Saturday, July 28, 2012

Lil Blue Eyes, well-shocking and our awesome new gift to each other!

 

meet Frank Sinatra, Lil Blue Eyes for short. isn't he gorgeous? he is so affectionate and loving.

and malnourished and underweight and so tired and had obviously been dumped "in the country" by some idiot or idiots. we figure he is about 8-10 months old. and based on his weight and demeanor we figure he has been living "in the country" for at least 2 months, but probably more.

it's heartbreaking when idiots do these things. he has somehow managed to feed himself and take care of himself, but if you have ever met someone with PTSD - this little man is definitely suffering from hyper-vigilance - as he would have to. he has definitely been around humans - he is not feral. so an idiot or idiots dumped him. i hope i don't ever find the idiots.

anyway, he's not fxed either. our 2 older male cats are. they have allowed him onto our property and must have been hanging out with him for a few nights before he was brave enough to stay around during the day. when we first saw him, he came right to us - crying and talking and crying - he's definitely part Siamese. we fed him and fed him and fed him - he was eating 4 full cans of food a day and a can at night - we have got him down now to 3 full cans a day - our cats eat about half a can of food a day with snacks and dry available all day long - but that just shows you how hungry this little man is.

i should spare you the details that he barfed up the leg of what looks like a mouse....and he ate one of our squirrels - just awful. that's how hungry he was and that was how he had been feeding himself. yes, normal for a wild, feral cat but this little guy is not wild.

anyway, we made a little bed for him in the shed but because we knew that it was going to be raining yesterday, we brought him onto the porch and have made a little bed and eating area for him. our cats don't seem to mind him there. they go in and out of the cat door, and he eyes it all the time, but he has not used it - there seems to be some understanding between the 3 of them that he can stay on the porch but not come into the house. he cries at the door and tries to run in when we open the door, but he has not come in the catdoor yet. he is so smart and completely submissive to our 2 cats.

so, he has an appointment at the vet for monday. once he is fixed and gets his shots we will let him into the actual house. i hope that our cats will be ok with that but they kind of have to be. and hopefully they will sense that he needs to mend and will leave him alone and be ok with him in the house.

my nerves have been shot all week making sure to spend time with each cat, love them, pet them, give them treats, etc. - they all seem to be ok but i worry about this and that and i just want to give this little guy a home. he is incredibly affectionate - he's starving for affection actually - and i can't bear to see that. i hope everything will go well when jambaloney brings him home on monday.

anyway - in the midst of all this drama - we also had to shock our well. we followed the instructions below to a tee and hopefully it will keep our water clean. do any of you shock your well? how often? we have been told to do it every 6 months but i find that a little much. i can't stand the idea of putting that much bleach in our well!!!


and last but not least - check out our latest "accroutrement" at the Manor.


yes, me dearies, that's my brand new dishwasher!!!! and it lives on the plastic-wrapped porch. it may stay there over the winter or we may put it in the basement - we aren't sure. regardless, jambaloney did all of the plumbing and wiring and it works like a charm!!! we had been saving for months to get this baby and i love it! the tire inserts on top of it are to prevent it from tipping over when you open it to put in, or remove dishes. jambaloney is building a proper box for it today. woohoo - i have a dishwasher!!!

sorry i haven't been around to any of your blogs lately - give me a day or two to catch up!!!

48 comments:

  1. Ah a dishwasher is such a treat, enjoy the freedom from washing up all the time!

    What a beautiful cat, he looks part burmese to me too. We had burmese cats but they both died. I really miss them.

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    1. Joey - because we have the tiniest counter space known to man in this kitchen, there are always dishes on them - whether they be dirty (which i try to wash as often as possible) but also clean ones drying on the counter!!! it just makes me nuts having to look at dishes all the time and have no counter space because of the dishes! this dishwasher will eliminate that now - woohoo! he is a beautiful cat, thanks buddy! and ya - he could definitely be part Burmese. i am sorry about your cats - when pets die, it's heartbreaking...and then we miss them just as we do people.

