Busy day

So, today started out with an adoption, our 3 year old female ebony went to her new home.  Her new family named her Ebony. 

Later I took down stuff that had piled up upstairs for the basement.  Organized stuff that was already down there.  Put away toy parts, toilet paper rolls, all sorts of fun stuff.  Put up three edstrom bottles on cages.  Took the swings that I bought from Christine at Twilight -- put up one.  Was going to put up the other but got distracted.  Christine sent other smaller swings as donations, so I put those up in the other cages. 

I cut the wood for the two custom hidey houses.  Nothing else, just cut it.  Moved onto cutting up some scrap wood.  When I cut the wood, I use a respirator and goggles, but I still always get the particles in my eyes, and at some point, my contacts were bothering me bad enough, so I had to stop cutting.

Took out the contacts, rinsed out eyes, put on glasses, and went back down.  I decided today was a good day to cut the last piece of the guinea pig shaving guard, and so I did.  About an inch too short.  Had some choice words with that piece of wood, cut it again, the right size that time, and nailed it on.  Hopefully that will help with the neverending shavings coming out the front of that cage.

Was still trying to move things downstairs and ran across the box of the toy parts which finally arrived.  The guy had taken two trash bags and loaded them up with the toy parts.  I wanted to get them all in a smaller (non-falling-apart box) and originally tried just taking the two bags and putting em in.  Ah, no.  One barely bit and that was sticking all the way out.  So, I took all the toy parts out of the two bags, put them in neat little rows and lined them all up in the smaller box.  My mom helped with the second bag, which made it go way quicker.

Having those nicely organized and in place, I took some down and sanded and drilled them.  Was able to finish making enough of the fun chewies toys to fill the drawer.  Sanded some additional toy parts and bagged those up.

I also had two bags of the buttons I was using for the snowman eyes/nose/mouth, but un-dyed.  Pulled out the black and orange food coloring so I colored those so I could put those away.  So those are drying at the moment.  





Also handed out the Christmas toys today.  I know, I know, Christmas was... like 3 weeks ago, so I'm a bit behind.  Pictures below.  Excuse the poos....I didn't want to further put off handing out toys due to poos in the pictures.

Myshkin (left) & Molly (right)

beige female

another beige female

beige male

Carlos (rescue)

Chile (rescue)

Diva

Dreamz

 

ebony female (rescue)

Gigi (rescue)

Gypsy

Gypsy's mosaic male

homo beige female

Lacey (left) & Pixie (right)

Lacey (left) & Poppy (right)

Lexi

Nikki (doesn't she look good?  this is the chin that was scalped by another female awhile back)

Owl

Peanut (rescue)

mosaic female (look at that face!  such a cute puffball)

pink white female

Toby

Winx

...and here's Winx's cage with the additions....

Overstimulated?  Naaaaaaaaaah.

Ok, ok, I acknowledge, it's awfully busy in that cage.  And he's the only chin who's being deprived of a wheel right now, which he used to ADORE.  But I don't want to take anything out, so my only way to fit it all is to spread it out... and I actually have a few more things that should go in that cage, but, no room....  So... I'm thinking he's going to get that whole double CN to himself again.   I think I'm gonna open up the bottom so he can go down there and move some of this stuff down there. And there's a wheel in the bottom and I can put other fun stuff in here.

One more pic of him on the new swing...

Good & Busy Day Today

Today actually got some things accomplished.  First, one of the cages that was on-hold chillin' in the basement for a while went home, so that freed up some room. 

Then, the rescue is on adopt-a-pet, which has a volunteer section.  Which I hate to say, is not many steps above useless.  Though, it is better than nothing, as I can't say I know of another site that has a volunteer network at all.  Anyway, the way it works is that people sign up as a volunteer and an email goes out to rescues saying there's a new volunteer in the area.  As a volunteer (I signed up as a volunteer to see how this works on both ends), you choose how many hours you have to work, when you want to work, what you want to do (you have choices to pick from), what animals you want to work with, if you want to foster, you write a little blurb about yourself, and so on and so forth.  And you sign up and get some emails from various rescues saying hey, just wanted to introduce the rescue, if you want to help out, let me know.  So, after receiving several of those to my volunteer profile, I wrote up one for NWICR.  And so, as a rescue, I can check, I want profiles of volunteers to show up for me if they are available any day, if they want to help with small animals, if they are any age, etc etc.  Because, it does me no good to email them if they want to only help out with dogs.  And so I selected any age, within so many miles, and small animals.  I get emails about volunteers that are 70 miles away, that only want to help with dogs, etc etc.  And when I get these emails, there's no way to tell that from looking at the email.  The email basically shows, here's a volunteer, they are over/under 18 years old, they live in this town, and you can see part of the blurb they have written about themselves.  So, I have to click on the volunteer, log in, and read what they wrote to see if they really want to help with small animals and if they're anywhere around here.  Because let's be honest, a 10 year old in Indianapolis is not going to make it out here to volunteer, so I can save the time it'd take to send that email out.

This sounds great, right, because in theory, I get an email the same day someone creates a volunteer profile on the website, so you'd think, ok, its a fresh person wanting to help.  Eh, no.  99% of the emails I send out to these people, specifically the ones that say small animal, I never hear back.  And it's not even like it just says "come clean cages!!" the email has a list of various things that can be done at the rescue, most of which do not require getting grimy.  But I almost NEVER hear back.  I think I've heard back from maybe 3 people in the entire time I've been on the site (and it's been at least a year or more) and I probably send out at least 25 emails a month.  Oh and two of those three were no shows when they were actually set to come volunteer.

So you can imagine my surprise when I got an email from someone asking what needs to be done at the rescue at the current time.  So, I said how the store's closed and I'm taking time to re-stock and there's this and this and this to do, but then asked, is there something they want to do?  They asked if we needed anything sewed.  YESSSSS!  If you all saw the pile of fleece I have that keeps stacking up.... anyway, so her name is Leslie, she came by today, I showed her how hammocks are made, gave her two boxes of material and some thread, and here's hoping everything turns out good.  I told her, if she likes doing it, I have oodles more.

So then, been texting/emailing with a family who are looking at two baby chins, and they wanted to come see them to decide if they wanted them.  They came by today, decided they do want them, and put down a deposit.  Yay.

Set up an adoption of the ebony girl tomorrow, so she'll be going home...

Also had someone text about a cage we had for sale, they ended up coming by and getting it, so that's one less...

So then, I packaged up a water bottle and mailed that out and started making more toys.  Got behind since I was sick.  Well, still am, but I can breathe better now, so I can actually work on stuff again.  Made a few fun chewies toys, those take forever due to the sanding of the large round wood piece.  Then sanded a crapload of anything goes pieces and re-filled that drawer.  Probably made like 15 toys.  Had some sanded pieces left over so I bagged those up.

Finished an order that's been sitting around for awhile, emailed the person with the total.  Just waiting to hear back.

Cleaned up a bit.  Mixed up some more guinea pig food (donated food with the oxbow we feed).  Cleaned the rabbit's cage again.  He's finally starting to catch on to the litter pan idea.

