I've adopted from rescue/shelters ... I've had good and bad experiences trying to adopt from different rescue groups. I personally find the written applications too limiting, how can anyone determine if I am a good pet Mom from a few written sentences?

There are all kinds of breed specific rescue's also. If you have a specific breed in mind, google the breed and find the site that promotes the breed. The site usually will have a section about adopting that breed.

A reputable rescue group does not solely rely on an application. Mine also has an interview process to determine the best match.

Adopting through a shelter or a rescue group is one way to get a dog; buying from a reputable breeder is another. There are risks both ways.

You've had a small dog in the past. Small dogs typically prefer to be up on the furniture with their owners. They were bred to be "lap dogs" and it's what they like to be! If this is a big "no" to you, then don't get a small dog.

You can do agility with any size dog. Agility dogs do tend to be high energy dogs - they would not be good at agility or like it if they were, by nature, couch potatoes. Do you truly want a high energy dog? One that likes to jump over things? One that has an insatiable curiosity? Interesting dogs, yes; easy dogs, not always. You need to think about this. If a larger dog is not what you want, you may need to get a nice throw for your sofa and get a small dog who is allowed on the furniture.

I have had Cavalier King Charles Spaniels now for 33 years. To me, they are the "perfect breed" - they have a bigger dog personality in a smaller package. They are the sweetest, most loving little dogs in the entire world! Yes, they DO shed, but their hair is not that fine, short hair like a Pug has that is the devil to get off anything. They require little grooming - just a quick brush through their ears and feathers once a week or so. No professional trimming - pretty much a "wash n wear" dog. I do take mine to the groomer to be bathed every other week, but that's only because I can't do a lot of brushing due to breathing problems, and the fact that my dog sleeps up between the pillows so I want a fresh, clean-smelling dog. They are smart (well, some aren't!), and many do very well in agility, tracking and obedience. They are true "people pups" - they just want to be with you, doing whatever you are doing.

The CKCSC has an excellent Rescue organization <http://www.cavalierrescueusa.org>; All dogs available for adoption have been fostered, health checked and totally vetted for any behavioral or health problems. But if you say "not on my furniture", they probably won't approve you as a Cavalier would be very unhappy being on the floor, not next to his beloved owner. If you're worried about visitors, it's easy - just crate the Cavalier when company comes. Not everyone thinks our pets or children are as charming as we do!

Just think about what you truly want and can live with.

Can I say too that whether it's from a rescue or a breeder, if the dogs are young enough, you can always get pet insurance for them to help with any health issues that may arise. We didn't buy our lab from a "breeder" or a "rescue" but got insurance for her as soon as she was old enough and it has allowed us to give her the medical care she deserves but we may not have been able to easily afford (allergy testing for example).

Cavaliers: I've not seen any Cavaliers at local rescues or adoption agencies. But I found a listing for an 8-year old, not far from me - I don't think he's an agility prospect, because, in addition to a long list of health problems, compressed disks prevent him from jumping on the furniture, running, or going on long walks.

Energy level: Compared to an adult Pug, almost any other breed would be "high energy." I don't have a specific breed in mind. New dogs arrive at the city shelter every day. Today they added: a stray Pit Bull puppy with no chip, a Chow and Lab (both with chips), and two owner-surrenders: a Chihuahua and a 5-year old "Maltese" with a black&tan coat. The most common strays in my area are a) Pit Bulls, b) GSDs, c) small terrier mixes, and d) Chihuahuas.

Dogs on Furniture: My Pug was physically incapable of jumping onto the couch or bed - he liked nuzzling his head against me, but was not a lapdog. OTOH, I had an Irish Setter who thought she was a lapdog. Maybe these two breeds are exceptions to the small vs big dog "rule" about furniture and laps, but I disagree that dog size should determine whether they are allowed on the furniture.

Pet Insurance: I had VPI pet insurance for my Pug from the time he was a puppy - they paid $150 maximum per year for his epilepsy - I paid $100 a month for his anti-seizure medications - in the 12 years that I had my Pug, the insurance company came out way ahead in all but one year - when my Pug had emergency surgery for bladder stones.

Plan, that "Maltese" with the black and tan coat could well be a Havanese.

I went to the shelter today. I didn't see the "Maltese," so maybe it was already adopted. I placed a request on a stray that came in this morning and will be available in a few days if the owner doesn't show up. My son will go back with me this week to see what he thinks. It's a LH Doxie - I've since read that doxies are notoriously difficult to housebreak and they shed, so will need to think about that. My next-door-neighbor often boards a Doxie who barks incessantly, but this little guy seemed quiet.

