Heidi Chronicles - Just Hanging Out Until Spring

Hi Terese,

No, I haven't seen that commercial. It sounds adorable. I STILL love that old one (no longer seen except in my head, unfortunately) where the raccoons are sitting around the living room watching TV and making a mess while the homeowners are on vacation.

I found it interesting and quite unexpected that the gardener mistook Kitty for a raccoon that way, esp since I had previously done the same thing the 1st day she appeared beside my front door. She really does have very raccoon-like coloring for a cat. I made the mistake in the dark, but it was noon and Sunny out when the gardener saw Kitty up on the back fence against the forest and said, "Here comes on of your raccoons now."

It's lucky the gardener doesn't have access to the house; otherwise, next time he might just absent mindedly open the door, not looking up from his weeding, and let Heidi in the house thinking she is Kitty. Then I would come home and find Heidi snuggled up in my bed watching Animal Planet and making Widget bring her snacks (or else).

.... maybe he needs glasses??

and that would be hysterical [not for Widget though] if you'd walk in seeing Heidi watching the TV.

Kitty didn't show up here to eat for days. I guess it was too cold out for her. I guess she was trying to get my attention when I was out there with the gardener, but I was too busy then. I went out and called her several times last night and the night before but to no avail. I was starting to worry that someone might have turned her in to the authorities. I was even thinking I might have to go pay her 'bale' and spring her from the joint.

Today it warmed up quite nicely. I went out in short sleeves to run errands and even had the car window down to enjoy the fresh air. As I walked out the front door, I heard something moving around in the hedges beside the front door. I stopped and called out, "Kitty, Kitty, come here, Kitty". Amazingly, and I think this pretty much indicates that ALL of the forest dwellers have my number now, as I stood there calling and cajoling, the creature that had been making the sounds did come out to see me except that it wasn't Kitty at all. It was a bird, a brown thrasher. And yet the bird just walked right out from under the cover of the shrubs in front of me as if to say, "Yes, you called?" Even as I walked to my car, started the engine, and backed out of the drive the bird did not fly away. She just hopped up onto the birdbath for a drink and watched me as I drove away. Do the critters here all know me, or what?

Shortly after I got back home and while I was cleaning up the foyer, I heard Kitty outside. I was SO happy to hear her even though she was out there snarling at something. Immediately, and without even opening the door I called out, "Kitty!!!" and she meowed her response - and Widget launched into a barking spree. It was clear Widget knew exactly who "Kitty" was and wanted nothing to do with her kind.

Widget had escaped on Friday, having slipped out between my feet, and gone after Kitty chasing her into the neighbors yard. I have never seen him run with such determination before. He had that 'if I catch you, I'll teach you to stay away from my house' look all over him as he gave chase only inches from Kitty's backside. In the neighbor's yard he stopped to say hello to the folks outside, and I could hear them telling him that he had better hope he didn't catch that cat. How right I suspect they were as I can imagine Kitty single handedly whipping the stuffing out of poor, little, misguided Widget.

So today I gave Kitty some more of the left over chicken from the fridge. I'm sure that only makes Widget angrier since he would like to have the chicken. I give him some, but he can't handle much chicken w/o getting tummy upset, so I save the rest for Kitty and the raccoons. Sometimes I just don't get all of the chicken eaten within a safe amount of time. Other times I save the thighs. I just don't care for the thighs which are often very fatty, so today I gave Kitty 3 thighs. She looked pretty thin and hungry, and I doubt she has had much to eat the last few days - unless someone else is also feeding her. I can't tell you how often I've seen that happen with city strays. They go from house to house until they find a number of different people each of whom feels sorry for the stray and feeds them not realizing that the stray is really getting over and, with homes all over town, is actually eating better than most 'owned' cats.

This happened once decades ago with a Tom that I felt sorry for and started feeding. I didn't want a cat, but I bought a small bag of cat food each time I got groceries and put food out for him daily. Then when I moved out to the country in preparation for going back to college, I took the cat with me not so much because I wanted a cat as because I feared he might starve w/o me. That's when I learned from my prior roommate that the neighbors who had also been feeding him were angry with me for stealing him, and that there were several such neighbors who fed him. Go figure.

When I 1st moved here there was a stray who used to dig up my flower beds for his litter box. I didn't feed that one, but the lady across the street - who knows everything that goes on - told me that there were people all over the neighborhood who fed and claimed that stray. It seems to happen more often than we might expect, so I don't doubt that Kitty may actually be scamming me.

Anyhow, today while Kitty was 'kissing up' to me before I actually gave her the food, I was sitting on the bench and she kept jumping up there and back down again. I would reach out and pet her both on the bench and the ground. She would rub against my hands and legs in typical cat fashion. Finally, I decided to test how well she would handle being picked up by me. Realizing that such behavior might upset her, I didn't just try to scoop her up in one swift move. I didn't want to end up with a collection of angry claws in my arms. 1st I put my two hands on either side of her mid section and closed them around her back and tummy as she was walking through so as to prevent her forward motion. I had anticipated that she might freak and fight when restrained in this manner, but she just stopped walking forward and stood still showing no discomfort or fear at being restrained. This was going much better than I had expected.

