Critters

We lucked out

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The predicted blizzard conditions we were getting warnings about, passed well to the south of us. Once it swept down from the mountains and across Alberta, the system made its way mostly along the Canada/US border.

I guess there are some advantages to being further north!

What we did get was wind.

And deer.

Five of them!

The two in front are our usual visitors. The three in back are new ones. As least, that we’ve seen. For all I know, they visit when we’re not around to see them.

Unfortunately, the three visitors decided the chokecherry and saskatoon twigs were delicious!

After I took the video, I turned the living room light on, so they could see me, then waved my arms around like a fool. The two regulars ignored me, but the ones eating the twigs went away. And that’s all I wanted!

The two regulars came back later.

They were digging down really deep into the snow, to try and find more seeds!

This is what the area looked like this morning, after I put more seeds out.

That deep hole is almost completely filled in, and the snow is hard packed, from the high winds.

This wasn’t the only area blown over. I actually had to push my way through a drift, just to get outside!

It even drifted into the kibble house, though the cats did a good job of flattening it.

Check out the heated water bowl!

After knocking the snow out of the kibble trays and putting food out, I dug out the water bowls, knocking a thick layer off the top of the heated bowl. There was still water in it, though it was lot enough the cats would have had difficulty reaching it through that hole.

I ended up letting Potato Beetle out of the sun room this morning. He’d trashed a few things, trying to get out. He’s not injured anymore, and the only reason we were keeping him in was to prevent other cats from attacking him again. He was happy to be out, and hopefully, he will manage to keep away from whichever cats have been aggressive towards him.

Once the sun room door was open, though, Agnoos, Tuxedo Mask and Chadiccus were right in there! So I left the power bar on, for the light, heat bulb and the other heated water bowl, and left the doors open. When I was done and ready to come inside, I left the doors open just a little bit, so the cats can go in and out. I think there might have been four in there, at the time. We’ve since spotted Tuxedo Mask through the bathroom window, in his favourite spot on top of the board the heat bulb’s fixture is attached to, and under the light. The plan is to close the sun room all up again, after we go out and shovel out at least some of the paths – the wind chill is still pretty extreme right now – but we might have difficulties getting the cats out when we do! :-D

The Re-Farmer

ps: Just for fun, I compiled some short videos I got of the piebald deer, a few days ago. Turn your sound up, and you’ll hear the purring and chomping noises from Susan, who kept trying to eat my phone while I was taking video!!

Yard critters, incoming storm

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This morning was another contradictory one, where the temperature was pretty decent and warming up, but the winds made it insanely bitter outside!

I got some photos yesterday, of the piebald deer visiting again. Her face was packed with snow, from digging under to find the seeds that had been blown over.

Check out where she is, in relation to the bird bath! For the snow to be that high – and hard backed enough to hold her weight – is really something!

The piebald chases these two away if they come around.

I got this photo before heading outside this morning. They’re really digging into the snow to find seeds! When I came around with my little bucket of feed, they ran off, but watched me from the trees. When I next looked through the living room window shortly after finishing up outdoors, they were already back.

The outside cats were quite enjoying breakfast, sheltered from the bitterly cold wind that was coming from the south.

We are still getting blizzard warnings. One patch of snow has already passed us by, and we did not get much snow, compared to areas to the south of us. There is more visible on the weather radar I can see is on its way. The forecasted high has dropped, while the expected amount of snow has increased.

Thankfully, we can hunker down and wait it out. I feel for the people who have to drive in this!

The Re-Farmer

Strrrreeeeeetttttcccchhhh!!!

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Oh, would you look at this lady!

Just luxuriating!

I love her stripy belly.

We had some concerns about a red spot on the incision showing up, but it seems to be almost gone now.

Beep Beep is one of the cats we’ve been allowing in to “meet” Nosencrantz and Butterscotch, even though she tends to be one of the meaner cats. Butterscotch has snarled at her just like any other cat that goes by, but Beep Beep has been pretty laid back about the whole thing.

