Catching Up

Yes, I know, its been over a month since my last post. There's been a lot going on, but I just haven't felt like getting on here and writing about any of it. I'm starting to feel motivated again, so I will catch up on most of the goings on, but it'll probably take me a few days. I guess its a good thing I don't have any plans for the weekend....

To get things started, here's a quick sum-up:

We survived the tornadoes that came through the area on the 16th. We were very lucky, because there was significant damage pretty close to our neighborhood. Thanks so much to everyone who checked on us!

The cats are...well, they're the cats. Not a lot going on with them. Five of the six are using the catiary on a regular basis, which is good (Belle prefers to spend her time on the love seat in the library).

Reyna has been having a lot of bad days lately. She's started falling a lot and needs help getting into the truck every time now. She's shown a few other odd behaviors, but she still occasionally acts like her old self. She sees the vet this Friday for her annual exam, and the nice receptionist booked us some extra time to make sure we're not rushed.

Duncan's butt is still having difficulties. He's been back on his old kibble for more than a month with no significant change. His fecal exam came back negative for parasites, so the vet's still scratching his head over this one.

Kodiak is doing really nicely. He's gaining more confidence every day and I think he actually stands a chance of Q'ing at the upcoming rally trial. My Great German Chow finally has his official name: ReyDunc's Wiley Little Bear.

Here's how Kodiak likes to ride in the truck. Notice the nose sticking out the window behind him? That's how Reyna likes to ride...



Mary and I took Kodiak to Crowder Park for a Doggy Easter Egg Hunt on the 23rd. He wasn't the least bit interested in the kibble-filled eggs, but he did a great job of interacting with the other dogs and people. He even managed to relax enough to pose a few times.

The Direct Result Of Clean Sheets

Grab Bag

Duncan and I went to the Canine Carnival and Mutt Strut yesterday. The weather was pretty crappy, but we still had fun. We got to meet Steve and Laura, which was great. I really hope they met the dog who will become their newest family member. We also met a couple of dog trainers that we just might start working with. I certainly got along with them, and they didn’t even seem concerned by the thought of Reyna and all her alpha bitchiness.

We left the event a bit early to do a home visit for Gus. Our foster pup will be going to his new (and, I hope, permanent) home this coming Friday. I really like the folks and I think this will be a great place for Gus (soon to be Max).

After a miserable 30 days, Reyna is finally off the antibiotics. Her leg looks a lot better, and I really hope we don’t have to go through this again anytime soon. We went for a nice long walk this afternoon, and I didn’t even have to stop and think about when she’d had her meds, when she’d had her yogurt, or if it was too warm for her (not that a high temperature was a major concern today). She did a full 4.25 miles with no sign of trouble. She doesn’t have the speed she did, but I figure in a week or so we’ll be back to the speed and distances we were doing before.

Duncan’s got a Rally trial this weekend, so he gets to take it easy. No long walks for him – with my luck, his knee would start acting up and he’d be limping his way through the course. He will, of course, being doing a bit of training this week, but not so much that he gets grumpy about it.

We had a semi-failed experiment this week. Poor Parm (the cat who lives outside in the crate because of his Inappropriate Behavior) cries a lot. I’m sure its because he wants to come back inside, but I thought some of it might also be loneliness. I decided to put his sister, Per’la, in the crate with him to see if that made him feel better. Well, the pitiful meowing stopped, but the pissed off meowing started with a vengeance. Not only was Per’la upset about being in the crate, but Parm was mad, too. Turns out Per’la booted Parm out of the kitty condo, and he was stuck sitting on top of the condo or on the crate tray, neither of which are particularly warm. So, after trying that for a couple of days, I let Per’la come back inside. She’s much happier, and even Parm’s meowing has eased off. I guess he’s happy enough by himself.

