This has been a test of your impulse control

[alee_grrl]

Got an email today via my school account from a local dog rescue group looking for fosters. They offered to cover all costs. My initial impulse="animal needs love, I have lots of love to give, there is help with costs, WANT!" My more practical side brought reality into the picture.

I live in a shoebox (comfortable for me and maybe an senior cat or dog who isn't very active and shares my belief that the couch is the best place in the world). My lease requires that I okay any pets with the landlords. Originally there was a no pets policy. That's changed a bit, but they still have to approve. Chances of them agreeing to let me foster any breed that could be remotely considered a pit bull are slim to none, and most of the dogs in need are pit bull type dogs. I am doing pretty well health wise right now at this moment, but I am not through with treatment. Law school and lyme treatment combined sometimes make it so that I can barely take care of myself.

So I am sitting on my impulse and reminding myself that one day in the future I will have: better health, a larger apartment or house with truly pet friendly landlords, and a more stable income. In the mean time I can dog sit for my neighbors (out of the five apartments in my house, three include dogs) and visit my friends and spoil their dogs and cats. If my health gets to a point that feels more stable and less up in the air, I can talk to my landlords about the possibility of me fostering a dog or cat, and talk with local shelters/rescues about fostering older adults and seniors.

Comments

thus speaks the crowned poet of mixed metaphor ;o)

[jjhunter]

Healthy personal boundaries can be so hard sometimes, as much for oneself as for anyone else. Good for you for sticking to your sensible guns (so to speak). You have a warm, generous heart, but even the most generous hearts can hit a point where they exhaust the spoon-seeds they need to resow and harvest more spoons to take care of even just the bare minimum of themselves.

Re: thus speaks the crowned poet of mixed metaphor ;o)

[alee_grrl]

Aw thank you! I love the idea of spoon-seeds. :D

[sulien]

It's good that you realize the limitations you have to live within for the time being. Dogs definitely require more in the way of care than cats, what with walks, outdoor exercise and poop scooping, even for an older and less active dog. I had to give my dog back to the adoption agency some years back because I just couldn't get him out for walks often enough.

Cats, on the other hand, especially older cats, are much easier to keep healthy and happy. A few feathers on a little pole with some string to flit around for them, a laser pointer dot on the walls and floor or jingly balls to chase around the floor and a big scratching post or cat tree and they're happy, as well as highly entertaining. Hopefully cuddly, too.

The great news is that you are getting better and will eventually have no problems keeping up with even an active puppy. Hopefully, you'll also have a place big enough for a dog and that will allow them by the time you finish treatment and schooling.

In the mean time, lots of hugs headed your way!

[alee_grrl]

Thanks. Lots of hugs are appreciated.

[untonuggan]

Probably a good idea to wait on fostering an animal and stick to your spoon-boundaries. Speaking as someone with an older dog, even geriatric dogs can end up requiring a lot of care if they end up needing, say, diapers which you then have to figure out laundering of and/or constant trips to the store to get more of. Plus medications and the administration of, which can be challenging depending on whether or not the dog figures out there's something underneath all the peanut butter. I was exhausted when my folks were out of town and I was basically the sole caregiver of my dog - as partner was doing other tasks around the house. He can't do stairs very well and required carrying up and down...omg, it was a bit much.

We have also been considering fostering another animal, but it's dependent on how well I do and whether or not my folks are planning any big trips...because I know I can't manage two animals by myself.

[alee_grrl]

Very good point re: older animals. They do often need a lot of additional things even if they don't need as much physical exercise.

::hugs:: You're an amazing, wonderful person. Just thought that needed to be said again. :D

[untonuggan]

Thank you. Needed that today. <3