Next, after letting her go free from my 1st hold, I repeated the procedure, again locking my hands around her mid section, gently but firmly restraining her. This time when she stood still in response to my hold, I lifted her up off the ground, hoisting her entire body some 10in into the air, my hands clasped around her mid section, her legs dangling down toward the ground. Much to my surprise, she didn't react at all even to being lifted off the ground. I put her back down, petted her, and gave her the chicken. Things were going very well, and I thought it best to stop now while I could end the session on a positive note. I would resume the test at a future date.

Terese,

Could be. I'm surprised how often I see people who need glasses but choose to walk around 1/2 seeing rather than give in and wear glasses or even contacts. This happens mostly with people who after a lifetime of perfect vision find themselves in need of vision correction due to the advances of age - which may happen as young as 40ish or even, in some cases, late 30's. You see these people, even executives, walking around asking others to read little things to them and/or hiding their faces while slipping on a tiny pair of folding, drugstore glasses to read a document in a meeting and then quickly whipping the glasses off to put them away again as though hoping no one saw this.

Me, I read way too much to put up with being sightless even temporarily. As soon as I started squinting to read, I went right out and got glasses (and contacts) and started wearing them immediately. I don't love my glasses, but I prefer them any day to being 1/2 blind.

Yeah, the image of Heidi ordering Widget around is somehow comical to me, too, perhaps because as an only 'child' he is inclined to be a bit spoiled, ok, a lot spoiled.

My, that is a totally tame cat, Cheryl; such a shame for such a friendly one to be dumped. And even if neighbors are feeding her, you can be sure that the calories aren't going to waste while she's raising kittens.

Bet 19 degrees felt like the subarctic to you folks down there! It's cold for any area, but down there you're not at all used to such temps.

Hi Ruth,

You are so right about the cat. She has cat powers and is using them to wear me down fast. I should tell you that her kittens are pretty large now. I have no idea how to guess age, but they are well beyond the age/size at which people separate kittens from their mom to send them to new homes. Clearly this means that poor Kitty has been on her own for a long time now. Considering all that she has endured, she is an amazingly sweet and good natured girl.

Feeding her is no problem for me anyhow since the Dr put me on a diet of mostly chicken, almost daily, since my bout with the flu. With no raccoons around to eat them (and it being too cold out for me to want to go back there), the carcasses and uneaten chicken pieces have begun to stack up. I've been keeping them in the fridge as I hate to waste them. Anyhow, I'm happy to get some of them out of the fridge now, and Kitty seems happy to eat them for me - although the other day she expressed some discontent at receiving the same old meal every day. LOL at how fast they get spoiled. Wasn't it just a week or so ago that she showed up half starved and eager to eat anything? Now, I give her a chicken thigh and she gives me the "what, no cat food chaser today?" look.

It has been quite cold at night the last several days, but it heats up rapidly once the sun comes out. That one morning when I was complaining, I made the mistake of getting up at dawn. That doesn't happen too often though, so it's not a huge problem for me. Mostly, I can only tell it's cold out because the heater runs almost non-stop at night. By the time I go to work at 10-ish, ok 10:30, ok, ok, 11, it isn't bad out at all. But, yes, 19 to us is probably equal to -19 to you guys. I just 'freeze-up' and stay indoors where the heat is - and make sure to leave the water dripping until this weather passes.

The landscapers came yesterday. They did an awesome job in the front yard. It really looks great. They put straw down in all of the beds in front. I forgot to check to see if they put my 2 bales in the backyard by the pool. They are coming back next week to start on the backyard, so if they didn't leave those extra bales for the kits, I'll have to get after them to be sure they do it when they come back.

When I mentioned that I instructed them to bring straw for the kits I neglected to mention that they don't always do what I tell them to do. The main landscaper has his own ideas about how he wants my yard to look, reminds me of some hairdressers. If he doesn't agree with what I tell him he argues and/or 'forgets'. I told him to put pine straw back there in the summer, but, not understanding why, he didn't do it. He kept trying to tell me that if he left straw back there just sitting around on the ground it would get all 'yucky' and rot - and basically that didn't meet with his idea of how the yard should look. He kept wanting to put the straw in the beds instead of leaving bales sitting around in the yard.

We have these arguments about things from time to time. Like, I use the bench for sitting, so I put it where I want to sit. When he comes over, he moves it to where it looks good. He does have good taste with regard to where it looks good, but I keep trying to tell him it's for sitting.

So the other day when he was here to discuss the backyard, I explained that I feed the wildlife and that I want him to put 2 bales of pine straw on the ground for the baby raccoons to play on - not for mulch. I explained that I know it will rot, and I don't care. The kits will play on it, and by the time they are grown, it will be gone, and everyone will be happy. He seemed more understanding about the raccoons than I expected. He said his brother feeds them, too. He kept mentioning how smart they are. We will have to see if I actually get those 2 bales. I put up with him because he is conscientious, hard working, trust worthy, and reasonably prices, and we only have these design disagreements every now and then. I actually find it mildly amusing.