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  2. Poor little guy gonna have his manhood ripped out....ah, come on, Sweet Girl. Yet, I understand and good for guys. We love our old cat, Patches, and will be sad when she passes away. Couple of years ago we remodeled our kitchen and installed a new dish washer. I think its been used twice.

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    1. dear sweet one - he is submissive to our cats now but he won't be in a few months and that puts them at risk - the only way we can keep him is to fix him - which trust me, goes against everything i believe. both of our cats were rescues/saves and they were fixed by the time we got them or else they wouldn't be fixed. yes - when our pets pass, it is always a sad thing and like i said to Joey - then we miss them, the same way we miss people who die. if we had more counterspace in this sucky little kitchen - i wouldn't need the dishwasher. it may seem like a luxury but it's actually a necessity.

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  3. Like Stephen, we never use out dishwasher. I lived without one for 60. When we moved from Indiana to Florida, I was angry and told Stud: if I have to live here, you have to do dishes. and he has for over a year. lol

    We live close to a four lane highway and we have seen two dogs shoved out of cars. The poor things chase the car, then come back to where they were tossed, and wait for the damn s.o.b.s to come back.

    We call them, try to get them to safety at our home, yet their hearts belong to their 'owners' and they run from us.

    Eventually they leave, via a very, very bad neighborhood down the road and we never see them again.

    You hope you never see who abandoned your baby. I hope I DO see whoever is responsible. I have no idea what my bail would be, but I'd be willing to stay in jail if Stud couldn't come up with the money.

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    1. bahahahahahah! i am glad Stud does the dishes for you - me and jambaloney always share doing the dishes but it's the counterspace that is my big issue. as for those idiots who shoved the dogs out of the car - ugh. some people just shouldn't be allowed to live. if i saw who abandoned my Lil Blue Eyes - i wouldn't be allowed bail. i'd kill them in such a horrible manner, they would put me in the nuthouse - not jail.

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    2. I left a home with a 12 x 14 country kitchen with hardwood floors for a 6 x 8 kitchen with the ugliest tile floors you've ever seen. I cook, and Stud tries to help until I run him out with a cleaver in my hand. He does the dishes, cleans the bathroom, dusts, and I do the mopping and painting. We work well with me carrying my toolbox through the house while he's in charge of dust bunnies. If only he ironed...

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  4. ah, another little kitty

    wonderful when prepared right....

    Wildflower

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    1. oh Wildflower....stop that!!!

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    2. wait till yours uses your legs for a scratching post; nibbles on your toes, or renders hierlooom curtains to shreds

      Wildflower

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    3. my cat was a cute little kitten once....

      now it behaves a forty pound urban wildcat

      that like all cats "no" is a meaningless word

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    4. Wildflower - i have no heirloom curtains thank goodness but sorry to hear about yours. all of our cats are weird, strange and wonderful - little Frankie likes to sleep on a secretary desk that he keeps falling off of.

      with cats - there is no such word as no! bahahahah!

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  5. 1) there is a 'special' corner of hell reserved for those who abuse or abandon animals, where they get to experience everything the poor creature did, for a very long time.
    2) once you tame an animal to your hand you are responsible to it for its lifetime. see 1 above.
    sigh. sometimes i wonder about our species.

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    1. Elizabeth - i couldn't agree more! and with both of your points. yes, you are now responsible TO it for it's lifetime - be it a chicken, a cat or a cow.

      i often wonder about our species....and it scares me and makes me mad...so then i go pet a cat, look at the sky, or hug jambaloney. it always works.

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  6. Our lap lion Tosh sends welcomes and congratulations to your "Lil Blue Eyes" on finding a superior home. Tosh is a much nicer guy neutered, so don't feel badly about needing to neuter him. I hope he and you both will be very happy. Be careful though, Miss Brielle, another beautiful formerly feral feline joined us the year after Tosh, and she lives in the artist studio on the farm. We don't ever own cats, they own us.