Maltese are white. Not black and tan. I agree with Murraysmom it was probably a Havanese.

Still looking for a shelter dog - and now have two prospects. One is a stray, female, about 3 years old, Brussels Griffon - waiting until Tuesday to see if her owner shows up (no chip). I was at the shelter when she was brought in, so had the opportunity to put my name first on the list. The other is labeled "Shibu Inu," a male, about five years old - looks like he is mixed with a Lab, maybe, but he is small-medium size. His owner has been contacted by mail - need to wait until Saturday to see if his owner claims him. I've had multiple cats, but have never had more than one dog at same time. The little female is in a kennel with other dogs and seems fine, but this guy is by himself - so I don't know if he's OK with other dogs.

Thanks for the update and for your efforts. Cute doggy! He looks like he is saying, "will you take me home?"

Make sure you read up on Shiba Inu. That is a guard dog and often is not good with other dogs. They are related to Akitas, I believe. A very strong willed breed.

Agree on the Shiba Inu. A friend has one and it has been a real challenge to train.

Another warning on the Shiba Inu breed. Do your research. The photo doesn't look like a Shiba, so definitely a mix.

I just adopted a second dog and my criteria was also agility and hiking. Ended up with a large malinois/shepherd mix with some prey/drive issues that I will spend lots of money to retrain! My goal is to be able to have a consistent recall outside when we see a squirrel! She is people and dog friendly, which is a major plus.

My first rescue is a small terrier mix that is quiet, low energy and a love bug. Also quite smart, has learnt many tricks and can be off leash. She was a scared shy dog when we first got her.

As far as rescue groups go, I joked that I could probably adopt a human child much more easily! For anyone in the LA area, I have 2 groups that I can recommend, one for small dogs and the other for larger dogs.

I am in the LA area. I adopted the little girl dog on Tuesday. When she first came into the shelter, a few days ago, I remarked that she looked like a Brussels Griffon, so that's what the shelter listed as her breed. She is probably a terrier mix, but has a "monkey" face and wiry coat like a Griffon. She is high energy - she doesn't walk on leash - she runs. I don't know if she will be an agility prospect. She's sociable, but gets over-excited when she sees other dogs on our walks. She enjoys long walks. She has one Pug-like behavior - she cocks her head to one side when something surprises her. (I don't have a name for her yet.)

I need to wait another week for the Shibu Inu mix. I had requested a temperament test on him - but they said "no" because he displayed no aggression on his in take. Then they called back today and said he needs a temperament test because of his breed, but need to wait a week for the test while he recovers from kennel cough.

Congratulations on your new dog! Are you looking for another? If so, it's best to let the first one adjust before introducing another family member......

She is SO cute! Congratulations.

High energy, likes to run - sounds like my DS's agility dog. Hope you give it a try. Maybe after a basic obedience class?

Please keep us updated. Again, congratulations!

I am struggling with the little terrier. I'm walking her five times a day, for a 1/2 hour each time. She has leash aggression - she lunges, barks, and becomes ferocious every time she sees another dog - close by, or a block away - Great Dane or Chihuahua. I took her to the pet shop today to buy supplies - she wanted to attack every animal in the store - cats who were up for adoption, parakeets for sale, and other dogs shopping with their owners.

At home, she has quickly bonded with me - Velcro dog - follows me into the bathroom - whines the second I leave the room.

Instead of filling the void I have for my Pug - I am missing him even more. He was lovable and friendly with everyone he met. Never showed any bit of aggression.

Sounds like doggy needs an obedience class right away. Going to classes with DS, I have been amazed at how effective training can be for dogs and their owners.

I've adopted 5 dogs, mostly from the county shelter. Here I can find a chi mix or a pitbull mix any day of the week with rare medium sized dogs that are fuzzy/scruffy mixes. At least they are posted online these days! My current two are cute small mixes with extravagantly long feathers on tail and rear end, one is half chi and the other a cockapoo with a spaniel coat. Both are 13 pounds and are 12 and 15" tall, perfect for agility as is your dog. Most dogs can do agility, my criteria is a dog that can focus on me, has good long legs and is lightly built just like your new dog.