LOL, your landscaper does sound much like a hairdresser in the way he handles your ideas. Personally, I get pretty annoyed when someone does what they think best, rather than what I'm paying them to do; but in the long run, competence is the bottom line and we all put up with a lot when it's a given.

I really hope the kitty can wear you (and Widget!) down, or maybe someone else in the neighborhood; an animal who welcomes and needs human attention and affection doesn't belong on her own. Some cats seem to be able to take or leave human interaction; those who need and value it belong in a home, you know?

Ruth,

I thought about what you said, about Kitty and humans. I hadn't thought of her so much needing and wanting interaction as allowing it, but upon reading your post, I reconsidered.

Yesterday I worked from home which meant that when Kitty arrived in the afternoon expecting to wait for my arrival, I was already home. From my makeshift downstairs 'office', I heard her calling me, and went out to give her cat food. First, however, I sat down on the bench and picked her up. Once lifted some 4ft or more into the air, she resisted but only half-heartedly. I sensed a brief moment of rising panic in her struggle to get away but was able to quell that fairly easily.

I had some difficulty - wrestling with the legs she kept putting between us - in my effort to hold her against my chest but was eventually successful. I held her there for a few minutes stroking her head and gently scratching behind her ears. She vacillated between brief moments of enjoying, seeking, rubbing behavior and her ongoing efforts to get down. After a few minutes, I set her back on the ground, petted her again, and filled her dish. She expressed some concern about possibly being hoisted back into the air but stayed to eat anyhow.

Several hours later when I went out to walk Widget, I was surprised to see Kitty curled up in the 'bed' she has made in the pine straw beside the front door where she is sheltered from the wind by hedges and the 'walls' supporting the tiny porch. I was surprised to see her there because she had already eaten her fill. There was still some food in her dish, yet she was waiting there at the door. She meowed to us as we exited the door and then followed at a distance as Widget and I walked out across the front lawn - being careful to stay near the car and beyond the reach of Widget's leash.

It was then that I realized that she apparently did actually want some interaction with me/us. After I took Widget back inside, I went back out to sit on the bench and spend a few minutes with her. I picked her up again onto my lap. This time she didn't struggle but she did keep that one foot between us refusing to relax. I held her and petted her for a few minutes before going back inside for the night.

Cats have become my favorites of all critters. About 18 months ago my neighbors divorced, the wife left and took the children, leaving the man with the house. They had a cat, Cupcake, a stray who came and stayed and at first they fed her. Later I noticed her wandering around looking half starved and I started leaving food out for her as well, mostly so she would leave my birds alone. Eventually, the man moved away, and during the ice storm that left us without electricity for 10 days in January '09, I made a place for Cupcake in my garage. She has always been an outside cat, and wouldn't come inside, but would enter the garage. So there she lived in piles of blankets for the duration of the winter.

So she stayed, and now is quite happy in her 'garage apartment'. She has a little ceramic heater which gives her enough heat, she is well fed and beautiful. She is my garden cat and follows wherever I go in the summer. She also lets me pick her up now, but for a while she was quite distrustful of most humans, and she does not like children at all.

My point is that some people think nothing of walking away and leaving animals to fend for themselves. What a sad society we live in. I'm glad your kitty found you, bet she's pretty happy about it too.

Be well, and Happy 2010!

I can vouch that Cupcake is a total sweetheart....and could have stuck her in my bag to bring home! Sharron has some of the sweetest kitties!

It sounds like you are making great improvement with this little lady.

The problem is, they would have all gone home with Debbie...happily, I think.

And I would have happily taken them....but now I have a great excuse to go back and visit with you Sharron!

Anytime...you know the way!

Hi Sharran, Debbie,

Interesting that you mentioned people walking away and leaving pets; interesting because something happened last night which caused me to scratch my head and rethink my theory on how Kitty got here. More on that later.

I love the name Cupcake, and she certainly sounds like one happy and very lucky cat, lucky to have found such a wonderful home.

I wish that I could let Kitty use the garage, but, sadly, my garage has only 2 (well actually 3) doors. There are 2 'car' doors on the front of the garage along with a door leading from the garage to the house/kitchen. That's it, no external 'people' door. I would dearly love such a door going from the back of the garage to the garden as that would make it SO much easier to carry tools in/out w/o having to walk all the way around the house, or worse, tromp through the kitchen with large power tools. In the past, I've considered having this dream door added. Unfortunately, any entrance on the back of the house big enough to accommodate Kitty [like either a pet door or leaving the 'dream' door ajar], would also allow the raccoons into the garage. Can you say 'disaster'. The HOA strictly forbids leaving garage doors on the front of the house open any longer than required to enter/exit whether by car or by foot. Apparently they don't want to see the mess that's in there. So, you see, there is no way for Kitty to come and go.