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    1. Barley-Moe, Noodie-Nu and Lil Blue eyes all send their very best to Tosh and Miss Brielle! and you are so right - they OWN us!

      Jane - i was hoping that you would comment on how often you shock your well.

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  7. Love Lil Blue Eyes! He's so pretty.
    Nice dishwasher!

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    1. Donna - he is so pretty and sooo affectionate! and thanks!

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  8. Love the new kitty. My husband has been feeding a stray that has shown up sround our house. He comes for breakfast each morning and a snack at night. And, our cat seems to tolerate him too.

    Congrats on the dishwasher.

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    1. thanks DFW...and i am glad to hear that your hubby has been feeding your little stray, too. you may be getting a new house pet soon - teehee. and thanks.

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  9. New cat has not seen a cat door before, but obviously has seen a door since he wants to come in. Cat scent will deter mice, even if the cats are not inclined to catch them.

    Male cats that are not fixed just get into mischief when they stray. My friend's tom came home so battered that a trip to the vet was in order. Finally, my friend offered to take and pay for their cat to be fixed. Yes, the neighbor cats were mortal enemies.

    Use your dishwasher regularly. If you don't, it will start to leak. Appliance Guy told me why, but I forgot. If there are clean or dirty dishes on the counter, it is impossible to cook. Why don't you install it in the kitchen instead of porch or basement?

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    1. hey PP - he knows the cat doors - he sits in front of the one on the kitchen door for hours....he uses the other 2 cat doors on the porch but knows that he can't come in the house...it's some weird agreement with out cats. and yes you are right about mice - when we were in the city and our friends were taking care of the place on weekends AND without a cat living here - they had problems with mice all the time. we haven't had any problems with mice since getting here WITH cats except for that one incident from last year....and we believe that our cat brought that mouse in!

      again - you are right - jambaloney's Mom told us that her barn cats were always getting into trouble - due to them not being fixed. i hate fixing this little guy but i have to if we plan to keep him.

      we will be using the dishwasher every 2 days...if i go on a wild cooking spree maybe every day. but a lot of the dishes will still be washed by hand - i just need that counter space to be able to cook and whatnot. our kitchen is so tiny that there is absolutely no room for the dishwasher - you should see the hodge-podge way it is set up. we are trying to work with it but we don't have much to work with!

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  10. Sweet Kymber,

    Congrats on the new member of your house :-)
    What a shame that a human being just dropped this cute little one off and left him in the woods. I truly hate humans when they do this to a pet. I think the pets need to drop the humans off in the woods without any thing to survive on.
    "Lil Blue Eyes" is a happy little one now that he has found a loving family.

    Dishwashers are a really nice appliance to have, especially if you're doing dishes all the time. I used to have one, then we moved to this older house with no dishwasher. We have several adult humans that wash dishes now!!!!

    Have a beautiful day and give Jambaloney a hug.

    Your Friend,
    Sandy

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    1. thanks sweet Sandy - he is our newest member and he is so very sweet! i hear what you are saying about humans that do this to pets - thank goodness for small things like high gas prices which means that people are dropping off less pets this year than in previous years - but it only means that they are dropping them off somewhere else...which i can't think about without my heart breaking. i don't mind doing dishes all the time - it's just that when i can't do dishes because the counter and table is already full of clean dishes drying - so then i dry them all - and then put the new dishes in their place - and the cycle never stops - arghghghghgh! so this dishwasher will really help with that.

      jambaloney is sending you back a hug and thanking you for always thinking of him - it makes him happy!

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  11. Luckily strays have not been an issue around our place this Summer. We have picked up a new pathetic lifeform each of the last three Summers though. Eventually there comes a time when you have to say no.

    Back in 2008 I pulled in the drive to see a dog chained in my front yard with a sleeping pillow and food/water bowls but lately people seem to be driving further out to cast off their unwanted pets I guess. I don't think the last stray would stayed is running any of them off because that dog has never met another he doesn't want to be friends with.

