From One Cat Lady To Another

My feline herd was complete! at least so I thought…
I was at work minding my own business, but little to my knowledge there was someone plotting against me. We will call her “Sweet Al”. You see Sweet Al’s coworker’s daughter had found a stray kitten on the side of the road a few days prior. Sweet Al’s coworker just so happened to be a fellow Crazy Cat Lady (CCL) and already had eight cats of her own and couldn’t see taking in one more. So…Sweet Al told CCL to bring the kitten to work and I would take it home (she’s so sweet). I of course didn’t learn of this plot until it was way too late.
So there I was busy as a bee at my desk when Sweet Al and CCL approached me with a box. From the box they extracted a very petite and quite frankly goofy looking little black kitten. She had polydactyl front paws and she instantly clasped onto me. I didn’t have a chance in hell. She was coming home with me. Sweet Al knows me all too well.

Meet: Karma Karate Toes

Alias;
Ninja Ninja
Ninja Butt
Karma Karma Chameleon

Just look at that lil gremlin...

She did eventually grow into her ears...

She is the littlest ninja of them all... (that's her on the left next to Didymus)

and the stealthiest.... What she lacks in size she makes up for in wits and agility.

Her paws resemble boxing gloves and it never ceases to make me chuckle.

I have a feeling this little ninja has something to do with the dead mice and birds left as “presents” in the house, particularly my closet.

Her hobbies consist of refining her ninja skills (she can make it up the ladder to the garage roof in one swift maneuver).

Playing with Barbie…


and taking plastic bag inventory-regularly…

The Cat Lady Expands Her Horizons

I am a general lover of animals and I felt it was time to expand my horizons. I was ready for a puppy!

I searched online and found an “Urgent” need adoption listing for a cute lil pup. For two weeks I tried to contact the person in charge of this puppy that so urgently needed a home. I received responses that were very vague and frustratingly far apart, only to learn that the puppy I had my heart set on had found the “appropriate” family. I felt very disappointed as I didn’t even get the chance to prove that I could be that family!
I had nearly given up after being strung along for so long until one day I was perusing Craigs List and came across a rather interesting post. A woman…we will call her Large Marge, had adopted a puppy from a shelter but when she discovered it was not a pure bred lab she had no interest in keeping her. How sad. The post gave no indication that the puppy was up for adoption, she was more just venting her frustration towards the innocent little pup that was not what she had bargained for. On a whim I emailed her offering to take the puppy off of her hands.
Large Marge was an odd one from the get go, asking a rather high price for the supposed unwanted furball (even higher than what she had paid for her). I told her my price range was quite a bit lower and resigned myself to the thought that it wasn’t meant to be.
Not too long after I had started on my way home I received a call saying that my price would suffice and she just wanted the puppy gone.
I quickly made a U turn and headed for puppy!
When I pulled up I could hear a large dog barking endlessly-I got nervous, I know how puppies can pick up bad habits very fast.
I took a deep breath and approached the door…I knocked…
Before I could even introduce myself I had a puppy hastily thrust into my arms and an impatient hand waiting for money swaggering at me.
My mind was racing, something wasn’t quite right here, what was going on? But my instincts told me to just go, and that’s what I did. I handed her the money and I was quickly escorted out.

Meet: Vegas

Alias;
Vega-doo
Puppy Cuteness Butt
Pupper-Doo
Kitty Kitty
Stinky Stinky Poo Poo
Dingo
Naughty Naughty No No

Oh the overwhelming puppy cuteness...

Originally named Vega after Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction. I found Vegas rolled off the tongue better and got a more efficient response.
She has blossomed into an absolutely amazing pup. Gentle, sweet, and mild mannered.

The perfect size, big enough to be a “real” dog, yet small enough to transport and control easily (even pick up if it’s a must).
She loves car rides and thank goodness since she makes the long trek to and from work with me every day. She only whines when I turn the heat up to high for her comfort.

At work she is able to stay on Doggie Row where she gets oodles of exercise and interaction with other dogs. This makes for a nice calm ride home.

She is the perfect mix of energy...

and lazy bum bum...

and sometimes I just wonder if she knows she’s not a cat…

Speaking of mix…
Large Marge had told me that her vet had told her that Vegas was a Schipperke.
As she grew up and matured I had my doubts that she was any one breed. Everyone who looked at her made a different guess at what she was. The curiosity ended up getting the best of me and I ordered her a DNA testing kit…and what any red blooded American would do…took bets!
I received all sorts of wacky and interesting guesses (perhaps I will have to post them one day). But it was hard to say whether there was a winner or not…the results were rather vague to say the least. In fact so inconclusive that a rep had to call me to try and explain it to me. One of her first questions was “What color is your dog?”. When I told her black with a small white blaze I heard an exasperated sigh on the other end and a faint “oh no”.
She proceeded to explain that they affectionately refer to her type as “The Black Dog With White Blaze Breed”. The example she used was if you were to go into a Home Depot and take one drop of every color paint (breed) available and mix it together you would end up with a black dog with a white blaze, a Super Mutt if you will.
The only two breeds that came up on the test were a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Saint Bernard. They were obviously only very small traces waaaaaay back in her lineage with no actual relevance. Mystery solved (kind of). I love my Super Mutt!


Being the cat snob that I am I always told myself the dog would NOT be aloud on the furniture… NEVER on my highly prized $8 couch...

and NEVER on the bed!!! She is actually a really good snuggler.

Her hobbies include stealing firewood and turning it into woodchips...

training to be a cat... (Why can't I fit through here like you do!?!)

and attempting to ambush that damn squirrel that taunts her from the vine maple in the corner of the yard. She also enjoys splashing in her pool when the sun decides to show itself.

Once You Go Black, You Never Go Back

I honestly don’t know where I came up with the feather brained idea that I needed chickens. I don’t even care for eggs, or any breakfast foods for that matter. Or as I am more famously known for my quote of “I’m not a big fan of breakfast.”
I think it came about during my research for a self-sufficient life style which is my ultimate goal. It seemed that chickens were the ultimate starter livestock, and also fitting for a small scale plot such as mine.
There are plenty of local feed and livestock stores round these parts, but none of which had what I was looking for. I needed something special, something…dark. After all I wouldn’t want my flock to feel out of place here.

Meet: The Chickerdoos

The two laying hens/Australorps
Thing One & Thing Two

The Silkie Bantams
The Oompa Loompas

The Silkie Rooster
Cockerdoo

The Runner Duck
Padme
(She doesn't have very good posture for a runner duck...)

Here is Padme in her personal "pond".

She still doesn't understand why she is the only one to go for a swim.

They are a rather entertaining flock. I always joke that the silkies are like insane asylum patients, they never really seem to know what’s going on as they bobble around the yard.

Here they are having a dust bath party in one of my garden beds. Pile o' feathers!