I still need to cut up wood for a two custom hidey house order, and then wood to make a few more houses and I need to cut up scrap wood into toy parts.  Oh!  The box of the 2" x 3" wood pieces arrived today, yay!  Been waiting since like October, it's time.  Need to sand some of those, and sand more of those small circles for the fun chewies toys and fill up that drawer.  I found some edstrom bottles lying around that can be put up on cages, gonna do that at some point.  Also still need to hand out the christmas chews to the chins.  They all got hay and a toilet paper roll today, so they were amused, but need to get the camera down there and hand the actual christmas stuff out.  I did hang the "stockings" with the names (Winx, Toby, Shani, Shiloh) up today though.  


   

ugh

Ok, so to coincide with the bad weather, I'm officially sick.  I thought it was just the winter making me more congested than usual (as cold air and winters tend to do), but no.  I also have a mild fever and now I can't breathe (or sneeze for that matter), without resulting in 5 minutes of hacking.  Plus chest congestion.  Joy.   

And you know, the last few days, I was thinking, man, cleaning cages usually don't get me THIS wheezy, cause I mean, I was wearing the respirator, but now it makes sense... that was all leading up to now, where I need to avoid deep breathing (or heck, breathing at all), to keep myself from hacking.

And naturally, this happens on the weekend.

Anyway, point being... if you need to reach me, a phone call is not going to be very useful right now.  Please email or text.  

This is one of the few times in my life I'll say this, but thankfully, both my people coming today have cancelled.  The one said the roads are bad (I'm sure they are... we've already got 14"+ of snow here, and they're not super local) and the other said due to weather they couldn't make it, and I was like yay!!  So I can basically stay in bed all day and relax.  

I probably have to go down to feed the pets, but that's going to be the extent of rescue stuff today.

For the rat transport tomorrow night... I emailed the two people involved and asked to reschedule, cause I mean, I walk two feet and I'm wheezing so bad I'm ready to pass out.  So, hopefully we can reschedule cause I do not want to go out in this weather if at all possible....

Cage Cleaning!

So, anyone who I talked to last night found out about my frustration when I went to go clean cages, BEFORE garbage pickup... only to find I had no shavings (and, pet stores already closed for the night).  So today, after garbage was picked up (naturally), we went to Tractor Supply and picked up some bedding and today I cleaned all the runs. 

By the way, the runs, for those that don't know, are these cages -->

...they're pretty much the only cages other than the FNs/CN that the rescue has anymore.  Mainly used for our breeding/showing chins, but also to house potentially pregnant rescues, ill chins, or chin that need to be separated or observed.  

In between that, had some people come by to pick up supplies, that went well.  Then, I was supposed to have someone come to look at a chin, but they didn't call and didn't show.  Which is frustrating cause I kept vacuuming the basement even as I was cleaning it, so that it would be clean when they arrived... but they never did. 

So I went and finished all the runs and then cleaned the prairie dog cage.  Their barn had seen better days, so all of that came out.  Cleaned off the frame of their barn as best I could (it can't fit out the door of the cage without removing the wheel) and put a new bed in the frame.  Hopefully they like that.  More likely, it will be shredded by morning.  But the old one was stinky, so time for new.  And cleaned out their pan, so now they have fresh.

Also cleaned the guinea pig cage.  Stripped it down completely, put the pigs in a donated carrier and got out the vinegar and cut up a towel and went to scrubbing.  And realized JUST how many cuts I have on my hands, due to the vinegar.  Owwww.  Once it was clean, piggies were added back, and they were happy.  Still need to put that front guard on the cage, I need to cut it first.  

For the rat stack, the one cage didn't have bedding, so I put bedding in there, in anticipation of the rats we're getting in on Monday. 

Would probably have done more, but despite the mask and all, I am horribly allergic to the pine, and pine dust (that's why, when I had a steady supply of shredded paper to use as bedding, I could spend so much more time at the rescue), and my wheezing makes me less able to do things.  Plus, the things I needed to do involve filling orders and making toys and cutting down larger pieces of wood into toy-sized pieces... all of which end up churning up more wood dust and would make me wheeze more.  So, those were out of the question for today.

But I did have a nice epiphany about something.  Ok, so probably very few people have ever seen me get the glass tube into the rubber stopper for the ryerson water bottles.  That's cause I try to have that done ahead of time, before people get here.  Know why?  Because it's ridiculously difficult.  It's one of those things I put off and put off and put off.  Like, on a scale of 1-10, 10 being hate hate hate... cleaning cages is a 9, putting these tubes in the stoppers is an 11.  It' a tight fit to get that glass tube in there, and not to mention, it's glass, so you can't force it because it will break.  So, previous attempts had involved getting down on the cement floor, holding the tube vertically on the floor with my left hand and trying to get the stopper on with my right.  Well, it works, but I can't get up and down 400 times, and this was still overly difficult as the stupid stopper never wanted to go in.  So, I tried it on the table.  Well.... better, cause since I was standing, there was more leverage, but the table's plastic, and wasn't providing the type of push-back pressure necessary for that tube to go in, so it went in slllllllllloooooooooow.  Not fast enough for me.  So I tried using my hand, with a thick horse-breaking-type leather glove on the hand that was meant to press on the glass tube.  Let's just say that ended up with a nice circular shaped imprint on my hand, but the tube did go in.  And here comes the epiphany... I decided... lemme take a piece of wood, drill a hole, but not all the way through, just big enough for the tube to sit in.  So, I did... and this holds the tube upright!  Now, I still have to hold it with my left hand, but keeping it vertical while there's a ton of downward pressure isn't all that easy... but with the wood, it stays mostly vertical, and I was able to get a ton of them done.  So happy!!!!

I'm supposed to have someone come to look at some chins tomorrow, and some people come volunteer... but we shall see if they come, due to the weather...

Well, I think that's it for today. 

Ok, so I got a bit behind.....

So, clearly, I got a bit behind on listing what I was doing everyday, but for the most part, I've been chugging along...

I made some more of the fun chewies chew toys.  Will need to make some more of the anything goes ones, cause Meredith needed 9 and cleared out about half my drawer, lol.

Finished cleaning the chests of drawers.  Two of them didn't need deep cleaning, cause they're new, so those just got wiped down, but the others are all now clean, as is the small workstation (that more or less just is a catch-all for everything).

I STILL haven't given the critters their Christmas toys, I need to do that... *write that on the list for today*

I did all the paperwork for 2012 and handed it off for tax purposes.  Still need to do statistics for 2012, but that's for a later date....

I actually ran out of wood, so my intentions to finish all my outstanding orders already... yeah, can't do that without wood.  So, went out in the blizzard yesterday (for other things as well), and picked up wood.  Now, I can finish the shelf orders and someone has an order for two custom hidey houses, will be able to get working on that as well.

Started gluing back together the motohome that was sent to me in pieces.  It is a pain in the ass, since basically every place it was glued now is not together, so it's one piece at a time, with rubberbands and braces and everything.  Fun fun.

I have most of the fleece put away from the last time at the laundromat.  As to why it's taken this long -- these things are hard to get dry in short amounts of time, so they need to sit out and dry naturally... and I can only do a few at a time, cause they take up a lot of space.  But that's almost done.

Working on potty training the rabbit.  It's not going well.  He seems to think that the pine in the litterbox is his bed, and the rest of the cage should be pottied in.  Been scooping everything up and putting it in the litter pan, and it's only like day 3, so it hasn't been that long, but he's not catching on...  I may just have to switch to something other than pine, as I think it's the pine that he thinks is his bed, not the actual litterbox.  I gave him a bed, but he peed on it, so it's out now.  Until he can at least routinely pee in one spot, no beds, cause I don't want to wash things daily.  I don't have that much free time.

