
http://www.indiegogo.com/NosaraAnimalCare

Me, watching over a recovering patient.  While they are waking up, we trim nails, clean ears,  and give them flea and tick treatments.

A local family brings their two dogs for spay/neutering. 

Another villager watches over his dogs as they recover from surgery.  

Again, it was an amazing experience to be able to help out!  Not only that, but I had a fabulous time just being in Costa Rica.  My friend lives in an area that's pretty much surrounded by jungle, we get around via ATV, and the beach is close by.  Those howler monkeys woke me up every morning!  The community is really friendly too:)  I also spent a week in an all-inclusive resort (had to spoil myself!) and a few days in San Jose.  I traveled around using local buses, met a bunch of awesome people through my friend, and all-in-all had a grand adventure!

Glad to be home though:)  But I still think about all the animals I saw out there and how much help they need, which is why I'm dedicated to staying an active participant in helping NAC, by spreading the word about their good work.  I also plan to do a fundraiser art show early next year for them, so stay tuned!!