R.I.P. My Sweet Chelsea

I was at the vets today. Had to take my poor Chelsea to be put to sleep. I knew she was really sick and hoped it was her teeth or a upper respiratory but sadly my Chelsea had mammary and oral cancer. She was feral. She would not allow me to get close. I had hoped she and her children would come around but unfortunately they remained feral. Zeus her son is semi feral, as he will not let me touch him but he no longer runs away from me in fear like he used to. He does not always keep his distance but his momma never came around. She was 7 years old at the time that I rescued her. She, her daughter Velvet and her son Zeus, were living in the ravine behind a house a few streets over from me. The Lady who owned the house with her husband, was dying of cancer and could no longer take care of them. A friend of mine and I went over there for a few nights until we had successfully trapped all and took them to be spayed and neutered. Unfortunately,some females who are spayed late in life, having gone through many heat cycles before being spayed, can develop mammary cancer. Her tumour was quite large and it must have caused her alot of pain. I just wish she had not been feral and I was able to notice she was sick earlier. But Chelsea was 11 years old, she had 4 years with me and my zoo, alot longer than she would have lasted outdoors. It just saddens me every time I lose one. Especially when I never really got a chance to know her and named her after one of my favourite Bon Jovi songs, Midnight in Chelsea.

R.I.P. my sweet Chelsea. You are on the wings of angels now. I will never forget you.

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” ― Lewis Carroll

so true. Sometimes you wake up and feel undecided about what you want to do and sponteneity usually works for me. I love to travel and explore new places and not knowing where I am and finding an interesting place can be very exciting. Not always knowing where you are and where you want to go does not have to be scary. Having everything mapped out for you is not always a good thing. Routine kind of sucks the life of things sometimes. I find my life too routine at best and love to mix things up.

meow for now....

Snappy tom litter

the new litter that I am using in the new litter boxes in the den seem to be working. All the cats are using the boxes and not the floor. It really is a good litter. They are crystal type balls and it was easy to scoop out the poop and the urine just dissolves. i guess the cats using the den were too lazy to go to the alcove or they just don't like the feline fresh I use in the other boxes. Some cats are finicky that way I guess.

I also got a bunch of donated cat food from my friend at Global so I have more than enough now to feed my not so little feline zoo. It really helps. The food is actually quite good too. I lucked out this time. It's food by fromm and you can actually see the big chunks of chicken they use with a thick brothy sauce. cats love to lick off the broth and leave a few bits if chicken in the bowl. But I leave it out for awhile and the chicken eventually gets eaten. Too bad Jack does not like canned cat food as I am sure it is quite tasty. he likes his chicken cooked and then I add the addlife powder from wysong along with his viokase. He has chronic pancreatitis and his system is unable to process the food normally, so the viokase helps his system along.

The enclosure is still a big hit. I scooped out the litter box and it was quite full. some of the cats, like Angus have learned how to get back up through the enclosure. The other cats don't seem curious enough yet but Sam, one of my colony rescues loves to lie in the enclosure near the bathroom. I just need to put a climber or a step ladder in the bathroom to make it easier for Jack or the other upstairs kitties to get into the enclosure. It is a small bathroom and my gets around in a walker so I have to be careful about what I put in there, does not obstruct her in any way.

Tomorrow, Kris from cat's den is coming back to put an enclosure off the kitchen porch. that will be great for the kities like Beauty, Smokey and Sawyer. To encourage them to use the enclosure and not be outside. It will be secure enough that when we open the kitchen door we no longer have to worry about cat's escaping.

anyway, that's all for now....

How many is too many?

Whose to say how many cats is too many? When my eyes linger to the left of my bed while I am laying under my soft sheets and new duvet cover I recently bought on ebay, and see all the cats snoozing away, inevitably covering my bed in fur, i don't care. I love my cats. Wish I had less than what I have? I don't know. It's a hard thing to answer knowing where these kitties came from and wonder what their fate would have been, had I not been there to intervene. My most recent rescues were kittens, now adults, were found under a pile of wood in my neighbours backyard. Others I rescued from a junkyard, the momma kitty seeking refuge in an old range rover with her kittens. Others I rescued from horrible hoarding situations, some from my backyard and the rest from a neighbour up the street who just dumped them on me. When I see them all curled up against each other or wrapped with each other or enjoying the new enclosure I built or climbing the new all in one activity centre I bought at the pet show, I am glad I chose to be their meowmy. Even after money I have spent at the vets, money I have spent on food, on having to get a pricey new vacuum cleaner or a carpet cleaner, it is worth it. The only down side is that a few of them still do not have the best litter box habits, meaning they do not use one, but considering the amount of cats I have, it is to be expected I guess. There will always be messes to be cleaned up after, but that is a choice I made and as long as I have the right tools and product, I do okay.

