Dear Friends of Bacon,

If Bacon was a human, he probably wouldn’t think much of Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong. Bacon loves his treats and kibble. He loves saying “good morning” to visitors. And, most of all, he loves you for loving him. What I’m getting at is that Bacon shows his appreciation in a straightforward manner. He doesn’t shower with candy hearts and chocolate or elaborate handmade Valentines. With Bacon, what you see is what you get.

The funny thing about Bacon is that you never quite know what you are going to get on any given day. Much like the recent weather in Ringoes, New Jersey, Bacon’s mood this month has been warm one day and cold the next. His mood swings seem oddly unrelated to whether or not he is having more or less frequent seizures. He certainly knows how to keep the staff on their toes (and I mean that quite literally).

There are days when Bacon greets his human friends with excited chirps, but there are also days when his agitation is too great to keep hidden. On a recent afternoon, our Volunteer Director opened Bacon’s daytime crate and reported that he was highly agitated and overstimulated. He was calm for his evening feeding but was very aggressive again in the morning. The staff member who was setting up his crate for the day had to tiptoe around him and half climb the cat tree to avoid his biting lunges.

Most days, Bacon seems to enjoy his evenings out in the office, while Marcia seems content with her evening crating ritual and daytime freedom. [Doesn’t Marcia look content in the photo above?] While the slight change to the room rotation was intended to offer Bacon greater stimulation, his unpredictable behavior is a clear reminder that there is a delicate balance when it comes to regulating Bacon.

It is thanks to you that Bacon can embrace each day in the way that works best for him, without the need for pink and red ovations.

Your Guest Correspondent,
Lisa