Good to hear from the both of you!

>>that would make it SO much easier to carry tools in/out w/o having to walk all the way around the house,

Cheryl... that is one thing we did when we had this house built.... put the service door in the back yard.
The house was designed to have it on the side, and the 'extended familyroom' to go to the back of the house, but since we extended our garage ... we moved the door to the back, into the fenced back yard.

it's great for not traipsing dirt/snow etc into the kitchen - the only other way in from the back. ... and great for mowing... lawn mower goes out the front of the garage to mow, then in thru the back when you're done mowing back there.

We love the garage extension... one of the best changes we made with this house.

Must be brief as there is much to do today.

My apologies to those who come for raccoon stories and get cat stories instead. It seems for the time being we are forced to tread water until the raccoons return.

Last night when I went out to walk Widget, Kitty was at the front door. She again followed us out onto the front lawn, something I find endearing and somewhat comical considering that Widget hates her and will give chase if she is w/in reach. Still, she walked around rubbing herself on my ankles while Widget was busy elsewhere at the end of his leash.

After I put Widget away, I returned with more chicken and, this time, a bowl of water. I petted Kitty a bit before handing over the food. She rubbed against my ankles and let me pet her, but even though I didn't try to lift her, she made it clear that she would prefer to stay on the ground.

Kitty had only been eating for a very short time when much to my complete surprise, the brindled kitten, the one that looks identical to her, came trotting up the walkway to join us. Until now, I had only spied the kittens on one occasion and then only from a distance. I had not expected them to come forward on their own this way.

The kitten was smaller than I had imagined but was clearly eating solid food. He was skittish, running back down the walkway any time I moved even slightly; however, the dish with the chicken was about 6in from my foot, and that he spend so much time standing over it to eat seemed nothing short of amazing especially considering that he could have taken a piece of chicken and run back into the shrubs with it.

Kitty was a good Mom. The kitten kept taking the piece of chicken she was eating, and even though she was clearly hungry, she would let him have it and get another. After a while, when the black kitten got the courage to come out, Kitty even sat off to one side to let them eat. She wasn't through eating but was letting them eat 1st.

So there we were, Kitty and her 2 kittens eating at my feet when all of a sudden a 4th cat appeared, a large, solid black cat. This one had slightly longer fur and was rather attractive. Since one of the kittens is also solid black, I reasoned that this large cat must be the father and thus a male. He kept his distance while i was outside, sitting at the curve in the walkway for a few minutes watching us before going on his way - or more probably to hide out until I left. I thought I even saw some evidence of 'jewels' as he walked away but can't swear to that.

This last bit of evidence posed a serious quandry for me. Who was the black cat, and where was he from? Was he also homeless? He was pretty enough that I thought he might be a pet rather than a stray, but then again he seemed to be hanging out with Kitty. Or maybe he had just learned to expect chicken at my door. I don't know the answers. I had never seen him before, but if he was a stray then I would surely have to rethink my theory on how Kitty came to be homeless. People toss pregnant females and sometimes even females with kittens but not whole families Dad included. The female is always seen as the problem, not the male.

If the black cat was a male and if he was also a stray, the only thing that now seemed to make sense was if some family moved away leaving their pets behind. In fact, I knew that a family had abandoned a home just 2 blocks from here. They had apparently been victims of the economy and of the crashed housing market and had fled leaving their furniture and possessions behind. The bank's representatives had later put all of the family's stuff out on the front lawn creating a mess that almost sent the HOA into cardiac arrest - and that's how I heard of it, although I had for some time noticed the abandoned house with its very unkempt and overgrown yard and wondered how it was that the HOA allowed such a thing. Anyhow, although I didn't know the people, my heart goes out to anyone loosing a home. That must surely be devastating, and there but for the grace of God, to butcher a timeworn phrase, goes any one of us.

Given this new information, I'm wondering if the family that fled from their home also left these pets behind. The kittens may not have even existed then and may have had nothing to do with the situation Kitty found herself in. She, too, may have been a victim of the housing market and failed economy, although I would like to believe that even in such time of crisis I would think to take care of my pets. Worst case, the pets could have at least been taken to a shelter.

So now I have 1 Momma cat, 2 kittens, and possibly a Poppa cat to deal with. Whew! I sure hope this is the end of the revelations for this cat family - and God forbid the human family had other pets: hamsters, dogs, birds, a ferret. I may end up with my very own zoo.

Hi Terese,

Believe it or not, my garage doesn't even have a service door at all. My prior house had a utility room behind the garage with a door leading out into the backyard. That was so perfect. I didn't build this house. I bought it when it was 4yrs old. I loved it for the spacious rooms and high ceilings. In retrospect it seems I was so consumed by the things I felt my prior house was missing that I failed to think of the things it had [and which I wanted to keep]. I failed to even notice the missing garage service door - until I moved in, started gardening, and quickly realized the design was not intended for a gardener.