All come with issues but settle into the most wonderful companions. All have been leash reactive to some degree. Newest one reacts to people and dogs, others to one or the other. To develop a bond do obedience training for sure but wait for a month or two before doing group classes. If you aren't solid on how to train then find a class you want to be in and contact the trainer for a couple private lessons before going to group. You will get a technique for working with the group. Rather than practicing sit and all that you would be practicing how to act in a group. Definitely find a class that's outside so you can move far from the group to help her learn how to deal. If you want to do agility contact a school now, the two out here in Ventura county I've been to offer obedience as well as agility and one does all sorts of other dog sports as well.

I cannot wear out my youngest dog. I can run him next to my recumbent trike for 4 miles and he wants more. So I went the other way. Taught him to settle! I learned about Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol from a forum and he is calmer now. Most of his apparent over the top energy is more nervous than restless and walking him a lot just revs him up. He's my second anxious dog so I recognized he was anxious more than anything. Rather than walk him and have him flail at the end of the leash I worked close to home and only moved further as he relaxed. It took a good year. to go for a more or less normal looking mile long walk. Yesterday we went for an extremely short hike. At first he was able to come to my side, take cookies and respond to his name but 1/4 mile out he was flailing and unable to respond as trained. Home we went. These ridiculously short walks/hikes do relax him. Keeping him from reacting to people/dogs helps as well.

Echoing Kathy--ALL dogs come with issues!

All my dogs have been rescues and the latest is the most challenging of all. Even my very-experienced trainer admitted he was the most difficult dog he'd ever seen-anxiety-ridden, leash-dog-people reactive, non-stop barker and aggressive. A year later, he is so much calmer and manageable. With time, patience and appropriate guidance, your dog can be transformed as well.

Agree w/ nannygoat. DS's last purebreed puppy, was a WILD dog. DBIL and I were afraid she would always be out of control. After ~8 months of training the dog was fine.

I puppy sat and seriously wished I had a football helmet w/ face shield and above the elbow leather gloves; If I was sitting on the sofa or lying in bed, the puppy would come flying across the room and try to bite your head, hands & arms, feet & legs. While the bites were gentle, she had sharp puppy teeth.

DS put in a lot of work, classes 1-2 nights a week - and every day at home, but the dog is already winning ribbons at agility competitions.

In some cases, you get a wonderful dog from the rescues or strays as well, even if it wasn't what you thought you wanted. If enjoyed all three of my shelter dogs, though all had issues. With time and work, most issues can be resolved to some extent, and it affords a definite positive feeling of accomplishment as you gain trust,etc.

Congrats on finding your new dog, she's pretty cute. You said she was found as a stray and by looking at her, it seems she may have been on her own for a while or maybe not cared for well. What ever happened it was probably a bit traumatic for her which could be why she's a velcro dog with you. You're kind, you're feeding her and you're giving her love. This is also probably why at least in part, that she's aggresive when you take her out. She's protective and letting everyone know she's with you and they need to stay away.

It can take a while for a new dog to adjust to it's new home and fall into a normal routine. Other than short walks or training, I wouldn't take her out and instead focus on getting her used to her surroundings and your routine. She needs to learn what the rules are at home first, then once you get her into training, you can discuss the aggressive behavior with the trainer. He/she should be able to help you learn about how you can best manage it, but you do need to do it soon so she won't become dominant in the home as well.

And I know you didn't ask, but I would probably wait to bring another dog into the picture until you have her trained and socially adapted. Let her learn HER place in the hierarchy of your home so that when you introduce another dog, she won't feel threatened.

I don't know if I will keep it - I'm taking it one day at a time. She is a handful - by the end of each day, I'm ready to give up and bring her back to the shelter. The next morning, I'm open to take on the challenge.

She was not well taken care of. Vet report came back positive for a parasite - coccidia - need to keep her separate from other dogs until she is rid of this. Her coat is matted, she had not been spayed, she had a broken canine, and her right front leg had been broken and healed (crooked) on its own.

I've started using redirection when we encounter other dogs on walks. I give her "eyes-on-me" command, click, and give a treat when she is focused on me. If I keep her, I will need a personal trainer to help me with this.

She whines for over an hour when left alone. If I go out, I need to keep her in the house, so neighbors won't get upset. This is the biggest issue for me.

OMG, not spayed, an untreated leg fx, tooth fx, coccidia; cannot imagine what she has been through. (If I was her, I'd also velcro myself to you, to stay safe.)

Thank you for trying to help her!

Surprised the shelter let you adopt an unspayed dog, most will spay/neuter before they let you take the pet.

