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.

Sheepies!

Yesterday morning, Duncan and I headed off to Pittsboro for some quality sheep time. We worked on tending, as that lets Duncan decide how much he needs to move, and how fast. It also allows him to sit and rest when he feels like it. Duncan did a lovely job of tending the flock. He would check in with me, but he was obviously watching the sheep, as well. He did lose a couple in the woods, but I think that was due more to him moving slowly rather than poor tending. Duncan was a little hesitant when we were fetching the sheep out of the woods, but that was clearly because he couldn’t find easy paths around them. He had to push his way through some brush, and that’s just not something he likes to do.

Duncan seems to be having more trouble moving as days pass. He’s much better on a soft surface than on the road, no question about that. But if he moves for several minutes, even on grass, he gets a hitch in his gait. Poor boy. The very tentative diagnosis from two surgeons and a PT, based on the video taken by my neighbor Wednesday, is ACL tears in both knees. Our vet isn’t convinced about that, because he didn’t feel the usual ACL tear indications. He did say that it could be partial tears or a chronic injury. John came over Thursday, and while he was here we took another video of Duncan moving. This one was much clearer and zoomed in on Duncan, so I think the vets will be able to get more information from it.

Why I Like My Vet

After Friday’s appointment with the new vet, I emailed our old vet with my concerns and a copy of Duncan’s spine x-ray. We talked back and forth for a couple of days and decided it would be more productive if the vet could actually see Duncan and do a physical exam. This morning, we trotted off to Durham.

The vet found the offending vertebra with no trouble and noticed that Duncan didn’t seem too concerned about being poked and prodded. He also checked Duncan’s hips, knees and ankles. Duncan has good extension and flexion and solid muscle. Unfortunately, he also has a stiff right ankle and a popping right knee. The vet said it feels and sounds like a meniscus click (which is bad), but Duncan doesn’t seem bothered by that, either (which is good). We took Duncan outside for a road test, and the vet commented that Duncan is consistently dropping his right hip and his general swishiness seems worse than before. The vet thinks its possible that Duncan’s protruding vertebra is a result of Duncan shifting his weight forward to compensate for a problem with his leg. The current plan is for me to take some video of Duncan walking and trotting and send that to the vet. He’s going to then send it to a couple of ortho/rehab vets to get their take on Duncan’s gait. At this point, there doesn’t seem to be a huge issue, but its definitely better to find this early rather than late. This gives us more time to fix it before it does become a major problem. Until this is resolved, Duncan isn’t allowed to do any carting, but he is still allowed to herd sheep.

See, this is why I really like my old vet. He doesn’t just look at the current concern – he actually looks for the underlying cause. And with our 6 years of history, I trust him if he says there’s a problem (or a potential problem). I also trust him to tell me if I’m just being an over-protective worry-wart (he’s done that before). He never pushes for a test or procedure that he doesn’t truly think is necessary, and he’s willing to look at multiple solutions. Despite the drive, I’m going to transfer the dogs records to his new facility and stick with him rather than try to find a new vet. We’ve also worked out how to handle Reyna’s monthly meds, so that’s no longer a problem.

Now I just have to find someone to work the video camera....

Catiary

We’re definitely making progress. Sunday, John came over to work on the roof. As usual, we were outside until well past my bedtime. John made some structural changes to the roof frame and cut the roof sheets. He also built the ramp and a platform/box where the cats can rest and I can put food and water bowls. Of course, all of this meant more painting for me. I got the first coat done Monday morning, and then second coat done this morning. This afternoon, I got the roof screened, which means John can come back over and attach the panels. I also got part of the first section of chicken wire attached before I got tired. So, after the roof, the chicken wire, and the screen, the cats can start using the catiary. I’ll still have a few things to do after that (perches, carpet on the ramp, trim boards), but nothing that would prevent the use of the space.

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

Not 100% Satisfied

Last night, Duncan was resting on the couch, taking a quick nap before bed. I started petting his back, and I discovered a hard lump on his spine. I could feel it very easily while he was on the couch, but it wasn’t as noticeable when he was standing. I could also feel it easily when he was lying on the floor with his back straight. Now that I know where I’m looking, of course, I can feel it with no trouble at all. This morning I called our vet and got the first available appointment.

The vet took an x-ray of Duncan’s spine, with the focus on the specific area of the lump. She said the x-ray looked clean, with no bony growths on the vertebrae and nice spacing between the discs. The problem is that one vertebra is actually much higher than all the rest and that protuberance is what I felt. According to the vet, this isn’t really a problem, just a bit odd. And that’s great, except that she had no explanation for A) how this was missed for so long, assuming its always been this way (never mind the regular exams, this certainly wasn’t the first time in nearly 5 years that I’ve rubbed Duncan’s back while he was resting) or B) what might have caused this to suddenly occur. She mentioned the possibility of a shift in the muscle mass along his spine due to atrophy, but if anything he’s become more muscular over the last several months, not less.

