Big, lumpy feline Mildred, now known as Daisy, is doing well. I talked with her new person the other day, and Daisy seems to have landed in cat heaven.

“All our friends and relatives just love her, and she loves them, she said.

I have to admit when I saw the phone number come up on caller ID, I was terrified that “Mildred” had done something awful and was being returned to me. I didn’t want to have to tell the other cats in sunroom that queen Mildred was coming back. Dodged that bullet.

The little terrified puppy we pulled out in January, Sadie, now known as Happy, is just that —HAPPY. She now weighs about 40 pounds, and this little wild woman gets to live on a farm where she can run herself to death and get rid of all that excess energy so she’s not obnoxious. Her new person adores her.

Sweetie, the prison greyhound, got a great home with a young woman and her fiancé. Sweetie needed an understanding and patient person, and she’s gotten that with Megan.

Generator, the other prison greyhound, has a good chance at getting a forever home this week. Keep your fingers crossed.

All the shelter cats in the sunroom are doing well. Finally. We’ve gotten over the spewing diarrhea and flying snot, which is a real plus for me and my obsessive cleaning compulsion. Couple of the little guys still get the sniffles now and then, but it seems to be happening less and less. They’re happy and hardy.

No one has escaped lately. Not for lack of trying though. I think I’m just getting a bit smarter and quicker. And I have a squirt gun. Now Lucy and Princess (the only two chronic escapees) are putting their two little nasty feline heads together on how to get the gun away from me.  

I think they hid it the other day — but I found it under the cat tower.

It’s been interesting for me to see all the different personalities of the shelter cats in the sunroom start to come out as they heal and feel safe. No two are alike. I’m always amazed at how resilient animals are — and trusting. I remembered back in January when I helped Dr. Claudia vaccinate the cats; I held them, and she stuck them. None of these cats knew me — and during that whole day, not one of them bit or scratched me. It was as if they knew we were trying to help them. Or maybe they knew a sucker when they saw one since a good number of them ended up in my sunroom.

So once again, if you want to adopt a sunroom cat, call (765) 278-9435 or e-mail to maleahstringer@aol.com. If you can’t adopt but want to help fund this project, send a donation to: Animal Protection League, P.O. Box 2242, Anderson IN 46018. They go through litter like water.

Remember to keep your animals safe and inside this Fourth of July weekend.

And please don’t take your animals to see the fireworks. Really, they don't like it. Many people have lost their terrified animals during these festivities. If you have outside animals, bring them inside. And don’t let anyone terrorize animals with fireworks. It’s not funny or humane. If you see anyone doing so, call the police or the sheriff.

Maleah Stringer, president of the Animal Protection League, is an animal massage therapist specializing in esoteric healing. She can be reached at maleahstringer@aol.com.