I even talked with someone about adding a door. It isn't possible to add a door from the garage to the backyard, unfortunately as the house is in the way, and it isn't possible to extend the garage [to the side] either because of the proximity to the property line. The only 2 solutions available to me were to add a door on the side of the garage, which I didn't want, or add one on the back of the mudroom. The latter seemed my best bet as it would allow me to carry tools through the mudroom and into the backyard, but would also accommodate the doggie door I was hoping to install for Widget back then before the raccoons entered the picture. I didn't want to ruin the French doors with a doggie door, so adding a door from the mudroom to the backyard would also give me a place for the doggie door, a [doggie] door which is clearly no longer feasible.

I never went through with the addition of that door because it would open into an inside corner created by the house. The designers had planted a very nicely formed pink magnolia in that inside corner of the garden. It looked almost like a small courtyard and was one of my favorite parts of the backyard. Putting a door there would require removing the tree. I could never decide, and so I did nothing.

Your setup sounds excellent.

i found a copy of my first floor, floor plan... nice garage, huh?

Terese,

I'm a little confused. Is that HUGE [backward] 'L' shaped area on the right side, the one that takes up nearly 1/2 of the overall space, the garage? Is that a 3 car garage? Wow, that is nice. Was that before you extended it?

yup... that's the garage... i think it's close to 1000sq.ft... it's 9-something according to the assessors office.
it's 55' deep and about 3.5 car.

if we would have kept it a 2 car, the other portion that we turned into garage, would have been den + ext. fam.room. [or nothing if you did not want any upgrades]
but we got the garage for about 7k [which was a steal... the guy that did the dirt work said they lost $$ on that deal] but if it would have been living space, i think the price tag was about 20-25k extra.

Terese,

Very nice. Lots of storage room and room to move about. (Between garage, basement, and attics, you definitely have ample storage.)

But...where do you buy those 1/2 cars? Hmm, maybe one of those cute little smart cars would fit that space. ;-)

Just came back from walking Widget. (Barely awake) Kitty went with us, but this time instead of spending her time rubbing up against my ankles, she headed out across the lawn to Widget (while he was 'busy'). It is difficult to make sense of her behavior, but it sure seems like she is trying to befriend Widget now.

At the door, I got a secure hand grip on Widget's harness and then called Kitty to come to us. Sure enough, she walked right over to us. And then, with me holding Widget securely in place, Kitty walked around him, up close, about 1-2in from his body. When she reached the end w/o teeth, she rubbed up against him while going around. I've never seen such behavior before, but it sure looked like she was rubbing up on him the same way she does my ankles. It looked like she was trying to ingratiate herself to him and signal her desire to be friends.

What did Widget think of that?

What a clever girl! Now that she's convinced you of her "honorable intentions," it's time to work on Widget. If she can win him over, even to grudging tolerance, I think you'll have a new family member. Persuasive talent like that would just cry out to be rewarded...

Your reputation really must precede you, Cheryl; you now have the kittens coming to dinner, and dad?? That is odd, unless both the adults were abandoned by the family who had to suddenly decamp and forfeit their house. Male cats usually play no part whatsoever in the care/raising of kittens, and are usually persona very non grata to the females once mating is over. Ms. Kitty just might make an exception for him if they once shared a home, but even then it would be rare. Perhaps he too has exceptional diplomacy skills...

And Sharran, kudos to you for giving the abandoned kitty a private suite in your garage; what a great idea, and a lifesaver for her.

OMG, Marylyn,

I wrote a [rather long] response to your question days ago, but now I don't see it. How strange. Maybe I did that thing where you hit preview instead of send and then fail to notice. Bummer.

Well, in brief, while Widget did stand amazingly still (while I was holding his halter) and permit Kitty to sniff him even nose to nose, the very next time he was off leash, he took off after her like usual. Today when he and I were out back, Kitty came up to visit with us. Widget kept chasing her, but that didn't stop her from coming right back. LOL. She would come right up beside me even with Widget on the other side. When he would chase her she would run into the rose brambles and other areas where poor Widget would quickly get hung up by his fur. She's pretty smart, that one. Her interactions with Widget today reminded me a bit of Dennis. Several times I fussed at Widget and tried to make him stop chasing her but without much success. Frankly, her idea of running him into the brambles worked better than anything I could come up with.

Ruth,

I've only seen that other cat the one time - and no one was more shocked than me. I did a double take thinking, "Wow, that kitten sure grew fast." I don't know for sure that it's the dad or even a male. Just guessing since Kitty didn't seem upset by the other cat's appearance so close to her and the kids while eating and also since the one kitten is the same solid black color as the other, adult cat that showed up that night.

Ok, is Kitty dmailing you when I'm not using the computer? You and she seem to be working together. ;-) It is pretty smart of her to try to make friends with Widget - even though it isn't working so far. She really surprised me with that. I've never seen such behavior from a cat before, but then she surprised me in other ways, too.

