Catherine K (a.k.a. "Baby Cate") requires a home that has either a retired, semi-retired, or remote work employed pet parent. We have recently done some trial transitions "fosteer-2-adopt" with Cate's disability needs to determine her best adoptive placement. Through many tears and trials these are the things we have learned.
Because of Baby Cate's blindness and deafness, she experiences EVERYTHING with her mouth and her nose. She does nip and bite and that is an issue with small children (teenagers would most likely work out with training and knowledge). Cate becomes extremely distressed is separated from another dog and housed in a separate room at bedtime. If she knows her people are near and her fellow dog friend is near, she maintains calmness. Baby Cate will "shriek" (she doesn't always sound like a normal doggo because of her hearing impairment) to let you know she needs something, wants something, or needs to go outside.
Baby Cate will "walk" on leash now, but it is definitely at her own pace as she is experiencing the life outside of her familiar house and yard with her nose and mouth again. So she is not able at this time yet to do a "normal" doggie walk with her dog friends. She does an AMAZING job of literally racing up the stairs to go to the back door to go potty. We trailed essential oils (lavender and vanilla) to help guide her to the door to go out in the beginning and it has worked like a charm. Going downstairs is an exercise in trust. She works with her dog mom and fellow dog friends to gently go one carpeted stair at a time in unison but will not do it alone and will cry for help.
Baby Cate loves puzzles, frozen kongs, stuffable kong toys and maze feeders. Any cognitive toy she just LOVES and will work at it for a while in quiet enjoyment. She is a snuggler on the couch to watch TV once she settles down and has enjoyed sleeping in bed with her foster dog dad/mom. (You MUST be alert and not let her bail off the bed though!!)
This is a long set of descriptions, but we very much want full awareness in searching for her best-case scenario match for her needs.