And the number one reason I am glad I rescued these cats and that I am their meowmy and zookeeper, is when my cat Chance finally came back to my bed to cuddle. He was holding out on me for awhile to be with a momma feral cat Gigi, for reasons I don't really understand, but she is an awesome momma. That story is for another day.

Meow for now.....

A real gale force running through here

It is a real windy night. It's amazing how the weather can change on a dime here. I just never get used to it. I had to take out some recycling and bags of litter for the Thursday pickup. We could barely walk in the hallway with all the bags filling the floor of the hallway. I also had to run some errands today and the weather was real nice that I only wore a long sleeve tshirt over a short sleeve one, But now there is such a strong wind blowing threw our driveway, it does not seem believable that it just turned so suddenly. I got my mom's meds, some groceries and pet food. I was loaded up on my scooter and bags kept dropping off as I was trying to get home. But I finally did. The social worker came by too, thankfully she had the monthly cheque in hand. It will help defray against the cost of the groceries, meds and the pet food. Mostly.

I wish I could get a Dyson. Every time the commercial comes on. Maybe I will. I don't know. On Consumer report, the hoover seemed to fair better. But the Dyson is famous for not losing suction that with all these cats in my home, it is real tempting.

I am also excited about the cat enclosure getting installed on Wednesday. I hope between now and then, my mom will be okay and she does not have to go back to the hospital if her leg does not heal up properly.

Anyway, I am going to tuck in now with my new library books. Most of them Cookbooks, but one a mystery and the other a cat behaviour book.

Meow for now....

Bissell Pro 2x clean shot did not disappoint.

I finally used the Bissell pro 2x cleanshot that I bought at Costco. I took out even the most stubborn stains with the hand tools. No wasting of cleaning solution as it has a seperate tank. I went through the bottle of cleaning solution plus a big bottle of Zep carpet cleaning solution that I bought at home depot. It really performed well and I was very happy. I have a wall to wall in my very large bedroom. It is a bit of work having to refill the solution and pour out the dirty water and refill the hot water but it is amzing how much dirty wwater there was. Since it has a seperate tank for the clean water, it worked out really well. I hope to use it on my mom's carpet upstairs. Now I am debating about getting the Dyson animal as the hoover windtunnel upright right now seems to be gettng tired and the bissell picked up alot of hair that the vacuum cleaner did not.

Anyway, I am happy with the results and will probably give my carpet a good cleaning at least once a month. With a large multiple cat household it is really hard to stay ahead. It also works on floors so I would like to see how the Bissell cleans my ceramic tiles, the grout really can get dirty.

Meow for now....

a treasure trove of books I found at the value village

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

― Charles W. Eliot


Yesterday I took a quick trip to the value village near my home. I always find some great books at bargain prices. They are always in good condition. I love to read of course and add them to my library so when I run out of library books to read, I read from my own collection. I really should go through my books and give away the ones I have read and do not plan on reading again to make room for the new additions.

The titles I found are:

The Lake of Dead Languages, Carol Goodman
The Murder Room, PD James
Vets Almighty, James Herriot
Drowning Ruth, Christina Schwarz
Love in the time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I have already started reading the Lake of Dead Languages. It seems really good so far.

Meow for now...

Snappy Tom, the new flavour for my kitties triple mix

At the All About Pets show on Friday, I bought 4 small bags of the new dry food Snappy Tom. It has these little fish shaped kibble inside and it smells good. I got a bag in my last donation and wanted to buy some when I had a chance. The cats all gather around when I lug their big bags of cat food to refill the food bins. Dry food here last 6 days approximately, sometimes more, sometimes less, but usually six days. I use Chicken soup for the cat lover's soul and Taste of the Wild, which I found out is also made by Diamond foods. They also make/distribute the feline fresh litter line I use. I normally do not putt all my eggs in one basket with regards to product line, but they are a good food and litter. Then I add the choice kitty mix from Petvalu. That is my triple mix but this time I added the snappy tom. The kitties still had food from when I refilled their bowls before I went to sleep, so I just topped it up. The way they gather around food bowls or watch while I am filling the bins, it's like they are starving. Cinnamon even likes grabbing a helping right out of the bin. Just climbs right in.

