Relationships - part deux

Picking up on Michelle's theme today of 'relationships,' I thought I would talk a little about my own peaceable kingdom.

Abigail is displaying some personality.  She is regularly laying an egg every other day.  When I come in from work each night, Fiona always greets me, and the other three kitties usually do.  If it's not an "egg day," there is silence from the coop as I come in, but if she's layed an egg, Abigail begins to 'chortle' as soon as I come in the door.  Wants me to come and see what she's done!  She seems to love being made over, and cocks her head from side to side while I tell her what a good girl she is.  None of the sounds or other animals seem to bother her, and she seems content in her little cage/coop.  If I leave the door open she doesn't even try to come out.  The indoor chicken thing is working out OK.  The shavings absorb the droppings and smell well, and are easily scooped out like a cat box.  It's no worse than having a Parrot or Macaw in the house, and she might even be less messy than the cats or rabbits.  She gets supplemental greens and vegetables, and I throw a tablespoon or so of scratch grains down for her from time to time. The former dropping pan of the re-done rabbit cage is the inner floor of the new chicken coop - thick and super-tough plastic, so she can scratch away!

Setting up the cage and getting Abigail installed in her new home - big mess then, less now. 

Michu seems to have taken a liking to Abigail.  The day I set up the cage, she parked herself in front of it, and can be found there much of the time.  In my split-level townhouse, the bedrooms are downstairs.  Michu is the only cat that won't come down and sleep - if not on the bed - at least in the room with me.  She stays all by herself upstairs.  I keep a small light on up there all the time.  Who knows - maybe she's afraid of the dark!?  She seems to enjoy the company of having another animal there with her. 

This is Fiona in a nutshell.  While she is very bonded to me, she hasn't buddied-up with any of the other animals, and here is perched on a favorite spot high above the fray, wondering what kind of creature Mom is bringing in now!    Poor thing, in the last year she's had a lot of new animals to get used to!  

Ciaran and Yoshi are buds, play-fight and chase each other all the time, and sleep tangled up together - very much what Yoshi was used to with her siblings at the shelter.   Ciaran is very lean - not an ounce of fat on him (I think of he and Michu as Jack Spratt and his wife) and does seem to get cold.  Especially on weekend mornings, when I get to sleep in and Yoshi has taken off, Ciaran will to crawl under the covers with me and snuggle up against me to get warm.  

Having the bunnies lead such solitary lives, each in separate cages, bothers me.  It can't be helped, but I do try to give them lots of "Mom-time" and attention to make up for it.  I've given some serious thought to spaying and neutering Ivy and Niko.  I don't want to breed either one of them, and if they were "fixed" they might be able to bond and play with each other out of their cages. 

I was such a bad Mommy last night.  I was clipping Bambina's nails and got one into the quick.  I didn't have any Quick-Stop so she bled all over me and all over the bed.   She was good about letting me squeeze her toe tight with a cloth to try to stop the bleeding.  She doesn't seem to hold it against me, but I felt like a heel. 

All the Mini Rexs, including the new one (who shall be Orion, 'Rion' for short) have gone into a molt.  It's nothing like when the Angoras begin to slip their coats, but they look pretty patchy.   Not very practical on a hobby farm, but they are cute and loveable pets.

Until next time from Wren cottage ......

Another one of the kitties....

This is Ciaran (KEER-an), Celtic for 'little dark one.'  He has been here the second-longest of my cats.  Two years ago this month, I suddenly got the urge to get a (then) second kitty.  I went to the Lexington Humane Society, and although my heart went out to all the cats, just didn't see one that spoke to me.  I was just about to leave empty-handed when I heard a cat meowing loudly.  I looked up at the upper row of cages, and there was a black cat 'hollering' at me, with his arm up to the shoulder out the bars, waving and trying to get my attention.  I didn't really want another black cat or a male.  My 'Max,' a black male, had died about 2 years before that, at age 17.   But this one was persistent, and though I didn't sense a bond, I found myself taking him home with me......and I have never regretted it.  SUCH a LOVER!!! 

It was St. Patrick's day week, so he ended up with a Celtic name, to go along with the girl kitty I already had, Fiona.   Ciaran was the only "male" (neutered, of course) in the house until last weekend, but is the 'nanny' of the bunch.  He takes care of everyone's appearance and grooms faces if they will let him, and loves to cuddle with the littlest one, Yoshi. He was the first one to check out the bunnies, including the new one - although Niko doesn't quite know what to make of him.    

      

He is a real sweetheart.  He is the only climber, but doesn't do that too often. I think he has Burmese or Siamese behind him, because he is VERY talkative, and is very sleek and slim (not skinny) even though he feels heavy, and his coat feels like silk ('a brick wrapped in silk' - the way they describe Burmese).  He looks black at first glance, but as you can see in the top picture, is really dark seal brown.  In strong light, you can see tabby stripes too.  

I took some pictures more of the new bunny, Niko. I think these might still be darker than he is, but the photo distorts if I try to change it too much.  His 'points' are really pale.  He is learning to like to have his head and ears stroked as much as 'the girls.'

 

The one above looks pretty accurate.  Isn't he cute!?!  

Holly and Ivy wanted new pictures taken too!

Holly - clipped about a month or 6 weeks ago, with her coat growing in. 

  

Ivy (also growing in new coat) nibbling on her piece of cardboard. They both LOVED their cardboard, but Holly was so enthusiastic about digging and chewing hers apart and eating it, that I was afraid it would effect her digestion, and took what was left away from her after a few days.  

OK, now that I have played 'proud parent,' and forced you to look at baby pictures, I'll stop.....until next time.