Wednesday, August 31, 2011

video




Around 1:08 Crookshanks walks away from the camera (finally) and you can see his waddle. Also towards the end Hedwig drinks from the water bowl. She's way too young for that.. she's just too advanced for her age.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ta-Da!


Hedwig used the box all on her own

I iz big grl!

I could do that if I wanted.. ~Fawkes
I walked in last night and someone had used the kitten box, I assumed Hedwig.  And low and behold a little while later she crawled right in the box and started going pee again.   Crookshanks backed himself into the corner behind the couch and started crying the "I'm learning how to pee and I'm about to pee" cry.  So I reached over and grabbed him and stuck him in the litter box and he peed too.  :) 

Fawkes is developing a pretty significant dewlap and it is absolutely killing me with cuteness.  It hard to see, but when you pat his little belly there is quite a bit of extra skin.  He is still very much a laid back kitty, which also kills me because he just sits there looking all cute (see above).  And the boys have a fort (the carrier) and when Hedwig joins in and they leave.  They love playing with her, but they definitely have "BOYS ONLY" moments..

and watching Crookshanks run... O.. M.. C... seriously, this kitty had me rolling on the floor laughing because he has to waddle because of his belly and when he runs...

Monday, August 29, 2011

Working with Minerva & Irene aftermath




She wasn't really in the mood to work when I took this, and it didn't help that I had my hands full with the camera and the clicker. Usually she's jumping right up, not putting her feet up and thinking about it.  Hedwig is all out and about and in the action.  She's a real go getter that girl and is usually right under foot telling me about her life.. sounds just like her mom..

Minerva has not "gone after" me again since the incident with the oven mitt.  I've brought it with me a few times just to be safe, but I'm feeling a bit more confident that she knows that doing that is not acceptable and will not get her what she is after.  She also seems to think that by eating she is "dismissing" me, and that is my cue to leave which I usually take and do.  Fawkes is one interesting kitten. He's either incredibly laid back /lazy or just not interested in the world outside of his bed.  I need to get some picts of him.  I also noticed this morning he's building up quite a "pouch" or dulap on his lower belly.. I've said from the time I got them they are going to be big cats.. And since they are just starting their fourth week and they are already well over a pound...

Then Irene hit.  I can't believe my Sunday post didn't post.  *shrug*  We didn't fair too badly.  We lost power at 2:30 PM after having the lights flicker a few times.  Didn't come back till almost 2:30 the next morning.  We *had* to go out to eat because frankly we didn't want to eat cold food and we weren't grilling in that wind.

Speaking of the wind..


It really was way more impressive in real life. Best if viewed full screen, but even then you miss a lot of the trees in the back ground being whipped around.  Once Irene hit, most of the cats calmed right down.  I felt oh so very thankful they were all indoors and all safe and sound.  Having Minerva in the house kept making me think of all the poor kitties who were out in that storm with out a home.. I'm sure there were quite a few with kittens..   *sigh*  I do what I can.

I stopped by the shelter that the shelter was volunteering at to make it pet friendly.  There were no pets there.  A little sad on one hand, but really great on the other.  Nice that no one needed to leave their home, but sad that the staff had nothing to do.  There were a few people at the people part of the shelter, but not nearly as many as you would think for a "hurricane" (OK fine, it was a tropical storm by the time it hit us)  Odd thing was that the worst of it for me was once it was gone past us.  That is when the wind really picked up and took out the power.  I am lucky though, two of my co-workers are still with out power.  For the most part you wouldn't know a hurricane even hit us.  There were a few tree limbs down on the roads, but not nearly as many as some of the storms that have passed through here.

LOVE the snake..



This was just too funny.
I'm not a big Britney fan, in fact I think her video is kinda silly, but the kitten was just too cute and that snake.. it made me smile.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hello Irene (was supposed to post yesterday)


So apparently Minerva knew the hurricane was comming.  She has been acting a little off, sitting by the food bowl (as far into the room as possible) and away from her kittens.  I was concerned the first time she did it but she perked right up when I went into the room so I dismissed it the first time, the second I thought it odd, the third, I figured it was the storm.