So, its good that it doesn’t appear to be a problem, although the vet did suggest I keep an eye on it and call them if it starts to feel different. But I’m concerned about why the vertebra is like this. I think I’ll send an email to our old vet and see if he has any theories about this. And yes, I realize that I’m a worrier. I can’t help it – its just what I do.

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.

Puppies!

Saturday, we acquired two new (temporary) family members. Best Friend Pet Adoption (BFPA) recently rescued Gemma, who happened to be pregnant with 11 puppies. Since I have some free time on my hands these days, I offered to foster two of the puppies until they’re adopted (or until I get a job and start working ridiculous hours again). These are the two that were assigned to me.

Tiger

Onyx

Sleeping puppies are good puppies.

Just to give you a frame of reference, here are Duncan and Onyx together.

The puppies will be 8 weeks old Tuesday and they each weigh about 10 pounds, which means Reyna, Duncan and I are all having to be very careful and watch where we step. They’re settling in pretty well, although Onyx seems to be tolerating the big dogs better than Tiger. Onyx and Reyna actually spent several minutes chasing each other around the yard this afternoon (and me without my video camera). Tiger has a bit of a temper, though – he pitched a fit Sunday morning when I wouldn’t let him eat out of Onyx’s bowl, and he ended up skipping his breakfast because he was too mad to eat. Oh, well. He figured out by dinner time that you eat when food is offered, because it doesn’t sit around very long.

The puppies also pitched absolute fits Saturday and Sunday afternoon/evening when I put them in the x-pen in the yard. They did NOT like being locked in and let everyone know at the top of their lungs. It was funny, in an annoying way, because they would shriek for several minutes and then fall asleep almost instantly. Wake up, shriek, fall asleep. Over and over. Loudly. They did some shrieking Saturday when I put them in their crate for the night, but Sunday night they went in with barely a whimper. Thankfully, they’re sleeping through the night – and if they aren’t, they’re not crying loudly enough to wake me up. Either way is fine with me.

Happy Birthday!

Mirabelle turned 13 this past Friday. I came home on her big day, so thats one less thing for her to be mad about. Its amazing to realize just how long she's been part of my life. Happy birthday, Baby Girl!

Happy Belated Birthday!

Khar’pern, Parm and Per’la turned 5 years old while I was out of town. I don't think Khar holds my absence against me, although I think its just one more item on Parm and Per'la's Reasons Why We Hate Mom (being banished to the dog crates being the first item, of course). Oh, well. Happy birthday, Kittens!

Home!

The pups and I have been out of town since Wednesday, April 14, visiting family in the western part of the state. We finally got back home at about 3:45 this afternoon. All three of us are thrilled to be back in our own space. The cats even seem happy to see me - well, the ones living in the house and not the crates do, anyway. I've got lots of blogging to catch up on, and I'll get started on that tomorrow. Tonight is for unpacking and resting.

Hours Of Entertainment

When Reyna came home from boarding at VetHab over the weekend, she discovered Parm and Per’la in the crates on the back porch. She spent almost an hour watching them, walking around the crates, and trying to paw her way inside. She repeated the process several times throughout the evening, and again this morning. Parm and Per’la don’t seem particularly impressed by her intense interest in them. I’m not worried about it, because I know she can’t get in there. And hey, its something to occupy her brain and her time so she’s not spinning and barking in the living room.



Speaking of entertainment, I took this short video last Wednesday...

Herding Seminar

Duncan and I attended at tending (boundary style herding) seminar in Conover, NC, this weekend. I’m not going to go into any detail about it, partly because just thinking about it makes me mad, and partly because I don’t think my writing skills can do justice to how pissed off I was for the majority of the time.

The really short version is that the instructor informed me that Duncan can’t herd sheep. That surprised me a bit, since he’s been herding sheep fairly successfully for some time now. She also essentially told me I was lying when I told her what Duncan does on a regular basis at Claire’s.

On the upside, I found a few things that we need to work on that weren’t as noticeable on our home turf (so to speak). I also learned that I’ll never enter a trial where this particular person is judging.

I thought Duncan did a wonderful job, especially when faced with a brand new layout in an unfamiliar setting, multiple strangers yelling and waving sticks at him, and an instructor who clearly has no idea what sorts of things should and should not be done when training dogs.

Duncan was such a trooper through the whole weekend. The ride to Conover wore him out. Here he is testing out the king bed Friday evening.



Here he's moving his flock up the graze. The woman in the dark blue shirt is the instructor. She's clapping because Duncan has somehow overcome his innate inability to herd sheep and managed to make them go somewhere. Did I mention I don't like her? Oh, and those two adorable brown lambs are only two weeks old. So cute!


Duncan's watching the flock, making sure they don't do anything he needs to fix.


Moving the flock back down the graze.


Duncan's watching a terrified lamb run back to its mother. According to the instructor, he needs to see each sheep as an individual so that he can see the flock. Or some such thing like that.


By Sunday night, we were both exhausted. Duncan said he definitely approved of the very comfortable bed.


