The Dilemma

We have a cat.  It isn't this cat.  It's not one of these cats.  It's a totally different cat (although it was mothered by one of the aforementioned cats).  Anyway, while she isn't our original pet, she has, in fact, made herself useful.  We are blissfully mouse-free, thanks to this cat.

The newest dilemma...  While our nameless cat (currently nicknamed Floosie) is an acknowledged member of the family, she has never had the opportunity to be invited into our home.  She lives in the garage.  The yard is her domain.  The surrounding hillside creatures cower whenever she is near...  But here's the thing.  She loves to wander.  She comes back home, but then she wanders again. 

OK--so this is a bit of a spoiler to this previous post.  If you are waiting for a big announcement--stop here...  If, however, you know me well enough to know that this is as good as it's gonna get, keep reading.

So, we're moving.  Not too far, but to a different zip code, a new location, a neighborhood where there are more children roaming than vermin.  We're looking forward to having other children around.  The cat, however, will be wholly out of her element.  I have to wonder...  Will she stick around the new house?  Will she wander away?  Will she head back to rule in her established realm?  Floosie likes to chase creatures.  She noms on tasty mice, voles, and feathered friends.  I'm not sure she'll enjoy the manicured landscape.  The lack of adventure, the absence of danger waiting around every boulder and bush.  Truthfully, traffic will be a whole new adventure for her.  I don't think she's ever feared for her life due to advancing autos.  We just don't get much traffic up here.

So the questions:  Exactly how do you manage the relocation of an outdoor cat?  And should it even be attempted?  And if not, what are the options?

Just wondering...

Maggot Mouse

I know, doesn't that title just scream for your atention?!

I think I've mentioned our family cat in the past...  You know, the one who doesn't have a name, doesn't know how to purr, and apparently doesn't know how to say, "No" to the neighborhood Tom.  (Yes, we're expecting kittens any day...)  That cat, currently being called Floozie, is good at her job.  Her job being, of course, keeping the mouse population under control.  She's a hard worker, probably underpaid, but exceptionally skilled.  My only complaint is that she loves to leave proof of her good work for my inspection.  I know, ick...  Anyway, we have encountered a new problem...

Enter, Lola...

Lola is not such a dedicated worker.  She loves to chew on expensive shoes, steal toothbrushes, and nom on decorative pillows.  She is definitely not pulling her weight within the family, and aside from the Cute Factor, she has relatively little to offer.

To counter her lack of contribution to the household, she had taken a new tack.  Instead of actually doing anything helpful, like fetching me a Diet Coke, she is trying to steal the cat's thunder.  The cat leaves a mouse for my inspection (acceptably discarded in a remote region of the yard)...  Lola discovers the mouse...  Lola brings the mouse to my very doorstep...  Lola tries to bring the mouse into my house.  I do not appreciate this new direction that Lola has taken.  Lola must drop Maggot Mouse immediately!  No, Lola!  Not in the house!  No!  NO!!!  Lola is FIRED!

Can someone come get rid of Maggot Mouse?  Mister???  Please???

Meet Lola

I'm not sure how it happened, but my kids talked me into this:

Her name is Lola.  She's a beagle-Aussie mix. 

Now, before you get all judgmental on me, I already admit to a certain amount of anxiety about this decision.  But, HRH has always wanted a dog, and we've promised her one for years.  

She promised that she would clean up the poo (which she has already done several times), take Lola for a walk (repeatedly done), feed her, water her, take her to do her business at all hours...  

And now HRH is working on this:

 Sit, Lola.  Good Girl!

I think this is going to be OK.  Oh, and about the cutie from Friday?
We decided that we really didn't want to do the whole puppy thing.  
We decided that 5-month old Lola, with her little bit of training,
was a better way to go. 

The Cat with No Name

Have I ever mentioned that we have a cat without a name?  She's about a year old, she was born here in our garage...  She's the one remaining cat that we consider "ours."  The others decided to flee at their first opportunity. 