When we first adopted our home (see avatar), she was a real handful. I was about ready to throw up my hands and give her back. I cannot imagine my life without this silly girl. She is still sometimes a handful, but 99% of the time, she's great. She has a couple hangups that will probably never be fixed, from her past life, she was a chained dog which often times creates issues and phobias if they are abused by strangers/owners.

Shelter spayed her and extracted the broken tooth before they released her, but did not check stool sample. She is mostly housebroken and knows some basic obedience commands - such as "sit." She was kenneled with other dogs at the shelter - so I didn't expect her aggressive and fearful reaction to other dogs.

Disclaimer: am not a dog trainer! Wonder if she is trying to protect you...

Glad to hear they did the spay & extraction. They most likely only check stool if there is diarrhea.

Mostly housebroken & knowing sit is good!

Keeping my fingers crossed for both of you.

Well, first of all, stop comparing her to your Pug. :) She'll never be anything like him since she has already shown she has her own unique personality.

I would first get her to your regular vet so you can eliminate any health problems that could be causing pain. Also have her eyes checked since poor vision could play a part in how she is reacting in certain situations.

She's really sounding like a typical Brussels (altho she may be a cross) that has gone thru a stressful situation, is learning the rules of a new household and at the same time is lacking in obedience training.

Do find a good dog obedience class (avoid the pet store classes) or a private trainer. I think working with her on obedience training will create a bond and you'll learn to love her antics.

You've probably already read all this but here is info on the typical Brussels.

I really hope you don't give up on her, she's obviously been through so much and you are her world now. As you can see with other posts here, the effort you're putting into her will pay off in the end; you just need to give it and her time. One thing you might try is to lay an old t-shirt that has your smell on it in her crate and play a soft back ground music for her when you're not home. Our dog doesn't have anxiety when she's alone, but we have noticed that she will often end up laying in her spot upstairs at the foot of our bed. We suspect it's because it's where she can smell us both the most because she never goes up there when we're home and awake.

I have a backup plan - I contacted a local rescue agency who will look for a foster home for her if I can't handle her - once she's cleared of parasites. Next week, I will try to assess if she is dog-aggressive off-leash.

lukkiirish,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going out tonight and will try the music and t-shirt. I have a puppy play pen for her in the kitchen. I took her shopping to get a crate but she freaked out. I think that her broken leg and broken tooth may have been self-inflicted - she goes stir crazy when enclosed in a small space.

She becomes anxious when separated from me for only a few minutes - whines, barks and carries on when I'm in the shower and then does a major happy dance when I step out of the shower. She's starting to do this with other family members as well.

annztoo,

She's been to my local vet. She's not exhibited any vision issues. I can't put her into a group obedience class, given her current issues, but am considering a private trainer.

mdin,

I don't think she is trying to protect me. When I lived in Brooklyn (decades ago), I had a Puli who was protective of me. By the time he was four months old, I could walk him on a loose leash in a perfect "heel" down a city street. If anyone approached close to us, to pet him, he circled around me, with his rear toward me, barking for the intruder to stay out of my personal space. He showed no anger, fear, or anxiety when he did this. He ignored other animals outside, but was friendly with our indoor cats.

My heart really goes out for your new girl. I hope the tshirt and music works even if it takes a few tries. Don't you just love those happy dances? Ours does that too and then she tries to wrap her paw around me to give me a hug.

My little rescue survived our 4-hour absence last night, but managed to unhook the door on the puppy play pen and have free reign in the house. No damages, but she discovered the comfy oversized chair in the living room. There goes my rule about no dogs on furniture.

I called two private trainers today - they have totally opposite approaches.

"Dog Whisperer" charges $200-$250 per one-hour session, 5-session package - emphasizes owner's role as a leader, owner needs to maintain vertical status (no dogs on furniture), and believes in choke collar, prong collar, or whatever it takes to discipline the dog.

"Ms Manners" charges $100 per one-hour session, 4-session package - emphasizes positive training and redirection, give dog other options to chose, reward with treats, no choke collar.

The leash reaction is where I need the most help. I may hire Ms Manners.

I think I better understand the question asked on adoption applications about whether I would allow dog on furniture. The practical reason is that a 2nd chance dog may be accustomed to being allowed on the furniture. Or the question may be more about my dog-training philosophy. I thought I was being asked whether I cared about keeping my furniture looking nice.

I believe that each dog is different as far as what works. To me you are best to start out with the positive approach but for some dogs, that may not be enough. I know for sure that for my dog, she gets all huffy and defiant if I try to be harsh with her...HAHA! But there are occasions that a stern "NO!" is warranted. Another thing that is good about using a dog trainer is that they will sum your dog up and let you know what they think about her(evaluate). The most important thing is that they tell YOU what to do to train the dog. I have seen so much WRONG training at our dog park and then the people can't understand why there dog acts the way he or she does.

