A day in the life of... or, how I fit it all in

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Posted by bexley on January 01, 2003 at 17:50:04:

In Reply to: Mr. D (and other rescuers...) posted by Solaris16 on January 01, 2003 at 12:40:17:

6am - alarm goes off. This does not mean get up, this means all dogs hop on bed for half hour to 45 min cuddle and special attention.

6:45 - get up, let dogs out, medicate and feed cat
7:00 - have made it to the bathroom myself, grabbed a lizard, head upstairs with lizard on shoulder to make breakfast for them
7:15 - food for lizards, hit the shower
7:45 - grab the other lizard, clean up cat dishes, feed the dogs on the deck, start making my own breakfast (with lizard installed on the cat tree)
8:15 - I've eaten, grab lizard thats out somewhere in the area of the cat tree, let the dogs in, put lizard back in cage. If the weathers nice, dogs get a hug, then back outside, otherwise they're in for the morning
8:25 - head to work
lunch time - if I'm not out on a call, come home, bring dogs in, medicate cat, hug dogs, scratch lizards, clean out lizard cages and remove remains of breakfast. If there's time, someone might get a bath
1:00'ish - back to work
4:30 - home, let dogs in, feed cat (medicate if I wasn't home at noon), grab a lizard, make lizards dinners.
5:00 - lizards fed, head out for a walk and/or training session with the dogs
6:00 - back home, dogs get fed, my dinner gets started, I get to sit and play with the cat
7:00 - I either head off to a class with a dog, or I get to watch TV or read or clean. I always try to have a reptile on me or around if I'm doing these things to get some more one on one time in. I also use the evenings to brush up on little things with the dogs, like tricks, and catch up on housework and laundry
10:00 - medicate cat, all lizards back in respective cages, dogs out for a pee and back in, and I get to go to bed! Half an hour minimum snuggle time with the dogs and more often than not the cat as well ( I have a queen size bed and quite frankly, I'm again running out of room )

Most days, I spend at least an hour with each reptile, the dogs absolutely get at least an hours walk/run every day, and the cat gets medicated 3x/day. All animals are fed twice a day. My dogs train and compete in formal obedience, agility and flyball, as well as sheep herding. Most weeks, I do each of these for at least an hour with each dog. I rarely go for 15 minutes without being in direct contact with one animal or another from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. It just becomes part of life, and I wouldn't change it. I just don't feel right reading without a cat, or a dog, or a lizard in my lap, or watching TV without grooming a dog or cat, or playing with a lizard.

There's times I'll have up to 6 dogs in my house, as well as assorted other creatures. I always find the time to fit them all in and give them individual attention, its something you just have to manage to do if you really want to get into rescues or large numbers of pets. Having everyone well behaved is most of the battle, as well as a routine. It works :)

:Hi Guys!

:First off, I applaude your efforts in taking all these homeless little lizards in! I hope I can do the same one day!!

:I was just wondering HOW do you manage it?! How do you spend time with each lizard every day? I spend about 4 hours a day with Myka, and she loves every second of it! Do you not worry so much about their emotional needs as you do their physical ones? Just curious as to what you all do :) Thanks! Wendy :)

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