This afternoon when Widget and I were out back, Kitty showed to hang out with us and play chase with Widget. Kitty won. Something about the rose brambles and Widgets long hair. When we came back inside, Kitty followed us to the patio and watched me go inside. I knew she was saying, "I'm pretty hungry. Got any food in there?" I put Widget away and grabbed some food for her and headed back out the back door expecting to find her there, but she was no where to be found.

I called and called. I had only been gone a minute or so. She usually understands to wait for me to bring food, but where had she gone in such a hurry? Unable to find her anywhere, I put the food down on the back patio and then went to the front door to see if she was waiting for me there since that's where I've been feeding her. Nope. No sign of her there either. This was certainly odd. Now where was that silly cat?

I went back to the patio door and looked out to find Kitty and her two small kittens out there gobbling up the cat food. Earlier when she watched me go inside, knowing that I would be bringing her food, she had gone back for the kittens - wherever she is keeping them. How smart. I'm seeing a pattern here. She comes to the door and calls me or find me outside and then rubs up against me to get me in a good mood. Then when she sees me go for the chow, she heads back to get the kids. LOL.

She is getting spoiled already though. All that chicken. It was bound to happen. I've run out of chicken now, so today I gave her Purina cat chow. A little while later I heard her at the front door calling me. I went out to pet her and she clearly said she was still hungry. Surprised considering the amount of food I had given her, I went to the back door to check. There was still food in her dish. She and the kittens had eaten maybe 2/3 of it, but not all. Hmm. Thinking maybe she didn't like the backyard for some reason, I put a handful of food in her dish at the front door. She nibbled a little and then complained. Chicken. She wanted more chicken.

I went back to the fridge to double check that all the chicken was gone. That's when I saw all that yogurt that expired during my bout with the flu. I had been keeping it for the raccoons. Maybe she would like that. I gave her a fruit flavored yogurt. Turns out she loves it. Super. Now I can get rid of all that expired yogurt which probably wouldn't have stayed good long enough for the raccoons to return. Oh, but is yogurt not good for her?

BTW, I picked her up again tonight, held her in my lap for a few minutes to pet her and scratch her ears. Although not totally relaxed she was better this time. Didn't keep that one leg between us. While holding her, I noticed that her teats appear to be still in use, so I gather that while the kits are eating some food, they have not been weaned yet.

As for the gardener, the reason I don't get too angry with him is that, to be honest, when it comes to the yard sometimes I need adult supervision. Example. I bought 2 solar spot lights a while back. I assembled them, went out on the walkway, and stuck them in the ground just to get them charged and see how they worked. I didn't take time to put them where I wanted them or where they would shine on anything in particular. I expected to do that later. Months later those spot lights were still sitting there shining on nothing. Finally, the landscaper moved them the other day when he did the front yard. He put them where they shine up on the windows on either side of the house front. The effect was very nice. It was the 1st thing I noticed when I pulled in the driveway. It is because of this kind of thing, which I do all too often, that I have to have a sense of humor when he does what he thinks looks good - because he knows how I am. As for the bales of straw for the kits, he said he will put them back there after he cleans up the backyard. That's a good sign. When he doesn't plan on doing something, he either argues or just ignores me.

our Charlie LOVES yogurt. that and tuna -- those two items will get him running to the kitchen.

Yogurt should be fine for Kitty. :-) Your landscaper sounds like a treasure - even if he is an opinionated one! LOL

Hi Terese,

Thanks. Good to know that Charlie gives yogurt his seal of approval. Hmm. tuna. I think I may have a few cans of tuna and sardines that I bought thinking the raccoons would like it which they don't particularly.

Ehem. Charlie? Tuna? Didn't I see this in a Starkist commercial?

being frugal [sometimes] we were at Aldi's once last year... they had their "white" tuna at a great price... [boy that stuff is getting expensive] but the time we were there, they were out, so i bought the 'light chunk' ... yick... i dont like it, but at about 80 cent per can... i let the furkids split it. well actually Buddy gets about 2/3rds and Charlie gets 1/3 of the can.

Hi Marylyn,

Ok, so yogurt it is. Kitty also agrees with the both of you.

Yes, my landscaper cares about how my yard looks, possibly more than I do, and maybe for the same reason as hairdressers, because it reflects back on him. Throughout my life, someone else has always been in charge of the yard: fathers, brothers, husbands. This is my 1st time being responsible for it, and I find I'm not that good at it. I'm good at gardening, getting things to grow, but not the maintenance and upkeep of the yard in general. So, really, I need someone like my landscaper who takes on those responsibilities.

Our 1st argument came when I asked him to cut the top out of one of the lollipop shaped trees in front of the house. He insisted that 'this' tree had to be sized to match 'that' tree on the other end of the house - or it would be lopsided. I told him I didn't care. I just wanted that tree cut down because it was in my way. No matter how many times I argued with him about this, he refused to cut the one tree back without cutting the other one - because they had to match. At the time, I really didn't give a rip about matching trees, but in his mind it would be a sin to ruin the balance and aesthetics of the front of the house by lopping off that tree. Now I let him cut the trees his way, and I've been getting lots of compliments on the front yard.

