Crooked Acres Thursday.
Don’t get too excited – it’s a Crooked Acres Thursday, but I only have a few pictures from around Crooked Acres. It’s been a weird week – between Malachi showing up and my attempt to get the foster room painted finally and a couple of appointments that kept me out of the house for most of the day Monday, I haven’t had a chance to get out there with the camera. And some of these pictures are from the game cam so, y’know. Lower your expectations, is all I’m sayin’.
Caught by the game cam: squirrel in mid-hop, headed for the food.
Archie with some serious Ears of Annoyance, clearly thinking “Eff all y’all.” Archie is my spirit animal.
Carla Mae, headed for the feeding station. I love that there’s a squirrel on the feeding station platform, looking at her.
“What?”
Stefan (to the right), playing with a pod from one of the many sweet gum trees. If anyone wants small spiky balls that make you want to scream when you step on them, you just let me know. I’ll send you a bunch. Cats love to bat them around!
I don’t remember whether I mentioned this floofy brown tabby who showed up at the feeding station a few times. We’ve only seen him once during the day, but are keeping an eye out. He certainly is pretty.
This squirrel – she’s got a pecan in her mouth – sat atop Kara’s favorite cat house in the back yard for a good five minutes. I had just about decided to go out and see if something was wrong when it scampered up the tree. Pretty good picture for one taken through the window, isn’t it?
“Hellew?”
“Hellewww? Anyone home?”
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Tuesday night, we kept Malachi in the upstairs bathroom. He curled up in this bed and slept the night away.
Yesterday, we moved the bed into Fred’s room. Malachi agreed that this was a good idea.
That boy is SUCH a love. All he wants is to be petted, and when he’s not being petted, he wants to pile up in his big, soft bed and sleep. He’s still having some pain in his mouth (I think I mentioned that he had 3 or 4 teeth removed), and when he tries to eat hard food, he cries. Fred fed him canned food mixed with baby food several times yesterday, and he had no problem eating that. He’s only 8 pounds, and I think he needs to put on, at the very least, 2 pounds. He’s pretty bony. I wish I knew his story.
Dewey wanted nothing – NOTHING! – to do with him. I mean, there have been a lot of changes in the house this week. First we closed off the foster room so I could prep it for painting. Then we brought some NEW guy in and expected him to be friends. NO THANK YOU, said Dewey. Dennis stared at him, then ignored him. Jake and Stefan wanted nothing to do with him. I know they’ll adjust in time, but it’s funny to see their reaction to the mellowest cat in the world. (Some of his mellowness might be due to the pain medication he’s on, but even before we brought him inside, he was pretty laid-back and friendly.)
Unless he absolutely doesn’t get along with the permanent residents (or, I guess I should say, THEY don’t get along with him), he’ll be staying. I know, I know, SHOCKING.
We’re planning to rename him. Malachi is a great name, but it doesn’t fit him. When we figure it out, you know I’ll introduce him formally.
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Oh Dennis you beautiful, beautiful boy.
It’s a rough life, isn’t it?
Such a little flirt.
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Previously
2016: “Well, hello little mousie!”
2015: Meet Simon and Garfunkel!
2014: No entry.
2013: No entry.
2012: Ducks of a feather really DO flock together.
2011: The Box.
2010: She made her angry high-pitched meow, she stomped around, she glared at the basket.
2009: These sisters are so adorable, they kill me!
2008: To our surprise, the owl was still alive when we got home.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
I vote for Huey or Lowell 😉
“Archie is my spirit animal.” – now that made me laugh.
The “Hellew” picture is excellent!
Malachi is NOT suffering in his poofy pink bed. I think it is hysterical that you are keeping him because Patty commented (yesterday) saying, “I think Malachi should stay at Crooked Acres!” Fate!!!
Thank you for the great pictures! Nice way to start the day!
my gut feeling is that he BELONGS at Crooked Acres. I don’t get that feeling with all of the fosters.
Dennis’ pics remind me of those Sears (Or JC Penney) portrait studio pictures you’d get back in the day. 😀 Well the first one at least, the rest are probably the outtakes. 😉
YEs! Or Olan Mills Portrait Studios!
I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if Robyn has it set up like that for that very reason 🙂
Wow that first pic of Dennis hit me like POW! Such a pin up model that one.
LOL, Archie.
Yeah, Dennis does look like he’s having his portrait done.