Ms Manners is the way to go. Dog Whisperer is old style lazy trainer. People who believe in punitive measures to get what they want are too lazy or ignorant to work out what motivates the dog and to accommodate the dog's personality. They tend to have short fuses and consider any disobedience as a personal insult which motivates them to use pain and torture to make those who don't respond to them comply.

If your dog feels secure nestled into furniture that smells like you then get a big throw and put it over that piece of furniture. Sit on the throw with your dog so it has plenty of your scent. An insecure or frightened dog will try to nestle into the pack leaders spot because it smells of them. In their brain any intruders will smell the pack leader and leave them alone.

Echoing Arkansas girl-it really depends on the dog. I self-trained my Charlie as she was so eager-to-please that a stern look made her cower. OTOH, Kirby needed a much firmer approach, including a choke collar. None of the nice trainer methods worked and we were fortunate to find one that was assertive AND compassionate. He gave a free 1 hour evaluation and outlined his plan and fee. Kirby proved to be so difficult and he underestimated the number of sessions but refused to charge extra. However, since he tirelessly worked to alleviate all of the behavior issues, we gave him a farewell "bonus".

I think you are really generalizing there MMMM12, there may be somethings the Dog Whisper does that I don't agree with as well, but his over all method is in no way the "lazy" way of training. I'm not even close to being a professional trainer but I've trained a few animals and spent the first 3 years of our dogs life training her on a daily basis. I tried to keep an open mind and learn as much as possible about the process from a variety of resources and have had amazing success. I didn't use what I didn't agree with but found that each method can bring something to the table. What works for one, may not work for another, as Nannygoat and ArkansasGirl said, every dog is different.

Choke and prong collars are awful and most people don't even use them correctly but I think the dog whisperer is spot on when he says dogs work within a hierachry and absolutely need to see you as the leader of your pack. Just like Ms. Manners he also uses redirection. It's a really good method and what's always worked with our dog regardless of the situation. Treats are great in the beginning but should only be used as a temporary tool. (I learned that with the help of someone here)

I didn't want our dog on the furniture either, but the rules changed somewhere along the road and now she "owns" a spot on the sofa; but only when the throw is covering the upholstery. If the throw isn't laid out for her, she won't jump up, instead she stares me down until it is. Maybe that's a good compromise for you as well, P2R, find one spot she can have, lay her cover there and make that her spot. Just be sure it's in cuddling range or it won't work. :c) The good news is that she didn't do any damage and she is smart enough to open the door. I suspect she will pick up on the training fairly quick as well.

P2R said:

"She whines for over an hour when left alone. If I go out, I need to keep
her in the house, so neighbors won't get upset. This is the biggest
issue for me."

I hope you weren't saying that you would leave her outside if she didn't whine? She is too small, size wise, to be left outside in the LA area. We have coyotes and bobcats, and even had a large hawk eyeing our small dog. Someone I know had a small Chihuahua taken by an owl.

It takes months for many of these adopted dogs to settle down and for us to see their true personality and behavior.

I am at 8 weeks with the large 2 year old dog I adopted and her behavior and our relationship is constantly changing. I did have thoughts of returning her to the rescue group after a few challenging days in the first few weeks, but at this point, even if I could never change some of the issues we are working on, I would not return her.

As far as training, it can be like politics! There can be extremes in training philosophies and neither side will compromise! I tried the super-positive-treat-based philosophy and it works great on my dog ... until she decides she doesn't want a treat and wants to do something else. She needs some negative reinforcement in addition to positive reinforcement. I did find a training group that has a philosophy that incorporates both and will be taking some private classes next month.

In the last few months, coyotes have moved into my neighborhood- they are being seen mainly at night. My downstairs patio is small and can be made coyote-proof. On the 2nd floor, I have a larger deck - coyotes would need to put a 20-foot ladder next to my house and climb it to get to the deck.

My rescue has made some progress on separation anxiety. She is able to wait quietly outside the bathroom door for 5-10 minutes without going berserk. She's not yet sleeping through the night. She wakes up at 3 AM and starts whining and barking until I assure her that I'm there. If I go out for an hour during the day, but other family members are at home, she whines almost the entire time.

