57 posts tagged “critters”

Gah!

Yesterday
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I had a down and out panic attack this evening...somehow I feel like I am forgetting some major deadline for work. But I am not. I don't think. I think maybe it has to do with wrapping up this big joint venture project that I've been working on. There were so many document due dates and database update requests - now that they are over my brain doesn't know what to focus on. My adrenaline is STILL pumping...I want to go to bed at a reasonable hour because I have a busy morning tomorrow, but I don't think sleep will be coming anytime soon.

Of course, I still have a crap-load of stuff to do on Monday before I leave town again, but nothing that can't wait until then to get done, and nothing Earth shattering if it doesn't get done then. So, I don't really know what my deal is. I think maybe that it might be that I agreed to help out my sales partner at work and do a coaching call with one of her branches in the very near future (a yet to be determined date). I love what I do because it is mostly one on one and face to face. I dislike group conference calls with people I have not met.

That and I think I am stressing out about the up coming year. We have a TON of changes coming at us and I don't think our team has the manpower to handle them all.

Also, there is Thanksgiving...and Christmas. So, my big plan was that this year was my year to relax...no family, no big functions. Just some peace and quiet with the dogs...well, OK, romping and playing too. Instead, my quiet Christmas turned into a trip to New Orleans and Thanksgiving week I am going to Seattle - I will work out there Monday and Tuesday and then spend Wed and Thursday with family and then travel home (an all day trip) on Friday. It is going to be a whirlwind trip...the cost of extending the ticket over the weekend was insane...and it would also have put Moo at the kennel for almost two weeks straight due to a work trip the following week. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful and even excited to get to go home for turkey day. And Christmas should be neat. I've never been to New Orleans before - we will be staying in the French Quarter - but I seriously feel like I was cornered into going. As much as I want to see the place, this isn't the time of year or way I wanted to do it. And both trips mean that Sadie will be with friends the entire week of Thanksgiving and at the kennel with Moo over Christmas...and Moo is at the kennel for both trips. That added with all the travel for work that has come up and I feel like she is ALWAYS at the kennel and that I am NEVER at home.

And next year, I had hoped to get home a few times throughout the year to see Caleb - but we are now being pressured (at least I feel like we are being pressured) into saving our PTO for the end of the year since it is dead around Christmas and New Years. Except that that isn't my problem and I shouldn't be expected to use MY time off because of planning and management issues. Bah. I guess I just have a lot frustrating me right now...mostly these holiday trips. So much for a nice quiet season at home.

And don't get me started on the electrician issues. I am never here and since Neil said he'd be taking care of it, trying to coordinate with his recent travel isn't something I want to try to do. He knows (or ought to know) what his schedule is...since he needs to be here, it seems that it would be easiest for him to just call and schedule. But between the first guy never calling back and then more travel, it just isn't getting done. The next major fiasco is going to be replacing the carpet since it is all fraying at the seams and along the room edges...the list is never-ending.

Right now I just need to focus on not completely losing my cool over the holidays. And my New Years resolution is going to be to just say no next year. I WILL have my peaceful holiday at home...even if I celebrate it all by myself (with the critters, of course!).

Five Words Meme - Pets

Sep 4, 2009
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Since I was a slacker last night...I will now finish the remaining words for this meme!

Pets? What pets? Ohhhhh I think you mean my kids!

Seriously, that is what my pets are to me...they are family. I can't imagine my life without them. I grew up with cats (and a few hamsters) - before my sister was born, our cat Dukie was my best friend (according to mom anyway, I was only 2!). There were a couple years in there, right around the time I moved east, that I didn't have any cats. I can't tell you how empty the house seemed even with Sadie around. Cats snuggle like nothing else can. They are always around without always being _right there_. They don't need a ton of work, and their personalities amuse me to no end! I have NEVER had two cats even remotely alike.

