Musings on a Small Life

Welcome , March...Dreary, grey, snowy, miserable February can kiss my ass goodbye. :-) Nineteen days till the official start of Spring, though I think it will be a few weeks beyond that before we see any crocuses this year. Unlike last year, when our forsythia was in bloom (previously unheard of) during the third week of this month. I spoke with Meghan at the vet clinic this morning, for my weekly Toby update. He's still at the clinic, though she said he's going home to the barn tomorrow, as she works tomorrow. He's had his last vaccinations and is all set.  He has been outside in the evenings, in their outdoor run, she told me, so he's not been cooped up inside the clinic the entire time. I hope he settles in well to the barn; I'll give it a couple of weeks (her suggestion) and check back, probably for the last time. It's taken almost a month, but I'm starting to feel an emotional disconnect now--not a lack of caring, never that. But not as wor...

I finally spoke with Meghan Thursday afternoon, after lunch.   Toby was still at the clinic (17 days yesterday). Meghan (vet's daughter, works there) said she has been really sick, has had an infection, and hasn't been well enough to take him home and spend time with him to get him settled in. But the intent still is to take him to their barn. She said he's doing very well, gets along with all the other cats, rubs on the humans at feeding time, etc. She feels he's quite smart and will do fine with the horses. (He'll still go into the empty stall when he first gets there, of course.) I said (laughingly) that I wasn't sure if he'd end up being a resident clinic cat or would make it to the barn, but she said no, he'll go home with her as soon as she's well enough to be out there for a couple of hours at a stretch. I told her I'd call again a couple of times, till I knew he was settled in and doing well, and that I wouldn't "pes...

I just called the clinic to speak with Meghan re: Toby, see how he's settling into their barn. Well. He's still at the clinic!!! Meghan wasn't there, but the other young woman said he's loose with the other resident cats and is quite happy, is very loving. Meghan apparently hasn't had a time when she's not had her dogs with her, and so Toby still is waiting for transport. I don't know what to think. On the one hand, he's abruptly gone from a street cat to living indoors at this clinic for a week and a half. Yikes. On the other hand, he's getting food, human and cat attention and apparently is content. Maybe someone there will fall in love with him and take him home? Maybe he'll end up being another resident clinic cat? I'll update as soon as I have further information. *** BTW, the boys wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day.(Enlarge to view properly.)

I just called and spoke with Meghan about Toby (10:40AM). He's still at the clinic, has had all his vaccinations, ears cleaned, been dewormed, etc. He's still in isolation, in a large dog cage right now, will go to the barn with Meghan tomorrow, when she finishes work at noon. He's not happy about being locked up (what cat is?) and keeps trying to escape whenever someone opens his cage door, but he's been super-good, clean in the cage, no problems at all, no aggression, not even when doing the vaccs. Meghan said she has the stall all set up for him now, and that she'll spend a couple of hours out there with him tomorrow, while she's doing her chores. I asked if I could call back in about a week to see how he's going, and she said not a problem.  :-) Fingers--and paws--crossed, guys. BTW, we're slated for a winter wallop starting tonight, up to 25 cms of snow, blowing snow, etc. through tomorrow evening. Whatever happens to Toby now, ...

I called this morning, but Meghan wasn't in, was told she'd be there in a few hours. So I just called again (about 1:40PM) and was told she wasn't in at all today. So. No Toby update until tomorrow at the earliest. I don't want to keep pestering them, but will try for an update tomorrow. Fingers (and paws!) crossed for him. * Yesterday morning, as I was leaving for work, I saw "Mr. Peanuts" (unneutered young male) around the back of my unit, by the fence. I think he had been up to my step looking for the kitty buffet, but alas, the buffet is gone. I didn't see any paw prints in this morning's fresh dusting of snow, though. I won't put food out again, but if I do have an opportunity to catch him (or any other stray), I'll do my best. * Nicki was on guard yesterday morning, and again this morning, looking for Toby on our fence. I think it'll take the Nickster a while to "stand down," as it were. * The neighbour mother an...

