Back from vacation and nobody needed me.....

Your lifestyle sounds ideal to me, Podster - and good for you for having the courage to jump in and do what you want.

I lived in Seattle all of my life and finally got so worn out with all the politics of big business, the noise, the lack of yard and neighbors right on top of us (well, right next to us), etc., that moving here has been sheer Heaven. I'm not familiar with the suit in Spring, TX. We do have a homeowners association here in our Honeymoon Lake community, but it's not the type of association that is a problem. Most of the people are retired, or near it, and everyone I know loves animals! And we are rural which sure helps!

Oh! I wnat to show my babies! Here's one of them (I have 3), "Mr. Dominic" sitting in the horse "drive up window".

Wonderful!!! Another wonderful kitty - what unusual coloring . . . love it!

Do we get to see the other two?

Tiger is on the counter....trouble maker

And here's my sweet little Dixie...

Dixie and Dominic look alike but they are not related. Dominic moved in with us when I married my husband and they came from Ohio. Dixie has been my baby for the last 10 years. Dominic is big and fat. Dixie is petite and sweet. Not true really. Dixie is the Hunter, Dominic is afraid of a cricket. Dixie doe the hunting and Tiger eats the dinner.

They are all wonderful - and your descriptions make me laugh!!! Tiger looks much like my Jake whom I lost last year. I think yellow/orange tabbies are fabulous!

This is my fearless baby, Friday (about a year old). She jumps to this ledge from the kitty tree. The kitty tree is 7.5 feet high so I'd guess she is at about 10 - 10.5 feet up. The older two wouldn't dream of doing this!

And this is my darling Bigfoot (aka Prints) - he looks so strong and sure, but he is an absolute wuss who suffers from allergies/sinus infections. He's the sweetest ever.

And last but not least, this is Margie who looks a bit evil in this pic, but is the cuddliest most grateful cat I've ever had. She also would prefer to be an only child, but is adapting (seeing as she came last, she had no choice - lol!)

Murmur.....they're very purrrrrrrrr dy kitties. I don't know what I would do without my babies. Tiger is trying to step on the keyboard as I type and Dixie is trying to get in my lap. Socks, my big ole' dog is under foot. Demi (Dominic for short) is in the living room playing with every stuffed animal and slipper he has been able to drag out of my daughters room. Every morning there must be 10 - 12 out there. I think that's his way of hunting...without anything biting back. Did I mention that Tiger and Dominic are lovers? Yup! Oh well, we love them anyway. They terrorize poor Dixie. But she snuggles with us every night so she gets lots of attention.

And they bring Kristi dead rats and squirrels!! LOL (sort of....)
All of your kitties are beautiful, really beautiful!
Podster, we haven't high jacked this thread if you're still in on the conversation, have we?
CJ

They really do!!!!

Podster, I'm w/Ceejay....hope we haven't taken over. I'm sorry and glad that your plants didn't miss you when you were gone. Just means they were well taken care of before you left :)

OH, Podster, I hope we haven't hijacked it!! Such a natural train of thought to go from who did or didn't miss us to just plain bragging about our babies!!

Ok, one more. Here's my really big baby. Rachel used to have a pony at the barn next to us and this was one of the barn dogs. She followed us home and I can't tell you how many times I drove her back over there only to find her waiting in my driveway before I could get back. She completely adopted us. We spoke to the owner and she is now ours. My husband built her the most awesome dog house (with a 30 year roof) but within 6 months, and many baths, she weazled her way into the house. She goes EVERYWHERE with us. To school in the morning, on our vacations...you name it. I have to take her for a drive most every day and a walk late at night. She's great with people and kids but really aggressive with other dogs.

I immediately went, "awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww." What gentle, sweet eyes and what a wonderful story of how she adopted you - gave you literally no choice whatsoever. Wouldn't you just love to know how their minds (or hearts!) work??

I think her heart works like this.....

"I love you and I think I'm a chihuahua. Can I please sit in your lap? (and she does). I see your keys in hand, where are you going? Can I come? (and she does). Dad just left for work, I'm going to jump in bed and snuggle you, ok? (and she does). You're going to the bathroom? Ok, I'll just wait outside the door. Whatcha' cooking tonight - TBones? I sure hope so. Rachel has friends over? I'm going to hang with the girls....maybe they'll paint my nails. Who's playing basketball? Don't leave me out!"