Update on my rescue: First, the shelter called on Monday to say that the "Shibu Inu" was ready for adoption and didn't need a temperament test; they didn't even think he was a Shibu Inu at all. I went to the shelter for a 15-minute play pass and quickly decided to not take him (even if I didn't already have a rescue at home) - heavy shedder (I'm allergic to shedders), rambunctious 40-lb dog, jumping all over me. He has since been adopted.

I've resolved some issues with my Brussels Griffon mix. A neighbor walking his little terrier let my rescue approach on leash, and turns out, she just wants to PLAY with every dog she sees - she wants to get close, not create distance! Still a problem because she can't play with all of them.

I bought a crate because she jumped out of her playpen while I was out for less than an hour. She seems to know the word "crate" - walks in and settles down when I say "crate" at bedtime; but does not like to be crated during the day, even for less than an hour. She's 80% housebroken; not reliable enough to leave her loose in the house when I go out.

It's only a matter of time before neighbors start to make noise complaints to animal control (either for the barking while I'm at home or the whining when I'm out). My next-door neighbor's English Springer Spaniel (also a rescue) barks incessantly at passers-by, my little rescue keeps it going (they can't see each other through the block wall), the adopted Retrievers in the back join in, and the Mastiff across the street adds a deep bass to the chorus. I can't allow my rescue on the upstairs deck because she and the Springer can see and hear each other from there; and both go into total stress mode.

My Pug never complained about the Springer, but was reported to Animal Control for barking at the neighbor's gardener once a week.

To the OP and any one else adopting a dog: here' a link to an article which describes why we humans may be setting up our rescue dogs to fail

http://woofliketomeet.com/2016/03/trigger-stacking-how-we-set-our-dogs-up-to-fail/

Update on my rescue dog.

I hired a dog trainer this week. She brought one of her dogs with her to assess my rescue's reaction to other dogs. Her assessment is that my rescue is over-excited by other dogs - she is not aggressive, fearful, or protective. She thinks that she was isolated from other dogs at a young age and has no experience in socializing with them. The danger is that other dogs may misinterpret her frenzied excitement as aggression, and she could get hurt. The trainer advised that I take it slowly and not walk her until she learns how to behave appropriately.

My homework is to sit with her in the front yard and teach her to look, but not confront, other dogs as they walk past our house. If she reacts, I take her back into the house - so far, I have made no progress on this. OTOH, in the house, without distractions, she is rapidly learning commands for "place," "sit-stay," and "down-stay."

Louise, my sister had a purebred Bichon - I took care of him when she was on vacation. Very sweet dogs and, like my Pug, friendly with everyone. I cannot take this little rescue anywhere that dogs are allowed - without putting her at risk of injury.

You'll get her there! Rome wasn't built in a day and your little girl is going to take time to train and get to the point of being ready to safely go out with you to meet other doggies and take the world by storm!

Unfortunately, I was unable to keep the terrier, and she is now in a foster home, I wanted to believe she was over-excited by other dogs, but she was terrified of other dogs and of some men, including my next-door-neighbor. My neighbors complained about her constant barking. My vet started her on Prozac; I spent thousands of dollars on private training, and spent two hours a day walking her up and down my street with tidbits of food to calm her anxieties. The next step would have been to board her for two months with her private trainer, which I could not afford.

Two weeks after I relinquished the dog, I adopted a 10-year old indoor / outdoor cat who used to live across the street from me -- the owner had moved away and left the cat behind. Someone had taken her in, but it wasn't working out and she was wandering about looking for a new home. She's found her furr-ever home.

at least you tried, kudos to you for that. i have been rescuing great danes for a decade now. each dane i have brought home has integrated into the rest of my pack without a single problem but i know that can't always be the case.

congrats on your new kitty, how nice of you to take her in. i do hope that you have transitioned her to being an indoor cat only. too may bad things can happen to cats that are allowed outside without strict supervision not to mention the decimation they can cause to songbirds.

I've dealt with a number of 'issues'. I've only found one that was uncurable so far. However, it took more than a year to gain sufficient trust on one dog that came as a stray, to enable me to clip toenails and such...so I know it can be more than people are prepared to deal with (and sometimes it seems undealable). I applaud you for trying..but understand.

That orb on the cat's collar - was it in the Movie MIB?

The ORB is her ID tag. She was microchipped ten years ago. I was the first person to register her, even though she had at least five previous owners: adoption agency, my neighbor's mother, my neighbor, and two interim owners in the past year.

One lucky cat! She's seems to be saying....'I was here all along'. : )

Funny how we find the pets/companions we're supposed to.