Doing the morning rounds today was surprisingly painful. Yesterday was colder, but there was pretty much no wind and bright sunshine. I did the shoveling without even wearing gloves. This morning, though we were at a much milder -19C/2F, the wind chill was -32C/-26F. It still is the same as I write this, several hours later. That wind burns!!!! My fingers got colder in the time it took to set out kibble and water this morning, than in all the time it took me to shovel, yesterday.

We had snow all night, but not a lot of it. Mostly lots of wind. The bulk of the system passed to the south of us. We still have blizzard warnings, which is supposed to hit us tonight and through tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’re supposed to get 10-15cm/4-6in of snow and high winds. They’re not saying we’re supposed to get a high of -9C/16F, but with 42km/h winds (26mph), it’s going to feel a LOT colder!

Looks like we’ll be digging all the paths out again.

Potato Beetle is still in the sun room. My husband spent some time cuddling with him, because he was lonely. Potato Beetle, I mean. Not my husband. ;-) That gave me the chance to get a good look at the wound on his neck.

I got a better look at the older wound on his forehead, and that’s healing up quite nicely. He’s managed to clean himself up, so there was no longer a big dark patch of dried blood on his neck and ear. I also could not find the wound! I could feel a small lump on his neck, but not see anything but a bit of matter fur. Potato Beetle let my husband skritch his neck in the area, so it’s clearly not hurting him. This is encouraging. From the size of the blood patch, I thought he might need stitches, but it looks like he lucked out again. The last time we thought he might need stitches and took him into the vet, he had several puncture wounds on his back leg – likely from a coyote – but did not need stitches.

This boy has probably used up a few of his nine lives!

Still, we’ll see about keeping him in the shelter and safety of the sun room for a bit longer.

The Re-Farmer

Cat stuff, and a Cabbages update

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Well, I’m happy to say that I did make it into town today, and was able to pick up some more wet and dry cat food.

But, before I get into how that went, I have Cabbages news!

The cat lady contacted me about her wanting to drop off her own carriers in town for me to pick up and use, since the next cats that go to the vet for their spay and vaccinations will not be coming home with us. This way, we won’t be trying to figure out when/how to get our carriers back for the next pair of cats.

She also let me know that Cabbages is doing very well right now. In fact, her husband is saying she’s starting to get too fat! She’s still on a special diet, and getting weekly vet checks to make sure her brain is okay, and that there is no relapse.

Now that she’s better, she has no time for the cat lady anymore! She only has time for her 5 yr old daughter, who dresses her up and has tea parties with her, every day.

*melt*

As we were talking, I found out something surprising. I had understood that, after the adoptable cats had their visit with the vet, they would be going to fosters for recovery, then adoption. No! They will be spending 2 weeks with the cat lady to recover, then going to the fosters while they await adoption!

As the intake person, she is not allowed to adopt any of the cats, as that would be a conflict (the organization she’s with pays for all the food, etc. for the fosters, who are volunteers, not employees). She mentioned saying goodbye to a tuxedo they had for 30 days that just went to a new home this week, and how the entire house was in tears over it. She sent a picture, and he looks SO much like a tuxedo we had years ago, it was disorienting. This was something the family and I have been talking about; how hard it must be to spend to much time caring for cats, then having to say goodbye to them, over and over.

Cabbages is a different situation. They took her in without the usual process, because Cabbages was sick, then took on all the expenses themselves. Cabbages will have been with them for a lot longer than 30 days by the time she’s ready to go to the forever home the cat lady found for her. This is not through the organizations normal adoption process, either.

Which just blows me away, because they spent a LOT of money out of their own pocket to save Cabbages’ life!

If you would like to contribute to our fundraiser to reimburse the cat lady for Cabbages’ vet bills, click on the button below, or click here. If you would like to read more about it, click here.

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What an amazing family. I am just so happy we connected with them when we did!!

Meanwhile…

Before heading out this afternoon, we set up the sun room for Potato Beetle, who is being beat up by other cats and getting injured. My daughter had gone out a few times to find him, but it wasn’t until I headed out to the garage that I spotted him in the outer yard and was able to grab him. I left him to my daughter’s care and headed into town.

