I saw this and thought of you, even though it is about dogs and not cats; still reminds me of your “voice” somehow. (safe for work and all)
I love that so very, very much!
Stompers sulking is GORGEOUS! that pout surely earned him kisses? How old is he now, anyway?
Stompers just has to look at me to get me to kiss him; I cannot pass up a chance to kiss that sweet boy and he knows it! He is now almost 10 weeks old. He weighed in at 1 pound, 11 ounces yesterday!
Was wondering if Stompers tries to nurse on Brandywine too and if so, does she let him?
I originally responded to this comment by saying that he doesn’t nurse on her because the ‘Maters are in the upstairs foster room (and Brandywine is over in Fred’s room during the day), and the Taters are downstairs in the guest bedroom, though they have the run of the house during the day. However, since then we’ve started letting Brandywine out into the house for a few hours each evening. Fred did his very best to convince Stompers to nurse on Brandywine, but he looked up at Fred and said “I don’t need to nurse on that mama cat! I’m no BABY!” and stomped off… to suck on his blanket. Never say never, but at this point I don’t think there’ll be any of that.
Oh…you have to tell the story behind the clear packing tape on the door!
One set of fosters – I don’t remember which – clawed at the door and started the paint peeling. There was that big spot, and I was afraid they’d keep peeling it in big pieces and then eat it, so I slapped the tape on the door. Classy, huh? I keep saying that when the weather cools down and we’re between fosters, I’m going to strip and repaint that door. Of course, I said it last year too, and it hasn’t happened yet!
I can tell y’all this: foster kittens can be really really hard on a house. I use a cheap $20 rug in the foster room (and now in the guest bedroom) because the more expensive rugs get torn to shreds as easily as the cheaper rugs do. And at least with the cheaper rugs, I can drag them outside and spray them down and let them dry in the sun to keep them sanitized between litters. And they’re not too expensive to replace!
Actually, it’s not just foster kittens – adult permanent resident cats are pretty hard on a house, too. I’ve told Fred that there’s no way we’re ever spending as much on furniture in the future as we have in the past. Cats will RUIN a house (I should say, a large number of cats will ruin a house. When we had 5 cats, we didn’t have much of an issue.) If we had an Ikea in the area, or at least closer than Atlanta, this house would be furnished in Ikea.
Classy are the bits of cardboard I have taped to the floor under the doors of the bathrooms where I confine cats, visible in some of the pictures here. About a year ago the mama of the litter I had really wanted out and she started shredding the bedroom carpet while confined in the bathroom. Recently I’ve had to do the same thing to the other bathroom upstairs. One day I want to get rid of all the wall-to-wall carpet in this house…
We had wall-to-wall carpet in our last house, and I do not miss it AT ALL. My only gripe with our current floors (we have hardwood floors throughout) is that the wood is kind of soft (poplar, I think?), and thus is more easily scratched. But I’ll take more-easily-scratched hardwoods over carpet ANY day! (Of course, if we didn’t have cats, I’d love wall-to-wall carpet. Except that I’m a klutz and would stain it with an impossible to remove stain about 10 seconds after the carpet was installed.)
We “stole” your feeding tray idea and have a picture up today of the foster monsters using it for the first time…thanks again for the idea!!!
LOVE the picture – chip and dip plates are honestly the BEST snack-time plates for multiple kitties!
How does Rupert keep his coat so clean?
I’m thinking that maybe his fur is made of Teflon, like George and Gracie’s fur.
Are the pigs permanent residents or do you have… uh… other plans for them?
The pigs are not permanent residents. This Fall they will go away and then, completely unrelated, about a week later Fred will come home with a car load of meat. We refer to it as the pigs going away to Freezer Camp.
Honestly, it’s not fun sending them off, but if we’re planning to remain meat-eaters (which we are), then at least we have the wherewithal to make sure that the meat we eat is spoiled rotten for every moment of its life, able to run around and flop down in a field of grass and be fed cookies and other treats rather than being packed into feedlots.
(The only reason we don’t raise our own beef is because we’re not sure we’re up for it. The pigs and chickens keep us pretty busy!)
Have you and Fred seen this YouTube parody called “I’m Farming and I Grow It”? I know y’all don’t have a farm per se, but with all those animals and crops you must surely feel like it.
I hadn’t seen that – I love it! 🙂
How do you end up with other creatures in your pond? They just seem to show up one day!
Apparently if you dig it, they will come! It’s a source of water, and the animals seem to sense that it’s there, especially in dry conditions like we’ve had this summer. I keep intending to put the game cam out by the pond so we can see just what animals come and go. Fred went out early one morning to feed the catfish, and there was a possum hurrying away from the pond. We’ve seen snakes and lots of frogs, herons, and now the turtle. It’s a regular Wild Kingdom out there!
Could you tell me what you downloaded to watermark your pictures?
It’s called Alamoon Watermark. I like it because it lets me use the font I want (Gabriola), and it’s simple to use. I bought the Pro version, and if this past week is anything to judge by (and I think it is!), then it was worth the purchase.
As of 1/23/13, I’m using (and like a lot) UMark 3.
Why do the pigs get cookies? And do you bake them special ones?
The pigs get cookies because we spoil rotten any creature who crosses the property line, but also because it’s a fairly quick and easy way train them to come to us should the need arise. The need actually doesn’t arise, but they’re so used to approaching the fenceline and waiting for their cookies that they do it every time they see us now.
I do make cookies especially for them – I make Piggerdoodles! We’ve actually bought cookies for them at the dollar store occasionally in the past, but I find it just as easy to make a huge batch of them and keep them in a bag by the door.
Agata and Fianna, face to face with one of the big cats, and not sure what to think about it!
Stompers in the cat tree condo, where he climbed all by his own self.
Coming out for a stretch.
“Hey, somebody get me down from here!”
Fianna considers lending a helping paw…
Then decides “He got himself UP the tree, now let him get himself DOWN! ::maniacal laughter::”
Stompers and Jake size each other up.
Stompers plays a rousing game of Got My Tail.
Stompers, Fianna and Kennebec hang out in the morning sun (best thing about that room, the morning sun).
And then it’s Bed Time for Stompzo.
Kennebec’s third visit to the ‘Maters kittens. Caspian decides to give him what-for.
“HEY, MISTER!”
“Yeah?”
“What you want, little man?”
“Um.”
“Your paw is kinda stinky. You too little to give yourself a bath?”
“Um.”
“You got some food on your chin. Here, let me lick it off.”
“Um.”
“Wow, you can hang there a long time, huh? Good for you!”
“Um.”
“I’m just gonna… go… uh…”
“Good talk! See ya, kiddo!”
Later Caspian came back and he and Kennebec had some sniffing time.
Kennebec thought some deep thinks.
“Mister, you look an awful lot like me. Are you my father?”
That Corbie-Corbs, always beautiful.
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Previously
2011: Ciara pretty much always looks appalled by whatever we’re doing.
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: “I just don’t see what all the fuss is about, lady.”
2006: No entry.
2005: So, it is done.