Home Sweet Temporary Home...and OREO!

Greetings! Sorry we've only written, what, once, since getting back home...adjusting has been difficult. We missed our fur-kids of COURSE, but we both always get a little roadtrip deprivation depressed when it's over.

That being said, we are back at it with lots to talk about! Before we get to all of the new news, there were a few things mentioned in the last post that we wanted to talk about. First of all, lets discuss missing your pets while away. How many of you are driving on the open road, or sitting by the pool, and all of a sudden Miss Kitty Fantastico pops into your head with her warm snuggles and cute little purrs? *enthusiastic hand raise* Before we went on our first cross country roadtrip we anticipated such feelings and after a bit of research discovered the holy grail of pet communication. Oh yeah, that's right, I said that. It is a little magic box called PetChatz. It requires an entire outlet - top and bottom (it plugs into one, but covers the other one) and a wireless connection. From your mobile device you can download the app and at the tap of a button you can see your little precious and they can see you. You can even tap another button to dispense a treat, so it's like you are actually there (minus those warm puppy/kitty snuggles.) One suggestion if you go this route, opt for the HD, and face it away from a window if at all possible.

We received our unit just in time for our honeymoon last November and set it up right before leaving.  We ran into some technical difficulties on the road and the helpdesk was utterly astounding.  They went above and beyond, they called us for updates, they were attentive and genuine in their care of our situation.  My lovely grandparents were kitty-sitting and with their help at home to do some resetting and the PetChatz people over the phone, we had it up and running in no time! If you think we sound crazy, well oh well!  We have zero shame about our love of our fluff-kids! If you have any questions about PetChatz and our experience with it, please drop us a line!

Another thing we wanted to touch on is home security. Pat and I are currently members of the apartment community while we figure out where exactly in this gorgeous world we want to live (and after this presidential election if we need to move to Canada...) My grandparents are saints and when we go away, they come to our place once or twice a day to check on things and look after the little fluffers. Well, we came home and found some scratches on our door knob and it was loose, some marks on the door that look like the work of a crowbar, and the framing was pulled away from our door.  It doesn't look like anything was taken, luckily, but as anyone who has had a break-in knows, this is such a feeling of violation. What steps can be taken to prevent this, or worse, from happening to you while you are away. The obvious answer is a security system. We actually have one, but for the sake of our house sitters coming and going, didn't set it.  We also have a timer on our lamps so that the lights go on and off at certain times. As much as we thought we took precautions, if someone is watching and waiting for their moment, there is no deterrent. Better believe we will set that alarm next time. Has anyone else had something like this happen?  What changes did you make to your going away checklist to prevent intruders from invading?

Lets move onto the present. Without going into detail (yet) there is a possibility of us relocating in the very near future...hence the blog post title. In fact, there are a few different options that we have been mulling over. This information comes with a bit of sensitivity so all of the nitty gritty details will have to wait.

Lastly for the moment, we have our next trip planned, and it is coming up THIS FRIDAY (whaaaaaaatttttt?!) On our personal instagram account, it came to our attention that a kitten in Orlando (a little two pound ball of love named Oreo) was in a high-kill shelter and was sentenced to death on October 28.

Baby Oreo in the Shelter :(

Thankfully, this was a Friday so we had the weekend to rally the troops. Together with our amazing instagram friends from around the county, we raised the funds (extra huge thank you to Mom and Dad Yrizarry for their super generous donation), arranged transportation, and made this amazing rescue happen.  So, here's the plan!

1) Our contact, Becky, in Orlando volunteers at the shelter little Oreo was being held at and she agreed to adopt him if we could set the rest of the plans in stone.

She adopted him, picked him up, and brought him to a veterinarian clinic where he currently is until Thursday.

2) On Thursday our transport part one, Kevin, (arranged by Pam) arrives in Orlando to pick up Oreo and drive him to Philadelphia.

3) Once he arrives on Friday, Pat and I will meet him and take Oreo into our custody.

4) From here, we will be adventuring with the little squirt to Michigan where he will be united with his new mom, Lisa!

Boom!  Operation Oreo Rescue is a go!

Make sure to check back, we will be sharing the journey, pictures of the little dude, and his amazing final destination with his new mom.

Oreo free from the Shelter!!! :)

 Not sure who will see this, but we wanted to say what a huge deal this whole experience has been for us.  We dedicate a great deal of our time on animal rescue and to see so many people, strangers, join together to make this happen has been so joyful. That two pound little kitten has no idea how many people have worked so hard day and night to save his life. We are truly honored to be a part of his adventure.

Love to all!
Pat+Deb
xoxoxoxoxo