I had been afraid of this. The big bags of kibble have been out of stock a lot for months, now. As you can see, they had a sale on, too. At Walmart, I can get big bags of dry kibble – if they’re in stock – at an better price, but driving to a city was not an option today. The big bags are typically 7kg (about15lbs) in size, which is why I like to get the Kirkland brand at Costco; they are 9kg (almost 20lbs) and a better price. The remaining smaller bags that you can see at the top of the photo are 4kg (almost 9lbs), and their full price is the same as the sale price for the big bags! I didn’t have a choice, though, and had to get 2 of them. At least I was able to get some wet cat food at a sale price, though not in a case, as I normally would have gotten, or even the types I wanted to get. The cats prefer the shredded or chunky cat food, but there was just one type of shredded left, so I got some pate as well. Enough to last us until next week, when hopefully there will be more inventory and we can get more.

After picking up a few other things while I had the chance, I sent a quick message to let the family know I was on the way – and that I’d forgotten to grab the wagon before I left. So when I got home, one of my daughters was waiting for me at the garage with the wage, to help me bring things in. I tried to quickly get into the sun room to tend to Potato Beetle so she could bring the wagon in for unloading, but he was right at the door when I opened it, and got out. It took a while, but I was finally able to get him and bring him back. At least that gave my daughter time to unload the wagon, and even refill the kibble bin. Fresh kibble was enough to distract Potato Beetle enough that he didn’t try escaping again.

I still couldn’t get too close a look at his wound; I just see a dark patch of dried blood on his neck fur. Which hopefully means there is no gaping wound hidden by his fur. Hopefully, he will be content in the sun room, with his very own food and water, litter box, cozy beds and even a heat lamp – and no other cats trying to beat him up!

When Potato Beetle came back after being missing for months, he had been the aggressive one, attacking other cats, but never to the point of injury like this. We don’t know which cat did this to him, but I have my suspicions it was The Distinguished Guest. My daughter thought it might be Agnoos.

Well, at least he’s safe in the sun room for now.

It will be good when he is finally brought in to the vet, then adopted out. He can be such a sweet, snuggly box, and I think he’ll make an awesome house cat. Plus, no more injuries from other critters!!

The Re-Farmer

Well, I pulled a dumb

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But first, the fun stuff.

Butterscotch and Nosencrantz are still being kept apart in my bedroom/office (which is about twice the size of the sun room they just spent 2 weeks in), but we are allowing some of the more chill cats in and introducing them.

Nosencrantz will sometimes hiss at cats when they come too close, but not always. Lots of tentative sniffing going around. Then I put Nosencrantz next to David, and she lay down beside him, all snuggled up, for a while.

David is a favourite snuggle cat. It’s not unusual to find two or three other cats using him as a pillow, or mashed up against him.

Butterscotch, on the other hand, has discovered the laundry basket bed in the corner of my closet, and moved right in. The few times she’s come out, she’s tucked herself under a chair and snarled at any cat that comes into view. Which seems to confuse the other cats, because they typically didn’t even notice her until she made noise. However, if I am petting her as they go by, she is fine and even allows some sniffing to happen.

The forecast we had for things to slightly warm up turned out to be completely wrong. Early this morning, we hit -40C/-40F, and that was without the wind chill. So I waited until things “warmed up” to -27C/-17F before I headed outside. I hoped the cats would stay in their shelters longer if I did that, but no. They were outside, waiting for me, when I came out! They are made of sturdier stuff than I am!

Nutmeg is tired of winter, too!

I got word back from our mechanic about our van. It’s going to need a new alternator and, after taxes, we’re looking at close to $600. So that’s going to have to wait until the end of the month, and we’ll have to juggle our budget to pay for it. Until then, we will thankfully be able to use my mother’s car.

This morning, I decided to move it from the addition on the garage it gets parked in, and into the main garage area where the van is usually parked. Where her car is, the doors don’t open well, one of them is breaking, and it barely fits. We pull in closer to the inner wall, which means if I have a passenger, they have to get out before hand, because the door can’t open. The outer wall has shelving and a counter against it. I park at a bit of an angle, so that I can open the driver’s door enough to get out comfortably, without the door hitting the edge of the counter. If we have anything to unload in the back seat, it has to be unloaded before doing into the garage.