Shade (no-name kitty's momma) left our house for the better handouts at the neighbor's house.  Just before Christmas, she discovered that the kids there would hand-feed her deli ham.  She continued to visit as they continued to feed her...  We haven't seen her back at our house since New Year's Day.

Chubby was seemingly offended by the moniker we bestowed upon her and ran off with her stud boyfriend.  She was such a floosie!  If it wasn't Nekko, it would have been Hunny (the neighbor's carousing cat)  And BTW, like Hunny is any better as a name than Chubby?!

Nekko was one of ours.  He went were the action was...  Did I mention that Chubby was a floosie?  Of course, I'm sure it wasn't just her loose ways...  I'm sure they were deeply in love.  I hear he's become a caring provider for their brood.

Anyway, back to the no-name cat.  I guess we could name her Store Brand or Generic...  JJ's teacher asked The Mister if we really had a pet cat that didn't have a name...  When he answered in the affirmative, she was a bit perplexed.  I'm not sure I would have been able to give her a reason.  The best I can come up with is that The Boy named her something that just didn't stick.  He called her Train, or Trane, or Trayne...  I dunno, but it just didn't take.

But you know what I find even more perplexing than having a pet with no name?  Having a cat that doesn't purr.  She is the whiniest cat.  She cries and moans and is generally pathetic.  But she loves to snuggle and be rubbed under the chin.  She loves to have her nose stroked.  She sidles up and winds herself around your legs (tripping you if you aren't paying attention!).  But does she ever give you the satisfaction of letting you know how much she enjoys the attention?  No.  No, she does not.  She has not once, ever, even for a second, granted me the pleasure of letting me know that I'm appreciated.

Dumb cat!

Strange Catch

Strange is what we found in the garage yesterday.  It's not a mouse, it's not a vole, it's not a rat, it isn't even a gopher, but what is it?  The kitty-with-no-name is certainly proud of her conquest.  But I just wish she'd take it away and not leave it out as a trophy for me to step on...  ick!

I'd post a photo so you could submit your guesses, but that's a double ick on the Ickiness Scale. *shudder*

An Unexpected Reunion

She disappeared without a trace in mid-July. We aren't exactly sure of the date, we were busy with life... We thought she might have been in an accident--a car possibly? Or, perhaps, she had encountered a coyote while out on a nature walk... Regardless, after six weeks, we assumed we would never see her again.

Last night I was grilling kabobs when I heard a familiar cry. I looked down from the deck to see Shade bounding across the lawn. We ran out to greet her and she seemed unabashedly happy to see us. She snuggled, and purred, and looked at us expectantly. She was happy to be home.

While happy to be home, she was not happy to be reunited with her babies. Trane and Nekko have grown a lot in six weeks. She left a pair of adoring kittens, but was reunited with two strangers, full-grown cats who remembered her, but whom she didn't recognize. And her former friend (Chubby) has become nothing but a nuisance to her.

Shade seems unnaturally comfortable in our house--odd for the outdoor cat she used to be. My theory is that someone adopted her as a house cat. I think she escaped through an open door or window at first chance to return home. Shade has remained in the garage all day... Never wandering beyond the driveway. I think she is fearful that she may be taken from her home again.

We're glad to have her back. And the mice better beware!

Proof of Spring

I've been holding out on you. I've been showing photos of my wintry home to elicit sympathy. But the truth is, I have proof of spring.

Does anything say spring quite like a squirmy bundle of fluff? No, I didn't think so...

This is one of the four little cuties who arrived (without fanfare) on Easter evening. While I wasn't looking forward to adding to our collection of pets, even I have to admit that these are four, very cute little additions.

Let me know if you are in need of a fluffy companion in your home. We'll be looking for four very good homes in the near future.

The Captain Trims the Tree

Do you think Captain Crunch cereal (with crunch berries, of course!) is appropriate Christmas tree ornamentation? Because if you do, that's one thing you and The Buddies have in common.

