Vengeful Cat and Forgiving Husband

I was rather dismayed when I took my cat, Cloud, to the vet 3 weeks ago and realized he is 8 years old.  I was guessing 5.  I got him as a very small kitten, and could not believe so much time has passed.  Half of his life is almost over. Cloud may have understood those remarks, because he suddenly started going crazy wanting to go outside. Some kind of mid-life crisis, I guess. He has been the most laid-back cat, but now he acts like a demon.  I have been adamant that he can't go outside, because I had his front claws removed.  So we are in a battle.  Every time the door opens, Cloud is right there and bolts out.  I don't think I will ever have another cat declawed.

Of course he likes to lie on the sidewalk right by the driveway and street.

He particularly scoots outside in the morning, when Don is coming home from a long night's work.  So one day after having a particularly hard time finding him the night before, I asked Don not to let him out when he gets home. So Don was very careful and Cloud spent most of the day inside, before finally making his breakout.

All seemed to go well, until Don called me from the hospital about 9:30 saying he had a big favor to ask me.  One night out of a thousand that I'm actually in bed before 1 a.m.  "What is it?' I asked.  Don said, "My clothes smell like the cat peed on them.  Please bring me a change of clothes."  Well he didn't have to say that twice.  I couldn't get there with fresh clothes fast enough.  Cloud has never gotten up on the settee at the end of the bed where Don lays his clothes.  I guess Cloud actually understands the term pissed-off.  Okay, Cloud gets to go outside now.  

Surprise On My Doorstep

Tuesday was a hectic day or is that just everyday?  Anyway I had an 11:30 budget meeting and was going to have to take my 20 month old granddaughter with me.  But I was going to be smart this time and take plenty of snacks for her.  This meant I had to go to the grocery store before the meeting.  So Grampa agreed to keep Kennedy while I made a quick trip for snacks. 

I took this picture afterwards.  I think my foot actually got closer to it.

 As I rushed out the door I almost stepped on a black kitten that had just one eye opened.

Blackie, Gus's new friend.

It wasn't a total shock that we had kittens, just that one was on the steps.  Way back in October, when we came back home from vacation Don's cat, Gus, had found a girlfriend to keep him company.

He taught us a lesson to go away and leave him for 10 days.
She was actually a kitten, but one could tell by their relationship that the kitten was a girl.  It took several months for Don to decide to catch Gus and Blackie and take them to the vet to be "fixed."  Well, Don was successful catching Gus.  Gus too had been feral when he arrived, but Don very patiently worked to tamed him. But we have never been able to get near Blackie.  In fact my son-in-law, who is too quick for his own good, did grab her one day and she took a big bite out of his hand.  Anyway Gus got "fixed."  But about 3 weeks ago I notice how big Blackie was.  So I started leaving the garage door cracked just in case she was pregnant, she could have the kittens in a safe place.  Then about 2 weeks ago, I noticed how slender she was.  So I knew it was only a matter of time before kittens showed up.

I quickly tossed the kitten to it's grampa and told him not to give it back to them mom. I don't want it to grow up wild, because then we will have to trap it and take it to the animal shelter. 

Of course the grandkids help.

So now I am bottle feeding Panther and know that where there is one kitten, there are another 3 or 4.  


The other question is who's the daddy?

Okay I am a compulsive skeptic.

Baby sister, Sandy

My darling husband is after me quite often because I seem to never accept what I am told.  Don't know how or why I am that way.  I just am. I'll ask 4 people for their opinion about something and then do what I wanted to before I asked.  Don will say, "Don't ask me if you're not going to go with what I tell you."  My sister, Sandy once said she asks for opinions so she knows what she will have to deal with when she does what she wants to do anyway.  I don't think that is my case.  I will even take opposite views from myself for a couple of hours or days just to see how that side feels.