I just heard the roar of thunder. No more sunny days. Rain and now I have to go and let a few of the cats in. I have 3 that like to go out. They do not stray far. They just stay in the backyard and come when I call them back in. I made sure to microchip and collar them anyway. Smokey Joe is much happier and he loves to cuddle on me when I am outside having my coffee and cigarette.

All the cats are safely inside now. Beauty, Smokey Joe and Sawyer. The Satellite even went on the fritz and now it's okay. I guess it was the thunder.

My mom is sleeping upstairs, after I made her coffee, egg and toast. She is in palliative care at home and my sister and I are the primary caregivers. Her Brother and his friend are probably now in the air on the way back to Spain. They spent about 6 days here and now my mother is missing him, maybe that is why she was in a bad mood again this manner.

Now that I have done the litter boxes, refilled the dry food and let the cats in, I am going to watch the rest of Fringe, which I am woefully behind and then get a few episodes in of CSI. I am just dead tired from taking my uncle around yesterday and with the rain I can't take out my scooter anyway.

Meow for now.

Dirt begone!

When you have a not so feline zoo how do you keep it clean? What kind of products do you use? Do you buy biodegradable, organic or just the regular cleaning stuff. When you have little paws who live, eat, walk, sleep close to the ground like they do, you need to make sure it is safe. I try to buy petsafe products but I also need to use stuff that best economizes my time and budget. I buy what's on sale and buy it in bulk so it lasts awhile. Rather than use a mop, I use the swiffer wetjet. They say it is safe as it dries very quickly. I just find it too useful to ignore. I realize I am adding more garbage since they are disposable pads but they do their job. I don't have to worry about running out of washable pads like I do with my steamer or using dirty water like with a mop and pail. I don't have the luxury of a laundry sink so I would have to dump my dirty water down the bathtub and then have to washout the bathtub each time. So what is worse, wasting water or having more garbage? I recycle just about everything, compost just about everything and use natural pine litter which is biodegradable. It flushes but given that I have had plumbing problems in the past due to roots in my pipes from the neighbouring trees, I could no longer afford our toilet clogging up. So I take out my litter with the compost and no more worries.
I have started using natural and biodegradeable washing detergent and use products like Method for my cleaning supplies. But one day I will have to get rid of my wall to wall carpet in my room. All the other rooms in my home are vinyl tile or ceramic tile. Having so many cats in my home, given it is a rescue and sanctuary has it's challenges. There is always hairballs, some cats not using the litterbox for their poos and pees and dry food that scatters on the floor. Keeping the litterboxes clean is also a challenge since I am not the only one doing them. There is an art to doing the litterboxes and no-one is ever going to do them the same way. But I like to remove every little lump and clump so that it looks like a fresh new box.

But the best cleaner by far is a mixture of white vinegar, water and baking soda and by far the cheapest. It's all purpose and can be used on floors, counters, appliances, wherever your four legged friends like to walk or jump on.

anyway, today is laundry and cleaning day so I need to get cracking.

Meow for now....

Do your cats love to climb the walls?

then this is perfect!! If they ship to Canada I would love to get one. I still have a few more doors I can hang it from. Just got back from the pet store. The owners were kind enough to donate some more food for my Not so little feline zoo rescues. My cats at feeding time, act like they have not eaten. They sure love their canned food. The donated stuff is the real deal too, Felidae, lots of it.

Meow for now.....

One4pets All-in-One Portable Cat Activity Tower is a welcome addition for my feline rescues

At the One4Pets exhibit at the All About Pets show at the International Centre in Mississauga I bought the All-in-One Portable Cat Activity Tower and it's a hit!!!

My cats really like it and it was not hard to assemble. It saves on floor space and is much sturdier and nicer than the one made by kittywalk systems. I decided to try this activity tower instead of buying a climber as I am lacking in floor space. Kitties love to hide so it is perfect. Even my Starbuck who is shy to come out at the best of times, I found him hiding out in the tower.

Check out this activity centre and other neat stuff at http://www.one4pets.com/portable-cat-activity-tower/

Today I walked some of the cats and they found a friend

I got back awhile ago from going grocery shopping and stocked up on pet food. My uncle is coming this Friday from Spain and my Sister and are are going to the All About Pets show so it will be a busy weekend. Also this weekend is Easter so the stores will be shuttered Friday and Sunday. I now have enough food for at least a month I think. I buy these bags of Kitty mix from petvalu that I mix in with their regular dry food and it makes the food last longer. Petvalu repackages broken bags of dry food from the warehouse and resells them under the kitty mix bags. The choice mix is the best one as it has the premium blends. The regular kitty mix I use to feed the outdoor cats. I also still have soem donated dry food so the kitties in the backyard will have enough for a long while.