Majority Rules

Due to a very generous gift from Mom and Ronnie, I’ve been given the option of turning on the air conditioning. My first thought was to not bother – after all, we’ve made it this long, what’s a few more weeks? However, I don’t run the house as a dictatorship (unless its necessary), so I polled the residents before making a decision. The final results were 6 to 2 for AC (although Duncan voted twice), with 2 abstaining and 1 unclear (not undecided, just unclear). Khar’pern and Per’la were against the AC – they both said they were perfectly fine as they were. Belle voted for the AC, but said it had to be done in moderation, as her bones get creaky if she gets too cold. Loki thought AC was the best idea he’d heard in months. Mikey said it was okay, as long as it didn’t interfere with his sunbeam. Duncan actually voted twice, but I decided to let that slide since he hasn’t been feeling well. Niko thought it would be fun to be cool again, although he was concerned that he’d molted too many feathers to adjust to the new temps. Parm actually voted to be allowed back in the house, but since that wasn’t on the ballot, his vote counts as an abstention. I didn’t vote since I’d have made an even number and might have caused a tie. Reyna…well, I don‘t know what Reyna wanted, because she just spun in circles and barked. By that point, though, we had an obvious majority vote for AC, so I decided it didn’t really matter what she thought. Before bed last night, I turned on the AC for the first time this year. It took all night and part of the morning to cool the house down to the programmed temperature. Now I just have to find a temperature that keeps us all cool but doesn’t leave me sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around me. One not-unexpected side effect of the AC is a significant spike in spinning and barking. Apparently, Reyna’s feeling really spiffy now that she doesn’t have to camp in front of the box fan…

Thanks again to Mom and Ronnie, from 5 cats, 2 dogs, 1 bird, and me!

More Updates

Yes, I know I usually do individual posts for different topics, but I haven’t been particularly motivated lately, so here’s another cluster update.

Onyx went to his new home this past Saturday. I have a good feeling about this family, and I’m sure he won’t be returned again. Of course, even if he is, he won’t be coming back here. Duncan is so happy Onyx is gone. I have to admit, I am, too. Its nice to not wake up at 5:15am every morning to the shrieking of an overly dramatic puppy. The house has been so calm and peaceful since he left…

Speaking of Duncan, he is getting steadily worse. I’m so glad he finally gets to see the ortho vet this coming Tuesday. Duncan is no longer standing properly most of the time, and his back end is sinking. He’s walking much lower on his hocks than he should be, and he’s walking lower today than he was even two weeks ago. Paws crossed that the ortho can figure out what the problem is, and that the solution is something that won’t cost a small fortune.

Still no news on the job front, which means still no A/C. The last couple of days have been really nice, but we had several days when Reyna and I were fighting over who got to sit in front of the box fan. Not fighting too hard, mind you, because it was much too hot for anything more than some halfhearted snarling.

In the Good News category, I’ll be getting a new roof later this summer. The insurance company did an inspection and determined that there’s been enough damage to warrant a complete replacement. And the best part is that insurance will pay for the whole thing. That should add some value to the house if I end up putting it on the market.

The last tidbit - Mikey and Per'la finally made up. I caught them cuddling and grooming each other a couple of days ago. Its good to have peace in the clowder.

Unless something particularly interesting happens between now and then, I’ll post a Duncan update Tuesday.

Fail

Well, we tried. I’d hoped that the time in the crates would show Parm and Per’la the error of their ways. And for a few brief, shining moments, I thought it had. Saturday night, though, I went into my bedroom and discovered that a Certain Someone had engaged in Unacceptable Behavior. ON MY BED. BESIDE. MY. PILLOW. Parm was hiding from me, most likely due to his guilty conscience. Today, I gave Parm one last chance and took him to the vet, just to rule out any type of health problem that might be causing the Unacceptable Behavior. His 18.5 lb butt is perfectly healthy. And so, after we came home, I relocated that butt to the catiary. Since I can’t keep him out of the house while letting the others come and go, Parm is once again residing in a dog crate. This time, though, he’ll be able to have feline company. Per’la is still allowed in the house, but that’s strictly dependent on me not finding any other messes. If I find any sign that she is engaging in the same Unacceptable Behavior, she’ll be sharing the crate with Parm. Forever.


On a side note, I put four perches in the catiary yesterday. Two in the front, one along the back wall (to encourage Loki to come out), and one on the side wall over the ramp. Khar’pern in particular likes the perches, and Mikey has used the two in the front. Mikey has also played with the toy I have hanging from one of the perches. It’s good to see the cats using the catiary.

