12 posts tagged “bonnie”
Still no Clyde. With each day that passes I am more and more sure that a wild animal got him. Last night there was a small (I think young by the way it acted) opossum on my patio. It made me wonder if maybe Clyde got into it with the mommy possum. Now, I also have to find a different place for the outside kitty food since obviously that is what this one was looking for. (It had been moved up onto the patio table yesterday so it wouldn't get contaminated while the exterminator sprayed the foundation.) I did talk to neighbors as well as the office here and put up some fliers...lots of the neighbors recognized his photo and mentioned what a sweet kitty he is and said they would keep an eye out for him, but hadn't seen him in awhile.
Aside from that I flung poop today - it desperately needed doing. The yard was getting gross due to crappy weather lately. After that I made my first hike down the hill. I have no finally set foot on all of my land. Heh. It is lovely down below with relatively easy access to the creek that runs through back there. The hill itself is rather steep and somewhat tough to get back up (then again, I am also horribly out of shape)...but I think if I work at it, over time I can create a stair/path that will make climbing back to the top easier. I also scouted out the gully area that I am going to clear out and replant with wildflowers. I don't think it will be too tough to do, actually. There is just one area that has some washout issues that I am going to have to ponder. It looks like I will probably need to build some sort of retaining wall. I wonder when Dad is planning on coming back to visit? Ha-ha!
Now I need to go change my clothes since I am covered in little sticker bush burr things and find something for lunch. Then I think I might watch a movie...I am exhausted. Marly, Sadie and Bandit were all antsy last night and made sleep hard to get.
P.S. Bandit is doing just fine...he is a little timid jumping, but otherwise surgery doesn't seem to have bothered him in the least. (He got neutered and micro-chipped yesterday.)
Marly turned 10 weeks old on Saturday. She is growing like a weed - she can't just walk under Sadie like she could two weeks ago and she can now almost get up on the couch and chair in the living room. She is also getting more and more independent and we are almost able to get through the night now.
Saturday we found a new little park very close to the house that runs right a long the river. We went to go check it out and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. When she is a little older and has all her shots I am hoping to get her in the water and swimming. For now she will have to make due with her 25' leash and romping in the grass.
She also has one of the longest tongues I have ever seen on a dog!
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Sadie is doing well with her new little sister. Teaching her doggie ways and playing typical puppy dominance games with her. Thankfully, as submissive and shy as Sadie is, she does put Marly in her place when she needs to. I am really glad to see her do that. She is also acting several years younger again - I think having the pup around to play with has done wonders for Sadie.
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Bonnie is same old Bonnie. Pretty laid back and just wants to do her thing. Clyde on the other hand, between the new puppy in the house and the little black and white kitty outside the house, he has turned into a holy terror. He keeps sneaking/dashing out the door whenever I am taking the dogs for potty breaks or walks. And inside - inside he terrorizes poor Bonnie and is a general spazz. Slowly he seems to be settling out of it (a little) so I hope with time we can all get back to some sort of normal around here.
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Mr. Mouser seems to be enjoying his outdoor life. He also enjoys his new little outdoor friend. The little black and white kitty is still around and not just still around, but he tries sneaking into the house whenever I open the door to take the dogs out. The other day was pure pandemonium..Clyde got out, little black kitty got in, and Marly managed to yank her leash out of my hand and go dashing after Mr. Mouser. All is well now, but I need to decide soon what I am going to do about the little guy.
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Yes, I am a terrible mommy and have no recent photos of any of the other critters - though, in my defense, note that Neil took the two photos of Marly. Someday soon I hope to actually feel caught up on the projects for work, around the house, and in the yard so I can feel justified in spending some time with the camera again. Someday.
Wow! Puppy energy is in full swing now. So much so, that I am uncertain as to how to wear her out. I thought her shots were supposed to make her sleepy yesterday - no such luck. Apparently we are going to need to start going for MUCH longer walks in the evening...immediately.
The real issue is that with working most of the day she doesn't get much interaction and play time from me (other than trying to keep an eye on her to stop the play peeing that is still happening far too often). Then late afternoon/evening she wants to sleep which means she refreshed and geared up to play again at 2am. Only just 15 minutes or so of play doesn't do it for her, in fact, it just gears her up more. This means more barking and whining when I try to put her back in her crate so I can go back to bed.