Last night I started to orgamize my wardrobbe. the thing is huge and fits lots of stuff. I put some stuff in baskets, some stuff to hang and bought some hooks to hang stuff on the doors like my bathrobe and stuff. I just love have the extra space!

I also saw a white kitty this morning, when I took food for the outdoors cats out to the shed I bought for them a few years ago. The white cat had tabby markings but was mostly creamy white with blues so it most likely a purebreed, proably siamese or maybe a short snowshoe? I am not like an expert on purebreeds.

When I got home, some of the cats wanted to go on a walkabout. The neighbour's son's Girlfriend was out friend with her new dog, Elvis, a 3 month old part yorkie and terrier. A real sweetie, the only cat that actually tolerated Elvis was Jack. Check out the video I uploaded to Youtube.

meow for now.....

Today has been a good day

I finally got my wardrobe from Ikea built!!!

I bought it awhile ago when I went to buy a chaise for my mom's room so I could sleep nights with or just spend time with her. I found everything on sale, including the Wardrobe. It is called Kullen and it is such a relief to finally have more closet space without being a built in. It was regular $200.00 but I found it for $50.00 in the as is section. A friend of mine was helping me build it awhile ago but we made a mistake and had to undo everything. She left shortly after and did not offer to return. I guess she was embarrassed. I really don't know. Anyway I had almost given up hope that it would be built. Normally I can do these things myself, since I built an armoir for the kitchen several years ago and some bookcases and a TV stand since then. But I have just been too tired and busy taking care of my mom. Then another friend recommended the brother of someone we know. They also do cat rescue. He's known to do good work and helps those of us in need. Anyway, he came this morning and left just before 3pm and he did a terrific job. I am so happy and excited to finally have this wardrobe. The $83.00 I paid him to build it was more than worth it. Tomorrow I am planning to get some wallpaper to line the shelves and the back and then I will begin filling it.

The next good thing that happened today was my mom coming home. The Doctor said she was doing much better and could come home. After my friend left, I proceeded to make dinner for tonight, it is the second night of Passover, took a shower and then went to pick up my mom from the hospital with my Brother.

Tomorrow is shopping day and need to get the house and back and front yard ready for when my uncle and his friend come from Spain on Friday.

Meow for now.....

Walmart isn't just for shopping anymore,,,,

One of the members of one of my cat groups on Yahoo came home with a 2 day old kitten after a trip to Walmart for groceries. A lady in front of her was holding the wee one in a towel while she was going through the check out line. The lady had told that her dog had brought it home and she couldn't find the mom. She asked if she had ever raised newborns, "No". My friend wished her good luck, that it was lots of work and hard to keep alive. She asked if she had and her reply was yes and that if she could please take it... she had a bottle and formula. Her husband would probably kill her but she said okay and that she would be together with the 9 rescues she already had at home.

The Kitten is now 4 days old. She is real cute, a tortie and once at home realized she is a Manx(tailless). Feedings are every two hours for the next week at least. So will be getting up every 2 hours for least a week now. Awesome isn't it? Anyway here are a few pictures....

any ideas on a name........

The Easter Lily: Protect your Felines

In preparation for the celebration of Easter Sunday, many families enjoy adorning their homes with plants. One plant, the Easter Lilly, is a favorite decorative element. But, did you know this beautiful symbol of Easter is a highly dangerous toxin to your pet cat?

Even a small amount of the Easter Lily plant ingested by your cat can make it extremely ill. While dogs are not adversely affected, the Easter Lily is not the only lily plant that is toxic to felines. The Tiger Lily, Rubrum Lily, Japanese Lily and some Day Lily species also are extremely toxic to cats.

All parts of the lily plant are toxic - including the pollen. If your cat should brush up against the plant, transferred pollen can be breathed into its lungs or licked off its fur into its mouth and digestive tract.

The result? Severe kidney damage and acute renal failure can occur. Within just a few hours of ingestion, a cat can show the early symptoms of lily toxin poisoning: vomiting, not wanting to eat or drink and lethargy. Immediate veterinarian treatment is crucial. A poisoned feline can develop kidney failure in as little as 36 hours.

