how many is too many?
so many things to consider.
the basic move is done (there are still finishing touches, like an actual closet for me)... but now i have a bedroom that not only can i move around in and will eventually hold most of my personal stuff ...but also big enough so that my 4 personal large dogs can actually go to bed with me if they so wish...(right now maude still likes the cat/little dog room and cleo still wants to stay in the MP room with oka...they may eventually change their minds.)
we have taken in, i believe, a total of 18 of the FF cats...wayyyy more than i considered originally. we will re-test serena (mom cat) in 4 weeks (the vets said this is not necessary, but i want to be 200% sure) and when she remains negative, we will be desperate for GREAT, GREAT homes for her and her lovely negative babies around mid december....we don't usually do healthy and no one comes here looking for healthy (unless they can't read) so help us find homes for these little ones if you can....sheena said she is interested, mo may have a friend...so maybe just 3 babes and mom (who is under a year old too) will need a home of their dreams.
so how many are too many?...crap, i don't know. with our set up last week, one more was too many...this morning, with the switch arounds all done and 2 more little cat rooms...everything looks great and i haven't even started to clean. i am shifting the dogs more from area to area..here in the active daytime, there in the quiet evening, and here at bedtime, where ever it is that they all want to sleep.
the cats have space of their own if they want, where no dogs are allowed. the only real displacement is squirt...he happily slept with me last night but once the volunteers arrive today he will be in a panic to hide...and i moved his crate from the room he felt safe in (where the new FF cats are confined)....so, i still need to figure out his daytime safety zone cuz i am not sure he wants to be shut in my room.
i guess the answer to how many is too many? is.....how much work, thought, care, expense and committment are we willing to put in to ensure that however many is not too many and they all have it good.
we do have three more planned incoming in the next little bit...an ancient tiny teacup peeing (biting?) poodle, a paralyzed senior boxer whose K9 cart is already on order, and another peeing cat from the clinic....but man that is it. i am happy this morning with how it feels around here...i am happy with how the animals themselves are feeling...secure, safe and comfortable.
plus i am really tired of thinking and planning and stretching and growing....i need a bit of a break from it for awhile.
we are now once again full.