Thank you, those of you who voted for Gracie in the Greenies contest over the past few weeks. As we went into Friday evening – voting was supposed to stop at midnight Friday – Gracie was in first place and whoever was in second place was about 300 votes behind. They didn’t shut down voting at midnight, which I’d expected they would, so Saturday afternoon Gracie ended up in second place to a dog I hadn’t even noticed before. I don’t know if Gracie made it back to first place again before they finally got around to shutting down the voting, and I don’t know if they’ll count the votes that were cast after midnight Friday or not, so Gracie ended up either in first place or second, depending on how they’re planning to do that. At this point, it’s up to the judges to decide who won anyway, so maybe she wins and maybe she doesn’t – I’ll certainly let y’all know if I find anything out!
Renee has a question that some of you might be able to help with:
I guess you’d call me the neighborhood cat lady. A month or so ago I caught the local mama kitty and well she’s currently pregnant and living isolated in a room. Until recently I am not allowed to touch her. If your hand gets too close she’ll pop you. Recently she’s gotten very loving – on her terms. At night when I go in, she runs over to me and will rub all over me. I am still not allowed to touch her even though she rubs all over me. I know as they get closer to giving birth they can get very loving. Lately though I can barely get out of the room. When I go to stand up she runs around and tries to block me. Tonight she put herself between me and the door and would hiss or pop at me if I tried to move towards it. I’m not sure what’s up with the possessiveness and I”m not sure how or if I’d ever be able to get her to allow me to touch her, but I didn’t know if you or any of your readers might have some advice or experience.
Advice/ suggestions very much welcome!
The Goathouse Refuge in Pittsboro, NC needs help raising funds! If they can raise $10,000 by November 30th, they will receive $10,000 in matching funds! Go read more about it here, and help out if you can, please?
I came through surgery just fine, thankfully. I’m planning to take the rest of the week off from blogging, though knowing me I’ll pop in to post pictures once or twice – or maybe not. In any case, if I don’t post again between now and Monday, rest assured that I’m taking it easy in the recliner, and I’ll be back!
So, the pond is dug. The guys worked hard on it all week long, and round about, oh, Wednesday, they told Fred that hey – there’s a lot of dirt! They told him that there was more dirt than they’d expected (!) and, um, sucks to be us. So Fred put a sign by the side of the road advertising dirt for sale, and I don’t know what exactly is going to happen if no one comes along and wants some of that dirt. I guess we’re going to have a hill out there. Or something.
Anyway.
We have a pond!
The dirt from the pond.
The pond, which is about 60 x 120 feet, and about 8 feet deep at the deeper (farther) end.
Nothing to do with the pond, I just thought this was neat.
I have to say that I miss Buster an awful lot (reports are that he’s doing just fine at Petsmart, but hasn’t been adopted yet), but things are just so amazingly peaceful around here. I think I hadn’t realized just how UN-peaceful life had gotten and how tense it was making me until things went back to relatively peaceful.
The kittens are being pretty good while I recover from surgery – occasionally one will climb up in my lap for a nap, but for the most part they play around me and near me, and lay on the couch near my chair, but don’t run across my face or anything like that, which is good.
Everett, looking regal.
Charlie Peppers loves the big cats. He spends a lot of time snuggling up to Elwood and Tommy.
I love how it looks like Charlie’s gone all Tasmanian Devil on Elwood’s tail, and Elwood doesn’t even notice.
(Ignore the dirty rug by the door – Fred hadn’t vacuumed yet)
Charlie and Everett.
Charlie, Everett, and Tommy.
Elwood sure does love that Tommy.
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Previously
2010: No entry.
2009: He’s a ‘niphead!
2008: I like to kiss the babies.
2007: “Who, ME? I’m just laying here! Not touching you. Nooooot touching you. Not touching you!”
2006: Maddy, wild thang.
2005: The bad boy look.
Who doesn’t love them some Tommy?
It’s cute how animals just seem to know when you’re sick or recovering. When I’ve had surgery in the past, or been sick, the guys seemed to instinctively know and would be careful around me, or be extra cuddly in a gentle manner. Awww…
Hope you are well. And really, who doesn’t love Tommy? I would love on him constantly. Are ponds supposed to be so angular? Have a great week!!