Calgon, take me away! (OK yeah, so I just dated myself there. And who was it, Tide? that had their "Ancient Chinese Secret" ads...anyway, I digress.)
Oh...best puppy chew-toy ever - Nylabone makes a ring of keys. You know, like the ones they make for babies, only in puppy size. She LOVES them and they are saving everything from my flip-flops (which she has taken a real liking to. Particularly the leather straps on the top.) to my dining room chairs. She also discovered the toy box today so it is looking like Sadie won't have much left that is just hers anymore.
The sweetest part though, is when Marly brings her chew-toys or sometimes just herself and lays down a foot or so away from wherever Sadie is. She follows Sadie around wherever she goes. Sadie isn't always so amused by it (at least when anyone is looking) but the other day I did catch her checking up on Marly again and even trying to play with her once.
Puppy feeding is going well...I have been weaning Marly off of Iams' Large Breed puppy food and moving her over to Solid Gold's Wolf Cub (their version of large breed puppy food).
The cats are all surviving well...Bonnie and Clyde a still a bit out of sorts, but are getting braver with the puppy. I think they are learning that though she is a little rough, and loud, and wild, she isn't going to kill them.
Alright, time for me to go get some actual work done. And finally go get Sadie licensed with the county...I am such a bad procrastinator sometimes! (It's been over a year now...)
Do you have a pet? What kind of pet do you own, and why did you choose it?
Submitted by Brendz.
We (well I) have several. To start with the cats -
Neil has two of his own, the infamous Bit, a dashing orange Manx, and his younger brother Boo (aka Boomer) who is a handsome white and dark brown tabby spotted DSH fella. I don't know why he chose cats...I would assume because he is an animal lover.
I have three cats...Bonnie and Clyde who are siblings. Adopted from one of the doctors at my vet office - she rescues kitties and usually keeps the special needs ones that most people don't have the time to care for or the money to do so. These two were very healthy cuties that needed a different home - and for the record, it is Neil's fault we have them. I was going to look around for a Cornish Rex and one day while we were out running errands we were near the vet's office so he thought we should stop in because sometimes they have kittens up front for adoption. There they were. Cute as can be. Yes, I am a sucker...and I was lonely. I had always had cats and when I was younger, back in Seattle, actually found homes for my two cats at my doctor's urging because of my allergies. I am still angry at myself for caving to those instructions. Luckily, I know they are both in good homes or I would really be angry with myself. In the end, what I found is that not having cats around never really reduced my allergy symptoms...so after the move, I was lonely and wanted furry, snuggly company. And Sadie was lonely too and acting up (read: chewing up my new wood blinds!) - we both thought the diversion of kittens might help, which it did and now we are all much happier.
The newest kitty addition is the Mouse (aka Mr. Mouser). He was a gorgeous grey stray that was malnourished and in need of love. So of course I took him in. I couldn't just ignore an animal in need.
Lastly, I have Sadie. She is my seven year old black lab/Dalmatian/mutt mix. A sweetheart through and through. A gift to me at probably the worst time possible for me to take on having a puppy, but we both survived and now here we are today. Each a bit neurotic and quirky.
Soon, there may be yet another addition to the household...nothing has been decided in stone yet, but a strong possibility that Sadie will get a little puppy brother or sister. Black lab/yellow lab mix...they are still only a few weeks old so there is still time before anything will actually happen. And of course, you all will be the first to know if and when it does happen!
It is amazing to me how much Mr. Mouser is picking up from my other two kitties. Just little things...sometimes naughty things. Ha! This evening I caught him playing with some broken down cardboard boxes. Bonnie and Clyde LOVE to chew on cardboard - tonight he was pushing a small one around and nibbling on the corner.
He has also caught on to playing with the string (that is a Bonnie favorite) and he just generally follows Clyde around the house. He is even starting to like being held and is "asking" for it (climbing into my lap and then up so his head on my neck or shoulder). That last one is his alone...the other two kitty kids will snuggle in my lap sometimes, but dislike the holding thing.