Oh, along this same line, I know why I never got those bales of pine straw in summer. Back then I just asked him to put 2 bales in the back for me. I didn't explain. Problem is, he knows me too well. I am famous for saying I'm going to do xyz (in the yard) and then months later it is still sitting there waiting for me untouched. I've probably requested mulch before swearing I would put it down only to leave it sitting until he finally did it for me, so when I asked for 2 bales around back, he tried to convince me that it would just sit there and rot - because he figured he would end up having to put it in the beds eventually. So, LOL, hopefully now everyone can see why I can't find it in my heart to get angry with him when he disagrees with me. In fact, if I had a gardener who merely followed my instructions and collected the money, I guess I would have lopsided trees, spot lights shining up at the sky, pavers stacked in front of the garage, and 1/2 rotten bales of pine straw strategically placed around the yard. I'm optimistic that he will bring the pine straw now that he knows what it is for, but time will tell.

Terese,

Buddy, your dog, eats tuna, too? Widget is always protesting when I give these things to the raccoons and now the cat. He wants them, but I'm always afraid of upsetting his tummy. Being such a little guy, it is very easy for the wrong food to make him sick.

So you prefer the white tuna? I think I actually prefer the 'light' which is best since the white has significantly more mercury and TCB's. Have you read the recommendations for fish lately? It is scary and confusing and goes something like this: eat more fish because it is good for you, but don't eat it more than 2x per week because of the toxins and avoid these types because they have the highest toxin levels. White tuna is on the fish to avoid list. (You can't win.)

well... something's gonna kill us. I dont eat a lot of tuna... as with everything else, i/we go thru phases.
I dont like that 'fishy' taste of the Light Chunk ... and i always rinse the tuna in a strainer, then squeeze out all the extra water.

and Yes, Buddy loves tuna ... there isn't much he turns down. He is thoroughly spoiled.

Terese,

This is pretty much the attitude I took with the raccoons, figuring with everything out there that is out to kill me they would have to stand in line.

Buddy is much bigger than Widget. The tiny dogs, I learned the hard way, do not have a rugged constitution. They are the antithesis of raccoons. In addition to just being whimpy, things have a huge effect on them due to their small size. Widget can eat chicken breast ok, but even a small amount of dark meat will give him an awful case of the, well, you know. Let's just say I've learned not to give him that because it makes a lot of yucky work for me. I used to give my other Malt whatever I was eating until one day she got pancreatitis. She was one sick dog, and the vet said it happened because their tiny bodies can't tolerate much fatty food. I have learned that, because they are so small, I have to be careful what I give them as the 'bad' things have a much more severe effect on them.

But Widget wants to eat everything. He's like a goat. I let him eat veggies with me and whole grains and chicken. He will eat the darnedest things. He will eat collard greens until I cut him off - because if he eats too much he will barf it back up. He loves whole wheat toast, canned chicken and veggie soup, broccoli, cabbage (even raw), brussel sprouts, green peas, green beans, all legumes, all nuts, etc. He eats those things as though they were meat. He loves potatoes and sweet potatoes so much that sometimes when I cook one for me, I just cook one for him, too, so he doesn't eat all of mine. He will even eat apples, bananas, grapefruit, cherries, blueberries, strawberries. I may try him on a little taste of tuna the next time I open a can or package.

The tiny dogs border on humorous in their extreme whimpiness. Widget can't catch the cat because, unlike the cat, he can only run on dry grass that has been recently cut. If the grass gets dew on it or grows a few inches high, forget it. He doesn't want anything that badly. If the cat runs into a weeded area, the kind where any decent hound would tromp right on through, as soon as a weed or two touches his face, Widget goes, "never mind" and turns around. In the mornings if the grass is wet with dew, I have to use the door to push Widget out; otherwise, he will stand on the threshold looking around for a dry spot forever - and I am SO not kidding.

Buddy sounds spoiled - but in a good way. Widget, as you know, is spoiled, too, even though that wasn't my intention. It's just who I am. I now have a spoiled dog, a whole group of spoiled raccoons, and a spoiled alley cat.

Yes, as the other cat folks have said, yogurt is fine for cats - in fact, very good for them as it is for us since it promotes digestive system health. Ours get a spoonful of yogurt in every meal, as do the dogs. Well, ours are just a bit less spoiled; they get plain yogurt, and seem to like it just fine.

Sounds like Kitty has Widget's "wimpiness" figured out as shown by the escapade with rose bushes and brambles. What a clever girl; with her smarts and diplomatic skills, she might just wear him down over time. And BTW, that "stiff-arm" she gave you when handling her isn't limited to strays unused to handling; many cats who simply don't like restraint do the same. My boy Mister Impossible, who follows me like a puppydog, sleeps pressed up against me every night, etc., will give me the stiff-arm if I try to hug him; he wants to be very close, but doesn't like restraint.