Which is a distraction that can lead to forgetfulness.

After clearing the snow and opening the doors, I discovered I made a dumb.

I forgot to plug in the car.

No surprise that it wouldn’t start.

I plugged it in, then continued clearing in front of the garage. It’s just light snow, but not something I want to build up.

Because we are now getting blizzard warnings, too!!!

Today is Thursday. Apparently, it’s supposed to start snowing tonight, and keep snowing through Saturday, when it’s supposed to warm up to -12C/10F, and get as much as 10cm/4in of snow.

*sigh*

Before heading inside, I tried starting my mother’s car again. It sounded better, but still wouldn’t start, and I didn’t want to push it. It sounds like the battery is frozen. My mother’s car has a block heater, battery warmer and trickle charger, so it should just need a bit of time. I’ve left the south facing doors open, so that the sun can warm up the black car a bit, and will try again later.

I can’t believe I forgot to plug it in. :-(

This is not a minor thing.

Years ago, while living in BC, my husband and I rented a car to surprise the family with a Christmas visit. The rental car didn’t have a block heater; no rental place we called had cars with block heaters. We stopped for the night in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, when temperatures plummeted to -61F/-78F with the wind chill. Much to our surprise, it started in the morning, but broke down soon after we reached the highway. This was in the days before cell phones, so my husband got out to walk for help. Stupid dangerous, but he got picked up by a tow truck. We spent another 3 days in Swift Current, waiting for the car to thaw out in a garage, before finally taking the train the rest of the way. We eventually learned that the engine block had cracked in the cold.

Thankfully, we haven’t hit temperatures that severe, but it can still do damage. And with the van at the garage in town already, this is our only transportation.

After coming back in and talking about it with my husband, he told me something I hadn’t known. My FIL had forgotten to plug in his car, the night my MIL had a brain aneurism, shortly after New Year’s. They didn’t live far from the hospital, but the car wouldn’t start, and he had to wait for an ambulance. Given the circumstances, it would have made no difference if he’d gotten her to the hospital sooner, but for a long time after that, in the winter my FIL would regularly ask my husband if he remembered to plug in our vehicle.

This is not something to take lightly. Especially when living as relatively isolated as we do, now.

I will give it a bit more time, then try and start it again. I’m supposed to go into town to pick up some things at the grocery store today. Before the blizzard hits! We’re running low on cat food again.

*sigh*

February is always the hardest month of winter. Everyone is so tired of the cold and snow by then. This year, we had those few really warm days that teased us with hints of spring. Looking at the long range forecast, immediately after the blizzard is done, temperatures are supposed to drop again, then slowly get milder through into March.

Which would be nice, if it happens.

The Re-Farmer

Just a bit of snow…

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It snowed through most of yesterday, and through the night. Big, light, fluffy snow.

Lots of it.

The forecast was for 5-10 cm (about 2-5 inches), and I think we did get close to 10 cm. It was so light and fluffy, though, it made for easy shoveling.

In the paths, at least.

It also made it easier for the cats to move around in it, too.

Along the wall and into the old kitchen garden is what I had to dig out yesterday morning, to free the sump pump hose. That also required breaking the diverter free from the ice that had connected it to the downspout, then breaking up enough of the packed snow at the other end, to finally be able to move it out of the way. We’ll have to make sure it goes back before things start to melt, since it’ll be a while before the rain barrel can be put back there.

After clearing all the paths, which went much faster than usual, it took a bit more to clear the wheel barrow!

We had left it leaning against the tree is one more little shelter for the cats to use. And they did use it – until it got mostly filled with snow.

This is next to where the main paths form a T, so there was a taller than usual pile of snow right at the wheelbarrow. A lot of it was pretty hard packed by now, so it took a bit of breaking it apart with the ice chipper, just to be able to use the snow shovel.

That ice chipper has been getting so much use this year!! Mostly for snow, not ice.