I have one silly example where I was shamed into not questioning what I was told.  The neighbor's cat across the street had 4 kittens.  I wanted the white one.  I've never had a white cat, so this was it.  She told me it was a female cat.  When I was a kid I was around cats and kittens a lot, so I could tell the gender of a kitten.  But it had been at least 30 years since I had been involved with kittens so I brought "her" home and name her Cloud.  As she got older I notice some parts below her tail that I didn't believe should be there.  I mentioned this to Don and he said, "There you go again.  Never believing what anyone tells you.  She told you it was a girl, so just believe her."  It didn't change my confusion but I let it go.

He didn't even stay white.

Well, I took my little Cloud to the vet to have her spayed.  Sure enough, Dr. Ritter called me and said, "I can't spade Cloud because Cloud is a male. I didn't tell him I knew it.  I just told him to make Cloud less male.  But I can promise Don and anyone else, I will check out what you tell me.  Just because you say it, doesn't make it so.

Saturday at My Mini Urban Farm

Cloud chills out.

Because I spent last weekend planting azaleas and etc, until I nearly passed out, this weekend all the animals need clean housing.  I started with my cat, Cloud's litter box.  If nothing else gets clean this will.  It is in my house.

Next the rabbits, Oreo's and Butterscotch's cage.  It is a large aquarium that my grandson's turtle once lived in before he set her free in a near by pond.  It is much more difficult to clean since it is not a standard cage or hutch.  But I thought the bunnies would be more comfortable in the house.  I have to use a step stool to reach in and a shovel from a sand bucket.  I put the bunnies in the bathtub while I did this.  So then I have to clean the bathtub.  Oreo actually escaped and ran down the hall.  But I captured him before Cloud decided he might offer some amusement.  Cloud really wouldn't hurt him, as anyone can see in his picture. But I'm not 100% sure of that. He is a huge cat.

Home of Big Foot, Omelet, Little Ace

Easy to clean tray

Big Foot supervising.

2 girls contribute

Next the two chicken condos.  I read on some website that chicken houses should be cleaned at least once a year.  No way!  Two weeks was too long for these.  I do not want to know that I have backyard chickens by the smell.  Besides these are so easy.  Each one has a tray that slides out from the bottom where all the future garden fertilizer accumulates. These little houses are so cleverly designed.  I ordered them from the website www.mypetchicken.com.  That's where I also bought 3 of the chicks when they were one day old.  They box as few as 3 chicks and put them in the mail.  The post office called when they arrived in Shreveport and I picked them up.  I don't believe the people in the mail room had ever had a box of peeping chicks there before.  They were very amused. I washed out the trays and added fresh wood chips.  Then I cleaned out the egg boxes.  The older house has a removable box for the hens to lay their eggs.  I scoop out the old chips and hay and put in new chips and hay.

Inspectors arriving

Gypsy says, "Okay."

Just as I finished the chicken houses, Inspectors showed up.  No these inspectors are not FDA certified. But they were very thorough. They even chatted with the senior resident, Cracker. Finally, Inspector Gypsy gave me a hoof-up.

Dottie Belle Chats with Cracker

Now our house!!!

Now we, the inspectors and I, are ready to clean out the goatgloo.  Yes, it is a dog igloo, but I don't tell that to the goats.  I do have plans for Don to build Gypsy and Dottie Belle a real goat house.  I just hope he has the same plans.  For now the goats are living in the dog yard with Diva and Megabyte. Of course Diva and Megabyte sleep in the house.  They just play with the goats during the day.  Much to my surprise and relief, the dogs get along with the kids.  They had to get things straight the first day I introduced them.  Gypsy, the extrovert, went right up to Megabyte and headbutted him.  Megabyte stood in shock.  Then Gypsy headbutted Diva. Oh NO!  I thought Diva was going to eat Gypsy.  I stepped in and calmed Diva.  But Gypsy won't mess with Diva again. Gypsy didn't know that Diva is a real DIVA.

They kiss and make-up.

Back to cleaning the goatgloo.  I raked out the old hay.  Got the hose and washed the igloo out.   Then I let it dry in the sun for a couple of hours and replaced the hay.

Tonight all the critters in this urban farm have clean sleeping quarters.
                                                         Now I need to clean my house.