The kits got out of the nest last night.  Hedwig was out of the box when I walked in the door and Crookshanks came out shortly after I sat down.  Fawkes - the kitten with the perpetual worried look on his face - just sat there and meowed pitifully so I took him out myself.  They are at that stage where they start to soil the box because mom doesn't empty their bladders fast enough, so I decided to bring out the kitten litter box and bought a small bag of clay litter.  I put them in it and they had no idea what was going on.  Heck they didn't even try to eat it like most kittens.  I even tried stimulating them to pee and putting them in there - nothing. *shrug* no big deal.

Hedwig was out and about.  She apparently has no fear.  She tried climbing the wall, she investigated the couch, and even made it to the food.  Rarely do kittens venture out so soon  Usually they hang very close to the nest.  Crookshanks ventured a little bit.  Fawkes would not leave the comfort of the corner.  Crookshanks figured out how to hiss and would not stop doing it to his brother.  No idea why.  I don't know if they got upset at each other or if it was just fun to do.

Minerva is a little co-dependent I think.  She is completely OK with my being there, with my giving her attention, with training and play time.  She hates it when I pack up - even if she was done playing - and she REALLY hates it when I leave.  I had to leave the room for a bit this afternoon as my husband was on his way down to drop off some supplies.  I warned him she was a little wound up, and apparently she swatted at him hard enough to leave scratch marks with her recently clipped claws (I took her to the shelter to have it done because I do not trust her to let me do it)   He also told me that Hedwig went right up to him and tried to play with his ankles.  What is it about him that all the girls love :)

I went back in and did some more training with her.  I got an actual clicker and I was working on that.  Then we had some fun play time.. that cat can JUMP!!  I wore her out and she was laying on the floor with her kittens about her so I decided to try to leave.  She once again went after me as she has several times since the kittens have gotten a little older.  Fortunately I had brought down an oven mitt to protect me to see what she would do when she would "go after" me.  I wouldn't let her get near enough to me to do any damage prior to this, but I was curious if she would bite me or if she would just use her paws.  I wouldn't dare let her try anything with out protection.  I had spent a great deal of time patting her gently with the mitt.  I fed her with it and she was not afraid of it, and only had positive associations with it.  But as I was leaving she went to swat at my leg and I put my hand in the mitt between us and she grabbed it and went to bite it...  Since I wanted to know if she would bite I didn't pull away and she bit me (the mitt).  So I made all the appropriate noises to let her know that was not acceptable and she did turn and leave and went under the couch.  So I turned to leave again, and she came out after me again and bit me (the mitt) again.  More "No!"s and once again she left and went under the couch.  I finally was able to leave because her kittens had come and wanted a snack.  I'm thinking I'll break out the Rescue Remedy in case this is separation anxiety... and if this is just 'storm is coming' behavior it should help her stay calm.

Speaking of the storm, I am on call for the local shelter.  The Animal Shelter is working with the Emergency Management and are helping out.  Not sure exactly what they are doing, but if they need help they'll call.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Picts


We want out!

you try again and I'll push you!

Almost made it....

Push harder!!!

bummer
 So I helped...
aww mom, let us roam.

Crookshanks' crooked tail
 it wags just fine, it just bends to the left.
so my tail is crooked, so what

My tail is just fine ~Fawkes

Hedwig has stripes
 I would call her a black mackerel tabby.  she's really quite stunning.
I zerbert you!
Momma (Liza?  JK? Joanne? Minerva?) walks around with her tongue out a lot.  She is so young, and so smart and so under trained that she really is still a hand full.  We have been working on sit (she's almost got that) and through (walking through a hoop - she will, but I'm not sure she's doing it because of a command) and "up" we have down pat.  I do hand commands with verbal commands and she was getting distracted by my hands and went after them a few times.  One time she got me - I need to get her to the shelter to get those nails trimmed because I still don't trust her anywhere near enough to do it by myself.    She's also been asking for kisses by putting her paws on my lap and her head by my face, which I'm leery of doing because of my lack of trust with her.  I brought out some catnip and she wasn't all that interested.  small toys to chase though were a hit.  she bolted after them, but unfortunately did not bring them back... I guess I also need to get her a good fishing pole type toy.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Take your pet to the vet week


across the blogosphere, there have been many a post on the importance of taking your pet to the vet.  I don't disagree with any of them, but I wanted to take this post to discuss something a little different.