So, how do you administer the pain meds to Malachi? Which is a also a way for me to get some tips as Atticus will now have to start taking pills for his thyroid. His diabetes has pretty much gone into “remission”, and he no longer needs the insulin, but he’ll be getting a pill daily now. Not bad for an old 18-yr old dude.
Can I toss in my two cents worth? How I pill a cat… I sit down with my shins on the floor (kneeling) and my feet together. I back the kitty (his butt first) between my legs. Kitties always back up when trying to pill them. They can’t back up past your crotch and feet. BARRIER!!! You can, also, use your thighs to gently squeeze (which holds him from moving left or right. In this position, when you tilt his head back and open his mouth), you can see right down into his mouth/throat and it is much easier to pop the pill in over the tongue hump. Close the mouth with on hand and gently stroke his throat downwards toward the floor (encourages swallowing). The more practice you have, the quicker you will be…and kitty will be pilled before he even knows it! Follow up with a little treat.
I use this technique, except for the throat rubbing, never found it to help. I do also have a medication syringe loaded with some water which I squirt in the side of the mouth to help the pill go down, don’t squirt too much at once. You always take your pills with water, right?
I am a lucky cat mom. Katie needs thyroid meds twice daily and she reminds me! Then she sits under the dining room table so I have to pull her out a few inches (can’t make it too easy, right?), then I just toss the pill down her throat and give her a kiss and all is well.
But I second GD’s method as well.
I had a diabetic cat. Two shots a day. He would “assume the position” and then he was off doing his thing. Super easy. If his insulin dropped unexpectedly (I did do glucose tests), he actually would come to me, meow and shake his paw. I knew exactly what was wrong. Diabetic from birth…lived to be 17. LOVED him!!
I use liquid compounded meds to get around the pill problem. (one of mine has thyroid meds also) 🙂
For small pills, you can quite often hide them in something else. Pill pockets or paste are pretty awesome, just take a chunk off and spread it over the pill so it covers it completely. take a few more chunks and make them about the same size, give the no pill ones first in case they chew, then they just inhale the next one and then give the one with the pill in it.
Moist cat treats also smoosh around pills well.
http://www.kittyblog.net/2013/03/what-i-know-how-i-pill-cat.html for how I do it manually
Wow Robyn, it didn’t take you long to go from “I would travel a bit to get him to a good home” to “he’ll be staying” – LOL
*snort* I forgot about that statement! HAHAHAHAHA
“We’re planning to rename him. Malachi is a great name, but it doesn’t fit him. When we figure it out, you know I’ll introduce him formally.”
I’ve always named my orange cats ‘Ezekiel’. My current Zeke is the 5th to bear that name.
it’s not weird that when I looked at last night’s pictures that I said in a sing song voice out loud by myself that “He looks like a permanent resident!”
yeah didn’t think so
🙂
It’s a real relief that you are likely keeping him because I was pretty certain I would never be able to convince my husband to let me adopt him.
My sweet ginger boy was FIV+ when he arrived on our doorstep and unfortunately we lost him. He was the sweetest goofball.
O happy day! You’ve created a lot of lasting smiles with this news, Robyn. Can’t wait to hear what name you and Fred decide on for your wonderful new boy! And fingers crossed that at least some of the Anderson kitties decide he’s the best thing going.
yay for Malachi!
I’m already half in love with that sweet boy but have to nuff, are the others at risk with him around?
Geez, he had me around the whole “when he tries to eat hard food he cries” because it hurts him. If that doesn’t tug at your heartstrings…
The only one I’d worry about getting along with hi is Archie, but it sounds like that was thrashed out a week ago in the bushes.
Well done Malachi! You must have heard the gossip about Crooked Acres on the Kitty Grapevine.
Thanks Robyn and Fred for keeping Malachi. I know the words are yours Robyn, but there was just something about this boy that pulled my heartstrings. From what I understand FIV+ kitties do just fine with non positive kitties as long as there is no fighting with potential biting. And it is not necessarily some kind of death sentence for the positive kitty. It sounds like he is a perfect addition to your crew and I look forward to watching him put on that 2 pounds. Good luck stopping him at 2 pounds though. Mine have gone insane for the baby food and cutting Hamilton off is painful. Heh.
He looks like a licker, hope that won’t be a problem. I can see him cleaning ears all around and nuzzling up to Stefan in the near future (which should totally hack off Dennis.)