Rachel had her birthday party at Bath Junkie and just guess who she made specialty soap and spray for? The dog! (Special doggie soaps of course....sandalwood and leather)

She's so funny but so obedient as well. We never have to scold her for anything. She goes in and out the cat door when she needs to potty. And talk about a guard dog! She scares the poor meter reader half to death. Simply because he's a stranger. Everyone else, she is wonderful with. She let's the little ones ride her like a horse. And you should see the relationship she has with the cats! She and Tiger are buds. They snuggle. She's all mutt, but all heart. The best dog I ever had. Do you know that she has taught herself how to roll the windows down in the back seat? Pretty cool.

Really sad story. The original owner of the barn said someone had just dumped her there, half dead. She had obviously been used as a fighting dog and was seriously abused. But she nursed her to back to health and although, she hated departing with her as a trusted barn dog, she also knew that the dog was very attached to my daughter and agreed to allow us to keep her. She still has many scars on her face and head from her fighting days. She has a very happy life now.

What a wonderful, wonderful story - and I laughed outloud at your description of how she thinks. You could write a children's story - you write well and the subject matter would steal any heart!!!

I'm so glad she found you and that you are giving her the life she now has and deserves. Sniff sniff

That's very kind of you. We're just great big ole' animal lovers here. Once the cat's meet their natural demise and my daughter is older we both want to take the wildlife rehabilitation classes and become licensed. Could never do such a thing with the cats...they're simply too curious and carnivorous. We have an abundunce of wildlife here and are frequently finding wounded animals. My mother has actually nursed to full maturity 9 baby possums whose mother was accidentally run over by my brother. We're talking 1" possums that were still attached to the mom's teets. She had to feed them with the teeniest dropper every 2 hours for weeks and every single one of them survived. I know folks are scared of them when they get big but when they're about 4" long and hang from your fingers by the tail...well, it's just too cute. And my sister has a prairie dog named Timmy for a pet. He gives kisses and drinks iced tea. He'll roll over on his back so you can scratch his belly and then snuggle in your neck for a nap. But boy is he destructive. He'll chew anything in sight. He must be caged when not being loved.

Oh, I'm staying up too late. I had a nap this afternoon which has disrupted my already late nights. And I can talk, and talk, and talk.

Morning & Happy 4th... Don't worry about hijacking a thread, I only had to go to bed...am more of a morning person.
Kristi Your kitty collection is delightful. Tiger is rotten as most orange cats are. They are my favorite color. The picture is our current orange cat, Pookie May. My husband had an orange male when I met him and we have never been without an orange cat. Fortunately (or unfortunately) he has the cat gene too. I forbid my cats to be counter cats. I knew they would do it when I wasn't around but they wouldn't let me catch them. A vet suggested that when I give them medicine or flea stuff, put them up on the counter. It is easier for me and they associate the counter with "bad news". Seems to have worked.
Murmur, Bigfoot is the most absolute gorgeous Cat! His mane is magnificent. I would catnap him but his allergies would kill him in our area.
Wanted to reach out and scratch all of the critters.

You guys get me in trouble. I access our bank accts online. I get distracted here and they cut me off there. Oh well, this is more important.
We have (not officially) rehabbed many squirrels. This is common as we are in a logging area. Many folks have brought us squirrels over the years. As cute as they are when small, they do not make good pets. I am sure the same is true of skunks, possums, coons, etc. Before DC, we raised an injured fawn. We've got pictures but I haven't learned the scanner thingy. Twin fawns were bedded down and hit by a dozer. One was killed, this one had broken ribs. The guy took her to the vet and got her healed till she got too active. We kept her till about 6 months old. She left on her own with other deer. Interesting what nature does for wild animals. Fawns can lay in dappled sunshine and their spots blend in so well you will never see them. They also have no body odors which is a defense mechanism. This way, their Mom can bed them down and go off to feed. It is unfortunate, many folks find a baby doe and think it has been abandoned. They either pick it up or stay to wait for the doe to come back. She won't as long as they are there. In this area, now is the time the game wardens hate because people pick up the fawn, try to feed and then get scared and call for help. They usually don't call till the fawn gets sick and many times the rehabbers aren't successful. Kinda sad.

One more, in case you weren't sure who was riding the pet taxi.