Dreamz is still holding out, no babies yet.  Definitely is the right weight for babies, so we shall see.  Probably just a matter of time.

The little beige boy that was almost fur-less now looks rather normal.  Waiting to hear back on someone who may want him, but if not, he will be up for sale.

My Gypsy's boy is looking kinda cottony, so that's disappointing, but he'll probably come to the next show and we'll see, it's only $5.

I ear-tagged three chins!  Clearly something that takes practice, the point didn't pierce anything on the first two chins (so, they have the equivalent of clip-on earrings).  The third looks a bit better... but I am still finding this difficult.  I needed to number the two beiges I have cause I now really can't tell them apart and they're definitely different ages and pedigrees.... and now they have ear-tags (assuming they don't get them off).

Still have plenty to do on the list before the store opens back up, but one thing at a time.  Currently working on fulfilling orders and making toys.  After that, we'll see.

My waiting list has been interesting lately.  Two people decided not to bring their chins, after all, one wants to donate a bag of chin chow though, always good.  One person on my list is bringing their chin (or chins... they're deciding) on Tuesday.  More people have been added to the list, one with a chin with a mystery illness that comes and goes.  Asked that guy to get me all the vet records that he can, so I'm not starting from scratch.  That'll be a few down the line though, there's other people in front of him.

This weekend will be busy.  Looking at houses in the morning tomorrow, then two people coming to pick up supply orders (online, both done before the store closed), and then someone coming to look at potentially adopting Carlos.  And then Sunday I have a volunteer.  Yay.

Continuing - Day 3

So, I got home, wasn't feeling well and was tired, went to bed.  When I got up, went downstairs to make toys.  Started with the pumice & triangles so I could finish those.  Didn't have enough sanded toy parts, so sanded, drilled, and re-sanded those, and strung those toys.  Made enough to fill up the drawer.

Realized I only had a bit of pumice left in the large box I get it in, so I drilled it all, so now I have a nice gallon-sized bag of drilled pumice.  Put that aside.

Started on the fun chewies toys.  Those require the smaller circle cutout, which takes forever to sand down.  I only had 6 of them, so I was able to make two toys.  Will need to pull more of those out and sand them before I can make more of these toys.

Moved onto the anything goes toys.  I had two gallon-sized bags of drilled toy parts, so I cut enough wire and put the clips on, and started making toys.  Was able to make 16 before I ran out of toy parts.  Still can fit a few more in the drawer that holds those, so I will make more of those when I drill more toy parts. 

Cleaned up a bit so tomorrow I can come down and continue to work on the toys.  This is why these "numbers" stay on the list so long--- because a lot of the stuff that needs to be done cannot be done in one day, by one person.  I've had people ask what I'm doing, and I'll tell them, oh, making toys, and a week later, they ask, and I'm still making toys, and this is why.  Right now, the store is closed, and I do need to get out my last few orders, but I can get SO much more done without orders coming in, which is why the store needs to be closed periodically if I want to keep my sanity. 

I went down to the rescue in my pj's (cause I was sleeping, remember) so I didn't want to get really dirty cause I did want to sleep in them, so I left off cleaning the chests-of-drawers for another day.  That usually requires getting down on the floor and getting grimy and I wanted to stay clean.

Oh, I added to the donations page some recent donations we've received.  Christine from Twilight Chins sent over a swing for each FN, color coded to match our colors.  Yay.  Mara sent over a handful of apple sticks with her christmas card.  And Daphne sent over a huuuuge box (cost like $34 to ship, so think BIG) to ship, full of shelves, food, toys, all sorts of stuff.  Will get pictures of this up sometime later.  Those pictures will also be up on the donations page once I get them...

So with enough toys made for the day, it was around midnight, so I went upstairs to watch tv.  With my laptop of course.  While watching tv, I got all the cage pictures re-sized and labeled, and then listed all the cages on the website and on all the other classified sites.  Then went and finally put up the courtesy listing for Wheeker's available piggies.

...and now I'm going to bed.  

More Accomplishments - Day 2

Then I had the numbers of cleaning the drawers, making toys, and making supplement.  Started out and cleaned yet another of the chests of drawers (there's quite a few of them -- that number will stay on my list until I've done em all).  Between the two tall black ones, I have two medical drawers, and there was never any rhyme or reason as to what went in either one of them, they were sort of a mishmosh.  Well, now they are sorted.  One has only medications, and the other has everything else.  Much better.

Moving on, I made some jars of supplement.  I had one person who bought supplement return their empty jar, so that allowed me to make an extra jar without using a new one.  So if you buy any of the items in the glass jars, are just throwing them away when they're empty, and are local, please bring them back to the rescue as they can be sterilized and used again.

Then moved on to toys.  Since I know that I should be anticipating toy parts sooner or later (assuming this package doesn't get lost as well), I started with the critter's delight toy.  I was drilling through a piece of wood that had a knot in it (couldn't be seen from the top), and I was really pressing it wasn't going through, and my titanium drill bit literally snapped in two.  Naturally, taking a nice chunk of skin with it.  So, rather than take a break and go upstairs, I figured, I'll just fold a paper towel and wrap it around my finger several times and tape it on.  If you're reading this, thinking "what a bad idea," you'd be correct.  So, it was bleeding, but I wanted to keep making toys, so I figured, the paper towel will soak it up and it'll be fine... sure would.  In fact, when I went to peel it off, hours later, I had about 5-6 layers of paper towel nicely stuck onto the area where I was missing skin on my finger.  Let's just say that hurt to get off.  

But anyway, before I went upstairs to fix the finger (and it's the SAME finger as the one I broke and mangled with the saw -- bad luck finger I guess), I made enough of the critter's delight toys to fill the drawer they go in, and then moved onto the pumice and triangles toy.  I made as many as I could with my pre-drilled pumice and triangles, then started drilling more pumice.  I got about half of a gallon-sized bag drilled at the point when the drill battery kicked out, so that went on the charger.

Then, I have bags and bags of non-drilled toy parts, so I went through two of the bags and separated out the triangles and the little squares that go in all the toys.  With the drill charging, not much else I could do, so that was the end of the day (not to mention, it was 10:30 at night).

Next day has the numbers of cleaning drawers, making toys, and listing cages.

Going On's and Accomplishments - Day 1

So, in the last few days around Christmas, several things happened...

A family came over wanting a chin for the family with several young kids.  Chincie was the obvious choice, so he found a home.

Our homo beige female kit also found a home.

And then since I closed the store, I made a list of things that needed to get done.  To avoid what usually happens, which is that the non-fun things get pushed back and never done, I had my mom pick numbers.  And those numbers were the things I had to do that day.  Works like a charm if I can keep to it.

Anyway, so far, the one number picked was to list the used items (the already washed and ready to go ones).  So I listed them.  Since the store is closed, of course, you can't see them just quite yet, but they are up there.

Another number picked was to list the newly available chins.  So, the homo beige male got listed, Carlos got listed, Bonnie & Bonnie's Girl got listed, the ebony female 3 yr old got listed.  And that's it for currently available chins.  The remaining ones are either on hold, on medical eval, or not ready yet. 