He seems completely at home and OK with being an indoor kitty. In fact he makes no moves at all like he wants to go outside, whereas Bonnie tries every chance she gets. I am glad for that because I am a very strong believer in keeping kitties indoors for safety.
Saturday he goes in for hi second round of FIV shots (or is it leukemia...I forget) and Sadie goes in for her 3 yr rabies shot. Luckily Neil will be around to help out. Sadie gets freaked at the vet and pulls like you wouldn't believe to get outside and away from the scary people in white coats. I am not really sure why she hates it so much...maybe because she hates the groggy sensation after she has been under anesthesia (teeth cleaning each year and a knee surgery). Fun times!
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I mowed the lawn this morning and got the broken hose changed out...two hoses in a row on the same faucet have blown holes in them. Hopefully the third time is a charm and this hose will last! I still am not acclimated to the heat here. I about died mowing the lawn today and that was at 8:30am. It takes about and hour and a half to get the whole thing done. But, now it is and I got some edging around the house done and withered plants watered. I really need to do some weeding in the flower beds...maybe this weekend I will get to that. Right now I am off to drink yet another glass of water (I got seriously hot and dehydrated earlier) and then off to bed for me.
Today on a crazy lunch hour (using the term loosely here) shopping extravaganza Neil and I swung by the pet store for some needed items. While we were there I also decided to pick up the Drinkwell Big-Dog Fountain. It has a total capacity of just over 2 gallons of water. I figure that ought to be enough to tide the critters over for a day or two! With the onset of summer and the addition of another critter in the house, I have been filling two large water bowls two to three times a day. And with the onset of more overnight travel coming up and our weekend getaway tomorrow, it just seemed like a good idea.
The cats aren't sure what to make of it yet. All three kitties have circled it and stuck their noses in it, but no one has yet to actually drink out of it. I am sure they will figure it out sooner or later. Sadie got all excited and keeps herding me over to show me the new "thing" in the kitchen. She too has yet to realize it is for her and it is to drink out of.
Mr. Mouser is fitting right in with the other cats...as seen above. All three of them lounging around the food dish. He and I also had a little photo shoot yesterday - some of the results are below. The rest can be seen on my Flickr page.
He is just a doll...he loves attention and snuggling, but isn't quite sure what he thinks about being held yet. He is still figuring out kitty toys (I think he can't figure out why they don't move on their own!) and he is still adjusting to eating kitty food We have been having some runny accidents - usually they are immediately following him making a poop in the litter box. Luckily most of the accidents are happening right outside the box which is kept in the hall bathroom bathtub (an idea I stole from my sister, originally it was to help contain the litter that got tracked all over when the cats jumped out of the box). One of his new favorite places to hang out with me is on my work desk (which is where he is as I type this)...
OK time to go change out the laundry and get this place vacuumed - I need to make things nice for the other item that was obtained on our shopping extravaganza. Photos of that to follow. Happy Thursday everyone!
Still not much excitement around the household here. I've been in a bit of a lazy funk lately (see the photo below - I think I might have caught whatever it is from Bonnie). Actually, I think it is my allergies getting the better of me. The allergy meds, decongestants and Advil don't seem to be doing much to help (though, of course, there is the flip side to that - maybe they are helping immensely and it could be all that much worse!)
I finally got around to doing some much needed household chores on Monday - the typical stuff: vacuuming, dishes, laundry. And in keeping with my new goal of vacuuming several times a week, I am going to do that again today. I am hoping it will help reduce the pollen and animal dander in the house. At the very least it will help reduce the amount of animal fur floating around. I really do thing all my animals will go bald soon. I keep expecting to see bare patches on them with the amount of their fuzz that I pick up each day. Alas, they are all as fluffy as ever.
It turns out one of the kitties is allergic to fleas (which really is not so uncommon for kitties) so I have had to change up the stuff I use on Sadie. We are now using the K9 Advantix which is supposed to kill fleas before they bite (the goal being they die beofre they get the chance to come in on her and then get onto the kitties). I have also treated the kitties with stuff the vet gave me. None of the animals was infested by any means, but all it takes is one of those buggers to make Bonnie want to chew until she has sores. Poor thing. I had one other kitty that had this problem so at least I had a pretty good idea going into it what I was dealing with.
