Ups and downs and ups

Well, I thought there was a new home for Zootie, but they went home and thought it over and decided they would like an older cat. Poor little Zoot. Maybe three times will be the charm.

The cats in the cat facility have been a life-saver/life-charmer lately. They have been sweet and affectionate, and continue to keep me sane. Handsome hard-to-get Tiger Tom was actually photogenic tonight.

Christy called last week. A terribly thin grey cat had showed up at their door. Maeve is slowly putting on weight, and a little pyrantel seems to be clearing up her wormy digestive issues. She was the skinniest cat who had ever come my way. You can't really tell in the photo, but you can grab right around her middle. She's bright, active, and healthy. She was dehydrated when she arrived, but was plenty willing to eat and drink. I'll need to get her advertised in case there is someone out there looking for her.

Pauli the white and grey cat is neutered and FeLV/FIV negative, but has diarrhea that just won't quit. He has been wormed with everything I have without effect, so I'll take a stool sample in. I SO hate spending $40 just for parasites, but there is no sense stabbing in the dark, and I don't want him to give whatever he is carrying to my own cats. In fact, I'm moving him downstairs because I'm afraid he'll toss kitty litter out onto the floor where the healthy kids could pick it up. I would guess the issue is giardia.

Speaking of giardia ("beaver fever"), I was driving to Norwich, and there was a hit-by-car beaver right in Rt 13 in the middle of Ithaca. On the way home, on Rt 23 by Cincinnatus, I passed a new beaver dam, and pulled over to take some photos.

Beaver fascinate me. They are the most amazing animals. At a wildlife rehab center I actually got to go down a ladder into a man-made beaver lodge and pet and touch a rehabbed beaver who could not, by law, be released. I've live-captured them myself in Hancock cage traps. However I couldn't deal with the NYS requirement that they be killed, even if live-trapped, so I stopped doing beaver control. Mark and I put in a few flood control devices (so beaver can stay, with the pond level under control). It was an interesting few years.

You can see how close this dam is to the road. I'm guessing the highway department will be tearing it out soon, before the beaver get too well established.

So amazing, and so beautiful.