And then the third number (for the first two days) was to clean the chests of drawers.  That's sort of a one-at-a-time thing, cause there's a LOT in those things.  Few weeks back I cleaned one of the shorter ones, so in moving down the line, I cleaned a large black one today.  Half the point of cleaning these things is to better-organize what's in them and pitch what I don't need.  So, the drawers are now re-organized and there is no dust or spider webs on that chest-of-drawers currently.  That'll last a few days before it starts looking bad again, but at least the drawers are organized....

Store closed (temporarily)

Undoubtedly, some of you have seen this on the website (or guessed from the title of this post), but the store is now closed, with a few exceptions.

Please note:

The store is currently closed to orders until further notice (likely mid/late January) to re-stock.  You can email in your order, but orders will not be processed until the store re-opens.  A few exceptions: 

(1) current orders will be completed,

(2) if you are adopting an animal, your order can be filled,

(3) if you are picking up a USED cage, you can do so, and

(4) if you need food (either locally or shipped), I will fill your order.

Sorry for any inconvenience. 

...and now will come the influx of email that will say, "why didn't you tell me the store was closing, I wanted to put in an order!!!"  Exactly for that reason.  I once announced, ahead of time, the store was closing, and got like 20 orders in 3 days.  Nooooo thank you.

While orders are a good thing and help keep the rescue open, the point of closing the store for a period of time is so I can re-stock without selling items the second I make them.

Few reasons why this is necessary:

Some people have been aware that I had a box of the 2" x 3" pine squares get lost in the mail.  These blocks were sent out mid-October and fedex just now confirmed the box is officially declared lost (my USPS packaged never get lost....).  Since I have been unable to get those, I haven't been able to make toys (in case you all were wondering why my selection has been so limited lately, that's why...).  I got an email today that the guy who makes these for me is going to make another box and send it out.  Then, I will be able to make toys.

I also have only one jar of supplement/herb sampler (not sure which one) left.  Those actually take a bit of time to make, so it's not something I can do on the spot.  Just bought more jars the other day, but Meijer only had one package.  Grrr.  Will check back in a bit to hopefully get more (I try to make a lot at a time, so I can go longer between making them).  Will get more of those made up in the time off.

I have cages that need to be listed.  LOTS of them.  Mostly guinea pig/rabbit cages, but still, they would sell if I could list them.  Will be doing that.

Also have a lot of used small items for sale.  I sold a flying saucer yesterday, which nicely cleared out some room.  Also, when Harry was adopted by the new owner of Wheeker's, Desiree, well, she also takes in rats.   So, I donated some rat-sized wheels to her (less for me to sell!).  I need to go through everything, see what's worth selling, what's not (sometimes pitch-able things work their way into that pile).

Also need to WASH a ton of stuff to get it ready to sell.  I again have two large piles of stuff that needs to be washed so I can sell it.  Some of the "wood to wash" pile went down as I was able to use some of it in the QC's I sold yesterday, but there's still a lot of stuff there.

At some point, I need to go through all the drawers in the various plastic chests-of-drawers.... they start to pile up to the point the drawers can't be opened and half the time, things can be pitched or at least, better organized.

Plus the typical cleaning cages, filling orders for people who are adopting an animal, making sure everyone is fed/watered, and so on and so forth.  Filling outstanding orders as well.  Probably building a few more houses too.

Anyone who wants to come volunteer can help with any of this.... if not, it'll still get done, will just take longer....

Actually getting a few things done, and Red

So, I actually accomplished things yesterday.  Maybe that sounds kinda stupid, and makes you ask the question, how doesn't she accomplish things all the time?  Well, there's always cages to clean, animals to feed and water, emails and phone calls to answer... so actually doing things beyond that can be difficult at times.

But yesterday I accomplished a few things.  Minor things, mind you, but some days nothing gets done.  I listed four hammocks on the webstore and added them to the Fleece Items for Sale page.  I packaged up 5 orders which will be mailed out today.  I went through some paperwork.

...and the depressing news, Red, one of our rescue guinea pigs, passed away.  She was fine one moment, gone the next, making me think she likely had a heart attack or something of the sort.  She'd been living in the cage with our other female guinea pigs, and nothing had appeared wrong until I found her gone yesterday.  Well, now she's in piggie heaven.

Hope to get more done tonight.  For some reason, Friday nights are productive for me, and I think maybe its' cause I know I don't have to be up at the crack of dawn for work like usual.  Fingers crossed.

Oh!  One last thing.  If you have a cage on hold -- PLEASE come pick it up.  I know there's only like two listed on the Used Cages for Sale page, but there's at least 5-6 of you with holds on un-listed cages that keep telling me you'll come by and never do.  You know who you are and I think most of you read this blog..... and yet only one person has a set appointment to come pick up theirs.  For the rest of you, please come pick up your cage.  Even if you've paid for it already -- it's taking up room here and I would appreciate it going home with its new owner.  Thanks!  

Yesterday and today

Trying to accomplish things hasn't really been going so great lately.  Had volunteers over the weekend and we got a ton of stuff done, but I'm still behind in orders, so I think the store will close again in January like last year.

Few updates first though:

• I did some paperwork last night, so now, most donations made within the last 2-3 months are now showing on the Donations page
• If yours is missing, please let me know
• I did a hammock inventory
• Realized some hammocks still listed on the site were, in fact, out of stock
• Removed those
• Changed BOH numbers on other hammocks
• Found 4-5 hammocks at the rescue that are not on the site.  The one was a previous hammock that somehow must have gotten taken off when I still had some left.  That one was re-added
• Still need to add the other three, but did take pictures, so that should be soon
• Received another email about how the larger shelves are not on the webstore
• Which, they never were due to the huge fluctuations in shipping depending on if someone's here in Chicago or in California
• But, with so many people telling me they need to be there... I added them in
• I just set shipping reasonably high, with a note that excess shipping will be refunded when the order ships
• We shall see how this goes 
• I officially have pictures and descriptions taken of more of the cages for sale
• But note, they are not up on the website yet
• But will be soon 

I had someone call mid-day yesterday, around 1 pm, for Harry (the rabbit we have).  Called em back when I got home from work, oh, they already picked up a rabbit elsewhere.  Really?  Now, potentially, that was an impulse purchase if they couldn't wait a few hours to be called back, but still... frustrating, as Harry's having a difficult time finding a home.  

Also, Jim noticed something interesting, in looking at our website.  He picked up a chin from someone who was selling it (the rescue rarely pays for critters, but if they look on the verge of death and really crappy situation, that's a different story sometimes) and brought it here.  The same day.... we had people come to adopt a male chin.  Those people who came to adopt were the same people who Jim picked up the badly cared chin from.  Wtf??  I mean, they adopted a chin of a different color, but... wtf???  Sell one just to get another?  I do not understand this world.  And I feel like this just proves, no matter how well someone looks on paper or even how they act in person, you never quite know what's going on behind the scenes.  And I'd never have known, had it not been for Jim....

Today

Fun day today, and I mean that in the most sarcastic way possible.