I spend time in different communities trying to help people who have questions about their cats.  Why is my cat doing this? what does that mean? and the like.  inappropriate elimination is huge in places like this.  second to that are a myriad of other medical issues.  Rarely does a poster ask a medical type question that can avoid seeing a vet like my cat sneezed once should I bring it to the vet (no, but you should keep an eye on it and any other symptoms then yes).  More often then not the cat needed to see the vet yesterday.

The posts that get me the most though are the "aren't vets supposed to care about animals? so why do they gouge me?"

Vets care about animals.  If they didn't they certainly would not have gone through all the training and schooling and shell out all that money (or most likely go into debt) and spend their days elbow deep in urine and poop and anal gland secretions.

Vets have a great deal of overhead.  They have to pay rent or mortgage on their building.  They have to pay for insurance just as you do on your residence.  They have to pay for utilities which are often three to four times what you would pay for your own home because of everything going on.  There are wages and salaries for staff as well as payroll taxes and any insurance and benefits they have to pay to find good help.  All the instruments, medications, supplies, etc.  Food to feed the pets while they are there if they are spending any time there, laundry for any pet that needed a bed or a towel to wipe it down as well as scrubs (did I mention the anal glands?).

All this going out the door and the vet hasn't taken home a dime yet.  Sound glamous doesn't it?  Makes you want to bring a little gift to your vet next time you stop by doesn't it?

I'm not saying all vets are broke.  Heck, I wouldn't even go so far as to say many vets are broke, but for the most part they are not "rolling in it" and they most certainly can not afford to treat every animal that comes in the door sick for free.

Owning a pet is a financial responsibility.  It is not like buying a TV or couch.  It is not a one time investment.  Pet owners should be aware that a living being will need to be seen by a doctor and in most communities to with hold medical care is against the law.  Yes, times are very tight right now for a lot of people and unfortunately pets are paying the price (heck so are a lot of children, but that is for a different blog) "They" say that the annual cost of owning a cat (before medical issues) is $600-$1000 (or even more if you feed premium food, etc) and when a pet gets sick, it really can break the bank.

The Cost of Owning a Cat
The Annual Cost of Pet Ownership

If you are in a good financial place right now and you don't have an emergency fund for your pet, now would be a great time to start.  If you aren't in a good financial place, you could still start.  Even setting a side a dollar at a time will eventually grow into something you can access.    Pets are family for most of us and no one wants to think of rehoming or euthanasia because of money.  The time to think about this is when things are going well and everyone is healthy - and often people don't.  Because emergency clinics usually charge several hundred dollars before you even see a vet.  If you are lucky enough to have your kitty have a medical issue during regular vet hours, it is still going to take several hundred dollars for exams, blood work, xrays, and other diagnostic tests to find out exactly what is going on with your pet and get it what it needs to treat it.

If you are in a financial bind, talk to your vet before you walk in the door.  Tell the receptionist your pet's symptoms and explain you are very short of funds.  Maybe your vet can work with you.  I'm not saying all vets will, but it can't hurt to ask. Maybe they can refer you to local  services.  If not, call your local humane society or shelter. They should know of any local programs that could help you.

If not, search the web.  There are programs out there.  http://www.imom.org  is one. If your pet has a particular condition that needs long term treatment, google looking for groups out there of pet parents who are facing the same thing.  I spent a great deal of time on the http://felinediabetes.com/ message boards when I had Em and when I fostered several diabetic cats.  there is a lot of great information on how to help you manage the condition as inexpensively as possible.  The members of the message board have a great deal of experience dealing with feline diabetes and are very helpful at all hours of the day.  There are other groups for other conditions you just need to find them.