Bandit & Mr. Mouser

I am still devastated that my boys have gone missing. My head is always full of the what-ifs...'what-if I had just made them stay inside' is the most recurring one. But, then I remind myself that Mr M and Bandit never did acclimate to being indoor-only kitties. And no matter how much I loved them, I could not have them destroying my house with cat urine. Clyde, is the hardest to reconcile in my head. He was OK being inside, though he was also the one to make a mad dash for the door whenever it opened. And I tell myself that it wouldn't have been fair to keep him inside while the other boys got to go out. It has helped a little seeing the snake on the patio - if nothing else, it has offered some closure. I know I am not a "bad" kitty mommy...but it is hard not to feel like it when they all disappear in such a short time-span. And even after all the heartache, if another stray showed up on my doorstep, I would not turn it away. Even if I couldn't get it to acclimate to being indoors. This time, though, the other cats still have to stay inside.

Cuteness

To help fill the void, and to keep Bonnie company while I am away on business and the dogs are not at home, I adopted OP. It was a little bit of an adjustment, but now he is right at home here. And he is a snuggler! He now shows up in my bed around 2am each night and purrs...and is usually still purring when my alarm goes off around 6. He likes to get right up next to me, but thankfully, seems to have no interest in sleeping on my head. Bonnie is the aloof one...she has her moments of absolute NEED. Love me now! But mostly she is content to simply hang out in whatever room we are in. Usually you can find her curled up sleeping in a corner.

Sleepy

My mom was never a 'dog person', so we never had a dog when I was a kid. I got Sadie as a "present" from an old boyfriend (just before he dumped me...nice, huh?) She was a pound puppy and around 4 months old when I got her. I did everything wrong that you possibly could when it came to raising her, but in the end, I lucked out. She is the sweetest, most neurotic, gentle dog I've ever met. By neurotic, I mean quirky - for instance, she sleeps under the bed whenever I leave the house. Yup! She can actually get herself under a bed! She will put on the biggest show ever, when we get ready to leave the house...including chattering her teeth. She won't go outside to potty if it is raining out. She doesn't like it if it is too hot out. But, everyone who has ever met her adores her...including my non-dog person mom.

Marly

Then there is Marly-Moo. The Moo-dog. She got her name from an old song about a prostitue - Lili Marlene...which then got shortened to Marly. The nickname Moo came at around 9 months old when she was growing faster than any dog alive. It has since become what we call her because EVERY person who asks what her name is, then asks if she was named after the dog from the book/movie Marley and Me. I get tired of explaining that no, she was not.

Before I moved, I also had fish - a couple bettas and a 75 gallon African cichlid aquarium. They fascinated me. Who knew fish had individual personalities? They were amazing to watch (which I used to spend hours doing). I have thought about rebuilding the aquarium here, but I don't really have a place in the house to put it and the work it took to maintain it takes more time and energy than I have these days. There are photos of my fish here.

I'm seeing spots!

Last but not least are my wild pets - deer, birds, possums, and all other manner of critters that live in my yard and in the woods behind it. Even the freakin' copperhead I couldn't bring myself to kill. (OK, I admit, there was no way on Earth I was going to open the back door with it right there, but still...) Slowly but surely I am building a little bird sanctuary in the yard. And the deer, though I don't do anything outright to help them, they help themselves to the tasty greenery in the yard...and I am sure as soon as I get a garden growing, I will be sharing that too!

I have always loved animals and will never understand people who can harm and abuse them in any way. And yes, someday, I probably will be that crazy cat lady who lives at the end of the street that all the kids talk about!

Next up:

~photography

~marriage

New backyard friends...

Aug 12, 2009
1 comment

Yesterday, my disabled finch friend hung out with me while I refilled all the bird feeders. She is deaf, blind in one eye (I think), and cannot fly well - she can barely make it up to the roof of my house and has to take several attempts in order to land on any of the feeders...though I think the latter has to do with depth perception.

She wasn't too sure about me being right there at first and flitted off into the maple tree a few feet away. But then she decided I was OK and came right back...almost landing on me during her first attempt to make it back to the feeder. I feel somewhat guilty, I think this is a bird I saved from Bonnie earlier this Spring. However, she seems to be getting along just fine, so I will continue to make sure the feeders are full for her, there is clean water in the bird bath and she has a safe-as-possible roost in the maple tree.