Work is tedious. I really need to win the lottery so I can become a professional bum. Heh. Actually, then I could have the time to do the things I really want to do - like volunteer work for various things. Someday. Someday.
A week from today I will be back home. I can't wait! Dress fitting aside (ugh!) the rest of the trip will be a blast. Mostly I can't wait to get my hair cut...it is driving me nuts!
Nono, really they are not at all terrible, they are delightful and sweet - most of the time. However, for this particular situation I was out of options as well as almost finding myself in a HUGE financial bind. Kittens, Bonnie and Clyde, will be coming home tomorrow from getting de-clawed. (Front feet only, before anyone completely freaks out on me. There was actually a guy at the vet when I dropped them off getting all four feet done on his cat. _I_ almost freaked. How do they scratch or groom themselves that way? Ack! Anyway...I digress.)
I almost didn't write anything about this because I know what a touchy subject it can be with some folks. Yes, it is major surgery. No it is NOT like having your fingernails "ripped out" as some so love to describe it. And yes they will have tender toes for a bit, but in the end, I have never seen a de-clawed cat that had any problems. I will also add the disclaimer that they are indoor only kitties and have no true defensive needs. In fact, their most dangerous enemies are each other.
The events leading up to this? The carpet. Over the past few weeks they have suddenly taken a liking to ripping at the carpet along the baseboards. In the process they rip out the tufts and I now have various holes in my carpet that is less than a year old. I cannot afford to get it replaced. If it had been the furniture I would have even let it go...but this would have lead to sub-flooring damage and a huge expense to fix left unchecked.
I tried various anti-scratch sprays. I tried tin foil - too bad they LOVE the crinkle sounds it makes and it promoted things even further! I tried loops of tape that would get stuck and maybe distract them into not digging at the floor - they figured out how to get around them. They have multiple scratching posts around the house, and yes, they USE them. So, finally, I called my vet.
They went in on Wednesday morning; everything went perfectly. I got a call this evening that things are still going well and they will get to come home tomorrow afternoon. I miss the little buggers - and what is even more heart-wrenching, Sadie misses them. She keeps looking under beds and in closets for them. Tomorrow we will be one big happy zoo again and I am sure that the SadieDog will be her usual wonderful big sister and take care of them both while they recuperate.
Day 29 - Canon Love
I spent most of yesterday and today shopping around for a new Canon 30D. It prompted me to take a photo of some of our current Canon toys (the photo was taken with my S2 IS). The F-1 and 20D belong to Neil. For now, he is being kind enough to let me learn and play with his 20D. I LOVE it...I can't wait to get my new one!
Day 30 - Curious Bonnie
So, today I was playing around with the 20D and caught Bonnie trying to find some sort of trouble to get into. She was particularly intrigued by the neck-strap dangling from the camera and was desperately trying to figure out how she could get at it to play with. I half expected her to take a leap off the chair at me!
Time for a little catch-up after being out of town for a few days. Luckily, I got to finish up and head home (back over the Smokies) before the winter precipitation started falling here in the south. If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have gotten to come home until today.
Day 12: All work and no play...
You could simply call this my office. I travel 75-80% of the time for business...I am hoping that number will reduce significantly over this next year.
Day 13: Knoxville Sunset
The temperatures were brutal this trip - definitely colder than this gal could handle. So here is the sunset view from my hotel window. (Man, they need to wash their windows!)
Day 15: Early morning adventure...
Holy moly! Early is an understatement. Sadie decided she needed to be up and playing at 4am. So here were are around 4:15 out in the first of the snow that came with the South's "winter storm".
(Oh yeah...you noticed I skipped day 14, huh? To be honest, I'm not sure what happened there. Maybe I froze the last of my brain cells? Mostly, I am certain I was so focused on finishing up my work so I could make it home before this white stuff hit the mountians that it completely slipped my mind.)
Day 16: Kitten Love
With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I thought it would be appropriate to include a shot of true love. These two, being littermates, snuggle and love as intensely as they play and fight.
