A day in the life... with 17 pets.

If you're new to my blog first of all welcome and thank you for checking it out. I'm Renee and I have seventeen pets. I'm very passionate about rescuing animals especially those most people don't think of when they think of shelter pets, such as mice and turtles. I have four dogs: Wookiee, Luna, Pepper and Kiko. Two cats: Primrose and Persephone. Four turtles: Milly, shelly, Yertle and Ninja Five birds: Blueberry, Kiwi, sherbert, Cocoa and Java. And finally my newest rescues my two fancy mice Chunk and stubby. Having this many pets is a lot of work and responsibility, but also very rewarding. Here's a day in the life with my many rescued pets.

• 5am- wake up to slobbery puppy kisses
• 5:05am- Take dogs out to go potty
• 5:10am- feed and water crew, start coffee pot
• 6am-6:30 eat breakfast,wash breakfast dishes, scrub food and water dishes
• 6:30-7am spend time with birds, free flight time
• 7am-7:30/8am walk dogs
• 8am work online
• 9am housework, clean cat litter, clean yard and water garden
• 10am change paper in bird cages and bedding in mouse cage, more online work
• 11am- lunch for me, play fetch with dogs
• 12 work, housework
• 1-3pm everyone is napping while I do paid and housework
• 3pm feed and water, scrub dishes
• 4pm start preparing dinner for the humans
• 4:30pm set up maze for mice to play in, free flight for birds
• 5pm dinner for humans
• 6pm maybe another walk or playing fetch
• 7pm start setting up for bedtime, cover bird cages
• 8pm potty before bed
• 9-10pm self care routine, snuggle with pets, bedtime

Weekly/monthly/yearly tasks: Full cage clean, grooming, flea and tick meds, check ups, dental cleanings etc. 

This is just to give you and idea of our routine and the kind of work it takes to care for so many animals. It isn't set in stone. I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about my large family. 

Persephone the hiking cat

A few years ago I went to the shelter "just to look." (Famous last words for animal lovers and those like me who do rescue.) When I arrived I looked around. There were a lot of people there looking at the many kittens up for adoption. I thought I might like to adopt a kitten as well. As I looked around I felt a sudden tug on my shirt sleeve. I looked down to see a little paw grabbing my arm through the bars of her cage. I immediately asked the shelter staff if I could hold this cat. She was a beautiful multi-colored tortoiseshell with piercing yellow eyes. When the staff member put her in my arms she started kneading me and purring tight away. I knew then that I had to make her part of our family. When I had to put her back in the kennel to fill out the paperwork she dug her claws into my tshirt and didn't want to let go. I had a feeling this kitty was going to be very special. Frail and skinny she seemed like a very calm cat when I first took her home.

When she met the dogs she wasn't afraid at all she bopped them on the nose and let them know she was the new boss around the house. After a bit of recovery I came to realize she was actually very high energy. Every time I leashed up the dogs for an adventure she would stand at the door and cry and try to follow us. I had heard of people walking cats on leashes, but hadn't tried much myself. The thought of taking a cat hiking or camping seemed crazy. I decided to give it a try and she loved it! There was no looking back for this former feral. Persephone went from homeless to avid hiker and we couldn't be happier that she found her way to our family.

Ironhorse Trailhead

Ironhorse Trailhead in Valencia, California is a bike trail that allows on leash dogs. It crosses a bridge and meets up with another trail that runs along a creek bed. It's a popular trail that has nice views and is a great place for walking dogs. It's an easy trail for beginners. If you're in the area and want to check it out it's located at 25331 Magic Mountain Pkwy. You can learn more here.

Absolute best dog friendly hikes in Los Angeles County

Easy DIY Windowsill Garden

Antelope Valley Native American Museum

The Antelope Valley Native American Museum is a hidden gem in the desert. It's deceptively small on the outside, but once inside you will have plenty of educational displays to browse through. Don't miss out on climbing up a staircase built right into the rocks for more exhibits on the top floor of the museum. The authentic feel comes from turning a historical home into a museum so everyone can enjoy learning about this important piece of California history. I visited on a day when the rain was pelting down hard, but the docent said there are hiking trails open to visitors on the property as well. Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed but this is one trip that is well worth leaving the pups at home for. 

Learn more here

Placerita Nature Center

If you enjoy both history and hiking then I highly recommend you make a stop at Placerita Nature Center in Newhall, California. Nestled among the lush landscapes lies a hidden waterfall when the season is right. Add in historical homes, educational displays, a butterfly garden with fish and frogs and a tree from local legend and it adds up to a great place to spend a hour or two wandering with your pups. Besides the numerous hiking trails there are several displays on paved paths that are easily accessible. If you're in the area you won't be disappointed in making the trip here.

If you would like more information you can check out the official site click here. You can purchase some of my nature photography here.

Charlie Brown Farms

Charlie Brown Farms is an underrated spot in Littlerock, California in the Antelope Valley. It's a large and unique store that I could spend hours wandering around. You can go back time and again and still discover new things. They have every kind of gift and unique item for that hard to shop for person. Chocolate, jewelry, local honey, a bbq restaurant, garden decor. Here's just a glimpse of the things you can find there:

If you would like to learn more please click here to visit thewebsite.

About me

For my first post I thought I'd give a little introduction. My name is Renee and I'm a native of California. I've lived in the desert my whole life. I love to travel, take nature photography, spend time with my pets and find unique sites to visit in and around California. I am passionate about rescue work and have many adopted pets. I try to find as many pet friendly travel locales as I can. I enjoy hiking and camping. I also love to garden. I don't have a large property or acres of land,so I do my best to homestead where I am. I'm very big on window gardens and container gardening. I live with my husband and many rescue pets and work part time at a non-profit.