As we prepare to drive down to Austin for the ASPCA’s Wag-n-Walk, we have a lot to think about. Spunky as well as the snake are coming with us but all the rest of the animals are staying here with my mother and sister. This means that we have to consider what needs to be done for all of the kids. It can be overwhelming but it is something that absolutely needs to be done. You may think that leaving animals with someone means that everything is taken care of right there but that isn’t true. Before you leave, you need to think about any possible problems that may occur and plan for them ahead of time. Since I am a list person, I sat down and wrote a To-Do lis and a packing list. Those lists were filled with animal related tasks and items. For instance, today I went around and changed all the cat litters as well as added 2 more. That makes for a total of 5 litter boxes. This is because my mom and sister cannot keep up with all of our cats as well as we could if we were here. This way each litter box will last longer and with minimal cleaning everything should be fine for the week or so we’ll be gone. There is also concern over our kitten Merlin because he likes to bolt the door. As well as putting a note on the door to remind everyone to look for him before they open the door, there is also a laser pointer strategically placed by the door in case he does get out. By the way, that was a genius idea that Nikki came up with last night when he escaped on us. She ran off, grabbed the laser pointer and we guided that young man right back inside. Anyway, another task on my little check list is to put the bettas away in a cabinet so that there’s no chance of the cats getting them while they’re gone (trust me, taping the tops on can’t even guarantee that). All of the little ones cages have also been cleaned and we know that there is enough food to last however long we might be gone. As for the packing list, there are always items for Spunky and whatever other animals might be traveling with us. Always remember to pack food, water and bowls for your animals. Even if it’s a short trip or you know you can borrow food from someone at your destination, you should still travel with a small bag of a few feedings worth. All of this is just in case but as with everything else, it’s better to be safe than sorry. And in case you’re wondering why a snake is going this road trip with us it is because she will be staying with someone in Austin until we move down there in a few months. She will be able to have a better set-up there because here we have a lack of space and also don’t want to buy a terrarium here since it is liable to break in the move. Anyway, that’s the reason – we don’t just randomly haul snakes around in a car for fun. ^_-

So yes, if all goes according to plan then we will be walking to raise awareness of animal welfare as well as money to support the ASPCA on Saturday morning. Spunky is looking forward to networking with the Austin pups and to looking snazzy in his bright orange bandana. I’ll hopefully be able to twitter about it as it occurs and there may even be some twitpics of the event to be sure and tune in to @RescueAnimals. If anyone else is participating, it’d be great to hear from you! There will also be a walk in Los Angeles on April 25th so if you’re in that area then look into it! It’s such a great cause! Anyway, I’m off to get ready. Everyone remember to Go Orange for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month!