This pretty lady is my other new backyard friend:

Mini Sunshines

I am pretty sure it is a 'she' - according to this website article, the female Eastern Box Turtles have brown eyes whereas the males have red. They can live to be 80 in the wild, but usually only 30-50 years in captivity. It also stated that the colors tend to be more vibrant in the young...I wonder how old this one is? It is hard to tell how 'vibrant' the colors actually are, since it was raining and the shell was wet.

I moved her over to the hill area since the lawn guys are due to come today - I didn't want her to get mowed!!! When I picked her up, she pulled in and closed her shell tight! There is a hinged area under the front part that pulls up to completely close up the shell.

Nobody's Home!

When I went back out later, she had moved on...I am wondering if it was the same one I saw earlier in the year near the top of the hill munching on some weeds.

Pet food...and other pet related notes

Aug 8, 2009
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Just random comments, thoughts, and notes here.

DOG FOOD: Nature's Variety is a pain in the ass to find around here - I sure wish the dogs did as well on some other (easier to find brand). That said, I have begun ordering it from petfooddirect.com I have had issues with not being able to get the carealotpets.com pages to load, or the page is so slow I don't have time to wait (I am usually ordering when I am on the road and working). Also, PFD's prices are lower (just marginally, though) and their shipping costs less...it isn't by much, but on a tight budget, every little bit counts. I am sure there are a couple pet stores in the city that carry the food and manage to keep it in stock, but I am not willing to drive all over town to get it. And now that I have found a steady supplier, I need to really track how long a bag lasts (I think from last time I timed it, I remember it being exactly 4 weeks) so I can get signed up for their auto-ship schedule. I really wish Petco could carry it...I am quite impressed with their new well-pet/whole foods sort of section. It was a smart move for a large chain store to make. I know it hurts the smaller, locally owned family stores but to be honest, I haven't really found one here that I feel compelled to support. The one I was trying to support never manages to keep food (of any brand from what I can tell) in-stock on a regular basis and aside from the guy who owns it, the other folks working in there are obviously just doing so as a favor and don't care about the store or the customers. If I had had a 2 Feet 4 Paws to go to, then there would be no question about where I would get my food! :)

CAT FOOD: Spoiled little OP has created a spoiled little Bonnie (though, it is something I have been meaning to do for her for awhile now, so no big deal). OP gets part of a can of soft food every day. So of course, Bonnie smelled the tasty (stinky) stuff and decided she wanted some too! The disturbing part is that she got sick from the first stuff - that's when I actually read the ingredients. ACK! I just want to throw the diclaimer in that I have always been told by very conscientious vets, animal rescues, and even the crazy cat lady whom we adopted OP from that with the canned stuff it doesn't really matter since mostly they should get it for the added water (most indoor cats don't drink enough water). So, I bough Friskies...because it is middle of the road in price and is what my family has always given our cats in the past. I had never read the ingredient label on it though...it is nasty! I had some 3oz cans of Wellness from a promotion they had awhile back...buy kibble get free canned food.

I am also going to switch the cats over to Wellness kibble. Bonnie has never had a problem with any of the foods I've fed her and it will be easier to be able to just buy it at Petco where I know it will be in stock when I need it. And it will partner nicely with their canned food. Heh. And I am not overly impressed with the Felidae that OP is currently weaning off of. He has gorgeous fur, but it should be much softer. With the introduction of the NV (which I still have a bunch of and will finish up before the switch to Wellness) he seems to be improving. Of course, I imagine some of the dryness is also from the stress of moving to a new house...I still can't get over that process and how spastic the lady was about it. I was talking to my mom last night and she made the comment that it sounded like the lady didn't really know anything at all about cats or their personalities...and it made me remember how the lady told us that she treated her cats like dogs. I told my mom that I think she is right.

