Animal post for all of you special peeps:

Animal post for all of you special peeps:

Everyone probably knows by now that Win left on Friday.  I hear that he's doing really well in his new foster home so that's WONDERFUL news.  It really makes me happy to hear that.  I wasn't sure if all of the transporting and switching between new people would stress him out, but he was cool on Friday and is still going strong, making progress, so I'm feeling pretty good about him.  I'll keep everyone posted as I learn more details.

It's about time that I should be releasing Dumplin', but I haven't taken any real steps to do that.  I feel like I don't have a great place to do it.  It's a process.  He needs to be put outside in his cage for a few hours a day until he acclimates - probably for about two weeks and then I'm supposed to put his cage out full-time for a couple of more weeks after that.  I kind of feel like he's gonna be cat bait if I put him out in his cage because there are strays around here and I don't have time to sit and watch over him for that long every day.  I am not really sure what to do.  I have contacted another rehabber about releasing him for me, but I haven't heard back yet.  I know that everyone is so busy and overwhelmed that it's just crazy.  I hate to add to anyone's work, but at the same time I really care about the little dude so I want to make sure this happens the right way and that he's ok.

Another bit about Dumplin' - or really, more my stupidity.  I'd read that they needed bedding in the bottom of his cage to learn to hide things so I put some corn cob bedding down.  He threw it ALL OVER my bedroom.  I was stepping on it and tracking it everywhere so I just abandoned that idea today.  I could sweep my floor 10 times a day and there was always more.  He's got blankets now and he buries his food in there.  I think he gets the basic idea.  🙂

I've still got my orphaned opossums, but I couldn't tell you how many at this point.  I have my two runts in the house still, but I'd moved the other 9 to the garage.  They were getting big so I had to put them in a bigger cage.  The problem with that was that they were getting out of it.  Even though they look like they wouldn't fit they could squeeze through the bars.  🙁  Opossums are DEFINITELY little escape artists.  Finally I gave up on containing them and just decided to opossum-proof my garage.  So basically it's just a big opossum house right now.  There is a big gap under the door.  Big enough that they can leave when they feel ready, but no cats or dogs can get in.  I am still giving them food and water and I'll continue to do that until it stops disappearing.  I didn't know what else to do, but that feels like a pretty sound plan to me as they are about old enough to survive on their own, too.

So with Win gone, and most of my opossum babies out in the garage, and with Mona moved, and Dump off of that corn cob bedding, I'm feeling like, 1000% less stressed than I was.  I had so much going on that I was struggling to keep up.  And my house was all re-arranged and so out of order with me trying to fit everyone in that it was just driving me crazy, too.

I feel like I have learned a lot with it being my first spring rehabbing.  I can see now that I have some kinks to work out.  I have actually made contact with a group who's district I AM in so when they get things all lined up I might actually be able to have a valid permit again.  That thought is VERY exciting so PAWS CROSSED!  The lady also told me that if nursing babies was easier for me than releasing then that was ok.  She said that they have people who nurse, then turn them over to another volunteer for release, and I kind of LOVE that idea.  I feel like I would definitely be a good fit with that group.

Anyway, just wanted to give everyone an update.  ❤