Saturday, February 26, 2011

Trying to decide if I should go to the Community Business Showcase


The last few years I have gone to the Spencer Community Business Showcase. So many people go, but I'm always surprised how few people I know, myself. Last year was fun because more friends visited. I did also get an adoption from it--not that day, but later.

Arthur was last year's poster kitty. Alas, he is still here. I thought this year I would take Portia, given how friendly she is. Arthur was a little nervous last year. Portia probably wouldn't mind being carted around the room in my arms.

Will any local folks come by and say hi? It really is fun to walk through. I may take the pop-up nylon cage, instead of hauling along the heavy metal one. But I haven't yet decided if I will go.

It is Sunday March 6.

Old friends at the vet

Now and then I run into old friends when I take new cats into Cornerstone Veterinary Hospital.

Two weeks ago I ran into Schubert and Tuck, who were in for their yearly checkup. (Were they both in that crate? Can you believe I can't recall if it was Schubert or both of them now? Gettin' old...)

And when I was in this past week, Dr. Armao let me know I had just missed Shakespeare. Apparently he is doing great!


I wonder what percentage of clients at Cornerstone are Wildrun or Lucky Day Rescue cats?

Thursday, February 24, 2011

If I lived with Maru...

I would be laughing so hard I would get nothing done.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sir Morgan gets his "Proceed to New Home" card

A mere two weeks after posting a video for Sir Morgan, he found a home. It looks like it's time to get more cute video for the rest of the cats! Poor Morgan has been here over a year, stuck in a cage at night to keep him from constantly grazing from the big shared food bowl and because he sometimes copped an attitude with other male cats. Now he's off to a home where he will be the one-and-only, and someone is home all day to fuss over him, too!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Zootie amuses the household

Tyler torments Molly...and Molly thinks it's great



Poor Molly. Tyler is the only cat who will play with her. It's like the kid on the schoolyard who thinks the bully really likes her when he pushes her.

At least I'm warm inside



Molly was on the porch during all of this, just staring and quivering. I was amazed she was as quiet as she was. But it was finally one small woof that sent them running away.

Next week it should be in the 40s, so hopefully it will melt off some of the snow, making it easier for them to get around.

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Making felted cat toys

Now and then I run across things on the internet that I just have to play with. Usually I experiment once with them, and that's it. A few weeks ago I saw this neat way to make felted cat toys. I figured I'd try it out when some wool came my way. I mentioned it at a "girl's night out" and one of my friends, who has a sheep farm, said "Oh, don't buy it, I'll bring some next time!"

And she did. :) In beautiful dyed colors, yet. Friends are good.




I may ask her if I can buy a big bag of anything extra she may have, so I can make a bunch, before the novelty wears off. I tried infusing them in catnip tea, but they just smell like wet wool to me. I can snip open the hole where I inserted the bell in the wiffle ball and funnel catnip in, then sew them closed again, however.

About the only thing that grows well on this property is catnip (and the deer don't eat it!) I'm thinking of planting a quarter acre of it this summer, to sell or give to folks who make cat toys. Believe it or not, there are a lot of them. I grew two rows of it about 5 years ago and while drying and cleaning it was a pain, it was nice to have bags and bags of catnip!

Trying to get creative. Kittens not cooperating.

The best way to come up with ideas for good photos is to steal them from other groups. :) I was on Petfinder and noticed one group using a heart Valentine pillow to help their cats standout. Yesterday I was shopping, and lo-and-behold, Valentine's "stuff" was on sale, 50% off, and here was a blanket and pillow combo. I set them up on a chair in the den, hoping Tyler and Zootie would curl up on it at some point so I could get a photo without subjecting them to a forced session.

Well, I got MY cats...



The kittens prefer their new handmade-with-love blankies.

Espie checks in

I love getting photos of Espie. Espie was rescued by Valarie and Craig. She was preggers, but I was traveling to Colorado, I think, and by the time I got back, Espie was packing kittens instead of a big belly. Espie's kittens all got great homes, but Espie's wonderful personality was stuck here at Wildrun until Donna and Tim, who care for the cats while I travel, finally decided they just couldn't leave her behind.

And now she is spoiled rotten, and has many friends, both canine and feline.

Friday, February 04, 2011

More beds for orphans

georg dropped a hint that a present would be arriving at the P.O. Box. The weather has keep me at home. I've been chained to the computer during the day, and it has been too cold to go out and chip ice after dark.

Today at around 2:00 pm, with the sun streaming down, I announced via IM that I just had to deal with the snow on my car and in the drive.

I hadn't had a chance to check work mail all week either, so once the car was unburied, I zipped out to the post office. There indeed, inside my PO Box, was one of the magic keys to one of the package-keeper mailboxes. I opened it up, and there was a squishy brown paper wrapped package. Early Valentine's Day!

There was also a reminder in both PO Boxes that it was time to pay rental, so I stopped at the window to pay, and to pick up whatever warranted the yellow "signature needed" card that had also been in my PO Box. When she saw my card she said "Oh you have a package!" I insisted I'd already gotten it. She said "No, you have a BIG package." And out she came with a huge box!

When I came home, I opened up the packages and dived into many many beautiful cat blankets. As usual, my house cat perked up their ears and came over. At 3:00 in the afternoon, they are a little snoozy. True to fickle cat-ness, Ivan chose to nap on the bag...


...and Tyler chose to get IN the other.


As you can see, they are like Me and Mini-Me, which is why Tyler needs to find a home--before I resolve to keep him. Luckily Ivan had picked up those vibes, and has begun to get a little pissy with Tyler. This is good. I am intent on keeping peace in my household, and Ivan is the king. What Ivan wants, Ivan gets.

I'm looking forward to taking the box of blankets out to the cat facility where they will be properly appreciated by the cats for whom they were intended. I'm going to wait until the sun is up so I can get some video of them.

Thank you, Handmade House in NJ, and georg in Endicott, NY!

Zootie finds his niche

Zootie spent his first two days exploring the house and growling all the while. He wanted everyone to like him, but he wasn't sure. He'd headbutt the dog...and growl. Try to play with Tyler...growling. Tyler took it in stride. Nellie, the matriarch, gave him quite a smack. She wasn't having any of it.

After 48 hours, the growling faded away and and he acts like he never left. He curls up in my elbow while I work, and runs around with a plastic bottle top in his mouth (video on that later). The first two nights he was content to stay in the boarding rooms. The third night he howled mournfully. The fourth night, I put him and Tyler together for the night, and that's how it has remained. They seem happy enough with all the beds and toys to themselves.

Can I get a photo of him with his beautiful eyes open? No--he blinks at the flash.




He's happy and healthy, and ready to go live with someone else!