Anyway, all the critters seem to be doing well. OP is getting braver by the day - he still isn't too fond of Moo, and I can't blame him. She runs at him and chases him whenever she gets the chance. When she is sleeping he will come out, but he always keeps a close eye on her. LOL I did catch him rubbing up on Sadie last night. Except for the occasional lunge (which I think she purely does to make the kitties 'flinch') she is very good about being gentle with him. She is still curious about it, but much less pushy about it than she was at first. And lastly, Bonnie seems to be bonding with him. I caught them chasing and playing in the 'cat room' last night. YAY! That was the whole reason we adopted him in the first place!

Solar Pest Repellers

Jul 24, 2009
2 comments

Neil bought four of these for my yard - they arrived yesterday. I put two of them out in the yard this morning. I guess we'll see if they work. They emit a sound and vibrate at intervals which supposedly annoys yard pests (specifically moles, gophers, etc.) and sends them packing to quieter living areas...presumably outside your yard. It is reported that these also work for snakes.

I am unclear as to whether they work on snakes because they too do not like the noise and vibrations or if it is because it scares away their food source. In any case, anything is worth trying. I have also removed the old cat house that was right outside the back door...there was about 2" of crawl space under it that made a good hidey area for critters. And as soon as I can find some, I will toss some mothballs under the grill to keep any from hiding under there (I will also put some in the garage).

I put the first two repellers out on either side of the patio along the house. I figure that will cover enough area to help keep the dog potty areas free of too much trouble. The other two I think I will put out along the top of the hill between my house and Tommy's to try to deter them from coming up into the yards there. I don't really care if they are out in the farthest back part of my yard...I rarely go out there and if I do, I will just take extra precautions.

I still think it was a fluke that I saw the snake the other night, but better safe than sorry since the closest 24 hour emergency vet is nearly an hour from here.

Update...mostly just rambling

Feb 1, 2008
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WORK: I am learning lessons in scheduling with our new travel-all-the-time thing going on at work. Generally speaking, I am gone two nights and three days...what I am learning is that if I want to survive, I can't schedule those back to back. i.e. The week before last I was gone Wednesday through Friday and then this past week Monday through Wednesday. Not having at least one workday in-between trips made for an icky weekend full of work related stuff so that I could wrap up the first week and prepare for the second. Live and learn. Luckily, I got home late Tuesday night instead of sometime on Wednesday and have had time to get caught back up on everything and take some time for myself as well.

HOME: My mom and sister are coming to visit at the end of February for my birthday (and for my mom's birthday too!). I can't wait! It will be my sister's first visit to North Carolina and my mom's second. Of course, it takes visitors to spur me into completing the unfinished projects around here...and now time is running short so I am getting a bit frenzied. (There will be a "to-do" list to follow so I can try to keep track of what needs doing!) Mostly the place needs a good scrub-down and decluttering.

ANIMALS: Marly is growing up. She is still very much puppy and gets into trouble often (my fault mostly for not paying attention to where she is and what she is chewing on). However, she is starting to show that she knows she is going to get in trouble for things like getting up on the counter to eat the kitty food, chewing on mommy's shoe laces or tags her clothes, and being in the kitchen. This gives me hope that someday she won't just acknowledge that these are naughty things, but that she will also stop doing them. A friend and I were going to take the dogs to the park today, however, I think all the rain that we missed over the past year is falling in the past/next 24 hours. My yard is flooded...even Marly the water dog doesn't want to spend much time outside when going potty. I think it is because now instead of just fun puddles, the whole yard is squishy and slippery. And the rain is falling hard...she isn't used to that.