This is why we need the wheelbarrow. We need to remove the snow from around the old basement window – which can’t be seen in the photo. It does have a cover over it, plus a drift in front of it. The shallow storage container visible in the photo was in front of where the sump pump hose comes out of the wall, and is now sitting on the drift, right in front of the basement window.

It hasn’t been a problem in previous winters since we’ve moved here, but we have enough snow this year that it will melt and drain right into the basement window, which is below grade. This is a fairly small corner, and there just isn’t room for the snow, so we’ll have to haul it out of the yard.

In the process, I want to dig that path down more to the ground, so that the hose from the sump pump has a downward grade again. Right now, there is a bit of a “hill” of snow it’s running across.

As soon as things are clear enough, we need to run that hose into the old kitchen garden again. I don’t want it draining this close to the well. Not a problem while the ground is still frozen, but if we have a more average summer, the old basement does get quite wet, and the sump pump will go off regularly.

Anyhow.

Getting most of that snow out of the corner is a job we will do, little by little, as weather permits.

The Re-Farmer

Who is this strange cat?

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So Nosencrantz has adapted pretty much instantly to being inside.

She just could not get enough attention from my daughter!

Butterscotch was a bit harder to get inside. She kept hiding in different places in the old kitchen. We tried luring her with food, catnip, her favourite bed from the sun room… no go. We really needed to get her out of there, though, as this room has no heat source, and who knows if it has any insulation. Back in the day, it was kept warm in winter with the constantly burning wood cookstove.

Eventually, she tucked herself into the corner of a shelf, and my younger daughter was able to reach her. Some pets and ear skritches, and Butterscotch eventually came out. We managed to quickly get her into the cat carrier and brought her in to my room.

Now, we’ve tried to bring Butterscotch in before, which she hated so much. Whether it was in the sun room, when we turned it into a maternity ward, several years ago, or when we turned the new basement into a maternity ward, with the intention of turning both her and Beep Beep into indoor cats, it was a disaster. Tearing through a screen door is one thing. Killing her own kittens was a whole new level.

As an outdoor cat, she had her moods. She did allow attention, and liked to be carried, but she was not a cuddly cat. She was not above suddenly deciding to get mean, either.

So… who is this, then?

Once in my room, she started looking around, and let me pick her up and put her on the bed.

That was several hours ago. She has yet to leave it.

Not only that, but when I sat to pet her, she snuggled her head into my hand, using it as a pillow, while I pet her, purring mightily. She even rolled onto her back, giving me the best view of her surgical scar we’ve had since we got her spayed.

Once we were done petting her, she just curled up and stayed on the red blanket on my bed that is a favourite spot for most of the cats. Not even napping, really. Just lying there, content and purring.

Who is this cat?

Since she’s been inside, we have allowed Fenrir into the room. Fenrir was curious about Nosencrantz, they sniffed each other, and Fenrir growled at her. Which is typical Fenrir.

Butterscotch watched from her spot on the bed, and that was it. I suppose it’s possible they might remember each other, since Fenrir showed up as a kitten and got adopted by Beep Beep and Butterscotch, letting her nurse with their own kittens, but it was more Beep Beep that took care of her than Butterscotch. It’s been a few years since they’ve seen each other.

As I sit and write this, I can hear Nosencrantz checking out the door. She wants to go out and explore.

Butterscotch is now asleep on the red blanket.

It should be interesting to see how they do, during their first night inside. I suspect Nosencrantz will try and get into all sorts of things.

The way things are going, I might wake up to Butterscotch cuddles!

What a change!

The Re-Farmer

Let’s back up a bit…

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So, before we discovered issues where happening with the sump pump, our morning was pretty routine! :-D

The piebald deer was back again. Later on, I saw our usual pair coming by, and I think a singleton that’s starting to come by more often.

While puttering around the kitchen and heating up water for the outside cats, I spotted this camouflaged at, watching me through the window!

Inside cats, watching outside cat! :-D

I count fourteen in this photo.