It's done, Toby's at the vet clinic now, will stay for a day or two to have tests run and be vaccinated.   Backing up a bit... On Friday afternoon my co-worker left her dog cage on my front step, but it was so large and so unwieldy that I knew at a glance it just wouldn't suit. She had left a scribbled note for me saying in fit in her car with a millimeter or two to spare. But there's no way any taxi driver would have even made the attempt. So on Saturday, while at PetSmart, I found a carrier for 15 - 25 pound dogs (above) on sale, and bought it. Hadn't wanted to spend money for a one-time use, but the size was right and the price was really good. On Sunday I put it together in my garage, with Toby there to lend a paw. I spent a few minutes with a bag of Temptations, putting a few inside. He got his head and front paws in, and I left it at that. Sunday evening I lit a votive candle for him and prayed, in my way, to the Source, the Universe, th...

I'm going to borrow my co-worker's dog crate next week, since there will be lots of room and I might be able to entice Toby into it with nip and silver vine more easily. And the perfect, tactful way of addressing integration just popped into my head: When (please let it be "when" and not "if") I get Toby to the clinic, I'll ask her if she'd like to borrow the crate for a couple of weeks to keep Toby confined, to give him time to adjust to his new home. My co-worker is fine with that, as she doesn't use the crate anyway. I think that's a much better solution than calling this woman up and asking if she knows how to integrate a feral cat, something that easily could put her on the defensive and make her wish she hadn't offered to take Toby in the first place. Sometimes--just sometimes--I have a "brilliant" idea. No more posts today, I promise. And no more posts about Toby until it's a done deal, however long t...

In response to a few comments: This person, out of the kindness of heart, has offered to take Toby to her family's barn. No, she doesn't care what he looks like, because it really doesn't matter, she'll take him regardless, out of compassion, to give him a chance. He's not going to be a house cat. And frankly, I don't really feel I have the right to tell her what to do with him and how to do it. I would hope that, since it's a vet family (father is the co-owner of the clinic) and since they also take unadoptable cats from our local shelter, they'd be savvy enough to understand that cats are territorial and will head for "home" if not acclimated. I can call today to ask if he'll be confined somehow and allowed to adjust. But if she says no, what then?  One alternative is to continue as is, with my cats being held hostage in the house because I can't let them out safely, with Toby always on the fence, looking like he'l...

I had emailed the president of the boys' shelter last night, asking about barn homes, naively thinking they'd have a list of people who take cats for barns. They do not and all the spaces at various barns are filled, he replied. So I've been very discouraged all morning. On a whim I called the clinic that neutered him in the first place, to ask if they happened to know of anyone who would take poor Toby for a barn. I chatted with the tech who is the daughter of the clinic owner, and she said she'd take him. They have a 20-horse barn and all their outdoor cats are rescues, as are all their indoor cats. I chatted with her for a bit, told her about Toby and why I was trying to find a home for him (btw Nicki was fighting with him through the fence last night, I was stressed, Derry was stressed....), etc. I told her I could send her a few pics of Tobes, but she said she didn't care, it didn't matter what he looked like. So. Getting a hold of a ca...

I snapped these early this morning, before 8AM. He always looks so surly to me, but of course he's really not. I wish someone in our complex would have fallen in love with him and have been able to give him a good outdoor/indoor home, but I don't think that miracle will be granted to him. *** I had checked the MLS listings for our city yesterday and found that unit #6 is up for sale. It's across the street and a few doors up. The people at #8 seem rather fond of screaming at each other outside, at night (as they did last night, around 10:30PM), which made me wonder if that's the reason the people at #6 are leaving. Hey, maybe the people who buy (or rent) will like cats. Highly unlikely, but I still can hope for the very best for Toby, for his Highest Good.  :-)

[This post has turned out to be much longer than anticipated, so please don't feel obliged to read it, let alone leave a comment!] So I was rowing last evening (usually it's an AM thing for me, more energy then) and Nicki came down to the basement to keep me company. Wish I had had my camera nearby. I don't know what was in his head, but he was meowing like a fool (typical) and looking to jump up onto the plumbing pipes again. I recently chased him off a couple of times, with a broom, so he didn't actually make it up there last night. But then he zoomed around, meowing and jumping at the concrete walls and even tried to climb the furnace. Full of beans and too cold to burn off the energy outside, I guess. I confess, though, that when he tried to jump on the furnace (there's no real ledge to it and of course he couldn't find purchase anywhere) I wondered if I tend to overestimate his cleverness. :-D Pic from last January, because I've not...