Had to laugh at the image of your spoiled dog, spoiled raccoons, spoiled cat, etc. Back when I was working with the rehabbers, there was a cartoon they all had hanging somewhere in their homes. It showed two possums standing near a building labeled "wildlife rehab center." The one possum says to the other, "I'm telling you: good eats, soft beds, warm places. Really! Just go on over there and look pathetic." Sounds like a similar story is circulating about you... and that's a wonderful thing.

That is a wonderful thing! I am sure that the animals all have you figured out ^_^

Ruth,

Hmm. Interesting point about the cat's reaction to being hugged. This last time, however, she did relax considerably and didn't put that leg between us - just a foot. I guess time will tell whether her reaction is due to her period spent in the wild or whether it is just a facet of her personality in general.

Oh, I LOVE that sign. You don't have it in soft copy, do you? I would love to see/have that. How adorable. Edited to add that "Oh, and, yes, I do think that is quite a compliment. Thank you."

The mention of opossums reminded me of something I've been dying to tell you guys. As you may have noticed, animal prints have been the rage for some time now and are still going strong. Usually you see pony, giraffe, zebra, the various big cats, etc. Recently, I saw one that caused me to just do a complete double and even triple take. One of the high-end department stores, Dillards, I think it is, is offering a throw in faux opossum fur. Now there is a fur I never really looked at and thought "how lovely. I'd like to get some of that to throw across my favorite chair or sofa." They also have a faux porcupine throw.

OMG, I was googling to see if I could find it quickly online and apparently there are companies that sell real opossum fur. Ok, aside from how we may feel about real fur, I'm shocked that anyone wants opossum fur. As I see it, opossums are an acquired 'taste' (not literally). I've learned to love them, but I don't usually think of them as cute and cuddly.

Edited to add comment to 2nd paragraph above.

This message was edited Jan 20, 2010 2:01 PM

Cheryl, the rehabbers did give me a little framed copy of the possum cartoon many years ago. Unfortunately, it is packed somewhere in the attic along with other graphics/photos/etc. that didn't "make the cut" when my other half moved into this house in NC a few months before I did. If it ever surfaces, I'll be happy to copy it for you; but heaven only knows where it is at the moment.

Faux possum fur: seriously?? And real possum fur? That's not only abhorrent because it's real fur, but weird; somehow reminiscent of the joke-in-poor-taste books with recipes for roadkill. Most possum coats are not exotically colored, to say the least; and while the undercoat is quite soft, the guard hairs are very coarse; and then there's their musky aroma. This is just not something I'd want to wear, even if I could abide the idea of wearing a dead animal's coat.

And faux porcupine fur??? Is it painful? If not, it's not a very good imitation, lol. I'm imagining a throw that throws darts at you when you pick it up; why?

Ruth,

As to things we know we have packed away somewhere but can't put our hands on at the moment w/o taking the entire house apart and/or sending out a search party, I totally understand. I just thought I was the only one who had those things.

I would like to be on the record as saying that I only use faux fur. Regrettably, in my youth I did own a real fur. Not sure just how I rationalized that behavior in view of my love of animals, but what can I say? Don't we all do things in our youth that we can't justify later? These days, however, I am a strictly faux fur and animal print gal. I figure faux fur fits in the 'is the sincerest form of flattery' catagory.

I really was shocked when I saw that opossum faux fur at Dillards. They had it in 2 shades BTW, one lighter, closer to Snowball's color and one darker, more like what I think of as the 'normal' color. No, it wasn't intended as a joke - nor was it inexpensive. It wasn't my idea of attractive. The 'fur' was not smooth; it was rather 'choppy', some hair longer, some shorter.

It's good to hear your opinion and see that it's not just me. I just thought, "what, have we run out of fur types now?" Go figure. Anyhow, I found this pic at Wikipedia and noticed that, unlike my local opossums whose coats look a bit threadbare, this little guy actually does have a rather lovely coat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Opossum_2.jpg
From what I saw in my brief search, it looked like they were getting the fur from special opossums raised in, I think it was, New Zealand specifically for their furs.

The porcupine (faux) fur didn't appear to have the quills. I guess it was supposed to represent the underlying fur, possibly shorn. Like the opossum faux fur, it was shaggy and would not have been my 1st (or 99th) choice. (ROTF, "throws darts at you when you pick it up". No, but I agree that to be authentic it certainly should.)

Here is the porcupine. I see that it has been reduced so apparently not selling all that well after all: http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=301&langId=-1&storeId=301&productId=501724186&view=20&No=40&N=1619533&searchUrl=%2Fendeca%2FEndecaStartServlet%3Fview%3D20%26No%3D40%26N%3D1619533&R=02868559. I can't find the opossum online. Maybe that is only offered in select markets. LOL. Either that or, due to high demand, it's sold out already.

Edited to add that these new 'furs' must be part of the RoadKill line. Ohhhh! That was so awful, but I could not resist.

This message was edited Jan 21, 2010 12:38 PM

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