Had Tazzie adopted out yesterday, so I contacted the first person on my waiting list.  Did not hear back from them, so today, I texted the second person on my list.  Didn't know if they could text or had texting on their phone, but added in the text that I would call them tonight if I didn't hear back from them.  Well, they did text back -- originally they had three chins they wanted to bring by, a mom and two daughters, and I knew that, when they called back in September, the mom was sick.  Turns out, the mom has died, but they do still have the two daughters, and were just waiting for my call so they could bring them by.  Alrighty, so they said they'd try to find a day they can make it out here, and we'll go from there.

Then... I remembered I had seen a craigslist ad that made me think it was our chin.  It said:

Chinchilla for Sale - $60 (Highland)

I can't keep my chinchilla because I'm allergic. I need someone who can take great care of her. She's 4 years old & is in great health. She is a standard grey chinchilla. For the chinchilla only, it's $60. If you want the cage, it comes with a wheel, hidey house, hammock, pillow,& I'll throw in the bath house with dust & some hay, all for $150. Feel free to contact me at [phone]

...now, here's the interesting thing.  I read this and thought the phone number seemed familiar, like I recognized it.  Let's put this in perspective.  Every week, I probably get at least 10-15 calls, and 50+ emails about adoptions or supply sales.  So, even myself, I was thinking, I better check this out before I call them, because then chance of me remembering a phone number.... not always so good, just cause of the sheer volume of calls that have come through in the last 10 years.  But, it seemed familiar, so I looked up my Highland adoptive homes.  I don't have a lot of those, but I knew (from the ad) it was a grey chin.  That, right there, cut me down to two people, both who adopted in the same month during 2013.  So, I went and pulled their paperwork, and the phone number for the one ad was 2 digits off of the phone number on the ad.  For example, let's say my cell is 789-0026... but the number (2 digits off) was 789-0028.  Well, in my head, that's close enough, and what I will do in a situation where the number doesn't quite match up is call the number on the ad and ask for the person who adopted.  So, say Ashley adopted at the 789-0026.  I call the 2-digit off number (789-0028) on the ad and ask for Ashley.  If there's no Ashley there... oops, guess I have the wrong number, sorry.... and it could be someone else, with a close phone number.  But I know I hit the jackpot when it's a unique name that's not common and the person who answers says, "oh yes, this is her mother."  Awesome.  Well, as awesome as getting a chin returned to the rescue can be awesome.  So... Gigi is coming back.  Again.

So, I got in the two swings I ordered from Twilight Chinchillas, and made the mistake of asking my mom to help me string them up.  Bad idea.  I had the pieces laid out in order so they'd look nice, and I told her when we started, let's go in order.  So, she did for a little bit, and then grabbed a pile of things with her hand and started putting em on however.  Which isn't a big deal, but I said, "hey, can we do them in order?"  Naturally, she tells me, oh they already weren't in order (yes, they were), and she doesn't care how it looks.  So, I tell her, ok, fine, I don't need help, cause I want em in order.  So what does she do?  Puts her arm down on the table, flat, and sweeps it across the table, knocking off every toy piece that was on the table onto the floor.  $100 worth of toy pieces onto the floor.  Later, she said she fully enjoyed it.    ...and this is why I need to move out, sooner rather than later

   

Motorhome returned.... and I am maaaad.

So, remember that person who wouldn't glue the two pieces to the motorhome to fix it and wanted a refund?  They finally shipped my motorhome back. 

Problem is, this is how they received it:

...mainly together, but with the top and the front piece off.  So, they ship it back to me, in a box 2x the size of the motorhome, with 7 freakin air bubbles.  This is how I received it:

...you know, when I opened the box, I actually thought someone sent me some shelves.  It actually took me a minute to recognize, hey, that's the motorhome I'm getting back.  In many many pieces.  I am pissed. 

Considering I sent the motorhome with ample packaging, they could have sent it back in the original box (which fit it much better), with the original packaging (which FILLED the box), and had it not break any further.  But no..... instead, I get a motorhome that might as well be scraps of wood for me to cut up.  And I paid $10.95 to ship this back to me!  Plus, they got a refund.  And now I get to re-assemble the whole thing, IF it is even possible to do so at this point in time, with it broken like this.

I am sick and tired of people saying, "oh, you must not have packaged it well."  No, I packaged it perfectly fine, but I can't help that postmen play basketball with the box.  Or if it falls off a 15' up in the air conveyor belt, also not something I can protect against.  The picture above is the PERFECT example of something packaged horribly. 

Sure, I get, she didn't want it, so she returned it.  Fine, but could she have made some effort to return it to me in the same condition SHE received it in?  As in, only requiring a few dabs of glue to return to how it should look?  Obviously she didn't care enough to do so, threw it in the box with not nearly enough packaging, and now it's scrap wood.  I spent the time to make this thing (and the motorhome takes a LONG time to make), then refunded the purchase price, and now I paid another $10.95 for a pile of scrap wood.  You know how damaged this is?  Let me show you.  These are the only pieces left together:
 

 ....really????  Omfg. 

I sent this to the person who sent it back to me:

I received the motorhome today.  Just wanted to let you know that I would have preferred you to have packaged it better, as see the attached pictures as to what it looks like now.  I just paid $10.95 for you to send me scrap wood, as now, it is un-fixable, due to how many pieces it is in.  I took the time to make this, it came to you with two pieces off, which could have been easily fixed, and I feel like you couldn't even take the time to package it in a way that I would received it in the same condition you received it in.  Considering you had all the packaging materials from when I sent it to you, this should not have been difficult in the least, and should have arrived here in decent condition.   

Snarky?  Maybe.  But you know what?  I feel like they couldn't take 5 fucking minutes to package it up, and now I have a pile of firewood, they get to know my thoughts on their packaging.

Busy busy... doesn't always accomplish a lot

So, yesterday was a busy day.  Got home, had people coming at 7, so I went and finished building their snowman, got the other toy they wanted, and their food and put it upstairs.

...and started on taking Christmas pictures for the cards my parents send out.  Well, it actually worked out good, cause my people had to re-schedule, and so then I had more time to do the pictures without an interruption.  Got those done, went to Meijer, got em printed, and back home.

...to more orders.  I finally got the snowman ledge shelves done for the one order, packaged those up with the rest of the order, and sent a quote over to the interested person.

snowman ledge shelf

Another order was for a large cage with some shelves.... got all that weighed, cost figured out, and sent over a quote to them.

Another order was for two ounces of globe flowers... packaged that up, cost figured out, sent over a quote to them.

I still have several orders I need to work on.  There's one that was paid yesterday or the day before that needs to be packaged up to go out.  There's one that a lady sent a check through the mail to pay for, need to start on that one.  There's another that's ready to go, just waiting for payment.

So, then started the clean-up.  When I'm working on multiple projects, everything tends to get everywhere.  So, during cleanup, everyone got their dust bath with the fungicide in it.  Still have a chin or two that looks less-than-appealing, and one that is just not getting better that needs a nice dose of the strong stuff (that's for today or another day), but for the most part, they are getting better.  That said, now my one guinea pig, who seems to have a cold/respiratory infection, now has a spot of fungus on her nose.  See, opportunitistic infection which attacks the ones with a weak immune system.  So, she's getting baytril for her infection, and I rubbed some desenex into her nose.

