It’s that time again for a monthly segment of our long-term residents. A long-term resident is someone who has been here at least thirty days or longer, and I try to narrow it down to some who have been here even longer. Last month we featured Dutch, and I have some good news. Dutch has found his forever home this past weekend. He’ll have his best friend Stew with him, and they have two acres to play on! Without further ado, please welcome August’s long-termers; Buster and Nugget!
This is Buster, and he is a three-year-old Australian Cattle dog mix. Buster came here in January from Louisiana SPCA, as they were running out of room. The SPCA is really good about providing medical treatments and vaccines before animals are transferred and Buster was one of those animals that had everything ready! When he had his behavior assessment done, we noticed he was very food motivated, and very eager about treats. He needed to work on impulse control because he would jump and try to latch onto your hand for those treats.
What was holding Buster back was his impulse control. He was a moderate puller on walks, but he is a very playful boy. He’s very confident and does seek out attention, but will happily play by himself as well. He gives affection with an open mouth, but not mouthy behavior necessarily. Once he was taught restraint, he did not fight it as much. Buster met a medium sized dog and was very excited at first, but went on to do his own thing. Our behavior team found that what he really needs work on is his energy.
“Must meet all family members, including dogs, before going home. He is a high energy guy and will need an active household that will give him plenty of mental stimulation and exercise. If left to get bored he may be destructive, so actually training him how to use his crate will be important. Recommend no kids under 5 due to his energy, strength and herding instincts.” Our behavior team member Taya put these notes in so volunteers could properly work with Buster.
He was then placed in our Waif Runners program, which is a wonderful group of volunteers who take our energetic dogs out for runs and see how they do. Buster was a little crazy at first, but he turned into an excellent running dog, and it helped him learn impulse control. In April, Buster got adopted, but was returned a few days later because he went after the cats in the home. Our Behavior Team member Ben put him on a cat restriction.
“NO CATS – Buster was returned for going after cats in the home. Buster is House Trained. He knows Sit, Down, and Come. He is motivated by Food and Toys. Buster is a higher-energy dog and would benefit from Basic Obedience, Mentally Stimulating Games, and Agility/Extra Exercise. Potential adopters should be prepared to provide Buster with the outlets he will need to be happy in the home.” Buster also had a couple of bite holds, mostly from getting overstimulated and not knowing what to redirect on.
What seems to be holding him back is his energy and impulse control issues. Personally, I think he’s a really sweet boy who needs constant reminders and training that it’s okay to just relax. He’ll be a great walking/running partner for someone. He must meet kids and dogs before going home. He is a very active boy and will need an equally active home where he will get regular exercise and play time. He can be mouthy and excitable so will need a home with no kids five and under, and recommend no kids under ten. He is a rough player with other dogs, and will need dog friends that will either tolerate his play or give appropriate corrections. He needs a home with no cats, he was returned for terrorizing the cats in the home. He is smart and eager to learn new things. He will benefit from basic obedience training as well as mentally stimulating games to keep his mind pre-occupied. His previous owners said that he is house trained. He is food and toy motivated, and knows sit, down and come. He is strong and chokes himself when walking, so will need to go home on an easy walk harness. He has a tendency to be independent, so adopters will need to be dog savvy and have some basic understanding of the Cattle Dog breed.
Will you take a chance on this sweet boy? I’ll let him tell you a little bit about himself as well.
**I’m eligible for a Slumber Paw-ty! Please see “Slumber Paw-ty Program” page under the “Adopt” tab for more details. Thanks!**
“Hi, I’m Buster! I’m an adorable, Australian Cattle dog mix who’s looking for my fur-ever home. My last shelter brought me here when they ran out of space for me so that I would have a chance to find my peeps. I’m so excited to fall in love and spend the rest of my life with those people. Maybe it’s you! I’m a friendly guy who will do well in a home with children over 5 or other furry friends and would love to meet the family before heading home! I’ll do awesome in an active household because I don’t like to be bored. We’ll have so much fun playing together, though! I also like to get my energy out by taking long walks and do pretty well on my leash. I’m also a good running partner. I’m a confident guy who loves attention, but I don’t mind playing by myself sometimes, too. I’m very affectionate and will make sure you know just how much I love being yours. I hope you’ll come by soon so I can show you all I have to offer!”
You can watch his video here.
This is Nugget, a one-year-old male tuxedo cat. Nugget came from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa back in April because they were running out of space. Once again, this animal rescue organization did treatments, tests, and vaccines for Nugget so he would be ready to go when he gets to Wayside. He was quickly adopted out within the next week, but was returned because of litter box issues. The cat in his previous home was antagonizing him, and the adopter believe he was missing the box out of fear of upsetting the resident cat.
Since he had been returned, Nugget exhibited the same stress he did in the home. He started having bathroom issues due to being stressed from the resident cat and then being back in the shelter. He was put on medication to hopefully help his bowel movements, and it still persisted. He went back to using his litter box, but the stress went on to cause more issues. During all this time, volunteers were socializing with him to help appease his anxiety.