If you are a cat owner and do have an Easter Lily in your home, please keep the plant safely away from your cat's ability to access it. You may want to reconsider a safer alternative altogether for both your feline and canine furry friends. Some non-toxic Easter plants safe for your cat and dog are:

Easter Orchids

Easter Cactus

Violets

Daisies

A valuable resource link for all pet owners is the Animal Poison Control Center, found at:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/

As you enjoy the celebration of Easter with your family, please remember to protect your pets!

THE TOP TEN LIST

from the feline zookeeper
TOP TEN LIST
WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU ARE A CAT LOVER

1. You don't even notice the fur on your clothes anymore
2. Your bedroom looks like a kitty daycare
3. You compete for space on your own bed when it is time to sleep
4. You find yourself talking to people like you talk to your cats
5. You have more photos of your cats than your own family or friends
6. You never come home without a toy or a treat for your cats
7. With the money you spend on your cats, you wish you could declare them as dependants on your IT return
8. You don't mind sharing your food with your cats
9. When you spend more money on your cats then yourself
10. finally, you know you are a cat lover because you can't remember what your life was like before getting your first cat
    

How many cats can fit on a queen size bed?

To my surprise, I found a whole clowder on my bed. Can you count how many?

I love my CSI ....

I have always been a big fan of the show CSI, especially CSI Las Vegas. CSI New York comes a close second. But CSI Miami can be pretty good too but David Caruso makes me howl sometimes with this expressions and his sunglasses schtick... Anyway looks like our lovely felines like to help solve crimes too. Below is an interesting article....

CSI: Felines! Cat fur DNA busts criminals

Cat fur sticks to everything, including criminals, and DNA obtained from that fur can place a perp at the scene of a crime.
By Stephanie Rogers
Sat, Mar 20 2010 at 12:52 PM EST
Read more: PETS & ANIMALS, RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Fido may keep criminals away in the first place, but Fluffy can help the police bust them. As any cat owner knows, felines shed a lot of fur, and that fur — which clings to the skin, clothing and shoes of visitors — can be used as forensic evidence.


"The increasing popularity of the domestic cat as a household pet has unknowingly fostered the distribution of potential crime scene evidence across millions of households," researcher Robert Grahn told Discovery News. "Cat fur obtained from a crime scene has the potential to link perpetrators, accomplices, witnesses and victims."

Scientists have established a DNA database that will allow cat fur to be used more effectively as evidence in criminal cases. The database focuses on mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down through the maternal line. This type of DNA has a high mutation rate, so it’s more identifiable between individuals, and its genes exist in high amounts.

Grahn and his team at the Department of Population Health & Reproduction at California’s UC Davis have collected DNA samples from hundreds of cats during routine spay and neuter surgeries.

Another form of DNA called standard short tandem repeat (STR) has already been used to convict an accused murderer. Douglas Beamish of Canada had the fur of a long-haired white cat stuck to one of the pockets in his jacket, which was genetically linked to the cat of his victim. Beamish is currently serving a 15-year sentence.

The DNA test created for the STR marker, called “Meowplex”, will be used in tandem with the new mitochondiral DNA database to provide criminal investigators with a furrific resource for solving cases.

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/pets-animals/stories/csi-felines-cat-fur-dna-busts-criminals#

All is quiet on the feline front and .....

the kitties are enjoying th good weather. Meowmie has been good about opening all the windows and letting the fresh air and sunshine through.

Meowmie has been happy that Cassidy seems to be doing okay. We got more food in last night. Her nice friend brought it over last night cause she knows meowmie is busy taking care of her Mommy and it was raining for the last 2 days or so.

Meowmie can't wait to get outside and run some errands but she is waiting for the cable guy. Really Satelitte guy. We have televisions in almost every room and meowmy's brother was upset that he did not have any reception in his room after Meowmy switched from cable to satellite. Our den, really the kitty playroom, is all clean now. Meowmy does not like it when we pee pee on our toys. But it smells nice downstairs and apart from us running around and making mischief, the den is also ready for a receiver hookup for when Meowmy wants to start spending time in the den again.

Meowmy is also happy that Old Navy had a sale over the weekend so she can buy some new t-shirts. We don't let meowmy trim our claws so she finds all these little holes in her t-shirts. People must think meowmy is very holy. he he he...

