Cats Hate Other Cats

(Since the ewes are crossing their legs and holding on to their babies, I'll take the opportunity to post another kitty entry.)

....cats are solitary creatures.....(warning..picture heavy..)

In no particular order, cats hating on each other.

Trinity, Meshach and Noah--think that cushion is big enough?

Gabe & Sage share the top shelf of the cat tree

Noah & Meshach on the bed

Noah & Sage in the recliner

Pile of five in front of the fire

Sage & Chaco on the cat tree

Sage & Trinity

Noah--pillow for Chaco (front) and Verity

Noah, Tempe & Trinity

Meshach & Gabe

Gabe & Noah--home again

Meshach, Trinity & Chaco

Tempe, Meshach & Trinity

Sage & Meshach (& Blue & Brown Teddy bear who are very social too)

Tempe & Trinity

Chaco, Verity, Trinity & Tempe

Sage using Chaco for a footstool

Verity, Meshach & Trinity

Three in front and two in back of the wood stove

Cat Myth # 2---False--not ALL cats hate other cats or prefer a solitary existence.

Granted it's not all sunshine and roses, but for the most part the cats are very social. However there are times when they scatter out and 'need their space' as well. I've met one or two cats in my life that did actually hate other cats, and preferred to be by themselves. Much like some people I suppose. Sage is more prickly than the others, and while he plays with them sometimes and interacts, he also doesn't like to be touched much and is vocal about it--but he feels the same way about people. It continues to be interesting to say the least, living in such a big cat family!

It Makes All The Difference....

....Sunshine that is.....

...I believe Mr. Rooster agrees....

Luna Lambs!

Luna & her big Black & White Ram lamb & little moorit (musket) ewe

Luna was acting fishy Monday evening--hanging out in the barn by herself and I really thought she would lamb by the morning. At 10:00 p.m. she was out laying with the other sheep. At 2:30 a.m. she was hanging out in the barn with Chickie acting innocent. She ate a few bites at feeding time at 6:00 a.m. At 7:30 a.m. when I left for work, she was laying around by herself in the barn doing absolutely nothing. At around 10:30 a.m. I called to give my Mom a heads up that Luna might lamb. Mom went to check on her a little later.

Moorit/Musket Ewe lamb

Smirslet/Flecket Black Ram Lamb

Luna had two lambs, dry and up and going. I decided to take a half day vacation and left work at 12:30. Because the ewes are still in full fleece I always worry that perhaps a weaker lamb might not be able to the udder.

By the time I got home, Luna had moved her little family into the Shetland barn. The lambs looked good and thrifty. Eventually I got them settled into a freshly bedded stall in the main barn, got their navel's dipped, some nutridrench in their mouths and trimmed up Luna's wool around her udder.

By later in the afternoon the babies were hopping around. So far, so good! My Mom told me when she called that one was spotted---a bigger lamb, so she was sure it was a he (and because ALL the spotted lambs around here seem to be rams, she was correct!). By her description I was pretty sure he was not an Ag Flecket. She also said the other lamb was an ewe (again just guessing) and was black with white on her head. She hit it all correct except the ewe lamb is moorit (probably musket, not sure yet).

Fairlight Jackdaw---sire of the lambs

Jackdaw as a newborn

This year's Jackdaw son

They are both very cute and Fairlight Jackdaw's first lambs. The little ram looks allot like his daddy although his markings are different.

And here is Lark's not so little son--Jasper--out and about in the big world

Two ewes down and three to go!

Hi I'm Noah...

...or Noaty, Noasy or sometimes Chubs, or Fat Boy, but not the last two very much anymore. My Humanbean, she said she was sorry for calling me Fat Boy and stuff, but I don't care anyway, longs as she keeps feeding the good grub. She said that it was okay to be a fat boy anyways 'cause if the world-as-we-know-it ends then I'll have lots of reserves to live off of.


My kitty mom was just a teenager herself when she had us, but she managed to have six of us, and we was pretty strong and healthy. My 'bean, she was there almost as soon as we was born, so she is part of our fur fambily too. I'm the biggest of all my littermates. I weigh almost nine pounds and I just turned 7 months. I likes to eat allot. If my 'Bean puts down four bowls of dry food, I'll sample a little out of each one. Quality control and all that, you know. Somekitty has to do it.


We had us a real scary crisis here the other morning. We'd just had our morning snack of canned food and I always like to chase that down with a hearty meal of dry. Well...when I wents to the first bowl of dry food--it was empty! And the next one was too...and the next and the next! I was gettin' very nervous. My 'bean, she said, "wipe that worried look off your face, Noah. I'm just opening a new bag of food and then I'll fill them up". Oh.


