aka our zoo

We've been living in the house for two months now and I haven't properly introduced most of our inhabitants.

We did a lot of adjusting to make sure that all of the animals have a place in our house.  We even had to add a door to ensure that the cats stay downstairs and the dogs cannot get to them.  So at times our place feels a little maze-like, but whatever it works!

My two cats are living in the basement.  I've talked a lot about them on this blog before.  We have Pretty...

Ignore my out-of-date glasses

And Stitch.

I love the new editing features on the iPhone, made Stitch look really pretty

You probably know a lot about them already - they are two very sweet, friendly cats.

Next up the Dogs, First there is Bella.  She's a bit of an attention whore and she loves to lick.  Whenever someone comes over or us coming home she immediately has to go get a toy.  She's a good listener... sometimes.

See the Beanie Babies in the background?  Those are now dog toys

Then we have Daddy, he's a sweetheart and loves to cuddle.  He's much more mellow than Bella, but lately when I get home from work he'll jump up and down.  I've watched him with their newly acquired yard and he just frolics around... it's adorable.  He also is the one that likes to catch small animals (squirrels, dogs, cats, etc) so we really have to watch him when it comes to that.  He's also the pretty boy

He crossed his legs how adorable

Daddy and Bella have a pretty interesting relationship.  She bosses him around, demands attention from anyone giving him attention and will bark or bother him when he is comfortable somewhere.  I've seriously watched them during the day where he is napping and Bella will bark at something outside and he'll come running even though there's really nothing outside in the first place.  They are good together.  Before I met Dan he didn't have either of them fixed so they actually had puppies together (not his plan).  They are both fixed now.

Oh also, let me brag on them (and Dan)... when you start to eat these dogs go and sit in their kennels or on their bed and don't bother you.  You don't even need to tell them to go lay down... they just do it!  It's really pretty impressive!
 

Bella sitting on Daddy, while he was in his kennel... no where else you could lay Bella?

Both wanting to me on my lap at the same time

We also have Ms. Loud-Mouth and the b!tch... or her actual name - Quina.  She doesn't like me very much.  The only times she really lets me pick her up is if she flies into a room looking for Dan and he isn't there... I guess perching on my finger is easier for her than walking back haha.  She is pretty entertaining to watch and the noises she makes - well, they are pretty entertaining too.  She liked to talk and jibber-jabber to herself a lot.  I wish I could post a video - but I'm not sure how to.  She likes to make noise when the TV is on especially (and when you mute suddenly she's quiet too)  So far she doesn't really say anything, although she can laugh, which is pretty adorable.
 

A rare time on my shoulder

Bribed her with the hair thingy

That's all the animals living in our house... when someone new comes over the dogs have been doing the big scary barks (although they are totally good with people).  Then the bird starts squawking... it's quite the commotion.  I bet people think we never have a quiet house, but we do, they just get excited about seeing new people :)

Welcome to our zoo!

Reflection: Living with Four Cats

The short: Four cats is TOO MANY.

The long:

When I moved back home I took my two cats - Pretty Kitty and Stitch - with me.  It was very nice of my mom to let the cats come too.  Since she already had two of them (and dislikes having them)

Pretty is in the background and Stitch in the front

They joined my mom's two cats - Cocoa (the mean one) and Snickers (the fat one)

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did think that Snickers wouldn't really care and Cocoa would be mean and grumpy.  I think I was about half right, b/c Cocoa was still mean and grumpy, but Snickers did care that they were there.

She pretty much antagonized Pretty from the get go.  You see, my cats are fairly small.  Stitch is about 8.5 pounds and Pretty is about 8 pounds.

 

While Cocoa is probably more along the lines of 12 pounds (total guess) and Snickers is a wopping 18-20 pounds.

 

Snickers on the left and Cocoa on the right

 

Snickers just picked on the cats from the beginning - especially Pretty (she is the more social cat).  Sounds came from Pretty that I have never heard before.  Snickers would chase Pretty around the house and there would be these horrible hissy/growly/moany sounds.  Real fun to hear in the middle of the night...