PHOTOGRAPHY: So, as you can all see, I have not started any of the photography projects that I was planning on. Being that today is Feb 1, maybe today is a good day to get going with it. Neil took a seminar in Atlanta this past weekend and had a good time, got some great photos, and was inspired to buy lights. Ha! That is so far out of my league it makes me laugh. However, it is surely nice to have someone who knows what they are doing with the basics around to help li'l old me. He also asked me a great question...one I have been pondering since I bought my camera...what do I want to shoot? I mean of course there is the everyday stuff that I do - pets, life, etc. But for real shooting what do I want to focus on and learn? My answer: structure/industry and some macro stuff. I love architecture, urban and rural decay, trains and planes, etc...but I am no good at capturing any of that in a still photo. So I guess at least now I have a bit of direction? A goal? My real problem right now is that though I 'get' the terms, the ideas behind aperture and shutter speed, I struggle greatly with applying any of that knowledge. I know practice makes perfect, but I struggle with where to even start. I think this Spring, once I have gotten into some sort of routine with work travel, I am going to enroll in a photography class so that I can get some hands-on classroom learning.

Not much else happening here...I guess I ought to get started on some of the decluttering since there is no way I can get any real cleaning done until the "stuff" is put away.

Whatta week...

Dec 14, 2007
5 comments

Bah. I got back yesterday from Florida and now have a nice cold taking hold of my head. It has been in the upper 70's low 80's (beth here and in Florida) all week and now tomorrow they are calling for a high of 45!?!? This weather has got to stop!

Northeast Florida was alright...I was right by the beach so that was nice. It has been awhile since I have been to the ocean (either one). I get to go again for a day next week down in Myrtle Beach.

Marly survived her first kennel stay with flying colors. After well over a year now, I still can't get over how inexpensive things are here compared to back in Seattle. I boarded both dogs for two nights, three days for $80. Which included the daycare romping and such during the days as well as several walks and getting fed their own food. It would have cost me close to twice that much back in the NW. The best part is that my pet-sitter also does pet-taxi service so on days like yesterday when I wasn't scheduled to get in until 5pm and the kennel closes at 5:30, someone can still pick them up! (Neil had other obligations this week as well.)

Both pups came home and slept hard yesterday evening, but Marly was still up at midnight and again at 5:30 (which is her new morning wakeup time). Ugh. Andrew or Amanda, maybe you can answer this since I can't find anything regarding it online...I know most places when I read about potty training and "holding it" overnight they say don't expect more than a puppy's age in months plus maybe one in hours for how long they can go before needing to be let out (i.e. 4 month old puppy can hold it on average between 4-5 hours). When does this rule of thumb stop holding as true? six months? or is it closer to a year? My concern is that she is simply getting into a routine of habit and doesn't necessarily have to go out...but then again, I also tend to forget howyoung she still is due to her enormous size (she will be 5 months old next weekend and is easily around 50 pounds - and is not fat)! When I do take her sometimes she will make a big pee, sometimes not, sometimes she has to do #2, sometimes not. I am sure I am just over worrying and over thinking all this, but more than anything, I would LOVE to sleep through the night once again someday soon.

I hate iTunes. Or maybe it just hates me. It always locks up, doesn't want to run or load right and in general is just a pain in the rear on my computer. This is my justification for wanting an iMac. It would run just fine there. I am sure of it.

Marly is currently being the Best Puppy Ever and is curled up sleeping on the couch on her blanket...no destruction of shoes or the Christmas tree...just being a good dog! Wow!

Alright, enough rambling here. I have work I need to go get done so I can enjoy my afternoon.

General update...

Nov 29, 2007
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Woooweee. I woke up today with a doozy of a sore throat. My left lymph node seems particularly angry this morning and my ears are doing that scratchy pre-cold thing. I am going to be really miffed if I end up getting sick!

Marly is being a pain in the butt these days. She can no longer be left unsupervised if there is a bowl of water within her reach. This is particularly frustrating because the other animals would really appreciate access to water at times when she isn't drinking it. For now the cats are lucky in that I can leave a bowl up on the "cat table", but that isn't going to last much longer...I figure in about another week Marly will be able to reach the food dishes up there. Once that happens I will have an even bigger issue on my hands...where will I put the cat food where they can get at it but she cannot? I know someday I will eventually get her trained to stay off the tables/counters/desks, but that is a long way down the road yet, I think.