Meowmy has another picture she wants to share with you...

purrs and headbutts from the not so little feline zoo <<...>>

a good t-shirt is a new t-shirt

The one downside to having cats with long claws is that I have alot of t-shirts with holes. Especially my favourite ones. Trimming their claws is not the easiest. It is a real challenge at best, they act as if I am torturing them and their meows warn off the others whose turn it is next. So I guess if I need a good t-shirt, I have to buy new ones.

Cassidy been home for a few days and she seems to be on the mend. I hope she will be able to stave off another cold for awhile.

The rest of the feline zoo are doing okay, they love to snuggle with me in bed, hardly leaving any room for me, but I would not have it any other way.

Today is also supposed to be cleaning day but I am just not feeling it. Maybe tomorrow?

Meow for now \\..//

Don't you wish we could cure a cat's cold with chicken soup?

I got a sick kitty with a bad upper respiratory that I am taking to the vets this afternoon. Cassidy has lost some weight and is pretty congested. She is Archie's sister. It has been about 5 months since Archie went to the bridge and I am still mourning him. I hope I can rebound Cassidy from this. She has lost weight since this picture was taken and especially after her full mouth extraction. But she has been battling colds on and off since then, especially when I had to take her back because she developed a bad infection in her mouth from roots that were left in. i was just seething and the vet's explanation was that they did not have the xray machines they have now that would have detected any roots left behind. I hope she will be okay this time.

I wish it was just a matter of giving the kitties chicken soup and covering them up with warm blankets like you would a 2 legged child. It is hard when my kitties are sick. it just eats me up inside.

Eros is no worse for the wear since he came back from the vet. Running and playing and doing all the normal healthy cat things. It's amazing how quickly they rebound from surgery.

Anyway, more updates later....

meow for now <<..>>

One of the woodpile kittens is off to get depommed

Eros, one of the kittens I found last year, under a pile of wood in my neighbours backyard, was taken to the vets tonight, to finally get neutered. His siblings are Zuzu (a longhaired tortie) and Zoe (a short haired tortie), Eros also had a brother but unfortunately he did not make it past 4 months of age. I named him Guinness, a gorgeous chocolate brown tabby like my Mocha Latte, but sadly he became gravely ill, was not thriving and unresponsive to vet care and medications. It broke my heart to lose the little tyke as he was so adorable and affectionate. The woodpile kitties momma is still outside and have not been able to trap her despite several attempts to do so.

This would have been about 9-10 months ago, I guess, with them being about 4 weeks old. It was quite fortunate for them that I was out calling for Sawyer and the new neighbours said my kittens were in their yard, I laughed, stating no, that all my cats were fixed, but I went in to the yard with a carrier anyway and piled them all in and the rest is history, as they say.

So that leaves me with Eros being the sole male that needed to be neutered and four more girls, Rosie, Fifi, Zuzu and Zoe left to be spayed at the earliest opportunity. It was not a priority before as Eros was still a young kitten and the 4 girls had been too young to go into heat. But the last few days or so, chaos has reigned around here, with Eros chasing Fifi, the last of the kittens rescued of my colony. Her surviving siblings, Soleil, a male, already neutered and Ranee, a female. There was Minouche, a grey and white twin to Ranee, but she also became gravely ill,losing weight, and had several seizures before I had to help to the rainbow bridge, like my little Guinness.

Fifi being in heat, was not necessarily a happy recipient of all this sudden attention, she was not having any of it and there was plenty of hissing last night, while I was trying to both sleep and sleep in.

However, like most cats, Eros was not not carrier friendly when it was time to send him off to the vets and have a few scratches to show for it. He is normally a tame little guy but it's like they know it's time to go to the vet like we have a sixth sense about doom and gloom, so he was a kicker and scratcher all the way. Anyway, the hissing is now replaced by plaintive meows of a cat in heat and all the males are trying to accomodate her of course, but thankfully with Eros at the vets, Fifi will be kitten free but next on the list to go to the vet, once she is no longer in heat, that is.

Then there is Lucy, who I thought was a she, was happily humping Fifi. Now that would be a first. a female humping a female? This is one of the earliest rescues from my colony and my fellow rescuer, felt since she was feral, would do better at my place, as most of ferals are not hiders, like Lucy was at her place. Well, Lucy will now be renamed Luke. It's been almost 2 years since he/she was rescued and spayed :)

My other colony kitty, Florida, was happily chewing on my bookmarks belonging to my new library books that my brother was kind enough to pick up for me from the bookmobile. So happily, I have some reading to do.