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    1. PP - the people here have said that they get a ton of cats and dogs dropped off here every year - i think it's a real sign of the times that this year there have not been very many - the price of gas is too high to drive all the way out here. we will take care of as many of these "drop-offs" as we can...we had another little guy last year that we named "Patches" but he was too aggressive and our cats didn't like him at all. we fed him for a few days and then took him to a shelter - once we got him in the carrier. the kind lady at the shelter called us the next day to let us know that he had found a home - we were happy!

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  12. Awwwwwww love the new kitty! He is adorable. I am sure he will soon be so part of your groove that it will seem like you have had him forever...or as cats think, he has had you forever!

    Happy dishwashing! Life is indeed good!

    (((Hugs))) my friend. Seems like I have some time again!

    NM Amiga
    Jennifer

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    1. oh Jen - he is so adorable. and because he is so young and so attention starved, he is submissive to both of our cats, which is the only reason that they let him come on our land. all three cats seem to enjoy laying out on the deck together and it is heart-warming to see how our cats have taken to him - he is a definite addition to our family!

      i hear you about having time again - i haven't commented on any friends blogs in over a week - i gotta catch up! hugs back honey - Canadien amie!

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  13. we have 3 boys all under 2 years old. we did not look for 3 but we have 3. all spoiled. its easy to do. as they walk by i just reach out and pet them. if they want attention they look for it.

    i love my cats more then the dogs i had growing up.

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    1. Rob, buddy - the dang things sneak up on you and suddenly - you have 3 cats! it's how they work! and ya - cats are always spoiled rotten. i pet mine every time i walk by, or they walk by - you can lose hours in a day just doing that. and yes - our 2 other cats come to get attention and affection whenever they want it - this new little guy wants it all of the time but he is finally starting to calm down since he is getting regular attention, food and some sleep. i'm glad that you love your cats.

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  14. Yay for kitties finding new homes!!! And Yay for kindhearted people for taking them in (and fixing them). :)

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    1. He will be a well loved cat. Midwest Chick and Mr. B, have four cats, one of them "Bob", was dumped, Mr. B. found him outside his business in the middle of winter, leaning up against a window trying to get warm. They were able to catch him (he was so weak) and he went home. Bob remembers what is like to be hungry. He's usually found sitting at the table waiting while we cook meals. He will eat anything, and you have to make sure you don't your back on your waffle.

      But he is a sweet (if fat now) loving cat and usually sleeps with me when I stay over.

      You have a big heart, and it shows.

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    2. Yay and thanks Carolyn! i honestly wouldn`t fix him if my other 2 older male cats weren`t fixed. he is submissive to them now but won`t be in a few months and that will completely upset the balance, and i must consider their needs in all of this to. thanks again!

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    3. Brigid - he is already well-loved...he`s just so darn cute and so darn loving that a block of wood would love him. oh thank goodness that Mr. B. found such good people to take care of him. bahahahahah - don`t turn your back on a waffle - that was great! i am glad that he sleeps with you when you are overnighting. and you have a big heart, too, gurl, and it shows!

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  15. I got Smokey from a shelter, she's a Russian blue with tan almost orange spots and poly dactyl as well. She's very sweet though subdued with her affection and quite the little hunter. The birds and squirrels might sneak a little from the garden and fruit trees but they have to work for it. She's also has an odd quirk of wanting to be let in and out via the door if possible but will use the doggie door if she needs in or out.

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    1. AiSR - i am so glad that you have Smokey - i love poly dactyls!!!! she sounds beautiful! our problem is that our cats let squirrels and birds sit on their heads...plus we feed the squirrels and birds. and little Frankie is a hunter extraordinnaire! so it is not safe for any of our little critters out there. hey - i hear you about the cat doors - our cats have 3 but will cry to be let out the `big` door - it drives us nuts. but we drop everything and open the door and wait for 20 mins while said cat decides...for 20 mins...whether to go out or stay in. cats eh?

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  16. Hope all goes well with the new cat! He's a handsome critter. Does he still have all his claws?