And then I made some holiday wreaths.  So now, I have about 5 of those ready to go for orders.  To make more, I'd actually have to dye more toy parts, so I'll wait til I'm down to the last one (if I get there) before making more.  For those 5 wreaths, it took about 3 full trays of dyed toy parts.... there's a lot of wood in those toys.

Gave everyone food, water.  Gave them all the supplement tabs that I got in a bit ago.  Still surprised they eat the things, they're like little whiteish gray round tablets.  But most chins eat em with no problem.  The others get them laid in their food bowl (I try to get the chins to take em from my hand... but that doesn't always work out) and they tend to disappear.

Oh and Dreamz is definitely pregnant, probably with multiple babies.  The last two pregnancies she had a stillborn and two preemies, so if this doesn't work out, she's going to a pet home.  Well, she's likely going to a pet home anyway, as I believe I have a replacement female for her, with less attitude.

Cleaned up a little, tried to organize, as I have volunteers coming Sunday!  Still have a ton of cages on the floor that need to be cleaned... I FINALLY brought down paper towel rolls to the basement so I can have something to clean them with.  Also need to list the already-clean cages.  Need to take pics of those and get descriptions up... maybe today.

And I need to clean cages... but as it's Thursday... I think it can wait til Sunday when I have help.  I'm sure anyone who've volunteering Sunday and is reading this is thrilled at the prospect of cleaning cages, but sadly, that's what takes oodles of time.  We'll see though, depends on what else ends up getting done between now and then.  It's only Thursday after all...and trash day is tomorrow, so might be good to actually get some stuff cleaned so next week's trash isn't overflowing with chin stuff...

Festival of Trees, and other things

Let's start with the Festival of Trees.  Hearts in Motion (the re-sale shop in Munster on 45th where the old Sterks used to be) currently has their Festival of Trees.  It features Christmas trees decorated by local non-profits, with ornaments being sold and the profits from those ornaments going to the non-profits.

So, naturally, we went to set up a tree.  And, naturally, I didn't listen to my mother, who said to open the tree box and see if there was a stand.  So we get there, and, well... there was a stand, but my dad had taped pieces of wood to the base of the tree, so it would need a larger stand than what we had.  Ok, so I drive home, dig our garage sale tree stand out of the garage, bring it back.  Screw it on, and naturally, the tree starts tilting until the point we need to catch it so it doesn't fall over.  So, I'm having such a heck of a time with turning those tighteners on the tree stand that I'm starting to get cuts on my hands due to the threads, so I ask my mom to make herself useful and go ask one of the workers for pliers or something of the sort.  So, she goes and finds those, we remove the tree, unscrew the tighteners all the way loose.  We put the tree back in, and I count the tightens.  So, 5 turns on each side, then 5 more turns on each side.   And it took forever, but the tree is now standing!  Yay!  So, we put on the ornaments, wrapped a donated piece of fleece with paw prints on it around the base as a tree skirt, and now our tree is up!


Came home, put together most of two snowmen hanging toys, one for pickup today, another for possibly sometime on the weekend.  Got the three circles drilled, all the eyes/nose/buttons on, and the hats drilled and dyed.  When I get home today, need to attach the hats, drill the holes for the arms, and put in the arms, and they will be good to go.

Remember the other day how I went on about people not calling when they don't show up?  Yeah, that was for Tazzie's adoption that was supposed to be last weekend.  I still have not heard from those people, despite my sending them an email asking for them to contact me to reschedule, and tomorrow (Thursday) will be day 5.  You know what that means.  Well, maybe you don't... it's been awhile since I've sent a 2 day notice out.  So, what it is, if I don't hear from someone for 5 days, I send em an email saying they have 2 days to get back to me if they want the animal still on hold for them.  99.95% of people don't respond to them, but the purpose is so that no one can say, oh, they didn't know I wasn't going to hold it for them any longer.

Now... these people wanted a wire cage on hold (see picture).  One that I find to be a pain in the ass to assemble and disassemble.  I have only, in my entire time at the rescue, had two of these cages in, but they are an absolute pain.  And I'm telling you, if two cages drive me this nuts... they've gotta be bad, cause I deal with a lot of cages over the course of the rescue.  For Tazzie's pickup... they wanted the cage broken down.  So, I broke it down.  And you know, typically, I actually leave the cage mostly set up, with the thought that I will break it down fully when the people get there and they can SEE what I'm doing (so they see how the cage goes together).  But, I felt this one was reasonably self-explanitory (though, that doesn't mean not-difficult), so I broke it down, and even cable-tied the pieces together for these people.  Naturally, they didn't show up.

If they don't answer the two day notice, I will re-set the cage up, and I will use metal C-clips to make it more sturdy.... and to effectively make it so that I will never have to take it apart again.  And it will be listed as a cage that does not break down for transport.  Cause my mom can tell you, I spent way too much time breaking down this cage, only to have the people not show up (and likely I'll never hear from em again) and then that'll require me to set it up again.  The next time I set it back up will be the last time.

Oh and I now have oodles more cages cleaned and ready to be up on the used cages for sale page.  Mostly guinea pig and rat cages, I think a rabbit cage as well.  Hope to get those up soon.  And still, lots of used supplies, like rat wheels, litter boxes, a plastic flying saucer, and more.  Still need to get those put up on the website as well.

Oh and I made a snowman ledge.  Like a circular perch, but snowman.  Working on finalizing that today and should have it up in the store soon.

Busy times....

So, been super busy with orders, but been trying to accomplish other things in the meantime.

I finally have the female guinea pigs and the rabbit over in a ferret nation.  As of yesterday, I had another CN and FN, and when my mom takes her chin (when I move), she's going to keep the FN (which is going to be a decked out Christmas/birthday gift for her), and I sold the CN.  So that gets me rid of spare huge cages.

I have one more large cage right now, but it's on hold.  Will be selling both of my QC's, as well as the midwest guinea pig cage, and several other large cages.  My 24 x 48 rabbit/guinea pig cage that's sat on the floor on wheels will be sold as well, as will the two red guinea pig cages on the stand.  Currently working on cleaning these all.  I have the midwest cage off its stand, and will be, at some point, moving the runs/holding cage up to there.  But that won't be until the QC's get off their table and I can move the runs over to that area.  Lots of cleaning/moving things lately.

Also, just got in the pro-C supplement tablets that I bought from Meadowbrook Chinchillas.  I was iffy as to whether the chins were really going to eat these things, as they're little whiteish round tablets, but surprisingly, the chins actually take these things and eat them!  Most of the chins, anyway.  The others got these put in their food dishes, and they disappeared, so, I imagine those ate them too.

Last time I got a care packet from Jean (TJ's) she sent some dried cranberries.  Since I don't give the chins any fruits/veggies, the guinea pigs and rabbit think I'm amazing right now, lol.  They just love em.