Things got better over time and they weren't as hissy, but I really think that Snickers is going to miss having these two cats to chase around.

 

 

 

I learned something about the cats while having all four of them in the house together.  Pretty and Snickers are a lot alike.  They like to be around people and will follow us around or dart into the bathroom if they know that's where we are headed.

 

 

And Stitch and Cocoa are a lot alike.  They stay more away from people (although Stitch like people and Cocoa just hisses and growls).  They keep more to themselves and enjoy the same spots always.

Cocoa really didn't come around to the cats... but no one really expected her to.  She's grumpy.  She did finally warm up to me - but it took several months of trying before that happened.

 

 

I know my mom is happy to go back to the two cats b/c well... four cats is just too many.  They make bigger messes (throw up all the time... although I really think this is a Snickers problem since she gobbles up food faster than her stomach can take it evidenced by the mostly undigested food... but I know that ALL cats puke).  You don't really know which cat is causing the problem (poop on the floor... who did it... my guess - Cocoa just b/c we've caught her in the act before... oh and she peed on Lindsey... that's a new one)

 

 

My cats mostly stayed in my room.  Stitch especially.  Cats are so funny they do this thing where the "follow" you except they are in front of you.  They try to anticipate your next move.  Like if I'm headed down the hallway and think I'm head for the bathroom they will dart in there, only to realize I'm actually headed to my room so quickly come in there.

 

Cats are great pets... despite what people may think.  They are fun, social, entertaining, cuddly, loveable and just enjoyable to own.  I hope that the move goes well with them and we get the basement set up in a way that makes sense.  I am still working that out.

So in conclusion - cats are great, don't have four!

If I could have anything for my birthday

 This post is sad to me... really sad...

I have to find a new home for my cats...  there I said it.

Dan and I would like to move in together, and in order to do that I have to find a new home for my cats.  It makes me so unbelievably sad.  I've had both of them since they were kittens and they love me so much and I love them... but it's just not possible (trust me I've thought through all of the possible ways)

We had thought about renting a house, and with more space I was hopeful that we could figure out a way to make it work... since the issue is his dogs are aggressive with cats.  I hoped that with time and desensitization that it could be possible for everyone to live in the same home.  I have since realized that we'll never be able to trust the dogs and the cats together... and would I really want to put my sweet kitties in a situation where they might die?

Past that the house thing isn't going to work out and we are on the waiting list for a 2-bedroom apartment in the complex he currently lives in.  I just can't see four animals in a 2-bedroom apartment... five if you include the new bird... so I know that just isn't going to work... and it makes me so sad.

I could tell you just how sad and how it makes me me start crying when I really think about it.  Or how it's hard to be around them knowing that I'm going to have to give them to someone else... Ugh... no need to bask in that sadness...

The thing if I'm hashed and re-hashed potential situations of where they could go... but there's just not a clear solution... people are either allergic, already have animals or just don't like cats... and it sucks.  It sucks I can't take them it sucks they have no where to go... it just plain sucks.

The absolute last thing I want to do is leave them at a shelter... that would be horribly awful... I just can't...

So that's what it is... I have no solution...and it just constantly makes me sad.  I am so excited to move in with Dan.  I'm excited to live with him and I'm excited to have my stuff out of storage!  I'm hopeful about living together... this cat thing just weighs very heavy on that... and it's my own fault.

So going back to the title of the post... If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a solution for the cats.  A loving place for them that just makes sense.  That's what I want for my birthday and nothing else... it's weird how serious I am about that.  So if anyone has any ideas...

Our new Addition

This weekend we got a new addition to the family... Bear. Bear is a pitbull and totally adorable. My cousin Ashley is not able to keep him anymore (which is sad b/c she and her kids love that dog) but Chad is in love with him and offered to take him... that way they can still come and visit. I think he will be a good additional to our family... once he and the cats get use to one another... I've included some pictures of him along with our other furbabies.