When I was only about three months old something real bad happened to me. My 'bean thinks that I got over-exposed to the Advantage flea treatment she put on me and my sisters and brothers. She says, since I like to eat so much, I probably just licked it all right off them. It was a pretty sad time. I started having seizures and I had 'em about every three hours like clockwork. I don't remember much about them, but theys all say they were bad. I 'member waking up and being all worn out and confused, and well, hungry. My 'bean would come rushing out and hold me after the seizures when she was home, til I gots woke up good. If she weren't there, my fur fambily would take good care of me. My brother Gabe he'd put his paw around me and lick my face clean, and all my other fambily would curl up around me and keep me warm. I was so tired all the time though, and couldn't do much. We were all sad for awhile. The Big Vet he put me on antibiotics, but he didn't do anything else either, cuz he thought that I would probably get betters after awhile. And I did.



Then after a week, them seizures went away! My 'bean she said I wasn't quite all right, and that I had some special needs. I couldn't find my way to the yard, so she'd carry me, but I hated being treated like a baby, so I'd run and hide if I could, and when she'd put me down I would race away, like any kitty. I could run prettys fast then. It took me a long time 'fore I could play very good again though. I'd lose track of where the rest of my siblings were. For awhile them big dogs was my fambily when my real sisters and brothers got busy playing and left me behind. Pretty soon though I got myself sorted out pretty good and my 'bean said I was 'almost' normal. She says the only things that she notices is I play kinda rough (but I just like to whoop up on the other kitties cuz I'm biggest) and don't have no 'shut off valve',whatever that is, when it comes to roughhousing. The biggest problem I thinks I got is that sometimes I have a hard time with close up stuff, and for instance can't find my treats, unless my 'bean sticks my nose in them. This is a real hard thing for me, cuz that brother of mine, Gabe, he just gobbles his down and then starts eatin' mine while I'm still looking for them! Ain't that just mean? 'Specially since I have such a delicate constitution.


My 'bean, she said she was pretty proud of me here lately cuz I'm starting to act 'more normal'. I don't like to be held or nothin' sissy like that, but I've started wanting attention like the others, and I don't look like 'nobodys home' anymore. I specially like attention at 4:30 in the morning when I sit with my brothers and sisters on our 'bean. Sometimes she says she can't breathe, but we is purring so loud we pretend we can't hear her.

I have had a couple of seizures here in the last few months, but theys was really quick and I didn't zone out too much and gots over them purty quick. Me and my 'bean we think I'm gonna be okay and she says not matters what, we will work it out. I still have twitches and stuff sometimes too..my feet and my head will twitch-twitch-twitch real fast for a second, but thats all.


After I got better, me and my brothers Gabe and Chaco had to go to the Big Vet again, to get 'tutored, our 'bean said. We didn't get no tutoring, and I don't 'member much about what happened, but I think I got some things stole from me! My 'bean told me the Big Vet was going to use a special gas to make me sleep so that it hopefully wouldn't make me have seizures again. When we got home we acted like nothin' happened, but the best thing did happen! We gots to come in the Big House! To sleep and everything. Our 'bean said it was too cold to stay out after our 'tutoring. We was too busy exploring the house to notice we was suppose to be hurting.

When me and my best brother Gabe (even though he steals my treats, he takes care of me) was four months old we gots sent away. Our 'bean said we weren't 'sent away' but was going to a new home where we'd get more attention and love. She was really sad and upset, but said she just couldn't keep six kittens! I didn't see whys not. When she let us out in our new home, I just ran around and made myself at home. My brother, he didn't 'just so well and cried allot til he gots more brave. We stayed at our new home for six weeks, but them two ol' cats at that place didn't like us much. Our 'bean isn't real sure what happened, but my brother weren't in the dog house as much as I was. Our 'bean ended up meeting our ''bean for awhile' halfway the very next day to bring us home, once she found out it wasn't working out.

I was a little stressed, but once we got to our first home, I told my 'bean that although I was feeling a little faint, a dab of food might just help. I hadn't had anything to eat for 45 minutes! My brother he took it real hard again when we moved back home-he don't take change well. He hissed at everycat--even me when he got mixed up. Our brother and sisters hissed at us and everybody but me and the 'bean were just having hissy fits. It were pretty bad there for a day or two. But then we slowly got to get out and slowly our fur fambily let us back into the herd. First they would only let us lay on the same cushion, then maybe touch a foot or something, then suddenly they was using me for a pillow!

I gots in trouble some cause my 'off switch is broken', but I'm pretty good now, I don't makes my fur fambily scream or nothing too much anymore. Me and Gabe we play purty rough, but the rest of 'em are kinda sissies. But we is awfully glad to be back home.


I specially like to lay on the cushions by the stove. This is my mostest favorite thing next to eating. I'll lay there til I melt into a puddle with all my feets, and my healthy belly sticking up. My next favorite place to sleep is on the bed, and I take up 'my fair share' of the space. 'Bout the only thing that scares me very much is loud high pitched noises. I get jangled nerves and big eyes when that happens.

So that's me, Noah. My 'bean said I could be the first to blog my story, since I'm the biggest and I had a 'rough start'. It's about time fur me to take a nap too, but first I gots to go and get something to eat. Thanks for readin' my story, hope you liked it..and me!