Snapped this morning. Derry's on the top of the cat tree, Nicki's below. And Toby's perched up on my fence, back to the window.  Have a good day, everyone. As the boys "say," purrs and peace.  :-)

I can't believe I did this...But I sat out on my front step this morning at 4:30, giving Toby his breakfast. Nothing unusual there. He ate a few bites of canned then wanted up on my lap--also normal. So he sat in my lap (he's a leaner, and a heavy one at that) and I held the plate of canned food up for him so he could eat while in my lap. I'm just shaking my head, because I don't even do that for Nicki and Derry! * Barely a peep from the neighbours last night. The mother must have been working, because she wasn't home when I got back from work, mercifully. The father came home with the kids, and if the mother was at home at all while I was still up, I didn't hear her. * Office lunch next Tuesday at a nearby restaurant--all fourteen of us in our integrated, happy work family. Pffftt. At least this one's during office hours. * Hi-lites and a hair cut tomorrow. I debated canceling the hi-lite part of the appointment, but really need a perk righ...

If those who post on the CB can't already figure out I'm in a funk, then yep, I'm in a funk. Not wanting to post on the boys' blog or comment, blah blah. I always retreat, feel like quitting blogging altogether, when I get like this. Whatever. This too shall pass and all. And by "funk" I don't mean suicidal. I mean a funk . Anyway. So, Friday at work, we were debating the merits of angry mushrooms, not to be confused with any other type of mushroom. One of the department heads (we share space with two other units) recently had gone to Japan on a business trip and brought back some treats: Someone thought the mushroom (above, on the box cover, at the right) looked angry. And who'd want to eat an angry mushroom? But upon closer inspection it was decided that the poor mushroom was just straining under the weight of the double layer of chocolate it was holding up. Or perhaps it was constipated. Note below that the actual treats have o...

Derry has usurped my heating pad, and trust me, my back needs it more than he does! (Don't worry, it's on the lowest possible setting, is only barely warm.) But like a foolish cat "mom," of course I'll let him snooze on it...at least till I'm done doing a few things and want it back. ****** So my final day off has been busy: I went to the office early to re-pot most of my plants, which were all desperately root-bound. The only ones I left were the African violets, which I know prefer to be in small pots. By the end of the week they might all be dead, as I don't exactly have a green thumb. BTW, I have two spider plants, one pepperomia (can't kill those), one ivy of some sort, a pothos, and the two African violets. Good thing I took a "drop sheet" with me (a used shower curtain liner). Then I bused out to Value Village to look for something to read. Failed there, but I did find a good pair of heavy cotton sweat pants for...

So I'm in front of the bathroom mirror this  morning, drying my hair, and something on my jammie tank top catches my eye. (I shower at night before bed, but do my hair in the mornings.) It appears that I have some sort of bizarre bleach stain all over my tank top, over my left boob. How the heck did I manage to do that?!? The top, a pretty knit one, teal colour, was fine last night when I put it on. So all I can think is that I managed to get bleach on it this morning, while bending over my laundry tub to wash my hair. (Easier on my back, to bend over the laundry tub versus the bathtub.) Well, rats! Must have been leftover bleach splashes from cleaning one of the litter boxes, which I also do in the basement laundry tub. (That laundry tub is only a cheap plastic one, the same one that came with the house and that has seen 12 years of painting, etc. It's not exactly pristine.) Then--and I'm not done--I pull out a pretty short-sleeved knit sweater to wear today, ...

The last Monday of July already, can you believe it? I feel the inexorable slide to autumn. Sweater weather: good. Winter snow, ice, and freezing rain: bad. Won't go there yet! Boy, there was something seriously "off" with me last week, and I can't blame PMS. I know I posted I was grumpy, but "grumpy" was an understatement, frankly, and on Saturday I was in a rage all day, over nothing. For absolutely no reason whatsoever. The kind of anger I used to have before I crashed into depression the first time, and punctuated by serious "my life is crap" thoughts, and "All this and death too?" So I really had to wonder what the heck was going on. Peri-menopause and whacked hormones? Another imminent bout of depression? Too much sugar? (Sugar is a depressant for me--in spite of which, I consume copious quantities every day.) Well, it beats me, but I was fine on Sunday and am fine today. I guess if I feel like that every month now (goddes...