As the former owner said her emotional goodbyes, Shirley and I shared her tears. Having just said goodbye to my 15 year old cat, I understood the difficult decision that had to be made. I think a few of my tears were for my Grey Cat.
We put Timmy, Deena and CoCo in Sady's barn (named in her honor) and gave them some space to check out their new accommodations. As they moved around the barn it was as if they were one donkey with twelve tiny legs. Timid but curious, as all donkeys are.
Not too many moments later, we noticed first Jose and then Jack peering through the back gate at our new friends. It was so good to see one of the new donkeys (I think it was Timmy) go to the gate and put nose to nose with Jose - a donkey hello.
That afternoon we kept an eye on them but did not attempt to interact as we didn't want to cause them further stress. The trip and introduction to their new home was enough for one day.
Timmy is 28 years old and is Deena's father. Deena is 14 and their friend Coco is 13 years old. They are all minis. Father and daughter are grey-brown and CoCo is light chocolate in colour. They have beautiful fuzzy winter coats and are so cute!
Our vet visited yesterday and was quite distressed that all three are extremely overweight. If they were human we would say they are morbidly obese. All three have been put on special diets to bring their weight down and will get regular walks to keep them active. They also will need dental work - expensive but necessary. On the weekend we will be taking some measurements to estimate their weight and also to have reference weights as they progress.
We took them for a walk today. Now that was an experience not to be soon forgotten. They did NOT walk in tandem at all. They were all over the place. I think Shirley and I got more exercise than they did.
As they settle in, they are becoming more sociable although we notice that Deena and CoCo tend to follow Timmy's lead. They still move as a unit most of the time except when you want them to (see above). We aren't sure if this is a reaction to the move or if this is the way they have always been.
They do like scratches and ear rubs and have been responding well to grooming. Did I mention how cute they are? The vet has given us the go ahead to integrate them into the mini herd now that they have had their shots.
We will continue to spend lots of time with them and will closely monitor their activities to make sure they are getting the proper nutrition and exercise.
Be sure to look for Timmy, Deena and CoCo when you visit the Refuge this summer. I wonder if they will continue to travel side-by-side as a unit. Don't you?
Visit our website www.turtlevalleydonkeyrefuge.com to stay current on our upcoming events and news. If you wish help us care for the donkeys, please go to the website and click on DONATE NOW. Thank you for your support.
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