Spring...Day Two

Ice encased miniature daffodils

It's still raining, and is grey and deary. Hmm...sounds allot like all my posts over the winter. However next week is suppose to be nicer with more extreme temperature fluctuations (70s). With all the rain we have gotten things should really go green in a hurry.

The trees wear clattering necklaces of ice

I'm still a little bitter about yesterday, but that is the way it goes, I reckon. I've been preparing for weeks for Shearing Day. House cleaned and shiny (which it won't stay), things mostly picked up and tidied outside, panels moved around to set up catch pens and alleys, needed equipment carried out to the garage.
Not to mention the food prep. The roast is cooked and shredded and will go into the freezer, ready to pop into the crock pot to be made into BBQ sandwiches. The worst part is I had some good help lined up and willing to devote their day to 'the cause'. Now the shearer is pretty much booked up most weekends so I'll have to go to a weekday, when everyone has to work. It's pretty hard to pull it off without some help.

I also (in vain hopes) went ahead and got everyone into the barn(s) the night before, which now will make them super suspicious and not so easily tricked into going up. I'll have to re-set up the catch pens tonight. Even the ram and wether went up nicely. Callum (the wether) won't be that easy again, since he hates being confined with his bully brother.

There was the usual drama with Rouen, the super watch sheep. I had everyone into the catch pen, contentedly eating hay, so I tried to slip up there and close up the gate. Well...Rouen saw me coming and she started to make her move. No hesitation on her part. So I ran the last few steps which of course made all the sheep frantic and try to bolt. Through last second slamming the panel across the opening I stopped the stampede, and the only escapee was Rouen, but it was close.

I went ahead and shut the rest into the barn, and set up another catch pen for Rouen. I expected a long drawn out walk down, but surprisingly she came right in the new pen. I started folding the pen down to a smaller space so I could catch her easier. At the last second she saw a two inch opening between the panels and made a dive for it. I also dived and grabbed her. So there we were at a standoff of sorts. She was down on her knees, head through the panel, determined to get out. I was down on my knees, with a tight grip on her determined to not let her out. The panels acted as a head stanchion on her and I couldn't get her backwards, not to mention that they were toppling down on us. After much muttering on my part, and unwiring a panel I got us to the barn and shoved her in. I mean, really, Rouen was that necessary? She just looked smug and started eating hay. I fully realize that if age was not slowing the old gal down, I would have never won that battle. Rouen is 10 this year, but she can still cause a ruckus. After she was safely tucked into the barn, I noticed my arm was bleeding--probably from gouging it on one of the cattle panels. Another to add to the yearly "Rouen" induced injury list. Lest you think Rouen is a wild out of control sheep, she isn't. She is very sweet, loves scritches and treats and much attention. However she is a very alert watchful sheep and she has a thing about being 'caught up' for various treatments. She can tell immediately if something is amiss and will remove herself from the area--you can only hope you aren't standing in her way.

Rouen induced injury number......

On the weather front, we just missed getting a bunch of snow. A little further west and north they got 12 inches and more in places. Here we got a little freezing rain, some sleet, and lots of rain. I think it's suppose to rain throughout the day and then warm up tomorrow. I'm ready for it.

Ice sculpture outside the window

Yesterday when it was so nasty the birds were just besides themselves. They were constantly at the feeder and fussing at and jostling each other around. It looked like something out of newscast for Black Friday.

The drive-thru was a madhouse......

..and you wouldn't believe the lines at the store!

No new lambs yet, but there are a couple of ewes that are toying with me. Getting up in the night to do barn checks isn't working out too well. Once I get up the kittens think it's time to wake up and play and play and play. I'm sure kittens can play quietly, but they choose not to in the middle of the night. It's much more fun to thunder through the house crashing onto and into anything in their path. I'm getting a little sleep deprived. I wouldn't even being going out to check on the ewes if they weren't acting so fishy all the time. The annual 'mess with the shepherd's mind' game has begun.

That's all that's happening here. Hopefully I'll get shearing re-scheduled soon and the sun will come out and the temperatures will warm up. I've got some pictures to post of the little ram lamb, but they aren't very good. He is always on the move, and getting restless for some playmates!

Have a great week!
(p.s. Coming soon---kitten character review.. or something like that.)

Oh Wretched Spring....

Surely not you too? Must you follow the miserable steps of Winter?

Today is your day, Spring. But where are you? Why didn't you show up?

Are you in the face of the sad, (stubborn) dog who waits at the gate in the rain?

Or in the pile of cats on the unmade bed? Frankly this looks more like Winter to me.

The cold dismal rain that falls, doesn't feel like your warm, life giving drops, Spring.

I don't see you in this dejected rooster standing huddled in the rain, either....(and neither do I know why he was standing in the rain)

Or, in the (unshorn) sheep piled up in the barn out of the cold, miserable rain.

Ah..but wait! Here you are! Spring has shown up after all. Ants in the house. Of course, yes, it's Spring...

Disclaimer: This was posted in a fit of the sulks. Yes, today was suppose to be shearing day. It's not. It's raining, it's getting very cold and we will most likely have snow by nightfall. Bitter you ask? Yes, yes, I am.