FIV isn’t spread through casual contact, only through mating and very deep bite wounds. The other cats should be just fine around him, and since he will be indoors primarily and getting good care and food, he should have a god lifespan as well.
You’re keeping him?!?! That’s wonderful! He’s a very lucky boy to have found you!
Archie’s thoughts are priceless! I used to have a shirt (for around the house) for my son that read, “f!#/ you, you f!#/*$: f!#/”. It is still my go to thought many times a day!!
all we have to say about the new guy is – go figure 🙂
that chicken looks like she would like to offer you a pamphlet on converting to chickenism
Hahaha, converting to chickenism..love it!
do you have a few minutes to talk about Jeebus Cluck?
BWAHAHA!! I am going to have a hard time not telling the next people who knock on my door that I’m a Chicketerian!! Of course, I’m already a Gamecock, so it’s not a big leap of faith… 😉
I always enjoy your pictures and their captions. and I love love love kitties so of course I love the pictures of them, but also always enjoy the Crooked Acres pics and the view of your life in the “back 3”. All this to say – that as much as I have always loved the pictures and though how much I’d like one on my wall, that Carla Mae peering in the back door may be it. That may be the one that makes it to my wall. Don’t know why it struck me so much, but I honestly, flippin’ love that picture.
I know you didn’t want to upset the balance of personalities, but I do hope that it works out for Ephraim? Jedediah? I don’t know why – but he strikes me as an old fashioned amish type boy. And he looks so content already.
Obviously Malachi has been domesticated. I’m guessing someone dropped him near your house or at least in the general area.
I feed stray/ferals in the city, and every now and then, a domesticated cat will show up. You can always tell because the tame cats LOVE to be petted, show no fear — maybe a bit of caution is all. A few weeks ago, a black-and-white female cat was sitting at the end of my driveway, and she’s still here: very tame, sweet cat. She got the necessary vetting, and has an indoor place when it’s really cold. I have a feral here that was born last summer; it has taken me this long to actually touch her, and then only briefly. She came here with her mom, and I call her “Kitten,” which she responds to. Sigh.
Anyhow, happy Malachi found a place to land! (But UGH! to people who drop pets, scum of the earth!)
When I hear the chicken saying “Hellewww” I always hear Mr. Shellhammer’s wife (in the original “Miracle on 34th Street” movie) trying to talk on the upside down phone after he got her tipsy so he could invite Kris Kringle to stay with them! 🙂
(And if I can channel Archie as my spirit animal for a minute – Eff You to the TV executives who made a “Miracle on 34th Street” only available on pay per view this Christmas!!!)
I vote for Salsa. I like that name for an orange cat, and it also reflects how he just sashayed into your life. Boy’s got moves.
Ha! When I read about Malachi on Facebook, I said, “I’m glad he caught you.”
He looks like an Otis to me.
Once again, thank you (and Fred) for taking in Malachi. If he’s been living rough for long, just having a comfortable place to lie where he doesn’t have to worry about other animals is enough for him — well, that and having Fred to feed him! When Harley first came to live with me, she drank so much water — the people who fed her feral colony put out food, but not water, and I’m not sure she had ever had fresh water before. And the first time she jumped up on the bed, she sniffed around, then very slowly laid down. And then, I swear, she sighed a big sigh and closed her eyes, because it was so much more comfy than grass!
Yesterday I was sad because Sophie won’t accept any interlopers, which was the only thing keeping me from saying “I’ll take him!” Today I’m happy he’s joining the permanent residents. Regarding names: for what it’s worth, I’ve always wanted a laid back orange boy named Bubba.
How about another Justified name?
Darryl Crowe (Dennis, Dewey and Darryl-just rolls off the tongue!)
or Arlo (conning his way into Crooked Acres seems like an Arlo scam)
Today of all days, Archie is also my spirit animal.
You really got me at “Hellew”! 😀
As the three musketeers aren’t sure about him yet – how about D’Artagnan?
Hoboes during the Depression had a pictorial language that they’d leave to communicate with other hoboes. A smiling cat was the sign for “kind-hearted woman.” Cats must have a similar secret code.
I think he looks like either a Jebidiah “Jeb” or an Obidiah “Obi”…. whatever you name him, he’s loverly! and Dennis… SWOOOOOOOOOOOON!
the spirit animal made me laugh, the chicken at the door made me smile, and Dennis *swoon*