More Pet Pictures

I snap photos of the pets now and then, whenever I am in the house and have my camera with me. I was running low on photos to use on the blog, but that all changed when I walked into the computer room and saw this mess. I grabbed my camera to record the "joys" of having kittens. They'd knocked the chainsaw bear off of the milk can and then tipped over the waste basket, which was filled with shredded paper and floor sweepings. I figured the only reasonable response was to laugh at the mess and then clean it up:

The dogs are older and less likely to run amok than the two kittens. They prefer the floor pillows in the kitchen corner. In this case it was Fergus, Daphne, Clover and Jack:

On another day, Bugsy joined Clover and Fergus on the big, soft, green floor pillow:

Seamus and Jack stood in the hallway and watched me while I was at the computer:

Then Seamus watched me as I walked into the kitchen. I'm not sure what he wanted, but he watched my every move:

More lounging in the kitchen corner: Fergus, Clover and Caspar:

Daisy likes to sit on the dog food bin so I can pet her whenever I walk by. I try not to disappoint her:

She also follows me into the computer room:

Clover and Caspar:

I caught Sammy Googling something, probably "cat treats:"

Bedtime, with Daphne and Fergus on the bed, and Clover, Jack and Seamus on the floor:

I've been trying hard to get Sammy to trust me. I often give the cats treats when the dogs are outside, and each night before bed, I tire them out chasing the laser pointer. It's a game they love and they clearly expect me to do it again each time I enter the bedroom. All this is working quite well in helping Sammy to trust me:

Dogs And Cats

It's time for another post on the dogs and cats whose presence makes the farm house a home. I'll begin with Sammy, one of the newest and strangest pets. He's terrified of being picked up or restrained in any way, but otherwise friendly and playful. His first trip to the vet is due very soon, and I'm not at all sure how I'll get him into a carrier:

Seamus, Fergus and Daphne like to nap on the yoga mat behind my computer chair:

There are yoga mats and floor pillows in the kitchen also, another favorite hangout for both dogs and cats. This pet collection consisted of Fergus, Clover, Caspar, Bugsy, Seamus and Daphne. You can see how simply walking a straight line in my house can sometimes be complicated:

Sammy and Caspar sleep together sometimes, but not as often as they once did:

For naps and nighttime, the dogs come to the bedroom with me but the cats have to wait outside the door:

All four cats: Daisy, Bugsy, Sammy and Caspar:

Daphne, Clover and Fergus:

Caspar, Fergus and Clover:

And there's Jack, who has thus far been missing from the photos because whenever I stand, he runs to be near my feet. In this case, however, he was content to snooze with Daphne, Clover and Fergus:

The big green bed was supposed to be for Seamus, but he seldom gets to use it:

Sammy:

The sleeping foursome - Daphne, Clover, Fergus and Caspar:

Dogs, Cats And Guinea Pigs

Spring has sprung, but the dogs' lives still consist mostly of sleeping in the kitchen corner:

My Amish neighbor stopped by and tied his horse to the dogs' fence. This horse is not much interested in dogs and doesn't care if they bark or not. The dogs barked for a minute, then gave it up and went about their business. Yes, it snowed that morning, but the snow melted quickly:

Jack lounged comfortably on a fleecy dog bed:

A rare opportunity - finding all four cats together and holding still. Seamus was keeping company with Daisy, Bugsy, Sammy and Caspar:

And Caspar was keeping company with the dogs:

Clover, Seamus and Daphne were comfy and warm in the kitchen corner:

And just when we thought we'd seen the last of the snow, we got yet another surprise snowstorm. At least the snow doesn't last long this time of year:

Daphne, Jack, Seamus, Fergus and Clover:

I found the kittens in the kitchen playing with some kind of white strips. It turned out that they'd broken slats from the brand new window blinds. Ah, the joys of kittens!

And speaking of kittens, Caspar and Sammy each took a kitchen window to guard:

A typical bedtime, with the little dogs on the bed and Seamus on his big floor pillow:

Also in the bedroom are Meghan and Ruby, the guinea pigs of the house:

Dogs And Cats

Sammy is playful and happy in his new home, though he still doesn't let me pick him up:

Each time I walk up the stairs, I have a welcoming committee at the top:

Bugsy, Daisy and Sammy, just outside my bedroom door:

Seamus in the bedroom:

All the dogs ready to sleep - except that Seamus hasn't yet moved to his big, green floor pillow:

Big Time Wrestling, starring Caspar and Sammy:

And Bugsy, quietly contemplating the nonsense which goes on here sometimes:

Daphne, Clover and Fergus in the kitchen corner:

Caspar, sound asleep:

Clover, sound asleep:

Daphne and Fergus:

Seamus and Fergus, looking mighty spiffy after their spring haircuts:

A Visit From The Six Christmas Creeps

'Twas the night before Christmas, and out in the snow
Five dogs did their business at seven below,

Then upstairs to bed at the top of the stairs,
Where dreams of St. Nicholas soon would be theirs,

 Downstairs in comfort lay a cat and a kitty,
Two felines were sleeping and looking quite pretty,

The food dish was filled with holiday treats,
They believed that Christmas was all about eats,

The youngsters rambunctious, unable to sleep,
Awaiting a vision from the six Christmas Creeps,

The first creepy vision was a strange looking sight,
They could tell at a glance that she wasn't quite right,

From up on the roof came a reindeer with bows,
Clearly an oddball by the clothes that he chose,

Santa himself was a small orange mutt,
They could see right away he was kind of a nut,

Next a cat with a mistletoe hat on her head,
From the look in her eyes, she was off of her meds,

A poodle with Santa feet up in the air,
Like the others before, he wasn't all there,

A vision of silliness, wearing a tree,
Decided to stay, eating crackers and brie,

A visit from oddballs on Christmas Eve,
Brought love and laughter for all to receive.