On my reading list are:

Patricia Cornwell. the Scarpetta Factor
Faye Kellerman, Blindman's Bluff
Tainted by Ross Pennie ( an author I have not read but it is a medical mystery which I enjoy)
James Patterson, Alex Cross's Trial

See a theme here? I love psychological or medical mystery and suspense.

But I also have Alicia Silverstone's new book, The Kind Diet. She is a vegan and I am a vegetarian, aspiring to become a vegan again. I have been a vegetarian for two years and last year reintroduced dairy back in my diet, along with fish, but I felt better when I was a vegan and also managed to lose about 30 pounds. So far her book seems pretty good. I am already 80 plus pages into it.

Then of course there are the animal themed books:

The Cats' House, based on that famous house designed for their felines. They have a website too. Very interesting and if I am feeling DYI, maybe I will get some ideas into action.

and finally, Animal House Style, people living with their pets and noticeably very minimalist, which my place is not. Maybe something to aspire to though.

Anyway, I think I am going to make myself a hot chocolate and curl up with one of my new books. Tomorrow is cleaning day.....

Meow for now <<..>>

Empty handed but money in my pocket

The furball was short on food. The poutine was good but the lines were long and the fries always ran out just before you got to the head of the line. For what we paid for the tickets, there was not a whole lot of food. But the entertainment was good, the band played really well, especially Bob Seger. There were alot of items to bid for, at the last minute I took my name off all that I put down for, and bid on the Dyson. But I was outbid. Oh well. I will keep my eye out for a good sale on a Dyson. It's a really good vacuum cleaner and is bagless. The best kind of vacuum cleaner is the bagless kind, I have learned that the hard way.

But I didn't come home completely emptyhanded. I bought some grab bags and stashed the catnip but the kitties found it and it is all gone. My kitties sure are smart and can smell catnip a mile away.

Tomorrow I got to shop for cleaning supplies and wash this place once and for all. My hives are nearly gone so I think I should be good for some sweat and toil. As long as we do not get another 5 centimetres of snow and they cleared the sidewalks.

Meow for now....

Zookeeper is going out tonight

tonight I am going to a cat rescue fundraiser called Furball. Last year I went a little nutso at the auction but got some good stuff for my kitties. This year they have alot of really good stuff again, especially a Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner. I hope to bid on that. Maybe they'll let me post date my cheque so I can outbid whoever else wants it. It's valued at $700.00 and I have always wanted one, I need one especially for my not so little feline zoo. I only have the one carpet left but it is in my bedroom and it is wall to wall and also the furniture has to be vacuumed too. It'll be nice to get out and my sister will be coming out with us. I even managed to touch up my colour for the occasion. I really needed it as I cannot even remember the last time i did it.

My room is nice and cozy now that I have vacuumed and changed my sheets. It's not easy to change your bedding with cats but I managed.

There is still alot of snow out there and my brother shoveled the driveway but the snow is still coming down so soon it will look like he had not even done it.

Anyway, I will post tomorrow and let you all know how I made out the furball and hopefully I will be bringing home a Dyson.

meow for now....

it's a snow day

lots and lots of snow today. We are supposed to get something like 5 centimetres but it seems like more. I went to put food out for the cats outside but the food I left for them outside looks untouched. This what our driveway looks like right now.

I guess the kitties did not want to venture out from wherever they are hiding. I didn't feel like venturing out either. It is a good day for cleaning. I can't work up too much of a sweat because I do not want to aggravate my hives. Yes I still have them. The Doctor could only guess how I got them, he thought they might be chicken pox but I already had them when I was a kid and he ruled out shingles. Oh well. will have to put up with them a little while longer. Hopefully it is not my laundry detergent because all my sheets were washed recently. anyway, there is nothing like a freshly made bed so I will take the chance.

I also managed to get my sister's laptop charging again. I am using one of those generic chargers that I bought, since the original pooped out awhile ago. Looks like the guy from the store was right. I was using the wrong adaptor. Even though it fit it was not charging, so I tried all of them again and found the right one.

Just a few more pictures to share before I go.....

Baby it's cold outside

the weather has turned once again. Yesterday was so mild that I was able to go out on my scooter and do some errands and shopping, today I could not even stay out to finish my cigarette.

The water I put out for the cats outside has probably already froze. I bought a new shed for them and they still use the old one. I don't know how they keep warm during the winter. I wish I could take them all in so they would be nice and warm but I just can't. All I can do is provide them with shelter, food and water and hope they will be okay.