I say, nuts to the pond! Throw a swimming pool in there! 😉
Glad you’re doing well and taking it easy. Thanks for the post today!
Glad to hear that you’re mending, Robyn. As for the nefarious late-breaking number one in the smile contest, all I have to say is Zounds! If only we could vote for Buster at Petsmart — but I’m glad to hear he’s doing well. Meanwhile, his young doppelganger Charlie is clearly aiming for first place in the cute-and-cuddly department. But Molly already knew that, didn’t she? I’ll look forward to your return to full-time blogging status when you’re good and ready.
Renee, I have a foster mother that is the same way.. her name is Minerva. I have been working with her to help her better express her needs and explain that biting and swatting out at me are not acceptable behaviors. She is smart enough that I was able to teach her a few tricks, but stubborn enough to not want to do it a lot of the time. When she is acting inappropriately (popping you) simply say “NO” and be disappointed in her. Try to anticipate what she does want, and give it to her at the first sign that she might be asking for it. Getting a back scratcher or some other pole type device to pat her with out getting your hands in the way might also help you.
A lot of the time Minerva is bored, so getting out a feathered toy on a string helps her work out some of her excess energy. she doesn’t like to play with the kittens around, so I lock them up which they don’t like, and Minerva and I ignore them while she plays. After a while she can’t stand it any more and asks that I let them out.
When I can’t figure out what she wants, I will often put the food down and just leave while she is eating. On her worst days I used a towel to put up a barricade between her and my legs so she couldn’t get to me.
Also, for the rescue Kitty Mom, congrats because if I read this right, you have just become a giant kitten! Seriously, as Mom gets closer to giving birth, she is likely to get clingy to anyone or anything that she can attach too. I’ve seen Momma cats do this with people, toys, other cat’s kittens even baby chicks!
One trick you can try, in addition to firmly discouraging the serious batting or smacking you (the way she will smack her kittens later) is to give her a stuffed kitten or kitten sized toy, to carry about and fawn over. She may or may not continue to pay attention to it once her own family is here, but meanwhile she may be distracted a bit from focusing on your legs.
Another thing you can do if she’s being “psycho kitty” friendly one moment, angry the next is just spend time time in the room, reading a book on a soft chair for awhile after feeding her. Let her come to you and jump or (or not as she wants) when it comes time to leave, hand her her toy or put a few more special treats in the cat dish and leave. Once she gets used to your leaving with cat treats, she may be more able to let you go (or try to block your way out). You’ll have a very spoiled cat for awhile, but it may be worth it until after she gives birth, at which point she will hopefully have other things on her mind. After the kittens are old enough to go to forever homes, you can work on the leaving the room problem again if you keep her (or keep her and a kitten).
Otherwise, you can just tell her new foster home/forever home about the situation, as they continue to tame her.
For the touching part, you could try presenting your hand very low with the fingers curled in to see if she will allow it – if the popping when you try to touch is out of fear, this might make her feel better, especially if you are sitting down with her at the time.
The other parts doesn’t sound like fear or she would be running away when you approach the door. The super kitten sounds plausible enough.
Keeping my fingers crossed for Gracie – I want to see her become a cover girl!
Charlie Peppers is a lovebug, isn’t he!
Thanks for today’s post and enjoy your recliner time Robyn!
I don’t have advice for the pregnant semi-feral mum other than maybe some rescue remedy in her water? and the stuffed toy sounded a good idea, too.
that charlie! he’s just about everywhere, isn’t he? i can imagine him collapsing exhausted in the hallway so better keep an eye out for him. good thing he’s so cute.
and you just concentrate on healing up real good, ok, Robyn?
Thanks everyone for the suggestions – I will try each one out and see how it goes! She’s a very pretty tortie girl who I know has had a rough outside life, but after this litter, there will be no more babies and a spoiled rotten kitty.
I <3 Tommy 🙂 And Loony Jake.
Glad to hear you are recovering well!
YAY POND — can’t wait to see the duckies in it!
that picture of tommy/elwood needs to have a caption, something to the likes of: Best Friends Fur-ever!
I’m not sure if Everett’s looking regal or just smug.
“I KNOW that I’m pretty. So pretty. Don’t you wish you were this pretty?”