So, was it a valuable experience? Yes (but not necessarily in a good way). Was it worth the money? No. Did I manage to convince total strangers that I’m a complete bitch and you don’t screw with my dog? Yes, and very successfully, I might add.

Cookies!

The pups needed a bag of kibble, so Reyna and I stopped at Gourmutt's on the way home from VetHab. While there, I decided to get them a special treat in honor of Reyna graduating from physical therapy. I figured Reyna would really enjoy this one: two layers of peanut butter cookie with yogurt in the middle.


And then I spotted this one, and just had to get it for Duncan. Its a peanut butter cookie with yogurt and carob icing. How perfect for him is this sheep cookie?

Huzzah!

Its official – Reyna has graduated from physical therapy! She still has exercises to do, of course, and a few restrictions until her check-up in mid-May (no chasing her basketball yet), but she no longer has to go to VetHab for therapy. She’s gained quite a bit of muscle mass in her hips and has increased her range of motion considerably. She’s also at a much healthier weight than she was before she started PT and she so obviously feels significantly better. I’m extremely pleased with how well she’s doing, and the rehab was definitely worth it, but I’m also very happy that I don’t have to pay for three sessions a week any longer.

Here’s Reyna with her rehab team, Ali, Corey and Jessica. She really likes all three of them, and I know that made her therapy a lot easier (for everyone).

Lessons Learned

1 – Sleeping on my stomach is bad, because it forces my left foot to stay extended, which my foot apparently does not like.

2 – My left foot also does not like me using it for several hours. I may actually have to consider going to the doctor about whatever it was I did to it last Monday.

3 – Sunscreen is at least as important as bug spray on a sunny day, if not more so.

Grumpy Test Subjects

You know, these may be called dog crates, but it doesn’t mean you can’t put something else in them.

I hooked the two crates together with zip ties, put in some towels, a small kitty condo, food, water, and a litter box, and turned them into Parm and Per’la’s new home. And boy, are they mad.

Per'la is hiding in the far left corner of the crates in this picture, and thats Parm in the right front.


And here Per'la's decided that the kitty condo is the safest place to be.


I’m testing my theory that Parm and Per’la are the only two cats engaging in the Unacceptable Behaviors. Parm has confirmed his part in the nastiness multiple times, including today. The only reason I caught him as easily as I did was because I startled him while he was Behaving Unacceptably on my bedroom floor. If, over the weekend, everyone still inside the house behaves as they should, then I’ll call my experiment a success. I don’t know yet what that means for Parm and Per’la’s future living arrangements, but we’ll figure that out later.

Uneven

The ankles are progressing. My right ankle hasn't hurt for a couple of days and is down to just a minimal amount of swelling. Still no idea what caused all of that. My left ankle is still being a bit difficult. The swelling is gone except for an area on the top of my foot, and I have a very large bruise on the front of the ankle (right where the joint bends). Its finally quit hurting constantly, but it still tweaks if I'm on my feet too long. My guess is that I pulled a tendon, because its not my ankle that hurts, rather its across the top of the foot and up the front of my leg. As long as its better by the weekend...

It's Official

Spring is definitely here. I know the calendar and the weather have indicated that for a while (although at times it seems that the weather has shot straight past Spring and into Summer), but I use a different method to determine Spring. Its called The GSD. Specifically, Reyna. She started blowing her coat this week, which means Spring is here. Duncan is unreliable for this, as he has typically preferred to blow in August (no idea why). He is shedding a little more than usual, so maybe he'll get on Reyna's schedule this year. Soon the yard will be covered in masses of brown and black fur. I'm sure the birds will be happy to hear Reyna is blowing, as she usually generates enough loose fur for all the birds in the tri-county area.

Even

So, I meant the title of my last post in the sense of "unusual" not "off balance." But apparently something out there decided that my "Odd" needed to be evened up. And so it is.

At the kennel this morning, I managed to step very wrong and wrenched my left ankle and foot. I put some ice on it, but that didn't seem to improve things much. Now that I'm home and my shoe is off, its starting to swell a bit. I'll take some anti-inflammatories, prop it up, and ice it throughout the day. I'm still scheduled to work the kennel this evening, but that may not happen. And tomorrow morning's shift is still a toss-up, depending on how today goes.

Oh, and interestingly enough, my right ankle no longer hurts - its just fat. I can live with swollen and no pain.

Odd

Just before bed last night, I discovered that my right ankle was swollen. It didn't hurt or itch (like a swollen bug bite), so I wasn't even sure I was seeing it right. I did a quick comparison with my left ankle, and yep, the right ankle was swollen. Since it wasn't sore, though, I went to bed not too concerned.

This morning is a bit of a different story. My ankle is still swollen, and now its also painful. I don't remember doing anything to it yesterday, like stepping funny or falling down, but it definitely hurts. I have a 3 hour shift at the kennel this morning and another 3 hours this evening (I really hate split shifts), and I'll be on my feet and running the whole time. I hope that doesn't make it worse. I really wish I knew what happened to it....