Vets are vital in keeping your kitty happy and healthy and with you as long as possible.  Not all are great vets, but when you find one, they are worth their weight in gold.

Speaking of which, I so totally need to make an appointment for the crew - I just dread bringing them all down - and since he's 45 minutes away it is not easy.  Yes, I drive past at least four other vets to get to him.. I trust him that much.  I think I'll bring him a pie.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I should curse this web cam...



She makes a good pillow!

Sleepy time

Plotting escape
Playing with mom

Playing chase

But I really can't. It makes me smile.  The boys keep looking over the side of the box last night, like they want out.  I picked them up and put them on the floor and they were AMAZED!!! it was so cute.  Momma let them be for a bit, but then came over and showed some concern so I put them back.  I think they are mid three week coming up on four considering how steady they are on their feet and how awake they are mid afternoon.

I thought more about calling the one boy Crookshanks which means I'd probably name the girl Hedwig.. but that leaves Scabbers for the other male, which I'm not fond of.    *shrug* they are young yet..

Monday, August 22, 2011

ooops


I am in big trouble with my web cam up and running on the kittens..

I can't tell you how badly I want to go home and snoggle them!!

I also ooopsed this morning. I was running a little late (surprisingly I know!! ha ha ha) and I just walked into the room to feed her.  Well that freaked her right out, she was all like "Who in the underworld are YOU!!" and puffed out her tail - she's cute when she does it because she only puffs the bottom third of it - and I could tell she was visibly shaken.  So I stopped, apologized and asked her if it would be OK if I fed her and did stuff, at which point she visibly relaxed and let me go about my business.

I asked her if she liked the name Elisia, and she doesn't much. Liza works better for her, but even that isn't really sticking. Something will come soon.

The baby boy with the crook in his tail ... well his tail is visibly crooked to one side. I am thinking of naming him Crookshanks.. or Nixon..

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Tortitude w/ Siamese tendancies makes for an interesting cat


OK it is official, I do not "like" Momma cat.  (she so needs a name!!) I respect her greatly, and I know she will make a wonderful pet for someone who likes that kind of cat, but she is not my cup of tea.

She talks.  And talks, and talks.  She tells me everything I'm doing wrong, that I'm not doing it fast enough, that I shouldn't be digging around in her box, etc.  She's got a comment on everything.  Most of her comments come with physical manifestations as well.  the digging in her box came with a paw around the ankle and a nip near my skin. The fact that I wasn't patting her enough also came with a nip near my hand.  I told her "NO!" and gave a slight poke on her head (not a hit, just a light tap) and shook my finger at her disappointingly.  She looked a little taken aback that someone would say no to her, so I think we have a case of personality up the wazoo, with some hormones and a complete lack of training.

And she is totally trainable.  She is so smart.  Scary smart.  I decided to work with her intelligence and get her to sit on top of the carrier to be fed.  I called "Up"  and she stood up on her back legs.  I said "noooo, up on the carrier" so she put her front paws on the carrier.. (see.. scary smart) the third I went in to feed I did I simply said "Up" and she jumped right up.  I wonder how many other tricks I can get her to learn.

I can't get her down to the kitten room fast enough.  She wants out of the bathroom pretty badly, and with her propensity to nip, I'm ... well I'm not scared but I am leery every time I leave the room.


A google search came up with the name Elisia.  I think I'll try it out on her and see what happens.

More Goodbyes


So the Peanut Girls are going back to the shelter today.  I'm going to miss their happiness and purring.  Lucy reminds me so much of my Muffin it's a little scary.  My friend at work said she deserves a chaise lounge and I couldn't agree more.  She is a little diva.

I changed from making brochures to one page fliers of info for my kittens to go back with because the online brochure maker was no longer free.  I got the brilliant idea to use up some of the card stock I have laying around the house and made cards for them with their info last night and I really liked it.  I didn't much like the fact that my printer couldn't really handle the card stock and everything was slightly off kilter, but they still look pretty good. 

It is tough from going to "I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!' to "you have to go now" but again I know it is the best for everyone and some how I do.