“Nugget is super affectionate! He loves head, cheek and chest scratching. He just melts into a head scratch. He doesn’t like petting from halfway down his body however. Pleanty of eye contact and some blinking, not a lot. He enjoyed the fluffy wand and only got an attitude when I was leaving. Put a large towel o the floor in the Felineality room. Nugget never left my side and didn’t get off the towel. Enjoyed petting, sitting on my lap. Had lots of fun with the wand. Ate treats from my hand. Think he really enjoyed the time out of his kennel. Wanted attention. Head butted and rubbed. Very sweet and like to talk.” Volunteer Marilyn Ray provided great notes that help out the staff.
When mid-June rolled around, Nugget was sent to foster in Maura Landers’ home. Maura has fostered some of our toughest and most heartbreaking cases, so she was the perfect foster mom for Nugget. He was put on a special grain-free food that helped out his bathroom issues immensely. He started using the litter box daily with zero accidents, and had normal looking bowel movements. What’s also great about foster homes is that they can find out great information for us about how the animal is in the home.
“If we want to be super safe, he could have a no child under 3 or 5. He is super sweet but when he plays hard, it can take him awhile to mellow out. I could go ether way on this, so it’s whatever you think is best. The best food so far is the grain-free but I have started mixing it with regular food. He is super playful, but loves to cuddle. In fact, a few times a day he requires cuddling. He will reach up your leg with his paws until you stop to pick him up. He enjoys being carried around – not something all cats enjoy. He is very talkative when he wants your attention. He is naughty about trying to steal people food, but we are working on that. 🙂 he is a busy and fun kitty!” Maura finds out the best of every cat!
Nugget is a very friendly, social cat. He solicits attention from his people, and would do best with a family that has time everyday to cuddle/pet him. He does need a home without other cats due to how much he bullies other cats, and how stressed he seems to be around other cats. He could have a few accidents in a new environment. I recommend his new adopters keep him in his own room for at least a week until he’s consistently using his litterbox before letting him out of his room. He’d likely do best in a home without kids under 5 years old, since he’s easily stressed and kids make a lot of noise.
Really, Nugget is not exposed as much on campus because he is available from foster, so people have to call our adoptions department and set up a meeting. He is a sweet boy who just gets a little stressed out at times. He is ready for that permanent forever home and he has been very patient.
I’ll let Nugget give his life story and information on how to meet him. He’s a sweet boy-don’t miss out!
**Nugget is currently staying in a foster home. If you’d like to schedule a time to meet him, please contact Wayside Adoptions at (816)986-4426. Thanks!**
“I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance, allow me to introduce myself! My name is Nugget! I am quite a gentlemanly cat, as I’m sure you can see from my headshots provided by the shelter staff and volunteers. Nature gifted me to be perfectly well dressed with a permanent tuxedo, graceful white whiskers, and sparkling green eyes. I know you’ll notice how Handsome I am right away, but I hope after reading my short biography you’ll see I’m more than just my dashing looks. I originally came to Wayside in a transfer from another organization located in Iowa. Moving so far was absolutely terrifying. Making new friends in a new city is always hard, but I quickly charmed the new staff and volunteers at Wayside. They adored my tuxedo, the way I asked to be held in their arms, and the way I cuddled in their laps when they had spare time. Unfortunately, the longer I stayed in the shelter the more stressed I became. I did my best to remain strong for my new friends, but they could tell I was not doing well in my kennel all on my own. That’s when my guardian angel came to rescue me, my wonderful foster mom! She scooped me up in her loving arms and took me to her home so I could have a much needed vacation until I find my very own home. She and my foster dad have shown me what it is to be loved, cherished, and adored, and they’ve assured me that I will find my own home soon. My foster parents say I’m a lovely kitty. They love how much I adore being held around the house, and how cuddly I am. They said my new family MUST want a cuddly cat, because I demand so many cuddles during the day. They think it’s so funny how much I love cardboard boxes, so much so that they’ve even given me my own cardboard box to snooze in when we’re all hanging out together. I enjoy playing with toys, watching the world go by outside my window in my room, and chatting with them about their days when they come home from work. There are a few things you should know though. I need a home without other cats. I love my people SO much that I simply can’t stand to share them. Don’t worry though, I’ll make sure to give you all the love you need! Also, when I’m stressed I tend to have some loose stool issues. My foster mom says this has gotten better with a grain-free food, so I’d really prefer to be fed grain free in my new home. My tummy will be very thankful for this. All in all, if you’re looking for a charming, cuddly, lap cat, I’m your guy! I really hope you enjoyed reading about me. I’m so ready to meet you. Please know that I already love you so so much. I can’t wait for the days where it’s part of my routine to snuggle on your lap, or chat with you in my cardboard box about your day at work. I can’t wait to curl up to you in bed while you watch the evening news while we close out the day. And, most of all, I can’t wait to be your very best friend. Whisker Kisses & Purrs – Nugget”
You can also view Nugget’s video here.
You can meet Buster, Nugget, and all of our wonderful waifs during our adoption hours!
- Monday: CLOSED
- Tuesday: CLOSED
- Wednesday: 12pm-8pm
- Thursday: 12pm-8pm
- Friday: 12pm-8pm
- Saturday: 10am-6pm
- Sunday: 1pm-6pm
Written by Teryn