I bought a Christmas tree last night, but then got home to discover that I can't find my handsaw...so today I will have to run to the hardware store and buy a new one so I can trim the trunk before putting it into the stand. I may also trim out some branches throughout the tree. Back in Seattle I always bought Noble Firs which have lovely, open branches that are excellent for hanging ornaments from. This tree is beautiful, but has very dense branches that will make decorating difficult. (Yes, I am that picky.) I also need to clean the house today. I haven't vacuumed in almost two weeks and it is showing. I also need to dust...with the heat coming on every night now, this place is a veritable dust-bowl. And of course there is the never ending laundry that needs doing...between the pile of towels used to sop up the spilled puppy water to just daily clothes and bed linens, that is going to take me most of the day. At least if I can get this place clean and the tree up today, then tomorrow I can have fun and decorate! Saturday I am going to enlist Neil's help in getting lights up on the exterior of the house. Let the season begin!

Bandit, Marly, & LIfe...

Nov 27, 2007
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Well, Bandit (formerly known as the little black and white kitty) has joined the ranks of Those Who are Allowed Inside the House. After talking with my mom yesterday and having her tell me that if she were in the situation with a darling kitten who had adopted her and who was cold and wet and desperately wanted to come into her house that she would probably let him, I did. So far so good...as long as he doesn't pee anywhere in here but the litter box he will get to be an indoor/outdoor kitty.

Sadie & Bandit

He adores Sadie and follows her around the house trying to snuggle up to her and sleep with her. Sadie really isn't sure what to make of it, so I don't think she got much sleep last night. He is very sweet and loves to be pet, but he doesn't really seek out the human companionship. Today he made himself at home in Marly's crate.

Oh, and for you other pet owners out there reading this...those fleece throw blankets are the best (you can see them on the chair and in the crate here)! I picked them up at Target - on sale they were around $7, I think they are around $10 regularly priced. I found them on an end-cap display in the bedding department. Machine washable and dry-able and they are standing up well to the puppy's chewing. They came in brown, red, and a sort of sage green color and are the perfect size.

This afternoon Marly goes in for her last round of puppy shots. I am hoping they knock her out some so tonight and tomorrow are a little more mellow. This morning she has found some new source of puppy energy that has had her going nonstop and getting into all sorts of trouble (dumping the water fountain, eating my hair bandanna thingy, chewing on throw pillows, chewing on slippers - my fault for leaving them too low, chewing on kitties...anyone else see a trend here?). My guess is that she is starting to teethe - I have no idea when puppies usually start that, but just in the last day or two she has really kicked up the chewing.

I got a bunch of Christmas shopping done yesterday (online). Most of it should arrive this week or next so I can get it wrapped up and shipped out before the last minute. YAY! Tonight Neil and I are going to go get a tree so I can work on getting that decorated this week. This weekend I hope to get lights up on the house. Unfortunately, my house has vinyl siding so I am not sure I am going to be able to put lights up along the roof peaks where there is no gutter to clip them to. We'll see. Maybe I can improvise something that will work.

Right now I ought to be vacuuming. Maybe later.

Brrrrrr...

Nov 23, 2007
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After a very balmy Turkey Day, tonight is supposed to have a low of 27. *shiver*

I worry (probably too much) about the outdoor kitties. Though, I think one of them has made friends with the neighbor kitty and sleeps in their garage - they always leave the garage door up a few inches for their kitty. So this evening I went out and draped old bath towels over the kitty house which is directly outside the back door. I figure two layers of towels over the wood should create a pretty good layer of warmer air. I also made sure one hung part way over the doorway of the house to help keep warmer air in and cold air out. I know for a fact Mr. M uses that house regularly, I just hope the partially obstructed doorway doesn't scare him off. The water bowl is also just inside the door there so hopefully it won't freeze.

Tomorrow my big project is to dismantle the house and line it with heavy plastic sheeting and then towels (on the inside) to keep it dry and warm...in case we ever finally get any real rain.