It does help that I have more kittens. 

but more on that in a bit.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Two boys and a girl


well Momma has got to have some Siamese in her.  She talks and talks.. I get the impression of an Italian woman who likes to talk with her hands..  she really is quite a charater.

When she was eating, I asked if I could look at the babies and she didn't object, so I pulled them out one by one.  They are so incredibly fat considering how thin she is.  The two orange kittens are boys the black one is a girl.  One boy makes me think of a fur covered sausage and the other a plump little meat ball.  The "sausage" has a pretty bad kink in his tail pretty close to the base.  I don't think it will impede him in anyway, but I am going to keep an eye on it.

I didn't want to have them out long, so I just got a good look at them and put them back before they squeaked too much.  Two bordering on three weeks of age, they aren't going to be content sitting in that carrier for too much longer.  I can see it in the boys; they want to explore

(LOL.. I'm watching "ThunderCats, and WileyKit and Kat just beg meowed at Lion-O to go with them... it was so spot on it made me smile.  around second 29 in this promo will show it to you if you are interested.  It was better in the episode (#2) cause it was a bit longer)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Meet Momma...


She was a stray from a local town.  I believe she came in after she gave birth.  She went into one foster home with little kids and was overly protective of her kits.  The description I got was she was "feisty".  The parents started taking her away from her kits so that their kids could play with them.  That was not going over well with her, and she made sure it did not go over well with them, and they returned her.

She then went home with a staff member.  She was good there for a bit, but after some time became protective and she came back to the shelter to try again.  No kids here, no serious threat to her kits, so I think she'll be OK.

I put her in Kate and Pippa's bathroom, and she came right out of the cage.  I was in and out setting up clean litter and food etc.  She growled a few times, but I think it was more at my cats sitting outside the room.  As soon as I set everything up I left her alone for a while.

I went back in with the camera.  I asked her permission to take her photo - and the one above is the one I got.    I sat with her for a bit. She seemed to want *something* but I couldn't figure out what.  So I asked her if I could take a photo of her kittens, and she didn't run and hide them, so I took that as consent.

awww
No idea who is what...just that I've got three kittens, two red and one black.  Not horribly shocking looking at her coloring.  If I had to guess (which would be little more then a coin toss) I am thinking I have two boys and a girl.

So I took a second photo...
Um, you only asked for one!
Notice Momma coming into the shot...
go away.
she looks a lot more upset then she really was.  She was just concerned that I was looking at her kits and went in.  no meow, no hiss.  Not sure why her mouth is open.

I left her alone for a couple of hours, then went to check on her.  She hadn't eaten nor done much of anything else.  She came  out to see me, and again seemed to want *something*  I was leery of patting her due to her history of "biting' (not that she bit anyone, just bit at) so I was very careful.  She started purring and making biscuits. At one point she laid down as if to ask that I rub her belly, to which I told her there was no way I was going to risk that - so she got back up and put her front paws on my lap.  I did my best to ignore the kittens.  I gave her tons of complements, which wasn't hard, and complemented her for making such fat healthy looking babies.  She seemed proud. She kept checking on them through the air holes in the crate, but then would turn around and ask for more attention.

Finally I felt she was wanting to go check on her babies again but didn't want to do that while I was there.  Not sure of her thinking on that one, but I'm not about to question her.  So I told her I was going to leave so she could go be with her babies, and she turned and went right to her kits before I even started to get up off the floor.  She's a smart one.

No idea what I'm going to call her. No idea what to call the kits.  I figure when I move her down to the kitten room on Sunday I'll see what their genders are.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Kitten crazies in a 16lb cat


From time to time Muffin gets what I affectionately call the kitten crazies.  She's ten years old, and is 16lbs, and lacks all forms of grace.  She plows through life, and I'm perfectly OK with that.  I wish she wasn't quite so heavy - because technically she is overweight - but I love her as she is, and so does she.

For the most part she is five to seven year old cat.  She sleeps a lot, she seeks me out for a lot of attention, lets the other cats beg for food, but she's right there ready to partake if food would happen to appear. She loves her nip, and will lay down and lick nip toys and rub her head on them.  She's the diva of the house.

