feeding time at the zoo

Supper time with 6 cats can be a bit hectic - it is the busiest and noisiest time in the kitchen!!! 

Here are (from left to right) Nibbles, Lucy and Allie eating supper in the kitchen (Tigger and Missy eat in separate rooms and Buddy eats whenever and wherever he pleases)  I didn't notice until I took this picture, how well these three match my kitchen floor!!!

Grazing on dry food in the living room.   That's Missy beside her basket house, Lucy with her face in the food bowl, Tigger sitting and Allie lieing down waiting her turn.  Sometimes they get nasty, but mostly just hang out waiting for a go at the trough!! 

 

In other news, we had a after a fairly busy February/March real estate season - things seem to have slowed down a bit this past week - but I imagine it will ramp up once Easter is over

 

 

Happy Easter everyone!

hungry deer

 

 

 

 

I looked out the dining room window this evening and was quite surprised to this this pretty lady checking out the bird feeder.   We had just put down out some feed for them, but I guess she was a bit braver than the others.  Really neat to see her so close to the house.

Not much else new - Rick and I are keeping pretty busy - for this time of year anyway.  Always a "good thing" in our line of work!

lots of snow

Well, to prove Spring ISN'T, in fact, just around the corner, we had lots and lots of heavy wet snow on Wednesday.  Kris and I were outside around 11 on Wednesday night listening to the tree branches cracking under the weight of the snow.  We have a few large branches that came down across the driveway that Rick and Kris will have to clean up on the weekend.

Fortunately on Wednesday we didn't have any driving to do and so we just took a snow day and stayed off the roads. 

As for our 6 feline housemates, I would have to say they are all getting along amazingly well - especially since this is the winter where they are in most of the time.  Lucy and Allie don't go out very often - I think they may still worry that they won't get back in!!!  

today's pics  - SNOW

Spring around the corner????

I don't pay a LOT of attention to the various varmint predictions about Spring - but I THOUGHT all gophers agreed this year that Spring was just around the corner!!  hmmmm....doesn't really feel like that today!   We have about 6 inches or so and still coming down.

We hadn't planned to go anywhere today but had to touch bases with a client who doesn't have a phone, so a quick trip into Renfrew.  Roads weren't bad - not great, but not too bad - we took our time.

New family member Allie-cat is fitting quite well - no spats or problems with other cats - I'm actually surprised (pleasantly mind you, but still surprised).  It isn't always easy introducing a mature cat to a household, but this went well.  Allie kept to herself for a few days - she found a box in a closet off the laundry room with some old mitts and touques in it and that was her "safe" spot for a while, but now she's all over the house

It appears she has NOT been spayed (I guess it was wishful thinking on our part that she might have been spayed).  We've never really had a cat this age that wasn't spayed, so a bit of a new experience.  She's VERY friendly, just looking for a "special" friend.....   Anyway, appointment made for this Monday with  Dr. Witham (who we're seeing a lot of lately) who will take care of that little problem.  

Lucy, who was just spayed last week is doing well and seems to be back to normal - she was pretty quiet for the first few days.   (imagine - two spayings within two weeks!!!!!)

Real estate is remarkably busy for this time of year - I'm happy about it - but it's not usually like this in February! We're actually juggling our schedule to keep up with showings and meeting with clients. Not complaining!!!

Some pictures I snapped today

Buddy watching the bird feeder

 

 

 

Rick replacing the suet thingy (with Nibbles in lower right corner watching)

 

 

lots of deer tonite - even more showed up after I took this picture!  They're getting quite bold too - Kris said one was peeking in the garage yesterday evening when he was late putting out the food!

 



Finally!!! a name!!

We have all finally agreed upon a name for our newest feline member.  Although I was opting for Buttons (not very original, I know), Kris came up with "Allie" - so Allie-cat, she is.  She is still adapting and learning to get along with the other cats.  Just like the other cats, she loves sitting on the back of the couch and looking out the window - but so far, if she's on the couch, no one else will join her.

We had her into the vet last week - she's about 2 years old but Dr. Witham can't tell if she has been spayed or not - hopefully she was spayed by her previous people - guess time will tell.

 

Got some snow yesterday - which didn't stop Buddy from "birding" under the feeder - sad really

 

three cats on a couch on a winters day  - Buddy, Nibbles and Lucy (Lucy's getting spayed tomorrow)

 

 

bought some deer food - happy deer tonite (we have had up to 9 at one time)

cold days!!!

Well as the weatherman promised - it`s bloody cold out!!!  And supposed to stay that way for a few days too.  I`m pretty well avoiding going out if I don`t have to.  Rick went out and showed a farm in Eganville this afternoon - I enjoyed the afternoon at home.  Pellet stove is working very well.

As mentioned in a previous post, we have picked up (so to speak) another stray cat - the one that Kris had been feeding down at the shop, moved into our garage on Thursday night.  We set up a nice heat lamp pointed down on a box for her to sleep in and she did quite well there.

But yesterday she went outside for a while and then left for parts unknown.  Rick and Kris did several walk-abouts through the bush, but no sign of her.  We thought maybe she went back to the shop.  However, Kris checked the shop around 11 last nite - no cat. 

So, we were all very concerned but not much to be done - we went to bed leaving the garage open and the heat lamp on.  Kris however, didn`t go to bed, he suited up and went for  midnight walk-about through the bush - and found her. He said she ran right to him - like she was just waiting for him to come and get her.

This morning, Rick and I decided to bring her inside (this is how it happens, you know......)  So, she`s now even MORE comfortable in the laundry room off the kitchen.  And even though we leave the door open to the rest of the house - she seems quite content to stay in there.  She`s pretty cautious around the other cats - as they are around her.  But so far no fireworks.

We`ll keep her until we can find her a good home.....I guess....she`s not going back to the shop.

She`s very quiet and sweet and friendly - I think she would suit a house with no other cats (we don`t exactly qualify)  So we`ll keep trying to find her a place.

a tail of two tabbies

Here are our two pretty tabby cats - Missy in the penthouse suite and Lucy looking up at her.  Missy had been spending more time downstairs with us since we got this basket/house - she usually lies in the lower level and I think that makes her feel secure - she's always wary of the other cats.

Weather has been COLD!!!  It was minus 27 last nite - very cold, indeed. And if you've been following my blog, you will remember I mentioned a stray cat that Kris was taking care of at his work. She just hangs out at the shop, sleeping under an old bus and Kris feeds her.   Well, last nite, we decided she couldn't be left out in this cold - so.....you can probably guess where this is going....we sent Kris down to bring her home.  sigh

For now we have set her up with a nice bed/box in the garage with a heat lamp over top which does a great job of keeping her little area very warm and let's her sort of settle in - the other cats freak her out and vice versa - so we'll take baby steps.  At least she's warm and dry and appears to be quite content.  We're in and out of the garage all the time, so she's got company too.

Meanwhile, we continue to try to find a home for her - she is an older cat, I'm sure - I'd say 5 or 6 years old - obviously someone's pet at one time - she immediately used the litter box, so she's house trained.  Very friendly! 

Tonite is supposed to be a bit warmer and then getting cold for about a week - brrrrrrr.