Anyway, I hope today is cleaning day. My hives seem to be going away finally but am afraid with the sweat and toil, they may flare up again. The kitties like it when the carpet is vacuumed, the floors are clean and the bed is newly made. Their zookeeper does not mind it either.

Meow for now...

6 days

that's how long the dry food supply lasts at the not so little feline zoo. One 18 pound bag of Chicken soup for the cat lover's soul and a 15 pound bag of Taste of the wild last 6 days. I kept track on my calendar. They are both a pretty good food and economically suit my budget. I also feed my zoo wet food once a day. Thankfully the humane society was donating canned food to rescue groups and my friend and I managed to get quite a bit. I also have to have a supply of dry food on hand to feed the outdoor kitties that come to my shed for food and water. One of the pet stores I buy from sells bags repackaged from broken dry food bags from the warehouse at an economical price, more in poundage than I would get from Costco's brand, cheaper and better quality, since it is a mix of different brands. My friend had to do her food run today so she did me a solid and bought me what I needed and brought it over tonight. I had quite a full day regardless. Much of the morning and part of the early afternoon spent cleaning my mom's place and then grocery shopping afterwards. Even with an hour nap I had when I returned, I am still pretty tired.

Now I am downstairs, watching TV and cuddling up with 2 of my boys Wiley and Chance. Wiley is grooming Chance right now. It is amazing how most of my zoo get along and how they even groom each other, despite no relation. However, given that many of my rescues are from my backyard, some could share the same DNA. If I had the greenbacks, I would love to check out their DNA and find out who is related to who.

Let me tell you a little about Wiley. I named him after Wil E. Coyote. You know from the cartoon. You see when i was trying to trap Wiley after spying that he had an injured leg one day after he came to eat and turned out to be a pretty elusive kitty. I set out a trap for him in our front yard. Before we were able to trap him, we trapped a racoon, then a bird, a neighbourhood cat, then Wiley, but he did not trip the trap and managed to escape. But two times was the charm as while we were sitting down for dinner one Friday night, I heard the telltale sound of the trap tripping again and lo and behold, Wiley was in it. He did not turn out very feral and even played with my fingers through the carrier while I was taking him to the vet to be neutered. Wiley really turned out to be a sweetie.

Then there's Chance. I named him because it was by chance that I managed to trap him and that he was not feral at all. Although he was the last one to be neutered as part of the low cost feral program that the humane society used to have. But after he was trapped and when we transferred him to a carrier, he turned out to be the gentlest little bear. He and Wiley soon grew to be very attached and often groom each other and hang around together. A few years ago, while my brother was in hospital, Chance came down with a bad ear infection, by the time I knew something was wrong with Chance, he was hiding and running from me, which he never did before, he had already suffered some nerve damage and his head tilts even after his stay at the hospital and the antibiotics. But it has not held back Chance in any way. He acts perfectly normal and is as lovable as he was the first night I trapped him. Chance and Wiley just love to cuddle up with me in bed and I would not have it any other way.

For your enjoyment, I have attached 2 pictures. One is with both of them. Chance is on the left and Wiley is beside him, grooming himself as usual. The second picture is of Wiley alone.

Meow for now....

A day like any other day

Today I am feeling lazy. Lazy like my cats. Cats love to laze around and I guess so does their human. Today I should be cleaning my home, burning calories vacuuming, dusting and mopping but I am not. Oh well, the dust and dirt is not going anyway and the cats on my bed are happier to have their human keeping them company and hopefully there will be snacks.

On lazy days I am just curled up in bed with a book but I have read through all the ones I borrowed from the library:

Hardball, Sara Paretsky
Trial by Fire, Judith A. Jance
Nine Dragons, Michael Connelly
Winter study: Nevada Barr

but i also have alot of books in my own library but I am just not feeling it today. I have thought about creating a blog for a long time now. But just have not had time. Between taking care of my feline zoo, my Mother, who is in palliative care at home and running two households, I have had my hands full.

I also lost a cat recently. Her name was Page. Page was just under three years old but had the cards stacked against her from the start. She and 7 littermates were rescued from a horrible cat hoarding situation and were very sick and dying. 6 of Page's littermates died of Distemper and she and her Sister Phoebe were the sole survivors. The vet said that both Page and her sister will always be carriers of the virus and that there is no cure and my time with them would not be as long as a healthy cat. So almost 3 years later, Page's health declined and she died on her own, February 18th, 2010, on the way to the vet.

anyway, that's all for today. I am hoping to post a story about each of my kitties very soon.