I’m seeing Potato Beetle regularly again, and that wound on his head is looking like it really doesn’t like the cold! He won’t let me look to closely, though. :-(

With Butterscotch and Nosencrantz transitioning indoors, I’ll be able to leave the sun room doors open behind me while doing the morning rounds, again. Agnoos and Tuxedo Mask miss going into there! :-D

The Re-Farmer

Morning critters

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Well, this is a first!

This is the usual pair of deer that come by every day, sometimes several times a day. Yesterday, they were coming close, even as they could see me shoveling snow. This morning, the little one was comfortable enough to actually lie down!

Unfortunately, I ran out of feed. Hopefully, my mom’s car handled the cold snap all right, and I can use it to run some errands today.

Hopefully, we’ll also get word on the status of our van!

I just had to try and get a picture of Beep Beep, who jammed herself in between her babies, Layendecker and Big Rig. She moved while I was talking the picture, so it’s not as clear, but Layendecker is at least double her size!! He’s more than double her weight. Hard to believe she grew this boy. :-D

The outside cats were out in full force this morning!

I count 15 in the picture. There was one more that ran out of camera view. With the two in the sun room, that’s 18. Rozencrantz and Ghost Baby are not in sight, which means all are accounted for. Even The Distinguished Guest, whom I was able to pet, while putting the food out. :-)

Tomorrow is supposed to get even warmer than today’s high, but we’re also supposed to get another 5-10cm of snow, so if we’re going to get any errands done, today is the day!

I don’t want to go anywhere.

The Re-Farmer

Hello, Kitties

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We have not had an update on Cabbages recently, which means she has been doing well. The last news we had was posted here.

If you would like to contribute to our fundraiser to reimburse the cat lady for Cabbages’ vet bills, click on the button below, or click here. If you would like to read more about it, click here.

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The cold temperatures are hanging in there, but the outside cats seem to be doing quite well.

I often see them running around on the security camera live feed. I do wonder, though, about the times when I see half a dozen of them, all running back and forth on the driveway at the same time! :-D

Nosencrantz and Butterscotch remain in the sun room. Technically, we can let them out now, but with these temperatures and their shaved bellies, that wouldn’t happen, even if we weren’t considering bringing them indoors permanently. With Nosencrantz up for adoption, it would be just easier that way. Butterscotch… we’ll give it a try again. She came out when I set fresh food out for them, but didn’t really want attention, and kept moving away when I came near. Unlike Nosencrantz, who will happily accept being picked up and cuddled!

We’ve talked about bringing them in and have decided to wait until after the spice girls, Saffron and Turmeric, go. They are booked for their surgeries on Feb. 23. We drop them off in the morning, then the cat lady will pick them up in the afternoon, where they will be delivered to the fosters that are ready and waiting for them, to recover then be adopted out. With Cabbages unexpectedly leaving when she did, we now have 15 cats in the house. It’s probably not a good idea to make it 17, when two more are leaving in such a short time. I’m sure Nosencrantz will handle the transition just fine. Not so sure about Butterscotch.

It does mean we will be visiting them in the sun room as often as we can, and providing them with more toys to keep them happy.

Beep Beep looks like such a kitten in this photo!! Hard to believe she’s a minimum of 7 years old. It’s also hard to believe that such a tiny cat made such big babies. Cheddar and Layendecker, who are a couple of years apart in age, didn’t start big, but both grew into such hefty boys. They totally dwarf her. Even Big Rig is bigger than she is, though they are so much alike, I often get them mixed up. Only Saffron remains smaller, while Turmeric is almost caught up in size.

Beep Beep and Fenrir have recovered so well from surgery, I forget they even had it, until Beep Beep starts rolling and I see her belly.

Fenrir doesn’t roll like that. Ever. Checking her belly is a two person job.

I wonder how well Beep Beep and Butterscotch will remember each other, when we try bringing Butterscotch indoors? For all we know, Butterscotch is her mother. They’ve shared the parenting of litters every year we’ve been here, with Butterscotch more than happy to leave her babies with Beep Beep as much as she could. I’m sure they’ll remember each other at least a little bit, even if they haven’t seen each other in almost 2 years. Whether that means they’ll be friendly with each other or not, is anyone’s guess! :-D

The Re-Farmer