Settling in

We officially moved from the city on August 6. It was quite a day. As soon as we returned from settlement, we began moving everything out.  Needless to say, the animals were wondering what was going on. Colt, was excited just to have more people in the house. That meant more attention. I decided to put his leash on so that he wouldn't be following everyone everywhere.  I brought him were ever I went to keep him occupied.

Our cats were curious as to what was going on, but because we were upsetting their environment they were, understandably, unsettled. As we removed household items, they scampered into a different room. When they felt they were at a safe distance, they would turn around and watch what was going on.  Leia was unphased.

Leia found an alternate use for moving boxes

After several trips moving items from our old house to the new one, we were ready for the final trip. We already brough Colt to the new house, so we brought everyone else in separate cars. The cats were very nervous at this time. Often a car ride and cage means Vet Visit. There were lots of meows , but we eventually made it home. The move was finished at 2:00 am. 

Immediately, the cats began sniffing out the house.  Oreo loves the bay window in the kitchen.

I'd like to say everything went perfectly, but in the chaos of everything, our dog got into the room where we keep the guinnea pigs. I rescued them and  both seemed fine. Unfortunately Chloe passed a few days later.  I felt terrible about that which I think it took me a while to post again. I felt I should have done more to protect her. Winnie is doing fine. We have her on top of the frindge ( strange spot , I know. But we can watch her carefully, she's out of reach of Colt and she is around people). She likes to squeak every time I open the refrigerator. She learned that if she squeaks , I  will usually give her a carrot. 

We are all just about settled in. I'm sure there will be many more adventures in the new home. 

Moving Day is Almost Here

This week has been pretty chaotic. We have been preparing for settling on a new home and for moving at the end of this week.  The cats have taken notice and carefully try to claim whatever they can. When they aren't doing that, they are quietly sitting aside, observing. I often wonder what goes through their minds. 

Earlier this week we had Oreo claiming a plastic box.

When that was used, we had a large cardboard box ready to use.  Yes, you guessed it.  She immediately jumped into it and sat down. She loves to jump into things. It's almost as if she can't resist.

Then, Peanut took notice of the box, and as soon as Oreo left,  Peanut jumped in.

However, I think the best happened this morning. Izzy snuck inside the pantry ( she has a whole routine that she uses in order to open to door)  and found the catnip I hid in there. At first I thought she was looking for the food container, which is not out of the realm of possibilities. She has been known to do that before.  Before we knew it she was rolling around and CHEWING the container. 

See how she made a perfect space to roll around in?

And there she goes, chewing it. She was one happy cat!

Finally, we cut her off. I don't think she minded though:

Spooked

Our newest cat Leia is quite the character.  She's complicated. She loves people and enjoys rubs and pets. However, she has a terrible time getting along with other cats. I think before we had her she was constantly fighting with a cat she lived with. When she joined our Animal Kingdom, she took on the role of agressor. (Much to Peanut's dismay. He is the alpha male in the house and he will not let this happen too easily).   Leia's favorite cat to keep in line is the youngest one, Luna. Luna will avoid Leia at all costs. 

Well, last night I was playing with Colt.  He likes to run around and chase things. Since it was raining, I humored him and jogged around the living room so he could burn off some of that Jack Russel energy. Leia, who was on top of the table and in clear view of the commotion, became spooked. I've never seen her that freaked out before.  She stood up on all four legs, arched her back slowly until she couldn't arch it anymore. The hair on her back stood up and her tail puffed out to about three times its size. Even now, we still are not sure what it was that spooked her so much. But we stopped immediately and calmed her down. 

I think over all, she is very nervous from her past experiences and is trying to compensate for that. We hope that as time goes on, things improve for her. I know the next few weeks are going to be rough for her as we are moving. Any major change is bound to stress the cats out, which will surely slow her progress.  