    I have mixed feelings on cats running loose after the "adventure" that Chloe had a few weeks ago. Our town has way too many extra cats. Most of them are feral and run away from people when spotted. Our neighbor has one living under his porch that he can't get rid of. There is another that frequents my dad's back yard, and another lurks around my mom's garden on a regular basis. These are only the cats that I have seen. Who knows how many others are out there.

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    1. Mrs. S. - so far so good. and yes he is handsome. and yes he still has all of his claws as do both of our other cats - thank goodness! what adventure did Chloe have a few weeks ago??? and yes, it sounds like you have too many feral cats in your town. i hate fixing animals but in some instances it needs to be done. especially if they are feral. do you have a shelter in your town that can take them in? we have a very nice shelter here but they won't take un-fixed cats. so we have money saved always for if we find a cat that needs to go to the shelter. we had one last year but our cats did not like him at all and so we took him to get him fixed and then brought him to the shelter. the kind lady at the shelter called us the next day to say that they had found him a home. we were very happy about that.

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    2. Hmmm, our shelter takes all cats and fixes/neuters/spays them for free. Now, a household cat that a person is keeping is not eligible for this free service. Also, older people can get a pet fixed for about $5. That may have doubled in the past few years, but all vets do it cheaply for the elderly.

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  17. I felt the same way when I took in 'Mary Fiona, with a broken leg, 'cause she jumped outta car window in front of my house. The lady stopped, looked for her, shrugged her shoulders and drove off. Bitch. So far, Fiona, who is now a year old, has caught 3 mice, is number five in the household of cats. The three dogs all get along with the cats. Everyone is fixed because it is the law on this acre. Yes, I believe there is a special hell for people who abuse animals. Nothing pisses me off more. Cudos to you guys for taking him in.

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    1. oh Sharon...i am so glad that you were able to take Mary Fiona in. i can't believe that people do things like that?!?!?! shrug and walk away?!?!?!? b*tch is right!!! i am glad that you have all of those pets...i think it is important for pets to have other cats and dogs around them. we make it a point to take in all strays, both of our other cats are strays/rescues and we had a little guy last year but our cats did not get along with him at all. so we fed him, sheltered him, took him to get fixed and then brought him to a very nice shelter. they found a home for him in only one day.

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  18. He looks just like our like our cat "Jack" he also has blue eyes, only his are criss crossed. It is hilarious to sit and see him stare at you..One day I will try to get a pic of him like that and put it on my blog.

    Lil Blue eyes,looks beautiful. take good care of him.

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    1. if he looks like Jack then Jack must be one handsome devil - minus the cross-eyes of course - bahahahahahahah! please get a pic - i have to see this cat with the crossed-eyes - oh bahahahahah - i am laughing just thinking about it. we promise to take the absolute best care of him for the rest of his life. that's a promise we make to all of our pets.

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  19. Kymber,

    Scrutty cats...FUGEDABOUDIT.

    THIS is for YOU: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA3LtXnNIto&feature=player_embedded

    Winston

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    1. Winston buddy - you KNOW that i love my cats so eff off - bahahahahahah! oh i loved that video of the ospreys...that was gorgeous! thanks buddy!

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    2. Sorry I can't post a picture of me laughing uncontrollably on the floor. Sure you won't come help me get up????

      Mocon would LOVE to meet said puddy tat for a lunch date.

      Ah, where are my icons when I need them????

      Hugs to you both.

      Winston

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  20. We have never shocked our well. Interesting, as I have never heard of doing that. We have great water and would be afraid to add bleach to it. It does leave hard water stains and we should put a filter on to keep sediment out. We have to clean the screen on our washing machine about twice a year. Otherwise, love our water.

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    1. Rose - we are told by the NS gov to do it every 6 months. i think that maybe you have a spring-fed well whereas our well is a water table with run-off, therefore very full of sediment. our water was getting really browny-orange from the sediment and that is why we shocked it. but i am never using that much bleach again. we had to run the water for almost 7 hours to get the chlorine smell to go away. thank you for answering my question - i appreciate it!

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