Reintegration Is Hard

Yesterday, I moved Parm and Per’la from the dog crates to the catiary. It didn’t go quite as I expected. The other cats refused to enter the catiary, and when I put Khar’pern on the ground, she started hissing at Parm and Per’la. It took Per’la a few hours to figure out the ramp, and Parm didn’t make it into the bedroom until sometime during the night. No one else entered the catiary while they were in there. So far, I haven’t seen any signs of Inappropriate Behaviors, so maybe Parm and Per’la learned their lesson. If not, they’ll end up back in the dog crates. The odd thing is that the other cats all act like Parm and Per’la are total strangers. They’re all hissing and spitting at the other two. Even Mikey, who was practically dating Per’la, is hissing at them both. Now that Parm and Per’la are out of the catiary, the others have decided its acceptable to use again. Khar and Mikey are using it the most, although Mikey runs back into the house when he sees the pups. As far as I know, Belle hasn’t been in it since the first day, and Loki hasn’t been in it at all. With time, maybe. And perches.

Cats In The House

I'm pleased to announce that the cats started using the catiary today. Mikey was the first to venture out. And by "venture out" I mean that I picked him up, put him on the ramp, and pushed. He didn't seem too traumatized by the experience and spent a few minutes looking around. Naturally, I didn't have my camera handy, and by the time I made it back to the bedroom, he was headed inside.

Khar'pern was the second "volunteer." She was sitting on the windowsill, so I went into the catiary and assisted her to the ground. She wasn't too bothered by having Reyna's interest, but then, she is the most dog-tolerant of the clowder.


Belle's checking things out, and making sure she doesn't let me close enough to snag her.


This is as far as Loki has ventured. I'm a little concerned that he keeps looking to the side like he's going to make a leap for it, rather than go down the ramp.


Khar says she's not positive, but she thinks someone is watching her...


Both pups were really excited about having the cats outside. They absolutely love watching them - and occasionally trying to steal a lick through the screen.


Here's Belle on her first foray into the wild. Much like Mikey, she was assisted by a gentle nudge from Mom.


And of course, she found a way to walk around without getting her feet dirty.


Since Mikey was on the platform (and Belle hates to share space), Belle took an alternate route to the ramp.




Leave the exploring to Khar'pern and Mikey.




I've checked the catiary several times today, and the cats have been in there more often than not. I think they'll really get excited about it when the sun comes out and it warms up again.

Its Useable!

The catiary has finally reached the point where it can actually be used by the cats! John came over Saturday afternoon to put on the roof panels and help me with the chicken wire and screen that I couldn’t do alone (the back wall and the top layer). He also added the decorative strips to the door (I put chicken wire along the bottom half) and re-hung it. All of that took a lot more effort than it sounds.

I still have quite a bit to do, but nothing that would prevent the cats from using the space. I do realize that as long as I’m puttering around with the drill, they won’t go near it, the bums. I need to put the strips along the screen edges (and then paint them), do a few minor things inside and out, put carpet on the ramps and add perches. I started working on that yesterday afternoon, but the storm got in the way. Today’s weather wasn’t good for anything but curling up on the couch with a book and a dog. Hopefully tomorrow’s weather will be better. Especially since my roof has apparently developed a leak over my bathroom…

Here's John attaching the roof panels. John's developed a hate-hate relationship with my poor rosebush, which has done nothing but try to defend itself.


Reyna says she's happy with her new playhouse, and she appreciates all the work we've done on her behalf. Little does she know just how much entertainment this will provide...


John trimming the excess length off the roof panels. I realized after yesterday's storm that we should have left a few more inches on that side to help the rain drain off properly. John says he can fix that.

Poor John had to climb up on the roof in order to attached the back portions of chicken wire and screen. He was not a happy camper. I would like point out, though, that this picture was his idea.


Here is the catiary as of Sunday morning. I think the cats will really like it, once they realize the dogs can't get to them. And if they don't use it by choice, I'll dump them all in there and close the window.

Happy Mother's Day

Yes, I'm a bit late on this. And yes, some of this actually happened to me with cats before dogs, but the sentiment is true regardless of the species.

Before I Was A Dog Mom

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I made and ate hot meals without being watched every second.
I had unstained, unfurred clothes.
I had quiet conversations on the phone,
even if the doorbell rang.

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got to bed
or if I could get into my bed.

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I never stepped on or tripped over body parts.
I didn't know what a bully stick was and never touched an esophagus.

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I had never been peed on
Pooped on
Drooled on
Chewed on
Or pinched by puppy teeth.

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I slept all night without sharing
the covers or pillow.

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I never looked into big, soulful eyes and cried.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop a hurt.
I never knew something so furry and four-legged
could affect my heart so deeply.