Colt and Luna's Adventerous Weekend

In a few weeks we will be moving out of the house I've been in for over 19 years. If everything goes as planned, we hope to close on a house out of the city early next month.  In preparation, we are going through our itens and held a Moving Sale.

Part of Colt's nature as a Jack Russel is that he prefers being around everyone all the time. What ever we are doing, he wants to be a part of. 

For example, I had to go to the bank on Friday. Colt, of course, wanted to tag along. Since I didn't need to leave the car, I let him come. The nice lady at the bank even gave him a treat! (Oh yes, looks like this will be a favorite for him.) 

During the Moving Sale, he wanted to be a part of the action. So I grabbed a water bowl and his leash and we set up. He was very good and even went off leash as we were cleaning up.

He had fun greeting everyone and loved the company and attention. You can tell it was quite a day for him.

Speaking of the move, our cat Luna is known for her curiosity. As we were going through items to start packing up for the move, we found a portable radio. She's never seen it before and this was her reaction:

Not too sure about this

What is that thing?

Umm....

You got to love these guys. They keep it interesting! 

Tiny Spaces

 When it comes to squeezing into tight spots, my cats can get pretty creative. Izzy, the calico cat, thinks she MUST sit inside anything that will allow her to. Anything at all.  As my husband says, "If she fits, she'll sit!"

A perfect example is when I was in the kitchen a few days ago. I was finishing up dinner, cleaning up and I turn around and see this:

Photo Credit: Caitlin Gladen

I think she was trying to tell me something. She's subtle like that.  

Izzy also has a habit of sneaking into the pantry. She knows we hide her food and treats in there and she has stolen the treat bag on several occasions. This morning I went into the pantry to grab some cereal and I was greeted by Izzy instead. 

She didn't get to any treats this time, but she sure looked comfortable.  What are some of the  funny spots your pets have claimed?

Updates

We have lots of updates on what I'm starting to call the "Imlay Farmland".  Between working, writing and training Colt, I've been pretty busy. We are also in the process of selling our current home and moving to a more agricultural area. Wish us luck. We're getting last minute drama. 

In the middle of all that, the animals have left us with no shortage of experiences. I wish I wrote them all down in a notepad so I would remember them all. I'll see what I can remember. 

Colt - Colt is our new Jack Russel Terrier we adopted in November shortly after Scooby passed. His story is on the previous blog post. Colt is very lovable and has a big personality.  He follows me everywhere and hates to be alone. He hates thunder and fireworks as well. He enjoys long walks and chasing the ball around. His favorite thing to do? He ADORES car rides. 

The new development for him is a cage. His anxiety was causing him to find and eat harmful things such as a half a bag of Hershey Kisses. We got him a large cage for when I am not home, so he can move around and change positions. He is adjusting well. Sometimes he goes in there on his own when he wants to rest or sleep. 

Luna - Luna had a trip to the vet about a week and a half ago. She started with a UTI and they also administered her vaccines. Her med for the UTI was a long lasting antibiotic shot. (Pet enthusiasts, what are your experiences and thoughts about this? I'm reading mixed reviews) 

Luna's latest adventure was to try and chase a yellow jacket that got into the house. She is one strong willed cat and refuses to accept a "No" from us pesky humans. I got rid of the bee, but not before snapping this pic:

Luna's now back to recovering from her illness, but starting to use the litter box inconsistently. We are hoping her spay surgery on Friday helps with this situation. I suspect this has something to do with our newest cat Leia.  

Leia - Who is Leia you ask? She is technically Luna's older sister. Yes, Leia and Luna are sisters...and they certainly fight like it. Leia's owner had to give her up and "Imlay Farmland" took her in 😉 This has been a difficult adjustment. Luna can be moody and egg on Leia. Leia had a rough time at her old home and can get aggressive to prevent other attacks. Leia is also due for her spaying this Friday, and we hope this will calm her down. 

Izzy, Oreo and Peanut have been sitting back and watching the show. 

What have you and your pets been up to lately?