Reigning Cats And Dogs

The indoor pets here are a primary focus of my life, my animal family, and I work to insure their health and happiness despite limited finances. The dogs enjoy time outdoors when the weather is relatively mild and the snow not too deep:

 And all the dogs and cats get along famously, as this collection of Rocky, Fergus and Clover were demonstrating:

 They even share meal times without quibbling, often even the same bowl. In this case, it was Daisy, Clover and Daphne:

 They all love to share the dog beds and floor pillows in the kitchen corner: Jack, Clover, Daphne, Seamus and Fergus:

 Rocky, Clover and Fergus:

 Elderly Georgette is a bit of an exception. She doesn't mind the dogs, but wants the cats to stay away from her. To that end, she spends most of her time in a doggie bed atop the kitchen table:

 Bramble is sociable with dogs and cats, but not fond of people. It took a decade to get him to enjoy being petted each night, just before I go upstairs to bed. Bramble also has his own bed, this one atop a bureau in the computer room:

 Seamus, Daphne, Clover and Jack outdoors in their fenced run. Fergus was probably behind me when I snapped the picture:

 There's Fergus - but this time, Seamus isn't in the picture:

 All five dogs at last: Daphne, Clover, Seamus, Jack and Fergus:

 Time for bed - the four small dogs on the bed, Seamus on his own big floor pillow:

 Rocky is now 16 years old and beginning to fail. I rushed him to the vet who said his primary problem was dehydration and lack of interest in eating and drinking due to old age. As of this writing, I am administering subcutaneous fluids daily and tempting Rocky with meat, canned tuna, cat food and anything else which may get him to eat or drink. So far, sliced turkey breast is the only thing which has interested him, and that only in tiny amounts - so I'll be sure to keep providing him with sliced turkey. Of course I know that at 16, my old friend won't live much longer, but I want him to be as comfortable as possible as he lives out the rest of his life:

Contented Pets At Home

You've hopefully seen the recent posts about the hikes the dogs got to take. Those hikes tired them out and encouraged them to be contented with sleeping all day, curled up in the farm house kitchen with the cats:

The dogs also like to lounge outdoors in their fenced run, at least when the weather is nice:

Two of the cats in particular are fond of both the dogs and of the floor pillows in the kitchen corner. In this case it was Bramble curled up with Clover, and Rocky on the giant green cushion:

I brought home a Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta) from Walmart one day. I braced myself for him to not live long, but he's done exceptionally well. He sure is pretty:

Why is Georgette not in her bed atop the table? Because it was being washed. Her bed gets both hairy and dirty, both of which incline me to wish it wasn't on the kitchen table. So I wash it when I can:

Daisy and Bugsy sometimes cohabit the top shelf of the tallest cat tree at the top of the stairs. The light is poor there, but they make such a cute pair that I wanted a photo:

The two guinea pigs, Ruby and Meghan, get clean pine shavings every morning. They also get lettuce and carrots each morning. Like the cows and horses, these two are also getting rather tubby:

Lazy days spent outside while the weather is still nice. It won't be long before the temperatures drop and the snow begins to fall:

Daphne, Jack, Seamus and Fergus shared the ramp. It's a favorite resting place:

All five dogs plus Rocky The Cat. Life is good:

Dogs And Cats In October

It's been a comfortable and leisurely autumn for the five dogs and five cats in my life. This photo of Daphne and Clover, sharing a rumpled, fleecy dog bed, is a typical sight around here:

Impish Bramble has not grown out of his love of pushing the water bowls away from the wall to watch them splash, and sometimes manages to move them several feet. I love the innocent, casual look on his face in this picture, as if he was saying, "Me? No, I wasn't pushing or sloshing anything. I was just sitting here, thinking about philosophy:"

On really nice days, especially when I'm working in the barn or fields, the dogs get to stay in their fenced yard:

Georgette spends almost all her life upstairs:

All the cats have access to an upstairs bedroom with hiding places, food and water bowls and a row of litter boxes. I caught Draco eating when I snapped this photo:

The dogs and cats share the floor pillows and doggy beds on the kitchen floor. Seamus seldom used them in the past but often does so now that he's lost a lot of weight:

Seamus, Fergus and Jack - with Clover and Daphne on their ramp in the background:

Seamus and Jack, with the neighbors' barn in the background:

Bramble's favorite perch for watching me while I'm at the computer:

Bramble, Fergus, Daphne, Clover and Seamus:

Seamus, Jack, Fergus, Daphne, Clover and Rocky:

And one last shot of the dogs in their yard. Jack was there too, but hidden by the tall grass:

Happy Pets At Home

Autumn is a comfortable time in the farm house, and most days are spent with dogs and cats lounging around the floor pillows and doggie beds in the kitchen:

With crisp, clear days, the dogs enjoy getting outside to bark their fool heads off:

But then it's right back onto the kitchen floor pillows:

Clover and Daphne, AKA "The Silly Sisters," enjoy curling up together:

Rocky spent his first two years here staying mostly upstairs. But he began coming downstairs recently and immediately began joining the crew on the kitchen floor pillows:

Clover, Daphne and Fergus:

Assorted dogs and cats. It's a good thing they all get along so well:

Draco, Fergus and Snoozey:

Fergus, Daphne, Bramble and Clover:

Old Snoozey is showing his age more and more each day. I figure he will be dying soon, but for how he's comfortable and happy:

Jack and Snoozey are friends:

Mischievous Bramble has laid claim to my computer chair, though he will jump onto the floor when I get within a foot or so of it:

Happy Haunted Halloween - Part 2

Evil lurks this night of nights
And spreads its fear inside your house,
Causing howls and chills and frights
Creatures are stirring, not just a mouse:

A tiger comes from jungles deep
To haunt your very dreams,
To make your jitters upwards creep
Here to stay, or so it seems:

A scary thing with ghoulish howl
Has come to frighten all tonight,
A monster clad in pumpkin cowl
Will put your family all to flight:

From darkest jungles comes the panther
to haunt your every thought,
"I'm afraid" will be your answer
Fearing that you will be caught:

The blue-haired monster rises up
To give you quite a start,
Your dreams he's going to interrupt
And bring a terror to your heart:

Fear the fallen angel too
Who flits about your inward spaces,
Screaming, howling, shouting "Boo!"
Putting terror on all your faces:

Most fearful is the evil witch
With braided orange hair,
She'll make you have a nervous twitch
Then fly on broomstick out of there:

And jungle cats from nightmares past
Haunt your dreams and steel your sleep,
Fear has arrived, the die is cast
Arrived from gloomy jungles deep:

But don't be fooled by cutesy bunnies,
They'll try to trick you into being slow,
Don't let them coo and call you "Honey"
They're really monsters from below:

And, worst of all, the wicked devil
With horns on head and scarlet wings,
Don't trust him, he's not on the level
Fear and dread are his offerings:

So Halloween is almost upon us
The night when all these fearful critters
Haunt the night and cause a ruckus
And turn the bold to timid quitters: