Category: Fostering

Happy happy birthday, Brian!!!!

(Around the age of 3. And for the record, his gut wasn’t REALLY that big. I believe we were telling him to push it out so he’d have a pot belly, and then we laughed and laaaaaughed.)

 

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North Alabamans, you guys seen any hummingbirds yet? I haven’t seen a single one, and this time of year we’re usually flooded with them. This has been such an odd summer. Our eggplants are just now starting to produce, and I know that we’re usually flooded with those by now, too. The jalapenos aren’t getting very big. What the hell is going on?

 

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Simon (god bless his little pointy head) is an 18-pound ginger siamese with a “delicate stomach”. He gets panicky if he catches a glimmer of the bottom of his food bowl so I always keep it topped off but it seems to me that most of his barfing is caused by gobbling his food (I think that because his vomit comes up undigested). I’m currently feeding him Purina One Sensitive Systems dry food and the occassional dry treat. I’m at my wits’ end; Simon pukes wherever he happens to be and all over whatever he happens to be sitting on. He also – lucky me – projectile vomits splattering everything. This happens four or five times a week. At 18 pounds, he’s not in danger of starving to death and this has been going on for years so I really don’t think he’s ill. Any suggestions?

From Dee:

I have a barfer too. He scarfs and then barfs. So pleasant.

One suggestion I have is to slow down the gobbling. My vet gave me 2 suggestions to create obstacles to the dry food: (1) spread out the dry food in a rectangular shallow baking dish to make it so the cat has to move around to get at the food (I tried this, but it wasn’t as effective as the second suggestion); and (2) put golf (or similar-sized) balls in the dry food dish. Depending on the size of dish, I have 3-5 golf balls in there. This latter works fairly well in my situation.

Also, I used to leave out food, but I’ve moved to giving him more frequent and smaller amounts of food throughout the day which seems to help. I invested in an autopetfeeder (like this one: http://www.robotshop.ca/8-day-autopetfeeder-5.html) that allows him to eat throughout the day in small amounts. Wet food also seems easier on his system than dry food, so if I’m home he gets that instead of dry (the wet food also is higher in protein so helps keep him slim).

Additionally, this guy’s a groomer, which means hairballs. I give him malt hairball gel regularly, and brush him a lot (I got a furminator and it’s marvellous at keeping the hair down).

All these things help me, although does not eliminate it…I still have barf a couple times a week, but it’s *so* much better – YMMV. Good luck!

The only additional suggestion I have is to put his water dish as far away from his food dish as possible, even in another room completely. I’ve read that often, a cat will eat and then drink water, which causes the food to swell and then makes them sick.

 

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Can you believe its been a year since Jake and Elwood appeared??

It’s amazing, isn’t it? I can still remember the way my stomach sank when we walked toward the side stoop and saw them there. I sure am glad we kept them, though – they provide us with entertainment every single day.

 

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When you read The Dome, did you picture any certain actors as the characters in the book? I pictured “Barbie” as Gary Sinise…I must have been influenced by The Stand. 😉 There were so many characters, I had a hard time keeping them all straight! I wonder if there’s a plan to make it into a mini-series.

Oh, I can absolutely see Gary Sinise as Barbie! I didn’t cast anyone as any characters while I was reading the book, but now I’ll probably have a hard time seeing Barbie as anyone other than Gary Sinise!

It appears that Stephen King and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to produce an Under the Dome mini-series for HBO. Whether it actually comes out remains to be seen, but I sure hope so! We watch The Stand about once a year, and it holds up pretty well.

 

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Ok. Here is the trick to not leaving your water on too long. You MUST put a kitchen timer (or any timer) in your pocket to remind you. Until I finally wised up to that, there is no telling how much water I wasted.

LOVE this idea! I usually set the reminder on the microwave, but on Saturday I didn’t because who on EARTH would forget that they had water running, right? Ugh. But with a timer in my pocket, I’ll have it with me so even if I’m not near the microwave, I’ll hear it go off!

 

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Robyn, now that you have your net book, you can actually add it to your Kindle list I think. And then you can also dowload any or all of your Kindle purchases to it, so if you DO want to read in bed you can! Without carrying along the extra device.

I did not know that – thanks for the tip!

 

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My mother used to say that the only thing worse than a husband who didn’t care how dirty the house got was one who DID care. Imagine having a fussy husband. 🙁

I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you are absolutely right. That would drive me NUTS.

 

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Robyn, you need to go to www.wimp.com and search for the recent video called, Do big cats like catnip? Tigers and jaguars and the like, all enjoying their drugs. There’s also a very funny video of two cats trying to figure out a treadmill. It’ll make you want to put yours near the exercise equipment just to see what happens.

Do Tigers Like Catnip? (Anyone who’s ever watched the big cats at the zoo know the answer to this one – they’re just big overgrown housecats… who can kill you, that is!)
Cats try to understand treadmill. I love the way the cats smack at the treadmill like it’ll make it STOP THAT SHIT.

 

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Remember back in July when someone asked for help grabbing feral kittens? Here’s an update:

Here’s a quick update on the feral Mom and babies I was lamenting about last week and got so many good ideas from you and your readers. There is just no way any of the shelters etc can take even one more kitten so here is what the Humane Society and I decided. I took Momma Marley there this morning and they are going to spay, needle, chip, worm and de-flea her for $100. The free Trap, Neuter, Return programs have such long waiting lists there was no point in doing that. So Marley is having that done probably as I type this and I will pick her up in the morning and bring her back here to the farm and her kitties.
I will have to deal with the kittens. probably in the same way, a couple at a time as they reach breeding age in a month or so and just suck up the cost I guess.

It killed me to see all those homeless animals at the shelter. sigh.

btw Robyn.. I named all Marley’s babies “M”‘s too..except for one. We have Maxi, Mittens, Muggins, Mel, Muttley, and Boots (boots is the bossy bratty one who boots his (her?) siblings out of the way if they dare try to get near the food s/he is eating. 🙂
Thank you for all the responses and helpful suggestions from yourself and your readers.

 

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I hope you noticed at the end the other videos to watch, specifically the one called Cats & Dogs love Peanut Butter, there is a cat wearing a DRESS!

I totally did notice that! I cannot for one moment ever imagine any of my cats putting up with that for a single second. Oh, the histrionics there would be. (Which of course makes me want to give it a try….)

 

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More movies y’all linked that are DEFINITELY worth checking out:

 

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Love that cat tree! Where did you find that amazing multi-hideout wonder? I bought one last year on Overstock.com that has one house, two platforms, and two little standalone sleep pads, and they all loved it so much I’m thinking of getting another one.

It’s the only scratching post our Moxie (a 2 1/2 year old tortie) can’t knock over when she leaps off it like a flying monkey.

I get all my cat trees on eBay – just search on “cat furniture” and be prepared for hours o’ browsing!

 

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I am getting a gray bar instead of the subhead under BITCHYPOO in the banner….

It should be fixed now!

 

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Re your hunters, I saw in the paper an article about a “cat bib” that’s made to prevent a large number of wildlife deaths. This blue bib is on the cats neck and if it creeps forward to pounce it seems to trip itself before the deadly strike. I haven’t tried it as Billie Jean is an inside cat.

I’m actually not bothered by the fact that the cats kill mice (though I am not fond of the fact that they bring mouse heads IN MY HOUSE), but I hate that they kill birds. That said, I don’t see myself bibbing up the cats. Maybe I’ll start with putting bells on their collars and seeing if that helps. But, you know, these freakin’ birds. They come into the back yard, which is a very small part of our property, and they start looking for bugs and such, and they’ll STOP and turn around and LOOK at the cat who’s creeping up on them… and then they just keep on lookin’ for bugs! Stupid birds.

 

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Your feed isn’t showing up in my Bloglines — is that an issue on your end or mine? Fred?

I haven’t a clue (and don’t ask Fred – he knows less about feeds than I do). I went to Bloglines and searched for Bitchypoo, and about 7 different feeds showed up, most of them last updated in June. People have had an issue with viewing my site on Bloglines several times in the past, and I don’t know what the problem is. Maybe it’ll resolve itself?

 

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Ok, when you get back, I want a profile pic of Miz Poo. She has no chin, I am convinced! 🙂 Have a great trip!

Prepare to be schooled, my friend! I present to you, Miz Poo in profile:

Now granted, she’s no Jay Leno, but there’s definitely a chin there!

 

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It will amaze you, I’m sure, to hear that in the foster room, anytime there’s a fight, there’s always one little brown and white constant in the equation.

At least Melodie got a few chomps in this time!

Dodger was minding his own business, and Martin came RACING over to bite him. Such a brat!

 

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Morning sunshine = Bookworms fightin’ time!

Corbett, looking particularly smug.

Corbett and Elwood, checking out the BIRD WING one of the cats brought inside. I don’t even want to know where the rest of the bird was.

 

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I can’t quite wrap my mind around it, but the way Spanky and Corbett are positioned it seems pretty clear that Corbett was sound asleep here, and then Spanky came up and snuggled up behind him. What WORLD am I living in???

 

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Previously
2009: There might be something wrong with me.
2008: So Fred said “Well, they can’t ALL be your favorite, and besides we agreed we wouldn’t be keeping any of them.”
2007: HAPPY BARFDAY, BRIAN!!!!
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: While your average man might have grown frightened, apparently it wasn’t the first time that morning Mike’d heard Satan’s voice howling his name.
2003: It’s kind of like a samba.
2002: I saved someone’s life this morning!
2001: Thus the reason we never get telemarketing calls.
2000: No entry.

This is Sophie. She belongs to one of my sister’s neighbors. She had a litter of kittens earlier this year, and recently went into heat, causing her owner to toss her outside in a neighborhood where at least two unfixed male cats roam. (I have no public comment on this, but I think you can imagine the comment I’d have if I did. Imagine a lot of obscenities.)

Luckily, A Paw in the Door stepped up to help with having Sophie spayed so that she won’t end up bringing any more unwanted kittens into the world.

A Paw in the Door is a non-profit, all volunteer organization that is completely supported by donations and fundraising events.

If you could spare some money, I know it would be very much appreciated. They have a paypal link on the sidebar of their web page, or if you’d rather send a check, their address is also in the sidebar. A Paw in the Door is a 501(c)(3) organization, which means your donation is tax deductible. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a lot – every little bit adds up, as y’all well know.

Just tell them Sophie sent you!

 

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Hey, it’s the 13th. As of today, I’ve lived in Alabama for 14 years!

Woohoo?

Okay, first pictures from my trip to Pennsylvania, then the answering of a few questions. I find myself amused by the fact that I was surprised to find that since comments were down for most of the week, there were no comments and thus the comment-answering extravaganza consists of maybe three comments.

 

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By the way, last year when I was in Pennsylvania, BlogHer was going on. This year, same thing. I swear we didn’t plan it that way!

 

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Pictures from NebBitchyCon 2010!

I must have taken 30 pictures from the plane. This is why I always sit by the window.

Julie is NOT sitting on the table. I just photoshopped it to look that way.

We had grilled corn (this is the corn before the grilling) and barbecued chicken. Did I get a picture of the chicken? Of course not. But DAMN it was good.

Felina and her chew. She tried to hide it in my mouth later that night.

We went grocery shopping. This place was HUGE. Neat, but overwhelming.

HOLY CRAP these things were good. I checked at the grocery store yesterday to see if they had any. Unfortunately, Publix does not have much (if any) of a Polish section. I bought some Pim’s cookies that were the same idea, but they weren’t nearly as good.

We had pizza on the grill one night. Nance was all “Come make your damn pizza!” and I was all “I’m a guest! I don’t have to make my own pizza!” Then Rick made my pizza and I was like “WHY does this not work for me at home???”

Wee baby bunny, living in the garden. I got too close to him and he ran away from me, though.

I thought they were good (I was the only one who thought so, apparently), but I should have only taken a few bites. I was in a sugar coma for the rest of the day.

Frog in the garden. Or toad. Whatever. Croaking, hoppy thing.

Waldo. He’s such a sweet boy. He cracked me up, because he LOVES Trey, and he follows Trey around, gazing at him with eyes of devotion.

Cupcakes. Nance thought they were “too floury”, but I thought they were fabulous. In fact, on the way to the airport Wednesday morning, I was kicking myself for not eating one for breakfast.

JANE! It’s the devil weed!

Felina has her own chair, with her own blanket on it, and when she’s not sitting in Shirley’s lap like a little princess, she’s curled up in her blanket.

Bridge to Canada. HI CANADA! Tuesday, we went to Niagara Falls. We left at 6 am and got back home at 1 am. It was a lonnnnng day, but fun.

Nance and Trey and the falls.

Rick and Trey and I climbed to the top of those steps. It’s not as bad as it looks.

We ate at Buzzy’s and it was really, really good. We had fried ravioli, which I have never had before, wings, and pizza.

And one last shot of Maddy.

 

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So yeah, originally we were supposed to go to Kennywood, but we started talking and I mentioned that I hadn’t been to Niagara Falls since I was very little (and to be honest, I’m not sure that I was really there – or if I was on the US side or the Canadian side, but I have a vague memory of some mist) and we decided to go there. We saw the falls, we walked around, we people-watched, shopped, ate, and people-watched some more. I sweated so much that I was kind of glad we hadn’t gone to Kennywood, because I think we would have all been flat on the ground from the heat.

We didn’t go over to Canada, because I didn’t have my passport with me, because I don’t have a passport, so don’t go offering me an all-expenses paid trip to Scotland for next week or anything.

Other than that, we stayed at the house, babbled at each other, stuffed our faces, and had a blast. We talked about doing a podcast and Nance even had Alex bring his recording equipment over, but when it came down to it, we froze and ended up not getting much. I don’t know why, but I had a harder time talking when it was just a microphone in front of me instead of the camera we used to do the video podcasts last year.

There you go – your NebBitchyCon recap for 2010!

 

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After recently reading a particularly horrific airline travel tale on a Childfree board, I’ve decided that I’ll never fly coach again. If first or business class is too expensive, I just won’t go. We always, ALWAYS get seated near screaming children and, apparently, the airlines are still doing nothing about them.

If I ruled the world, any and all unruly airline passengers would be quickly jettisoned. No one agrees with me on this, though. 🙁

I have to tell you that when I was boarding the plane from Pittsburgh to Charlotte, NC, there was this little girl who was having the meltdowns of all meltdowns. This child was screaming, and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that she screamed at the very very very top of her lungs all the way down the terminal, for the ten minutes before the flight boarded, all the way down the jetway onto the plane, and for the first 10 minutes of the flight.

I have to admit that I thought it was HILARIOUS. I felt bad for her father (he honestly was trying to get her to shut up, but when kids hit that state of meltdown, there’s little you can do), but I was impressed by her stamina and the fact that this apparently all started because she took her shoes off and couldn’t get them back on by herself.

I’m sure that if I was flying on very little sleep (like the passenger ahead of me), I wouldn’t have found it nearly as amusing, but I swear to you, I was laughing out loud at that child. I’m also sure that part of the amusement I felt was due to relief that she wasn’t my kid.

I flew with the spud a few times when she was tiny, and you know, it’s a long, boring plane ride from Maine to California and we had a few instances where I’m sure she was annoying to other passengers, however briefly, but I have one hell of a Mean Mommy face that worked pretty damn well on her.

 

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Apart from the fact that this picture makes me giggle like a fool, I also think it’s the pig equivalent of your Skimmer! photo.

I agree completely! That picture cracks me UP.

On a side note, don’t you love Lisa? She takes the most amazing pictures, I love checking out her Flickr uploads every day!

 

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For Friday-do you think the flight attendant is a hero?

I think “hero” might be overstating it, but who of you who have real jobs have NOT fantasized about telling off the assholes around you, grabbing a beer, and jumping out the emergency exit, before going home and climbing into bed with your significant other before the cops show up to arrest your ass?

Pity me, ’cause if I were to have a Steven Slater day (in my version, I wake up, walk through a cold pile of cat barf, am slapped in the face by the smell coming from the litter box, drop my toothbrush on the floor, have to wrestle it back from the cat, almost fall down the stairs because Bolitar loves me so much he rubs against my left calf, then my right, then my left, all the way down the stairs, have to scoop 7 litter boxes, then have to scoop again because my cats LOVE THEM A LITTER BOX, stand in despair in the garden, glaring at my barely-producing tomato plants, tell the dogs multiple times to stop barking at whatever they’re watching in that other dimension, shoo several chickens away from the neighbor’s yard, and on and on and on) I can’t escape my workplace! I live here! (Yeah, yeah, woe is me.)

 

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So THAT’s where it is!

 

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“Oh, were you gone? I hadn’t noticed.”

Released: pictures of the crime in progress!

Unfortunately, Elwood fled the crime scene before Homicide Detective Maxi’s backup, Detective Coltrane, rolled up onto the scene. Rumor has it he was off rolling around in catnip. Has a ‘nip problem, that one, and you’d better believe Internal Affairs will have a field day with this one!

 

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“HEY! YOU! Where’d you GO? That GUY doesn’t kiss me nearly as much as you do! I can’t believe you’d leave him in charge!”

“You know I need my kisses. I can’t sleep if I haven’t been properly kissed!”

 

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Tommy, hanging out in the back yard. This platform (which Fred made, specifically for the cats to hang out on in the back yard. It looks like the fence is very close, but it’s not at all – they can’t jump from the platform over the top of the fence, believe me.) is about eye-level for me. Tommy seems to think I can’t reach him when he’s up there, so if I need to give him medicine or clean his eyes or whatever, he flees to the platform. Then he’s AMAZED when I grab him.

 

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Previously
2009: Another 13 years, maybe I’ll take up tea drinking and swanning about with big Southern hair.
2008: In lieu of a real entry today, sights and scenes from around Crooked Acres.
2007: “It’s not a tumah,” he said, as is standard.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: Give me time, I’ll have fifteen different versions of “Xanadu” in my music folder.
2003: MY ARM HURTS.
2002: I think no one ever told Billy Bob that if you ANNOUNCE you’re taking the high road, then you aren’t taking it.
2001: No entry.
2000: No entry.

Attention, Alabama and Tennessee residents!

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic is now open in Huntsville. They charge $35 for feline neuters, $45 for feline spays, $55 for canine neuters, and $65 for canine spays. The only cost above the basic charge is $10 for the rabies vaccination if you cannot provide proof that your animal has been vaccinated in the past 12 months.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANYONE CAN USE THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC. You do NOT have to qualify! There is no extra charge for weight or if the cat/ dog is in heat. Ear tipping for ferals is free.

The clinic also provides FeLV/FIV test and heartworm tests for $20 and the other vaccinations for $10, but those are completely optional. They’ll also do fecals!

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic web site is here.

Please please please pass the word. I know there are so many people who are unfortunately put off from having their cats and dogs spayed and neutered by the potential high cost. The fewer unwanted kittens and puppies who are brought into this world, the better.

Maybe one day there’ll be no such thing as unwanted cats and dogs. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

 

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Forwarded from reader Nicole yesterday was this email from Animal Haven, a shelter in New York City. They recently rescued two blind kittens, Ray and Light, from a horrible situation.

Dear Friend,

Cruelty to animals takes many forms. Sometimes it involves violence resulting in injury or death. But most times, Animal Haven gets notice of cruelty that stems from neglect – animals deprived of basic needs like food, water and shelter from the elements.

This is what happened to two very special kittens currently in our care – Ray and Light. They were pulled from a hoarding situation in Brooklyn – the likes of which we had never seen. The building was falling apart around the hundreds of cats living there. As litters of kittens were born, they were left to fall through the ceiling cracks and on to the concrete floor below. Many didn’t make it but the few that did ended up with injuries and infections. Ray and Light are suffering from an eye infection that literally ate away at their eyes.

But with the help of caring friends like you, they can have a life filled with normal activity and love. Already as we medicate them daily and give them the care they need, each kitten is showing signs of affection, play and general contentment. Animal Haven couldn’t do this without your help.

What can you do?

You can help Animal Haven stop animal cruelty and help cover the costs of caring for the victims.

If you suspect cruelty or abuse, write down the details and report it to Animal Haven as soon as possible. Even if you are uncertain as to whether the situation warrants investigation, please call us and let us check it out. We would much rather get involved before it’s too late.

Taking in and caring for neglected and abused animals and working to find them a new home is a very costly undertaking. It is a critical part of Animal Haven…it’s part of what we do and we are committed to helping those animals in need. Please help us keep this commitment by giving a gift today. Will you please give?

Donate to Animal Haven here.

Putting a stop to animal cruelty and abuse takes a community – one person at a time.

Sincerely,

Tiffany A. Lacey
Executive Director

Animal Haven’s web site is here.

 

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How about letting some chickens in the garden during the day? They might help with the squash bug problem!

At this point, we have about 10 chickens roaming free at any given time during the day. They do go into the garden, but they’re really not interested in the squash bugs at all. I’m guessing that they just don’t care for the taste of the squash bugs. You’d think, being chickens, they’d eat any bug that crossed their path, wouldn’t you? They don’t like ants, either.

 

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Holy cow – keith & chemda broke up?! I haven’t listened to the show in quite a awhile but this blows my mind and my next thought was…what does Miss And3rson think about this?!

Oh, I crack myself UP with that picture.

I wrote about that at the top of this entry and it pretty much holds true. I was worried that the show would end up going away, and I was worried that it would change, and it has, but Keith is still the obnoxious asshole who always makes me laugh.

What’s more disturbing to me is that Patrice up and freakin’ MOVED, and now there are no more Patrice Thursdays, and that makes me REALLY sad. I love me some Patrice.

Also, I think it’s WEIRD that Keith is dating Ray’s ex-girlfriend, but I haven’t quite caught up yet to Friday’s show where Ray Devito was on, so maybe Ray will be all “No big deal!”

 

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I also have another kitten question. I’ve had to keep my sisters separated because of the conjunctivitis, but it’s much better now, so I’ve re-introduced them this morning. They recognized each other immediately and there was no posturing or anything, but they’ve been fighting non-stop. Is this normal? They’re just reestablishing dominance/territory? Will they settle down at some point? I mean, I can’t spend the entire day distracting them with toys! (They’re just over 3 months old.)

Man. Gomer, my 16-year-old three-legged cross-eyed scaredy cat, was a hell of a lot easier to deal with! 😉

I think they’ll settle down – they’re still so young that they’ve got that kitten energy going on, so I’m not surprised that they’re fighting.

 

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Speaking of unwanted animals, we had another stray dog show up. It’s mostly hound with some boxer mixed in. Vet said that likely, some redneck hunter tried to train it to hunt, and when he didn’t take to it, the hunter released him so he wouldn’t have to feed him anymore. I can’t tell you how enraged the situation makes me. If you know of any hound rescues, please let me know. I’m willing to drive if need be to make sure he finds a good home. He’s such a sweet dog.

People drive me NUTS. I don’t know personally of any hound rescues, but maybe someone out there will or is in need of a boxer/ hound? This is from Michelle at When Cats Attack (she’s in Tennessee), y’all let her know if you or someone you know can help!

 

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Tell me you gave that caterpillar to the chickens, I just know they’d love that fresh protein!

Of course! I tossed it in the chicken yard, and one hen picked it up and ran around with it while a bunch of other hens chased her, then she dropped it and another hen grabbed it up and ran around with it. I assume it was eventually eaten, though I didn’t stick around to witness the eating myself.

 

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is that a burpee seed “time to plant” clock behind those jars of chicken stock? i covet one but they cost about a jillion bucks on ebay!

Indeed it is!

Fred’s father gave it to us. If I remember correctly, Fred’s stepmother’s parents gave the clock to Fred’s parents, and they had it for a long time, then stuck it in the attic. Fred’s father was cleaning out the attic and asked if we wanted it. I think it goes nicely with our decor (if we could be said to have a “decor”, that is).

 

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I posted this to FB, but I didn’t know if you’d see it there, so I *HAD* to tell you about it here 🙂 Big Cats on the ‘nip!!

Love it!!!

 

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We were just adopted by a long haired abused, starved, tortured little girl kitty that we named Daphne. She showed up on the porch one day and of course I fed her, kissed her, loved her and took her to the vet. Someone had actually shot her twice with a BB gun- once in the chin and once in the chest. One spaying, several shots, a port in her chest for the BB infection to drain from and VOILA we have a beautiful new girl. (Let’s not talk about the vet bill)

Yes, people should need permits to have pets.

PEOPLE DRIVE ME NUTS. Perhaps I’ve mentioned? Daphne is one lucky girl!

 

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Looking at the photos of Elwood and Bolitar prompts me to ask if any of the permanent residents ever miss the lodgers when they are sent to the adoption centre? I know your heart breaks but I have an image of thousands of kitty tears being shed (which, I realise, in the case of some like Stinkerbell and Miz Poo, maybe tears of joy)!

I think – or I’d like to think, I’ll say – since Jake and Elwood have grown up having fosters come and go, they’re used to it. Of course, we’ve never had fosters for as long as we’ve had the Bookworms, so I don’t know what their reaction will be this time around. So far, the reaction to fosters leaving has always been no reaction at all. The permanent residents start taking over the computer room again, things get quiet… and then I let another group of fosters into the house to roam at will, and it starts all over again!

 

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The best way to get photos that show the details of cats’ eyes, especially black cats and cats with dark fur is:

1. Turn the flash off. Flash often either gives cats “pet eye/red eye” or makes their eyes look bright yellow, or washes them out.
2. Photograph the cat in a room with a lot of natural light.
3. Try to get the cat to lay near a window, and get them to look up so the light from the window illuminates their face.
4. Stand back and zoom in to fill the frame with their face.

I have a black cat and have spent the past 5 years trying to capture her with my camera! I used all those techniques in this photo of her.

That is a GREAT picture! Thanks for the tips, I’ve already started putting them into practice. Or trying to – Moxie’s being difficult about posing for me, all she wants to do is sit in my lap and be petted.

 

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when you foster…do the kittens that don’t get adopted in a certain amount of time, come back to you??

They can, and they have in the past for a few weeks, to give them a break from the cage. If they’re adopted and then returned to the adoption center and aren’t adopted from there, they’ll usually go to the shelter after a few weeks. They don’t come back here very often, though. We’re lucky that they usually get adopted!

 

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I sort of want to live in the kitty room. It looks so fun and cozy. You could come in and tell me I’m pretty every morning and feed me some breakfast.

I don’t know. Would I have to scoop your litter box? 🙂

 

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So … did you wind up with 24 baby hamsters, or what?

We got 5 hamster babies the following February – here. What a difference a decade makes, ’cause can you believe that not only did I not put up any pictures of them, I didn’t mention them again ’til March, and then only to report that there was at least one still alive? Several days later I reported that the baby hamsters were super-cute – STILL NO PICTURES – I talked Fred into letting Danielle keep two of the baby hamsters – NO PICTURES – annnnd at the end of March, I reported that we’d returned the hamsters to the pet store.

And I never took a damn picture, apparently.

Who the hell WAS that woman?!

 

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Is the gun thing a joke or can you really shoot? It’s a skill I’d like to develop but first I’d need a gun.

I can truly fire a gun, but I’m not claiming to be the best shot on earth. I’d only ever fire a gun at a person if I felt my life were in danger (or they really pissed me off)(kidding!), and at that point I’d imagine they’d be pretty close.

 

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So you denied the frog but not the third dog? Interesting… Verrrrrry interesting!

Oh, I DENY THE THIRD DOG. Believe you me, I have no desire for another dog. My plate is full with all the cats who keep showing up.

 

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At least Franco and Garrity are being returned because of the wannabe-owner’s allergies, and not because THEY have problems. Whoever takes them for good will adore and spoil them.

The girls who returned Franco and Garrity were VERY sad about returning them, from all reports – they cried and cried. At the moment only Franco from that litter is unadopted, and they put him in with another kitten so he wouldn’t be lonely. He’s such an awesome, sweet, snuggly boy that whoever ends up adopting him will be lucky indeed.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – I’ve never had a black cat who isn’t completely awesome.

 

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Robyn, I just have to say every time I see Newt I tear up. He looks JUST like my kitty “Yellow” (ironic since they are “buff”) that we lost 2 years ago to an illness. I just want to grab him and snuggle into his fur. Is he really soft? He looks like he would be.

Newt’s actually not that soft – he’s got wiry fur – but he’s a total sweetheart and he loves a good snuggle!

 

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Before you throw the wisteria into the back 40, I have heard that it attracts rats. Not having wisteria, I have no firsthand knowledge of this.

I don’t know about rats, but I can report that mice really seem to like wisteria. Which is fine with me – the back of the back 40 is far enough away from the house that if a family of mice wants to set up in the wisteria, they shouldn’t migrate to the house. At least that’s what I’m hoping!

 

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I have a cat, Emma. Emma is 8 yrs old and I have had her since she was about 1.5 – 2 yrs old. She weighs 12.8 lbs and the epitome of a quiet little angel with wings and a halo. Emma is the most submissive of kitties and, no matter what, she is at the bottom of the totem pole. Then, there is Sidney. He is 1.5 yrs old and a complete mama’s boy. He is 8.5 lbs and all boy-kitten. The problem is that he dominates Emma. He thinks he owns the world even though she was there first. He will charge after her to run her off from the food dish, from MY lap, and oh the tortures in the kitty box. In no way is Sidney aggressive or mean in that scary kitty way as it almost looks like play. I do know that if she chased him he would love it. He just knows that she will back down and he will get whatever he wants. I scold him when he tries to dominate her and I will not allow him to push her off my lap (jealousy). But of course, I work and am not always there. Sidney is not hateful or anything (he is actually incredible precious) but I would like him to be more accepting of his big sister and not act like a little Napoleon. Any suggestions?

I don’t have any good suggestions on this issue, but I KNOW someone (or several someones!) out there has some great suggestions. So let’s hear it, y’all! Leave suggestions in the comments, please.

 

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What is the name of the driveway alarm that you have? Is it easy to use and where can one be purchased?

We have an Optex driveway alarm and according to Fred (who set it up), it’s very easy to use. My only complaint is that occasionally a bird flying by the sensor will set it off, but that doesn’t happen very often. We bought ours online, but I honestly don’t know where we purchased it from. The price at the link above is about what we paid, though you might find a better price by Googling around.

 

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Okay, wait. Who is… THAT?

Hint: It’s not Moxie.

That right there is Dodger, the newest addition to the MMMs. Yeah, I know that his name doesn’t start with “M”, but Dodger’s such a perfect name for him that it’s going to stay. Dodger was found by Winnie and Kathie, a pair of Challenger’s House foster moms – the same ones who found Moxie and Melodie! He ran across a busy road right in front of them, dodging three cars along the way. As it turned out, he was living under a local business and they were feeding him leftover chicken fingers.

Poor baby.

I brought him home yesterday morning, and when I opened the carrier he walked out, spotted Martin, and head-butted him so hard that he almost knocked Martin over. It was SERIOUSLY sweet.

He was a little freaked out last night, but this morning he followed me around the kitten room while I scooped, and then sat in front of me and let me pet him and pet him.

He’s actually changed the dynamic in the kitten room a little bit – Melodie has suddenly become friendlier and less skittish. And there’s been a LOT more playing in there.

He’s about 9 or 10 weeks old, is the vet’s guesstimate, and he’s smaller than Moxie and Melodie, but bigger than Martin. He’s a sweet boy and a fine addition to the MMMs!

You know I was wildly waving a cat toy around to get their attention, right?

He’s got his pink fuzzy toy. What else does he need?

Miss Melodie, in my lap again.

Another shot of Moxie’s gorgeous eyes.

 

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I put this box by the door to take out to the garage and put with the other recycling. Then when I went to grab it to actually take it out…

“Shhh….”

“Don’t tell her I’m here!”

“I’m DYING to get out that side door!”

No luck this time around, Bolitar, you sneaky little brat.

 

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I was coming out of the foster room the other day, and Jake went running in. I had an armload of stuff and didn’t want to put it down to chase him, so I made a mental note to go back and get him after 10 minutes.

Three hours later I was all “Huh. I wonder where Jake is?” and then remembered.

I walked into the foster room, and Jake was in the condo on the cat tree, snuggling with Melodie’s “baby”, all nonchalant and “What?”

The kittens didn’t seem to care at all that Jake was in their territory.

Someone asked earlier this week if Jake and Elwood are our version of Charlene Butterbean. I guess they kind of are, though I think they’re probably rougher with the kittens than the sweet Miss Bean. We’ve always called Tommy our ambassador because he’s good with the fosters, but whereas Tommy mostly puts up with the fosters, Jake and Elwood actually seek them out and play and snuggle with them and really like them.

It’s funny, because I had SO hoped that Miz Poo would be the kitten lover, but she wants nothing to do with any of the fosters (she’ll grumpily put up with them after a while – they have to wear her down, though!). None of our girl cats have any desire to be motherly with the fosters, not even Kara or Maxi, who WERE mothers.

 

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Previously
2009: I like how he thinks he has any choice in the matter.
2008: Meet Michele the chicken!
2007: (Miz Poo, upon seeing me pick up a fly swatter and walk toward her, whines and runs away. Like I beat her spoiled ass on a regular basis! I don’t, but I oughta. She deserves it.)
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: The morning I wake up and find a cricket in bed with me is the day I start closing the cat door at night, believe you me.
2003: I HAVE THINGS TO DO THAT CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH A PORTLY POO IN THE WAY.
2002: No entry.
2001: Yeah, like YOU don’t have a voice in your head that reads things to you…
2000: No entry.