Here's Bear's best picture I've taken thus far... I'm sure there will be more... I love his color


He found one of Bozley's rawhides and loves it!!Here's where Chad had been for the last hour... on the floor playing with the dogs...


Aww... kisses




Here's after we let the dogs outside... Chad had to go get Stitch and give her loves... it's going to take awhile for her to get use to the new additionHere's just a great picture of Boz... goofy dog
Here's Pretty laying in one of her favorite spots on my coat in a little ball... so cute


I tried to take a picture of Stitch's favorite spot but the dog walked right in front of the pictureHere it is... The cats are smart and lay on the vents where the hot air comes out... Here's an adorable picture of Stitch... looks comfy doesn't it?

Our Family

I know I just posted about the tree... but I took a couple of pictures of our animals too and I just wanted to share.

Here's Stitch in the window... such a "classic" cat pose

And speaking of "classic" cat poses, how about this... prefect for a black cat
Here's Bozley laying on her new pillow... she's finally getting the point of it

A
Here's Pretty Kitty, she's such an adorable cat but she is just not the most photogenic
Here's Stitch laying on me while I was Christmas shopping online
Here's pretty under the tree... as long as they stay under the tree I'm fine with it!!

Our Kitty Cats

I really wanted to write a post about our adorable kitty cats... I also wanted to include a picture... now I wish I could get a better picture, but geez our cats just do not photograph well for whatever reason...

I want to introduce Pretty Kitty and Stitch!! Stitch is the black cat and Pretty Kitty is the gray striped one.

I have had Pretty Kitty (formerly Ginger or ZigZag) since January of 2005. She came from the Pet Store in Kirksville. Christina (my roommate at the time) and I already had one cat (Bacardi) and we just went to the pet store to look. I fell in love with Pretty. But decided we couldn't get a second cat. A couple of days later we went back and she was still there so we bought her. And it's a good thing we did b/c Christina ended up with Bacardi and I ended up with Pretty. We named her ZigZag... She lived at the frat house (Phi Lambs) for awhile since I couldn't have cats in my apartment. She had loads of adventures there as a kitten. Most notiably was when she jumped out of the second story window b/c some frats boys called her and she jumped... but she was fine just wasted one of her 9 lives.

Shortly there after I changed her name to Pretty Kitty only b/c that's what I always called her and it's what she responds to. The poor cat doesn't have any claws (none on the back either) so she has a hard time scratching her ears. If you start to pet her she never wants you to stop. She's the sweetest cats I've ever seen. She is my baby... she's been with me through a lot... Chad has adopted her as his own, but she'll always be mine at heart (and she knows that too) I love her... she's so pretty...

We've had Stitch since January 2007. Chad and I had been going out for about 6 months at that point. We decided another cat would be a good addition. He really wanted a black cat and I really wanted a fluffy cat. We went down to the Humane Society and looked around... We saw so many adorable kitties and cats... but nothing quite like we wanted (we could have easily fell in love with any animal there!!)... but then we saw a young girl holding a fluffy fiesty black kitten... we hoped they weren't adopting that cat. Luckily they weren't... they put the fluffy fiesty black kitten back in the cage. I made Chad sit next to the cage and make sure no one else took her... Then we were finally able to take her into a room for some meet and greet. She was so adorable running around and playing... she had a gimp tail (which they had shaved down and it looked soo funny) we knew she was the one for us.

Stitch has never let us down... she's still crazy and adorable and fluffy... she's a very lively part of our house. When we got the dog (another post) she was terrified of the dog, but now the play all the time. She's such a charecter and so much fun to have in the house.

I love our cats... they bring me a lot of joy... I can't stand when people say "I'm just not a cat person" b/c until you have one you can't understand how amazing they are as pets. They are just as loving and playful as dogs... I know we've all had an experience with a cat that wasn't good but when you have a cat from a kitten on they are wonderful pets... I know we got lucky with the two we have since they are such social animals, but any cat I've ever had has been a joy... plus you can leave them for a couple of days and they can take care of themselves. I absolutely adore our kitties!!