Category Archives: pets

Doggone it

pets, photography, writing

During the early years of writing my column, if I didn’t have a subject idea, all I did was wait around a little bit. One of our kids was bound to do something either crazy, interesting, or cute. After they grew up and moved out I have less opportunity of using them–but I still do now and then.

These days when I’m scrounging around for an idea I look around at critters. They could be wild or domesticated. Our dog, Sunny often turns up in these writings. I think that happens because he’s the closest animal we are related to. Also, he’s handy to photograph, though sometimes he doesn’t want his picture taken and turns his head away.

Sunny enjoying a roll.

I try to take him for a walk every day and most times he starts our adventure by rolling down the ditch. Most times he looks cute, but once he rolled in something disgusting and smelly. That day ended with a quick scrub at home and eventually a trip to get a professional dog shampoo. Ugh!

I’m sure Sunny will appear here in the future, but for now, that’s my blog for the day.

Brushing Sunny

pets

About a month ago I thought I had finished brushing away our dog Sunny’s winter coat. He usually starts shedding in January, but this year he waited a little longer. I guess that was because of the terribly cold weather we had.

Last week, I noticed more clumps of hair coming off our dog. Some were vacuumed up in the living room–a few others now need vacuuming.

I took Sunny outside and started brushing away his second wave of shedding. After running through a swath of fur, I had to stop and remove the clump from the brush. Over and over again I freed the clumps until there were no more.

Sunny didn’t seem to appreciate my work, though he did look a lot lighter.

I told Bob that we did not kill a rabbit in the yard, even if it looks like we had. All the hair on the grass was from Sunny, and some had even floated away in the wind.

Sunny and his hair

Sunny is all set for summer, except he’ll probably have a third bout of shedding in about a month. But even with all that hair, I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

Sha-Bock Farm Bed and Breakfast

Family, Farming, pets

When we had grandchildren visiting we decided to take them to a friend’s farm. Sha-Bock Farm Bed and Breakfast is just a few miles away and they happen to have animals that are nowhere to be found on Sunnybook Farm.

Wyatt, Arianna, Serenity, and Eli looked around the farm.

The first animal spotted when we drove into the farmyard was a peacock, but it was too fast for me to get a good photo. Chickens also roam the farmyard. Last year we got a few eggs from the Bock flock to put under our setting hen, so a few of our birds are related.

Next the children got to view the llama and alpacas that live at Sha-Bock Farm.

One large Llama in the back, surrounded by assorted alpaca just days after sheering.
Eli tried getting a closer look.
Jeb Bock said his alpaca haven’t forgiven him yet for their spring hair cuts.
Serenity, Arianna, Wyatt, and Eli enjoyed their visit to Sha-Bock Farm B&B

I think anyone who would like to relax in the country would enjoy their time spent on the Sha-Bock Farm B&B. You never know, you might be faster and get a good photo of their pea fowl. Check them out online at:
http://shabockfarmbb.com/index.html

Cat water fountain – review

pets, review

About two weeks ago, I bought a Drinkwell Multi-Tier Pet Fountain. I purchased this water fountain for our cat, Othello.

Othello is over 15 years old and he looks it. Every morning he’d ask me to turn on the shower so he could drink water there. It didn’t matter that there was a bowl of water across the bathroom. He wanted his water from the shower. If I didn’t do this for him he didn’t drink enough water.

A friend had a pet fountain for her cat and she said it worked well. I looked at a variety and decided on the Drinkwell one.

It said dogs liked it too, but Sunny hasn’t even tried taking a sip from the fountain.

Both our cats, Othello and Cruella, do like taking their water at the fountain. The water fountain is on the first floor, so if they are upstairs at night, with only a bowl of water, they hurry down in the morning to take a drink.

Othello seems to be taking in more water now that we have this fountain.

Othello taking a sip
Othello by his pet fountain

It is a bit more of a bother than putting water in a bowl. I have to keep the level up and wash it out more often than I like. It’s also not easy to move once it is filled with water.

To wash it out I put the plastic fountain, water and all, in a plastic tub and take it to a sink where I can dump the water. Having it in the tub as I walk across the house is so I don’t slosh water on the floor.

Anyway, this fountain is helping our old cat drink more water and I think that’s a good thing.

Cats and chickens

pets, wildlife

I just went outside to give the barn (feral) cats their evening meal. I should have waited just a little longer. The porch was invaded.

If I had waited our chickens wouldn’t have joined the cats on the porch. Since chickens are omnivores, they will eat anything…I think I’ve said this before.

Cats do not scare chickens and chickens do not scare cats. For a short time, the chickens joined the cats and pecked at the food I had set down.

This is not fair. The cats never venture into the chicken coop and eat the chicken food. The chickens do not share equally.

Hen heading up the front steps
Cats and chickens munching on the front porch

If I try to shoo the chickens away I end up shooing away the cats. It’s best to let them all be. The chickens don’t eat much, just chicken feed.