Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We were at the shelter yesterday to do a Thanksgiving shoot but ended up having to do website photos instead. Ah well! Instead we used our two remaining foster babies, Emerald (above) and Silver.

These are the last two left at our house, but we don't really mind - they quite enjoy each others' company and seem happy enough to be left alone until there's room at the shelter.

So, I hope everyone's had a nice Thanksgiving so far! What are you thankful for?
I am lucky enough to be thankful for many, many things. I'm thankful for my incredible mother, my wonderfully eccentric dad, my grandmothers, and the rest of my family. I'm thankful for our landlord, who never seems to care about our revolving door of fosters. I'm thankful that I get to attend the University of Toronto and follow my passion for science, and that I can tutor to earn money, a job I truly love with clients I really care about. I'm thankful I could continue music outside high school, and that I have the shelter and a cause that gives my actions, however small, some meaning.
But this is a blog about animal rescue, not about saccharine Thanksgiving speeches. So what else am I thankful for? My animal family, of course.

I'm thankful that Jamie, one of my old men hamsters, is still as playful as he was when he was a baby. I cleaned his cage today and despite being beyond senior, he still had to explore every inch and chew on every toy.

 

I'm thankful that Ollie, my other old man, is still kicking. He was having trouble breathing the other day and I thought for sure that his time had come (he and Jamie are, after all, over two years old) - but today he's running around without a squeak. I'm glad he and Jamie still have each other, and that my first foster babies have been able to enjoy their full lifespan (for dwarf hamsters).

I'm thankful that Captain Jack is living with us, safe forever from the hoarder where he was born.

I'm thankful that Estel survived against all odds and is now a healthy, social, fluffy boy.

 I'm thankful for my sweet boy Giles, who is always grumpy about everything except his humans and has the softest fur you will ever find on a bunny. Oh yes - and for the kind dog-owner who rescued my boy from a dog park, way back when he was first brought to the shelter!

 I'm thankful for my baby Neville, whom I will always think of as a baby despite the fact that he's over a year old now, and whom I will always spoil outrageously - he is doomed to be a mamma's boy for the rest of his life.

I'm thankful my boys are both happy and get room to explore and run and jump, and (too many) treats and regular vet care and lots of love. I do wish they'd always get along like in the photo instead of being completely stu- wait, this is supposed to be the positive things about them. Never mind.

I'm thankful my birdies get along so well and I don't have to worry about them fighting, even if sometimes they get along too well and start laying eggs everywhere.

 

I'm thankful for our lord and master Bailey, and I am very thankful that I am the one person to whom he actually listens.

I am so very thankful for my beautiful girl Loki, who was my first bird and the most loving, cuddly cockatiel anyone could ask for, and who has been with me for 8 years.

So, who are you thankful for, animal-wise, this Thanksgiving?

Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!