Pookie is a beaut!! I have found that the orange tabbies have the best personalities - real characters. My oldest daughter had one years ago who did nothing but make everyone laugh. He died at a terribly young age (still basically a kitten) of some weird illness or tumor or something and it was devastating to all of us. Keep in mind, my daughter was a married adult at this time, not a little child losing her kitty. LOL - shows you what nuts we all are about our animals in my family (except for dh, of course).

About 10 years or so ago when dh and I still lived in Seattle, there was this female squirrel who pretty much became a pet. I recognized her because she either had a birth defect or an injury that affected one side of her face. She loved peanut butter sandwiches!!! She would come into the kitchen (sometimes from the front door, not just the backdoor where the kitchen was), and sit and wait for me to give her one. One time she came into the living room, climbed up on the back of the couch, looked around for awhile, and went to sleep. It was amazing, but I didn't encourage that as I suspected her potty training hadn't been too good, plus she IS after all, a wild animal! She was around, though, for several years.

Knolan, how wonderful that you want to take the wildlife rehabilitation classes!!! I think that will be highly rewarding.

Murmur Yes! Absolutely to the orange cat personality. And regardless of our age, we always grieve at the loss of a friend or family member. We are fortunate to have a small pet cemetery but we did put names only markers. Now, there have been too many to remember where they all are. Including a squirrel or two that didn't make it. The squirrel that loved the pb sure sounds like she had been raised by humans. Wish they could talk...

Pod! Your a "habber"! I knew liked you! Your orangy is beautiful and those squirrels are sooooo darling. My cats would eat them, thus the need to wait probably many years before I can go fo the license.

Murmur, I agree. Orange tabbies do have awesome personalities. I had another one before Tiger, his name was "Tommy" and was abandoned by the folks who lived in my old house. I took him in but in a few short years he was diagnosed with feline aids. He hung in there for another 4 years but just got too sick and was suffering. He is now in an urn on my mantle with his collar. I cry every year when I pull out the Christmas ornament with his picture. Sniff, sniff.

Personality PLUS! Just waiting around for a hummer.

I haven't mastered the link thingy yet but on May 27th, in the Photos forum, Pookie starred in Molesting the Catnip. She is a character and definitely has the catnip gene.

Kristi, I have had two males die from feline aids. That is grim to deal with. Both scrappers so probably were bit by another and shared between them. There is a group in Nacogdoches "O'Malleys Alleys" that traps, neuters, adopts out or releases and then feeds those released back into an area. It is near SFA where cat disposal is most common. They have found an incredible incidence of feline aids there and in most cases are euthanizing rather than allow it to spread. So sad but there is now a vacine if I am not mistaken. The vet said it is not as commonly spread by food or water. Thankfully!

Aids, feline leukemia, there's another one referred to as 'wet' or 'dry' - can't remember its name, cars, dogs, creepy people who should have a specially nasty place in Hell, those are the reasons my cats have always been indoor cats. Fortunately we have a screened-in pool, and they can go out there. It was already part of the house when we bought it, and one of the big reasons we bought it - to avoid mosquitoes, and to let the cats go out. Later we found out that a former owner had built the pool so that their golden retriever could go swimming, and that it was screened in so that their two cats could go outdoors. How's that for spending your money well?!

Pod, there is a vaccine now and all of my cats have received. I'm very wary about over vaccinating but this was one I didn't want to go through again. So sad to hear about the epidemic in the Nac area. That breaks my heart. I think my Tommy got it because he was just that, a Tom Cat, thus the name. You should have heard his cat howls late at night. And I caught him attacking many a female. Needless to say, when i made the decision to adopt him, he was neutered immediately!

Podster, Murmur...I'd like to invite you to the knolan thread (on the Texas Gardening Forum) ...a little stupid to have a thread with my name but took the suggestion to heart....I'd love to have ya'll have some fun there.

Ahhh the things we do for our pets, Ceejaytown. True dedication. Kristi I have actually been lurking on the knolan thread, thank you for the invite. pod

Kristi, I will check it out - thank you!!

I too lost a kitty to feline leukemia. He was only about eight months old and the vet figured he had it when we got him from a pet store. Broke my heart - he was hilarious - used to like to watch tennis matches on tv . . . his head would go back and forth, back and forth, as he watched!!!

We did, of course, have our other cats immediately tested and all were negative. And they got the vaccine at that time. I don't have any of those cats now, but they all died of old age, not leukemia. The vet I have now says the vaccine isn't 100% effective, but darn good.