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I had never held a sleeping puppy
just because I couldn't put it down.
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was well.
I didn't know how warm it feels inside
to feed a hungry puppy.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Dog Mom:
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being
A Dog Mom

Author Unknown

Bright White

So, the painting has actually been done for a couple of days; I've just not gotten around to posting. I got the first coat on Sunday, second coat Monday, and finished up the storm door yesterday.


Next on the list is the chicken wire and some adjustments to the roof. Then the screen and the roof, the ramp, and a few other odds and ends. With luck, the cats will be able to use this in a couple of weeks, depending on John's schedule and his Honey Do list from Michele.

Getting Closer

This past Wednesday, John came over to trim the catiary posts and build the roof frame. Once again, we worked until after dark. Yes, there is a slight gap on the right, but that is to slope the roof and cause the rain to run off to the left.




Yesterday morning, John and I went to a landscape supply company and got 2 cubic yards of topsoil. Mary came over mid-morning to crop, so I didn’t start moving dirt until about 7:45pm - please note thats “I” not “we” – John wasn’t here. And speaking of John...he bet that I wouldn't have the dirt moved before 7:00pm tonight. Silly man. I had all of the necessary dirt moved by 9:00pm last night.



This morning, after a 5:15am wake up shriek from Tiger, I leveled out the dirt in the catiary to make sure I’d moved enough. I also filled in some gaps along the sides. There’s still some dirt left, and I’ll most likely use that to build the ground up a little more around the catiary. However, that’s not something I need to get done in order to move forward with construction.


Today, if the weather holds and it doesn’t rain, I’m going to paint the frame. Fingers crossed I’ll have pictures of that tonight…

The Catiary In Progress

Construction for the catiary (cat aviary, or Janine's Cat House, as John calls it) is finally underway. John and I worked on it over the weekend, and we've made pretty good progress. Before the pups and I went out of town, this is what the back of the house looked like. There used to be a rosebush between the two bedroom windows, but I moved that to a different location to get it out of the way.


While we were gone, John built the support box that fits around the bedroom window. This will help protect the bedroom from bad weather, as well as give the cats a wider landing for going in and out. The box is attached to the house, so its nice and sturdy.


Saturday, we got started with the boring part (although I'm not totally clear when we'll start the exciting part). We used blocks to provide a level base for the frame. John is checking the level of the string between corners before we start digging.


Reyna's not real sure what John is doing, but she knows that what he SHOULD be doing is throwing her ball.


And just to prove that John didn't do all of the work by himself...


Finally, the blocks are all set, giving us an 8x8 space that the cats will soon be able to enjoy.


John digs the holes for the corner posts. Boy, was he annoyed to find out that the house foundation extends quite a ways beyond the house.


Since it was well after dark by the time we set the corner posts, I waited until Sunday to take this picture.


Sunday afternoon, we were back to work. John got a lot of use out of his saw, and my little wheelbarrow bucket made a handy sawhorse.


Again, we didn't stop until well after dark, so these pictures were taken Monday morning.


Yes, the screen door is attached, even though there's no screen yet. But we needed it up to finish the frame.


John will be back over soon to trim the extra length off the corner posts and build the roof frame. I need to get some fill dirt, paint the frame, and attach the chicken wire (to keep the dogs out and the cats in) and screen. We have to build the ramp and I think there are still a few other minor things to be done. I also have to decide how much of a roof I want to have to provide shelter for the cats. If the weather holds, we might actually be able to have it cat ready within a couple of weeks.

Tipping The Scales

People who knew me BD (Before Dogs) always knew I was a cat person and were generally shocked when I invited a puppy to live with us. I’m sure most folks assumed I would eventually become The Crazy Cat Lady (which hasn’t been completely ruled out). People who met me AD (After Dogs) always knew I was a dog person and were generally surprised to find out I have any cats, never mind 6 of them. I’ve always considered myself more of an equal opportunity pet owner, never really preferring one species over the other. I realize that I spend the majority of my time doing stuff with the pups – which could make it seem that I prefer them – but a lot of that is due to the fact that its easier to actually DO stuff with dogs. I really don’t think the cats would be interested in musical freestyle and I know they don’t care at all if someone gets lost as long as they have their dinner. Mikey might enjoy herding ducks, but I think he’d spend more time stalking than herding. Of course, considering how often Duncan tries to take a little taste of sheep… But I digress.

