Zuzu (Queenie) update

What a happy update!  I do love all my fosters, but Zuzu really warmed my heart in a way that most of the other dogs don't.  And she wasn't even with me all that long!  But I was so happy to hear from her mom yesterday.  She is doing so well and has really transitioned into a little princess.  Her mom also happened to see my blog yesterday about dogs getting along with cats, and she wanted to share her experience with me.  For this I am so grateful.  I can tell potential adopters to just give it time until I'm blue in the face, but I think having someone who adopted explain their story just works so much better.  So here the update and Zuzu's story about getting along with cats:

A little update on Zuzu (Queenie): She has been a joy to have around and she is now officially spoiled. She even has her own stylist at Petco, who always makes room in his schedule for her because he says she's so much fun to groom. 

Winter was a challenge for our little Southern Belle because it took her a while to get used to cold-weather Wisconsin. I bought a ton of fancy sweaters, but she wouldn't wear any of them. Finally, my stepmother hand-knit two sweaters for her -- and those Zuzu loved. Seems she prefers her clothes custom-made. ;)

On another note, I read on the blog that you had a foster dog returned because he didn't like the new owner's cat. I thought I would share our experience with you, in case you wanted to share this information with future owners. We have two older cats who were used to our older dog, who passed away last summer. When we brought Zuzu home, the cats didn't take too well to Zuzu's puppy-energy level. That was last August, and nine months later we are still working with Zuzu to remind her not to chase the kitties. She wants to play with the kitties, but of course they want no such thing. However, the cats have adjusted to our family's "new normal" -- they have figured out where they need to go to stay out of the dog's way. We keep them separate during the day when no one is home. And, at the recommendation of our vet, we established "Zuzu-free zones" for the kitties to retreat to when they need time to themselves. One kitty in particular stays holed up in one part of the house, so I make sure to give her special one-on-one time every day.

So, my point is this: The adjustment period takes time, sometimes a very long time. When we first brought Zuzu home, our vet advised that it could take up to a year for all the animals to learn to get along. I'm glad we took her advice, as it is paying off.

I know everyone's situation is different, but I just wanted to share our story with you.

 

And here is a picture of Princess Zuzu with her human sister:

Just look at that face!  I want to pinch her cheeks and just cuddle with her all day!