Oh and people, please... if you're going to not be able to make it, let me know.  Especially if I've given you a large span of time to be here.  As most people are aware, I try to set appointment times.  As in, I want people to tell me, they're going to be here at 5.  Or even between 5 and 6.  That way, I'm not sitting around all night waiting for people to show up.  What I dislike is when the best I can get from people is that they'll "come after 6:15" or they'll come "between 2 and 4 or maybe later."  The reason being, for some reason (and I dunno why), the people who give a range like that either show up outside of their range, or not at all.  Last week... had someone who was supposed to come "after 6:15."  They texted at 7:30 asking if they could come at 9.  Well, sure, that's after 6:15, but that's pushing it as far as how late I want people here.  So I said sure.  In the end, they'd confused Munster with Muncie, and wouldn't have gotten here until about 11 pm.  At that point... I told em, sorry, gotta come another day, I am not letting anyone in in the middle of the night.  No other pet store or rescue would do it, and I'm not that desperate to adopt out animals.  They came the next day.  But note.... I was home, and waiting around, for them from 6:15 on.  They never came that night.  Maybe that doesn't seem like a big deal, but I have things to do.  When I need to cut things on the saw, I will wait until all my people have come and gone, so that I don't end up covered in sawdust.  Problem is... if people never show up, I never end up using the saw, having effectively wasted the night.  I get it, I can just cut and end up sawdust covered, but that's not the point.  The point is, I've just sat home all night for someone who didn't show, and even aside from the saw, if I wanted to leave, I didn't, with the thought someone was coming.

Like yesterday.  Had someone who was supposed to come "between 2 and 4."  They never showed up, never texted, never called, never anything.  I had some places I needed to go, but I sat home, waiting for them.  At 4:30, I even sent an email saying, hey, if you're on your way, please call/text/email, so I can make sure to stay home for you (cause I was set to leave at 5ish).  I still don't have an email or any contact from them.  Now, I understand that people are busy, animals aren't everyone's #1 priority.  However... how long would it take to send out an email, call, text, whatever, saying, hey, I can't make it? 

Especially cause I tend to put off vacuuming unless I have people over.  The reason being, the poos fall on the floor, 5 minutes later, the floor is covered again.  If people are coming, I vacuum.  If they're not, I vacuum about twice a week.  If you don't show up, now I've spent time vacuuming that could have been spent doing something else.  Same goes with cleaning up.  The people who've been here volunteering know what a disaster the rescue turns into when we pull out shavings to clean cages, or toy parts to make toys, or the hidey houses and the glue and try to get those all put together.  Everything gets put everywhere.  I've tried to better contain that lately, by setting up another table and using that for the projects, but that doesn't always help, depending on how much stuff is down there.  Well, if people are coming, again, I try to make it look neat and presentable.  Which is fine, I prefer it neat.  But... if they don't show up, and I still am not done with whatever project... I have to pull it alllllllllll back out.  Again, wasting time.

....and this could all be solved by simply contacting me and letting me know that they can't make it.  But that seems super difficult for a lot of people....

Guinea pig cage

Ok, so going to end the day on a happy note.  Finally moved the female piggies over to their portion of the FN.   I will be selling my Midwest guinea pig habitat once it's cleaned.

Old gp cage:

New gp cage:

Really, I like the first cage better, and its 2' x 4' (versus the FN being 2' x 3') but I just won't have the room once I move for a ton of cages that aren't stackable.  And this will take less time to clean...

So far, I only put the wood pan extenders on three sides (not the front), but we'll see how much bedding makes its way out of the cage.  They may end up with a front one too. 

Things breaking in the mail

Now... I'd like to think I package things well.  And I understand when things break, people want a new one.  But sometimes I think people think this is Walmart and if it breaks, they want a whole new one.... heaven forbid they pull out a little glue.


I ship out over 100 hidey houses, motorhomes, and mobiles combined over a year's time, and maybe 10 break.  7 of those people will email, say it broke, and sometimes send a picture and will ask what they can use to re-glue.  And I'll tell them and they will re-glue themselves, no problem.  Maybe 1 of the remaining three sends a picture and it's broken so badly that it can't be fixed, I'll send another or issue a refund, whichever they prefer.  But the remaining two.... I'm sure I'm going to sound like an absolute bitch here, but.... they won't glue the damn things back together and want a full refund when the fix is minor.  A roof came off a hidey house.  Super difficult to glue back on, I know.  *rolls eyes*  I can see if the whole thing came apart, as I collapse houses trying to glue them together and get rubberbands on them to let them set... I collapse them myself all the time.  That's not easy.  But a roof?  Come on.  I currently sent out a motorhome, and the roof and the front panel (with headlights) came off.  Easiest pieces to glue back on as they don't support anything and there's no trying to line them up perfectly.  The roof goes on top, the panel goes in the front.  I tell them, they can just glue those on, use elmer's glue.  Nope, they want a full refund.  Really?  

Don't get me wrong, I will give a refund if wanted.  I don't argue about it, someone says something happened, I will give a refund (though I do appreciate pictures, in the event you're asking for a lot of money refunded).  And I've had some things sent out that are damaged so badly they definitely warrant a refund.  But when two pieces come off your item and you don't care to glue it?  That just irks me.  Because you would have the exact item you ordered if you'd glue the thing.  But no.

Also should note -- these are handmade wood items.  They are made with glue.  You know why they're made with glue?  Because the animal community frowns deeply upon the use of screws or nails.  Which I can understand, you all don't want your animals munching on metal, but then I feel like people have to understand, it's not superglue used to hold these things together.  It's simple white elmer's glue, and that stuff isn't super glue.  It's strong, but it's not strong enough to withstand the mailmen playing basketball with the box.  

And the other thing -- I'm fine with paying return shipping... but it seems no matter how much I stress to people to ship things out the slowest, cheapest way, I tend to get ALL refunds sent back either priority mail or even once, overnighted!  It is NOT worth paying $40 for me to get something back the next day.  Heck, the motorhome itself is only $32!!  I don't know if some of these people are sitting back laughing because I told em ship it cheap and they just cost me $40 to get a broken motorhome back, but people really do this to me, and I'm getting tired of it.  Keep in mind, if you order something and it breaks, and you want to ship it back to me, now, in addition to whatever it cost me to make the item, now I've just downed another $15-20 into it (for a motorhome, for example, which are expensive to ship, as they're large and heavy.... not to mention, a lot of times, people pack them crappily, and they arrive at my place broken even further than when the person received them).  It's only selling for $32, and if I spend $20 to get it back, and then have to fix it... well, it takes forever to build one anyway, which is why its $32.... now I'm only making $12 (and, it took me additional time to fix it, if I even can...).  I understand even standard post is expensive, but I don't need it priority or overnighted.  Cheapest possible, please.  I'm not in a rush and super excited to receive broken pieces of wood in the mail.  It can wait a few days.

Tag-along to the last post

So, this goes along with my last blog post, so read that one first so this one will make sense.

The person who wanted me to throw in a cage and food emailed me back, saying "How much for a cage and food? What is the bottom price for them? I truly want them but can't afford them a cage and food."

My response:

We sell food at $1.25 per pound, and our cages start at $75.  Both are cheaper than getting the stuff at the pet store.  The chins are currently on sale -- the price you saw of $113 is their sale price, they're normally $150.  $113 is cheap for two chins, especially with one being white, considering the pet stores charge $150 just for one chin.  

If you can't afford them, a cage, and food (and that's not all you'd need to keep them healthy and happy), you wouldn't be able to afford vet care if they needed it -- if they needed to go to the vet for some reason, vet bills are typically $150+.  I would suggest looking into a cheaper pet.  

Cause here's the thing.  Just a cage, food, and two chins is not going to cut it.  And a $75 cage probably isn't going to be one big enough for two chins.  But let's not forget, they also need hay, chew toys, water bottle, food dish.... none of these are huge expenses, but they do add up, especially for people who are barely scrounging by as it is.