I’ve always encouraged the cats to come out to the living room and socialize. When Reyna’s home, though, they generally have no interest in that. With Reyna gone to PT a lot, Belle has become much braver and will usually come out and visit. As long as Duncan doesn’t do anything so rude and inconsiderate as get up or move around, that is.


The other day, Reyna was gone and Belle came out for some lovin’. I was surprised to realize just how annoying it is to have a cat insert herself in everything I was trying to do. I don’t know if it just never bothered me BD, or if I just accepted that That’s How Life Is. Either way, its really aggravating now. The pups certainly don’t get on the counter and walk on the scanner or step on the keyboard. And when I sat down for lunch, it just got worse. If the pups beg at all, they do it very politely (Reyna gently places her paw on my knee, while Duncan simply looks the other way). Belle didn’t beg so much as she demanded. Mostly by sticking a claw in the wrist of the hand holding the fork, or trying to put her face in my plate. And then she had the nerve to be offended when I shoved her off the couch. I realize that the pups do things that are annoying, too. But hey, That’s How Life Is – again. If the cats came out more often, I’d probably find myself becoming more tolerant of the things they do.

Except for this.

Recently, certain cats began engaging in Unacceptable Behaviors. I’m not 100% positive as to who is doing it, but I’m fairly sure. One cat is engaging in a Disliked Yet Tolerable Behavior, and that doesn’t bother me too much. But at least two of them (although, thank goodness not all six) are doing those obnoxious Unacceptable Behaviors. And no, these cats are not in ill health. I’ll admit that my love for them is becoming somewhat conditional and I’m the closest I’ve ever been to de-homing an animal. I remember when, many moons ago, Reyna engaged in a similar Unacceptable Behavior. Installing a dog door helped with that, as did a bit of behavior correction. I am currently in the process of installing (with much help from John) a similar cat door. A regular cat door, of course, would not lead to a cat-safe area, which is a concern despite Mikey’s blatant disregard of this particular problem. So, we’re going to make a cat-safe zone (more on this as things progress). I don’t really believe it will solve the problem, but it will give me a confined area in which to lock those certain cats. They may not be happy about that, but they’ll be happier with that than with being dumped in a shelter or taking up residence under the tree in the back yard.

Ha! I Win!

I’ve finally beaten the cats at their own game. Well, one of their games, anyway. For a very long time, they would pull my bath towel off the towel rack almost every day. I’d come home from work to find a still-damp towel crumpled up on the bathroom floor and covered in cat hair. Since I really don’t enjoy spreading cat hairs on my wet body, I tried a variety of ways to stop them, from using different towel racks, to folding the towel in different ways (which usually resulted in a still-damp towel with no cat hair), to putting things on top of the towel to make it harder to pull down. Nothing worked for more than a day or so. Two weeks ago, I finally thought of something that actually does work. So far, anyway. I use a clothes hanger with clips (generally used for skirts) and clip it to one long side of the towel. I hang the towel lengthwise across the rack, and then hook the hanger to the rack underneath the towel. I don’t know if its too hard for them to pull the towel down now, or if the hanger makes a noise when they pull that startles them away. I can tell they’ve tried, because a few times I’ve come home to find one end of the towel off the rack (but not on the floor). My towel has been cat hair free since I started using the hanger. Its so nice. I just have to remember to unhook the hanger before I pull the towel off the rack, but that’s a small price to pay. I may be a bad parent, but I get a gleeful – and rather smug – feeling every time I walk into the bathroom and see that they’ve tried and failed to pull the towel to the floor.

General Health Update

Best news – the clowder is healthy again. No sneezing cats with goopy eyes. Always a plus.

Good news – the prednisone helped my back enough that I’m going to hold off on the epidural for a while longer. Its not great, but its tolerable, and I can live with that.

Not good news – Reyna limped the entire weekend, with varying degrees of severity. I’ve left a message at the vet school, so hopefully I’ll hear from someone soon.

And Spreads…

Belle, Loki and Mikey are all over their respective colds, thank goodness. But now Parm and Per’la both have it. Parm’s record is a 17-sneeze fit. Pretty impressive, really. Khar seems to have missed out on the bug so far. If we’re really lucky, this will end with one cycle through the clowder, and not keep hitting the cats over and over.


And speaking of sickness, Duncan has been sick this weekend in a different and much more unpleasant way. I’m hoping its just the heat making him feel icky and he’ll get better as it cools down a bit next week.