The tree has been waiting patiently in the corner for the moment when the Christmas Spirit would assault me and propel me into action. (It has yet to happen.) So the tree stands at attention, patient and stoic, lit, but bare, humiliated--I'm sure.

The Buddies took pity on me (and the tree) and decided they would dress the tree for the season. They emptied their kindergarten backpacks and bestowed upon the tree all their holiday art projects. I was OK with that--Santas, snowflakes, what's not to like? But when I took a closer look, I saw the cereal bits and berries nestled into the branches.

While I understand that crunch berries are the perfect, festive color, I really have to insist that they are not appropriate. At least not in this house. While the kitties are doing a fabulous job of keep our house a mouse-free zone, we certainly don't need to encourage a relapse.

Free Isn't Always

We live in the foothills and we have mice. It's just a fact.

A few months ago (after using traps to catch at least one mouse in the house every night for ten days straight) we decided that we needed a cat. I had long maintained that with five kids (three who were still in diapers) the last thing we needed was a pet. We were cleaning up poop for three kids, why would we add to that? But the mice were taking over, so it was time.

Knowing that we live in the foothills, (also knowing that coyotes live in the foothills) we decided it wouldn't be prudent to purchase a cat as a pet. Let's face it, there is a real possibility that our pet could become an appetizer. I know it isn't a happy thought, but it's the truth.

A few months ago we searched the classified ads and found a free kitten. Let me be clear when I tell you that we have done everything we can to keep her away from danger. And I am happy to report that she is not only alive, but happy and thriving as well. Anyway, Shade has become a terrific mouser and frequently leaves her prey for us to inspect. Let me also report that we have not caught a single mouse since she arrived on the scene--hallelujah! Worth every penny, right?

Yeah, only now the story gets better. We decided that since we were lucky enough to get a great mouser, we should keep her healthy and pulling her weight for as long as possible. Do you know how expensive that is???

I called the vet, it's going to cost nearly $200 to get her dewormed, spayed, and whatever else they feel is necessary to keep a pet healthy. This is the information that I've been contemplating. Hmmm. Do I spend the money? Do I hope for the best? What to do....

Here's the kicker: It would appear that while we were on vacation, someone dumped some kittens in the trees and rocks next to our house. When we got home and found them, they were in pretty bad shape. We're really not sure how long they had been there. Anyway, they were too young to be without their mother, so I called the vet and asked for advice. I described their condition and explained that they weren't ours so I didn't want to invest much. I did say that I would do my best to get them healthy so I could find them good homes.

OK--so now I'm buying special canned kitten milk and wet kitten food, fixing them special meals, and protecting them from Shade, who is definitely not a fan. I don't need this! I wanted one cat to kill the mice--Shade doesn't need help, she's a mousing genius!!!

So, today I came home at noon and Eve (the little girl kitten) had a paw that was swollen to four times it's usual size. Obviously it was broken or something. I have no idea what could have happened. But here we go... We took Eve to the vet and we paid for an x-ray, pain meds, and eye ointment. If she isn't doing better by Friday, I suppose I will take her back like I was told.

So here's the deal, my "free" kittens (all three of them) are now becoming rather expensive. Shade is the proud owner of a cushy bed, a cute food dish, and a very nice litter box with special litter in it. She doesn't like the cheapest dry food, so I've upgraded her. We leave a night light on in the garage. We buy her treats and toys.

Eve has now had an x-ray, she has a supply of mini-syringes filled with some sort of pain medication (that I will administer every eight hours). Eve and Dusk share a supply of wet kitten food and special kitten milk that I have to mix up at least once every day, and ointment for their eyes. On cold evenings we heat a bean bag in the microwave and put it in their box so they won't get cold. Holy Hannah! What are we doing??? Let's not forget that everyone still needs to be spayed or neutered and dewormed!!!

So if anyone is looking for a "free" kitten, call me. I think I can hook you up!