But when she gets the crazies, she is a heard of elephants AND charging gazelles.  She runs around the house as fast as her little legs will carry her, spins on a quarter (cause dimes are right out at her size) and charges after something else.  Think kittens going after an invisible butterfly.  (wow, I didn't know there actually was a real invisible butterfly
Invisible Butterfly
Not Muffin
Well anyway, the other day something got to her.  She was running back and forth, and I just watched wondering what she was up to.  Finally she ran up the tall cat tree in the great room (not to be confused with the short cat tree in the great room - because frankly I have a lot of cat trees)
if I could photoshop, I'd stick her in here
Muffin
She stood on the lower turret and looked over at the curtain rod and meowed pitifully at it.  I swear she was saying "No fair, I can't go that way" and a second later her expression changed and she looked like she was going to try to get across the curtain rod. 

Which I knew would only end badly because A) she's not graceful B) the rod would never hold 16lbs of cat and C) it is so close to the wall her body would never allow her legs to balance on it.  So I called over from the kitchen, "No Muff, you can't make it!"   Another pitiful meow, and she repositioned herself and looked like she really wanted to try it.  So I chided her again, and another pitiful meow.  (I can't tell you how badly I wish I had video of this)

So she gave up, and went to the higher platform, and proceeded to try to be spider cat and looked like she wanted to jump up on the ceiling (no, that is not physically possible)  at that point I couldn't take it any more.. I was laughing so hard at her, and I figured she was going to end up hurting herself if she kept after that "butterfly" so I went and herded her down.

She is special that one..

a final update on Bug...


from an email I just got:
Bug was adopted a minute ago by a very nice family with a little girl!!  They went home with some canned Wellness and are totally prepared to go with that as well as raw :)

yea!

and it starts again... tomorrow you'll meet the new kitty that I haven't even met yet.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Saying Goodbye


I often have to do things for kittens they don't like very much.  Medicating them, disciplining them, leaving them and going to work (oh those kittens are good at guilt trips when I leave the room - even if they were ignoring me the previous twenty minutes) but one of the hardest things I have to do is bring them back to the shelter when it freaks them out.

I try to prepare them by bringing them to work.  Leaving the safety of the room they have been in, going and exploring another place, and then coming back often makes going back to the shelter easier for them.  Unfortunately Kate and Pippa didn't get much out of the one trip to work they did get, and they were NOT amused at all the smells (the other cats, the cleaners) and the sounds (those dogs are no where near them but still you can hear them) and were petrified.  Kate went to the darkest corner of the cage and 'hid' in the litter box.  Pippa pretty much froze in place with wide eyes with that petrified stare.

They put them in the cage with Bug since they are going to keep them all on a grain free diet, so hopefully Bug will be able to convince them that everything will be OK.  She was very relaxed, as she has been there and done that, and was purring and flirting with the staff.

I did write ups for them.  I did one for Bug, and then one for Kate and one for Pippa, and then one for Kate AND Pippa, and told them I think they should be adopted together, but since what happened last time with Peter and Tinsel, I wanted to cover my bases.  I really hope there is that special someone who comes right along for them.  They will eventually make great cats, even if they aren't the most ideal kittens.

I also told the Staff to put a note in Bug's file that if she is adopted and returned to call me because she will have a home with me.  It won't be fair to my cats, but I can't just stand by and not give her a stable home if there isn't one out there for her.

As I was driving home, turning into the street my home is on, I saw this.. 

By the time I took this photo, I realized it was a full rainbow, going from one side of the development to the other.  On the far side, the rainbow seemed to be starting over again (not really a double, but reds and yellows after the blue and purple)   I ran in for my good camera, and took a ton of shots and then just sat there watching it for a while.  It did turn into a double (again on the far side) which I jokingly called a triple because of the extra red.    The sky did some amazing things, and I just sat there in wonder because it hadn't rained for hours.  We did get downpours all day, but it had stopped in the early afternoon.    To me it was a very special rainbow.. and I hope my other camera did it justice.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

not me... (OK maybe it is)


From The Cat House On The Kings.com's Facebook page

this is what it is like - sorta


the volume is not nearly as loud as it is in real life, but this is a good representation of what happens when I go in and visit the happy happy kittens


And then for fun, I gave them their first taste of raw food. It wasn't the big hit that it usually is. Little Sally felt a little overwhelmed and left to play, and then the others were all like "well if she is playing"...