Don't get me wrong, people can have the best intentions.  But I won't adopt out chins to someone who said they can't afford the chins and the cage, cause if they can't do that, that's the least of it.  I mean, our chins are adopted out healthy, but who's to say one won't develop a respiratory infection next month?  If it does, well, let me put it this way -- I've never left the vet for under $150.  Need meds?  That's extra.  Extra syringes?  That's extra.  Need to handfeed for some reason?  Critical care is EXPENSIVE.  If $113 is going to break the bank, you can definitely not afford two chins.  

...and really, "what is the bottom price for them?"  Really?  It's not about the money, I'm not concerned with making a certain amount per chin, but I am concerned when people think that $113 is too much, because then I wonder what they'd say if something happened to the chin and they had to face a several hundred dollar vet bill.  Cause here's the thing -- a lot of people that think $100 is too much for a pet also don't think that pet is worth vet care.  Those people are often the ones who call me and say that the chin has a broken leg and has had it for a week, but they don't want to pay to take it to the vet.  Want to know the reason?  Cause they only paid $30 for the chin and don't want to spend hundreds at the vet, when they could get another chin for another $30.  People are really like this, I deal with them all the time.  

Now, don't get me wrong, there are some people who aren't well off who take their pets to the vet if needed and care for them well.  But they're not the majority.

And, going back to the broken leg example -- you might be surprised how many of these people want me to take it to the vet, pay for the vet care, hang onto the animal until it's healed up, and then when it's better and I've spent time and bouceau bucks to fix their animal, they want me to return the animal to them.  Oooooh no.  The only way I'm paying for vet care for an animal is if the animal is surrendered to the rescue.  

Few things

So, it's been busy lately.

For all who didn't catch on, the house fell through.  The bills were 3x higher than what I'd budgeted for, and unless my boss gives me a pay raise, which isn't likely, I couldn't afford to live there.  So, the house hunt starts again.

... some people caught on due to the fact that, on the website, the "moving sale" changed to simply a "sale."

I can't say I'm happy about that, but it is what it is.  Unless, of course, someone wants to donate a few thousand to the rescue and then I can move in... haha.

Moving along... I get emails and calls daily about chins.  If I put a chin on hold for every call/email I received, they'd all be on hold and 90% would never go home.  And here's why -- out of every 10 people who contact me, I return their phone call/email, and hear back from maybe 2.  So, I don't put an animal on hold until either I receive a completed adoption form or unless we have a date and time set for someone to come over.

This can create problems.  For example, Person 1 calls Monday about Animal X and I call them back and leave a message, and they don't call back, and 3 days pass.  Do they want the animal?  I don't know.  So, Person 2 emails, with an adoption form attached to the email, says they want Animal X.  I email them back, they respond quickly, and Animal X goes on hold for Person 2.  Then, Person 1 calls and is upset that Animal X is not on hold for them.  Now, let's note, I've never actually talked to Person 1, I do not have an adoption form from Person 1, and so on.

Now, I used to do it where for every person who emailed/called, the animal would go on hold for them for 7 days, and they'd have that long to get back to me.  But not anymore, because, as noted, only 20% of people get back to me, so 80% of those animals would be on hold needlessly.  I still do this 7 day hold for someone who I've been in contact with several times, who then vanishes, but if I've never talked to you or never received something from you, then it doesn't apply.

...and by the way, offering more money for chins that are on hold for someone else doesn't work.  You know why?  Because it's not all about the money.  Even if the rescue was broke, it'd be more important to find a good home than to find the home that can pay more for the chins.  If the good home came along already, well, people can wait around for the next chin that's available that meets their criteria.

Moving along again.... I hate emails that say things like (and I quote) "willing to buy them if u provide the cage & bedding."  Um, no.  This is a rescue.  We provide what we provide, which is the following:

--single chin -- baggie (roughly 2 pounds) food, goodie bag, care packet
--pair chins -- 4 pounds food, 2 goodie bags, care packet
--trio chins -- 6 pounds food, 3 goodie bags, care packet
--baby chin -- baggie (roughly 2 pounds) food, kit goodie bag, hanging chew toy, care packet
--rabbit -- 4 pounds food, 2 cardboard bagels, care packet
--guinea pig -- 2 pounds food, 2 cardboard bagels, care packet
--rat -- bag of lab blocks (roughly 1 pound), bag of dry cereal mix, care packet

....and that's it.  If the animal came in with something that the other said they wanted to go with the animal, then they may come with something else.  I've had chins dropped off with their cages, and the other said, send the cage with them.  Or send the wheel with them.  Or whatever the case may be -- then those animals come with "their stuff."  But, that's not most animals.  Most animals just come with what's listed above.  In case anyone wonders why those particular amounts?  The average chin eats 2 pounds per month.  The average large rabbit can eat 4 pounds a month.  A rat could probably go a month on a pound or two of lab blocks.  So, the idea to give those amounts is so people have a month to go get more, assuming they are not purchasing more from the rescue (some people do, some do not).

But when people say that they'll buy them if I provide this and that... to me, that's like saying, "how bad do you want them gone?  If you want them gone badly enough, throw in this and that and I'll take them."  Um, no.  Let's note that people like that almost never end up adopting.  Because they want to buy everything packaged up in a neat little bow for $50.  And that's fine -- they just need to look on craigslist for the people who are selling chin, with cage, with everything, and call up that person.  Sure, those chins often look like they've never had a dust bath, and often the cages are caked with built up feces, but come on, that's why it's $50 for everything!  There's a reason the chins here are more money and the cages are more money.  The chins stay here for a month to be sure they're doing well, healthy, eating, all that.  If they're not, they stay here until they get better, they don't get adopted out ill, unless it's something that cannot be fixed but is not life threatening (like, for example, a rat we recently adopted out with teeth issues [need clipped every few weeks - under $15 at a vet, could be done at home] and weakness in her legs -- not specifically unhealthy, just older and needing a more special adoptive home.  So, after having kept a chin here for 30+ days, fed it, dusted it, cared for it that time, it's going to cost more than $20.  Same with the cages.  I wish you all could see the cages I get in with animals.  Usually the whole base is caked in either feces or just unrecognizable grime.  I end up taking a metal putty knife, scraping up what I can, and pouring in vinegar and letting it sit.  And after it's sat for awhile, I scrub it.  Then pour in more, let it sit for awhile, scrub it.  And rinse and repeat over and over until the grime comes off.  Some of these cages take days to clean.  I have one cage right now, where I have had the base on the floor for the past week, letting it soak, scrubbing it, letting it soak more, scrubbing it more, and so on and so forth.  It can take forever to get everything off.  And that's just the base, the top part (wire) has to be scrubbed and washed, as well as any plastic shelves (if it's a non-chin cage), and any wooden parts need to be scrubbed, sanitized, and sanded down.  So, the cages aren't $10, because many have hours worth of my time put into them.  Hence, I can't throw in a cage that I'd otherwise ask $150 for, with two chins.

I get people wanting everything at once, one nice little package.  And I can do that, you tell me you want chins, cage, water bottle, food bowl, toys, I will come up with a nice package for you.... but not for the price of the chins themselves, will I throw in all this other stuff.  Sorry, just not how it works.