Category: Critters

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Critters

Coping with a fuzzball-shaped hole in my heart.

Chloe at the farm - 1999 or early 2000Chloe, our beautiful little mostly-grey dilute calico cat, died earlier tonight at home. My wife had left an hour or so before that for some work-related function, and still isn’t home yet, and I still haven’t been able to reach her. Chloe has been having what we thought were allergy-related breathing problems for about a year now, and we had been treating her regularly, which usually involved force-feeding her some really icky-tasting medicine with an eyedropper. Here recently, however, her breathing problems intensified, and our veterinarian stepped her up to some stronger medicine in pill form. She was due to go back in for a checkup next Tuesday. … Read more

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Critters Funny Stuff

Cat Wars.

So I got a bunch of e-mails tonight that I needed to moderate some new comments in my work blog. I still haven’t gone back and closed comment on a lot of the earlier entries I made there, so as expected, what I found were a bunch of comments attached to early entries which were some random user with a Russian e-mail address trying to spam me. Trying to spam me a lot – I think I had to “moderate” 35 of these comments into oblivion. Again, I have to ask…does anyone still feel that spam “comments” with random links to places where you can supposedly get phentermine and sex online somehow falls under the heading of fair commerce or free speech? Nope. This is like someone trying to deliberately attach a live tick to the back of your leg – a live tick waving a huge neon sign. In case anyone wonders why you have to register here, and then wait until I let a comment through for your first comment to appear, that’s why. Argh.
ChloeA Chloe update for you…our sick kitty is getting a little bit better, but she’s also driving us nuts. Her appetite has returned, slowly but surely, and she’s starting to gain her weight back. We’ve also discovered the secret to slipping her pills into a tasty treat – apparently vets can get little chicken or fish flavored “pockets” that you slip a pill into, and the cat eats it up and gets her medicine without scratching the crap out of you. Don’t let that innocent little face fool you. Chloe’s got some claws, man.
Now, as for driving us nuts: she’s decided that she doesn’t eat food or drink water in her own bedroom anymore. She goes to the spare bedroom, where Othello snoozes (and where his litterbox, food and water area), and eats and drinks all of his food and water. She’s got a healthy appetite for cat food…so long as it’s his cat food. She’s even taken to sleeping on his bed. I tend to crash out there sometimes, so here lately, I’ve been waking up to find a catfight in progress on my stomach. I’m not quite sure what the message is here, or how this particular problem gets fixed. Or if it gets fixed. Othello has been very kind to Chloe while she’s been sick, but it appears that she’s now feeling frisky enough to take advantage of the situation and drive her big brother out of his room!… Read more

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Critters

Silly fillies x 2.

Whinny and Emma and their babiesQuick, how many horses can you spot in this photo? Look very closely. Both of these mares had babies this week, and now we’re up to our hips in silly fillies, which is just the way we like it. Be forewarned, clicking on the “more” link below will flood your screen with cuteness, because these little horses aren’t just cute, they’re almost full-on kawaii. (Also, be warned if you’re not on broadband, as there are nearly two megs of cute baby pictures within.) … Read more

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Critters

All paws on deck.

Xena and ChloeXena and Chloe spend a little bit of time outside; Chloe seems to be finding it a little easier to breathe outdoors these days than indoors. Chloe had a recent visit to the vet where we learned that she has the kitty equivalent of asthma, and so we’re having to give her pills twice a day for the next two weeks. Hopefully she’ll not only find it easier to breathe, but her appetite will return as well – she barely eats, and as fluffy and soft as her coat looks, when you pick her up, you find that she’s skin and bones underneath that fur. 🙁 I’m really worried about her. … Read more

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Critters

Needle on “E”

I’m pretty much drained after a weekend of waiting for more little horse hooves to hit the ground and other work on the farm, and just not getting a whole lot of sleep in general. I don’t mind helping out on the farm, but I’m not 21 years old anymore and I can’t just change my sleep schedule on a dime. Invariably, I wind up more exhausted and unhappy at the end of a weekend than I do going into the weekend. I almost dread Fridays. But I don’t suppose this’ll matter to anyone until I fall asleep at the wheel, roll my car, and everyone suddenly has to find just the right trained chimpanzees to take up the various chores I have at home, at the farm and at work. Then someday they’ll look back and say, “Wow, y’know, that Earl was a cranky bastard…but at least he didn’t fling his own poop all over the place.”
Bah, they just never found where I was flinging mine.
Anyway, here’s something to cheer us all up: cute Easter critter pictures!
Chloe
Chloe perches herself on the railing of the deck…
Xena chows down
…so she can watch Xena lay down and chow down.
Othello
She’s probably also keeping a wary eye on Othello, who is also out and about and on the deck railing…… Read more

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Critters

BAD KITTY DADDY.

Chloe and OthelloNow here’s a pet pairing that I don’t think I’ve had a chance to photograph in years. In the upper left hand corner is Chloe, snoozing on our antique Duncan Phyfe sofa, while Othello, snoozing on a comforter on our other sofa, is awakened by me taking pictures. (Ignore the clutter in the rest of the room if you can.) I’m surprised Othello is in as good a mood as he’s in – he’s got every right to hate my guts tonight. … Read more

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Critters Home Base

Open air.

Xena almost has the best of both worlds.Today’s just a perfect spring day. I love it. Warm, but not hot. Breezy, but not blowing the mailbox down for the umpteenth time. So I’ve opened the back door but left the vertical blinds in place; their constant movement in the wind helps to dissuade any flying critters from trying to visit, and the cats can roam freely. The downside to this is: so can the dog. Xena has just walked right into the house numerous times, ambled into my game room, and crashed out on the floor by my feet. Just goes to show how much greener the grass on the other side always is: the dog can’t wait to come in, the cats can’t wait to go out.
Me, I can’t wait for my vacation to start; I work tonight and tomorrow night, and then I’m off for a week for the first time in months.… Read more