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Kate & Pippa


Kate

Pippa
Pippa - totally needs to be on ICHC

Can you tell who is who?

Bug-a-licious


Do you have any idea how hard it is to take photos of an active and avid snuggler?? My little Bug LOVES to be held and when being held she loves to route around in your neck, in your arms, in your hair.. took me quite some time to get ones that weren't out of focus, bad angles, etc.


I'm trying to work up the plum to do a write up for her.  It is the start of saying goodbye.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Happy Happy Kitten Time


Sally
Sally has a constant left over food mustache.  I keep asking her if she is saving it for later, and she just looks at me like I'm so mean for taking it off of her.  She's 1lb 10 oz.. slowly but surely that weight will get on her..
Patty
Patty is so funny.  She's a love bug and an athlete.  I rarely get both in a kitten.  You'll see the love bit in a bit.  For some reason she also reminds me of my sister as a child.
Violet
Violet REALLY wants to know what is on the other side of the door.  She threw herself from the arm of the couch (behind her in this pict) over the baby gate I use to keep the kittens in the room.  I was a little surprised that she made it, and I think she was too because she froze once she hit the ground.  I'm very glad because if she had taken off running I might still be chasing her.
Excuse me, coming through - Lucy

Little Miss Diva
Lucy reminds me so much of my own kitty Muffin.  The coloring is different but it is the placement is same on the two kitties.  The personality is VERY similar.  I have to keep reminding myself they aren't related.  The other day I went in and they were SOOOO HUNGRYYYY!!!! and the other three were under my feet, but Lucy was near by throwing herself on her side and showing me her belly.. reaching out as if on a desert and she was searching for water.. she gets the academy award for acting paws down

Here are a few more picts I just really liked:
Patty

Sally
this pict of Sally above is so adorable, I thought if I rotated it so it looked like she was "standing" that it would look a little zombie like, but it really didn't and it just ruined the cuteness of the photo..   Love her paws, LOVE her rotund little belly full of food..
Sally

Patty. 
She snuggled like that for a while.. She rested her chin on my chest for a bit and killed me dead with her cuteness

Friday, August 12, 2011

PSA - Flea products


When I used to work at the vet's office (as a receptionist) I saw a few cases of toxic reactions to flea products.  Watching these kitty suffer is not pretty, and it was one of the worst things I had to deal with knowing it should not have happened.  I am constantly telling people to NEVER buy flea products over the counter.  I'm even leery of Frontline and Advantage being sold over the counter, because until recently the makers of the products wouldn't allow it, so I had to wonder how that product got there, and because of known cases of counterfeit products it scared me. 

Today on Twitter I saw this video.. it made me think, it made me tear up.  It reminded me that not everyone knows of the dangers of flea products.  They are touted as safe and the side effects are rarely talked about (even with the very safe Frontline and Advantage, there is the risk of a cat having a reaction)

So adding to my crusade to talk about and get people thinking about cat food/nutrition and vaccines, lets just throw in flea products..

The more you know...




I just found another blog talking about the same thing, but she has more videos.. http://thewobblycat.blogspot.com

So what makes you get on your soapbox?

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Wordless Typo


Anonymous commented that I typo'd yesterday.. I have a really good excuse
 Ok, so really I don't.  I just typo'd.. Typos happen.

The Royals are doing well and are of size.  Bug hasn't had another incident so I'm going to write the shelter and let them know they can schedule their return.  it might be tomorrow if they have space or next week.  Since it is coming right up I thought an outing would do them wonders.  Bug is having a fine time at work.  The royals are hiding and do not want their picture taken just yet.  Maybe later

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...