SUSAN LOESCH

Today in houses of worship all over the country animals joined their owners as the day’s services recognized St. Francis by holding a Blessing of the Animals. For the occasion, we had a beautiful fall Sunday, two pet carriers, two harnesses and leashes, two bandanas and…ONE cat!

My plan was for Barney and Shadow to go with me to Little Rock’s Unitarian Universalist Church where the congregation was making this day a benefit for FuRR (Feline Rescue and Rehome) and the Humane Society of Pulaski County.

I guess Barney had other plans for the day; he was nowhere to be found, even when I offered cat treats and opened a can of Fancy Feast as a bribe for his appearance. (more…)

SUSAN LOESCH

As our fall semester gets underway I thought it might be fun to tell you how our Library Cat Program got its start. To do that you have to meet Piper, a bobtail orange tabby who has just had his 10th birthday.

Piper came into my life in September, 2000, when he was just 5 weeks old. He had been
found in a drainpipe at a big grocery store; someone heard him crying. He was rescued by Care for Animals, and they asked me to foster him.

Oh, my goodness, did I fall in love with him! The first thing this little ball of fluff did was cuddle up under my chin and nurse on my neck. To this day he still does that, especially when he is nervous. (more…)

SUSAN LOESCH

Can you believe it is almost time for school to start? That means it’s time for a back-to-school visit to the doctor for the School for the Blind Library Cat staff, which requires making a trip to Pinnacle Valley Animal Hospital to see their vet, Dr. Cole Bierbaum.

Wouldn’t you know that we would end up picking the hottest week of the year for our trip — or rather trips. Getting all these guys checked out is way too much for one visit, so we did it Noah’s Ark style — two-by-two. Barney and Tank went the first day and Shadow and Hexie the second.

Dress was casual — it was way too hot for bandanas, and only Shadow and Tank wore collars. We seem to have had an epidemic of lost-collar-disease this summer, but that is a whole ‘nother story. (more…)