You have to be careful with that vaccine, and the rabies one too. The adjuvant they use in the killed vaccines are thought to cause the point-of-injection fibrosarcomas that kill cats. Make sure your vet is using the modified-live one with out the aduvant. Since my cats are indoors cats, I don't get the leukemia shot, but the state requires the rabies - every year, even thought they are good for three. And that is a killed vaccine too! Makes me so mad!

CJ, I didn't know that about the modified-live vaccine - I'll definitely ask the vet!! Sure hope that's what they use because I really like them both (they're fairly young so hopefully keep up on such things).

On pet vaccines, point-of-injection fibrosarcomas a few years back. I have to admit I have quit most of them after discussing it with the vet. We do the rabies as we live in the woods and I allow them to go out. The rabies vaccine used is actually good for 3 years but the state of Tx only recognizes it for l year. If the pet should bite someone therein lies the problem. In a remote area, we are not regulated or licensed so I get rabies every other year. The vet has no problem with this. When we went on vacation, I had to board Scraps the hurricane cat and he needed a full set of vax. I had gotten the ones we felt needed already. When I carried him back for the balance, the vet used an air needle or air gun to give the shot. You have probably seen that before. We haven't moved into the 20th century here yet. He explained that it is less likely to cause the fibrosarcomas. The cat didn't like the noise tho.

Murmur, you mentioned wanting a little dog in an earlier post. May I suggest a little girl. I absolutely hate the male dogs helping me water plants. I am a plant toucher and will reach down to feel soil or leaves to know if it needs water. And come up with....guess what! I try to put plants up on stands etc. but Ralph the lab still gets me every so often. Pod the 2nd dog we took in was neutered and he never lifted his leg. My husband calls him a "girlie boy". I don't care. He shouldn't either. He likes old cars and Ralph helps the wheels rust...

sigh . . . I see those darling dogs looking at you and I do just yearn. Of course, my cats actually follow me around outside so at times I almost have a dog! LOL - the two older ones, who are outside quite a bit, even follow me to the mail box and back. The youngest one, if she is out, is running around like the nut she is just investigating.

Yes, I do want a dog! And will probably opt for a small female of some kind. I am unbelievably in love with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (might not have those words in the right order) and also love Bichon Frisee's (I have friends with two of the spaniels - I do particularly love the female - and work with a woman who breeds the Bichons). Both breeds are pretty small.

"He explained that it is less likely to cause the fibrosarcomas."

podster - Since it is the adjuvant that is believed to cause the tumor, I don't see how an air needle would change the outcome. (No, I don't know what an air needle is.) The adjuvant is added to the killed vaccine to make the cat's system take notice that something foreign has arrived and to make the antibodies. The killed vaccine by itself won't do that because it is dead. I have read (and boy, this is someting that has me really shook, so I've read a lot!) that it is better to give the shot under the skin, rather than in the muscle tissue, because the developing tumor can be felt better, and hopefully, can be removed while still very small. But they have to take so much tissue, that it usually involves the spine, and still, the survival rate is not great. It is a very aggressive form of cancer. Both my bil and a friend had cats that developed this and even though they tried to save them with surgery and chemo, they died from it. My vet gives the rabies in the right hip, and the leukemia (which I don't get) in the left hip (r for r, and l for l) so that if a tumor develops, they know which is the culprit.

murmur - The vet won't see the cat unless it has the rabies shot (can't take the risk with the techs, etc...) so that is the only reason I have it every year. My cats are indoors cats. If the vet didn't force me, they would go three years. I don't understand why Texas doesn't change that law. The vets say it's not them trying to make more money, so what is it?

Wow. Laws governing everything - even our pets' vaccines. Two of my cats are out and about all the time and the third one some of the time so I feel they need to be well vaccinated.

Mine are all out and about all of the time as well. I hate having to give them so many shots but I need them here with me. I'm especially fearful of the rabies problem found in the bats around Houston right now. My cats will try to kill anything that moves and that's the last thing I need them getting a hold of. I actually have a bat house sitting in my garage that was going to be hung up but we've had second thoughts and it'll remain in the garage in it's box.

In this area, the local 4H club sponsors Rabies clinics. If I remember this spring the fee was $12.00 per animal. They will do cats/dogs. The shots are administered by all the local vets who volunteer and their office help goes along to do paperwork. They spend two Saturdays going out to the country stores in different parts of the county and will stay till they run out of vaccine or pets. It is a social event for the public and a worthwhile cause for 4H as well as meaningful for the community.