Missy's Corner: September 2009

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Rain is Finally Gone!

4:36 PM

HALLELUJAH! The rain is gone and we can start drying out! If you haven't been glued to the weather channel like the rest of us here in Georgia, we've seen nothing but rain for the past week. I don't mean a little here and a little there, with spots of sunshine or sun-showers, I mean full on clouds of doom and destruction from Tuesday 9/16 to Monday 9/21. Rivers and Roads were flooded to the point where kids were stuck at school because the buses couldn't get around! Peoples' basements and crawlspaces were flooded, and some had the water come up the front porch and into the house! Our poor lawn mower didn't stand a chance in our crawl space. Even Six Flags was inundated with flood waters! Needless to say, if I hear one comment about the supposed "drought" we are in, I'm going to scream!

The really nice thing about the rain stopping when it did was that I didn't have to worry about driving in it when I went to take the girls for their turn under the knife.

Yes that’s right, there will be no more babies for Kitty. When Mister and I decided it was time for Savannah and Kitty to get spayed I figured I'd have no problem with it - just like with Monkey. Then I looked back over these past 5 months and realized how beautiful and loving Kitty is and I am so thankful she allowed us to take care of her gorgeous and sweet babies. Something inside me almost wanted to let her out again so we could have baby kittens all over again; but that would mean a higher chance of her getting sick or hurt. The vet once told us that outdoor cats have a lifespan seven years less then indoor cats! So yesterday, Mister and I packed up the ladies and trekked out to Catsnip headquarters.

The whole way there, Savannah was have conniptions! She even tried to claw her way out of a small hole in the top of the carrier! Kitty on the other hand was so calm, it was scary. Usually one of us holds the carrier vertically and the other tries to grab Kitty's legs so we can back her into the crate; this time she went in with no problem. Mister thinks that Savannah and Kitty knew what was coming once we put the food away the night before.

While the girls were away, I wasn't really sure what to expect from Monkey since this was his first time being left "alone;" no mommy or sister to snuggle with or wrestle with. Poor Monkey, he was so bored! For awhile he just lay on the (new) coffee table and batted the pens.

Monkey and I also got to play a little fetch. Yup, just like a dog, Monkey loves it when we throw his flutterball and most of the time, he brings it right back to us for more!

Since I had all ready had experience with one drugged up kitten, I figured I knew what was going to happen with Savannah and Kitty. Before releasing them from their cages, I set up the food and water in the bonus room and, this time, enlisted help from the baby gate to keep the girls cornered to one room. I figured it would be easier to keep an eye on both of them in one room. BOY WAS I WRONG! Kitty felt well enough to jump over the gate at least twice, and Savannah wouldn't stop pacing in front of it! Most of the time, when Savvy doesn't want to be bothered or when she knows she's in trouble she likes hiding under our king size bed. That was all she had on her little mind, getting into that bedroom; even if it meant using me as a jumping point! Unfortunately for her, I was standing my ground because if something had happened to her when she was under the bed, I wouldn't be able to reach her. After three hours, Savannah finally calmed down enough that I felt comfortable taking the gate down.

Today, Kitty and Savvy are starting to get back to normal. I just shared some of my delicious apple with Savannah and she happily munched away. Now, the bowl is sitting next to me while I type, and she is eyeing the rest of the apple slices over my shoulder. This kitten is so strange when it comes to eating; she enjoys watermelon, canteloupe, apples, and oranges. Mister and I gave her some Honeydew too, but she just played with the piece we gave her. The other habit she has, is whining when food is being prepared. She gets so loud, you'd think we were starving her!

Till next time everyone!

P.S. Since the babies 6 month birthday is coming up, I'm trying to get ahold of Belly's, Schrodinger's, and Sock's family to send pictures and stories to see how they've grown!

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Sleeping at Mister's Feet

5:19 PM

This past Friday, Monkey underwent his special little surgery, and the experience was hard. I knew that it was in his best interest, like it is for all domesticated animals, but I didn't think it would be so heart-wrenching; and the weather that day didn't make the experience any better. If you live in or near Atlanta, you knew how bad the weather was; torrential down-pours, lightening that made the hair on your arms stand up, and thunder that sounded like semi-trucks crashing into each other at ninety miles per hour was how the day started. I packed up my little boy and drove him out to the area where the doctor was set up, listening to his sad whimpering through the whole trip; you'd have thought Monkey knew what was going to happen once we got there! Then, after the technician was finished explaining how the day was to work, I was told to leave him underneath the awing and someone inside would come out to get him. My heart was in agony for the little guy! He has never been a fan of the outdoors and now I was supposed to leave him outside, on the wet pavement, in the pouring rain, thunder, and lightening!? Luckily, I had put him right at the front and he was the first crate taken in.

When Monkey got home, the hilarity ensued! I figured the anesthesia would make him drowsy and just a little tipsy, but I was wrong! Monkey couldn't keep still or walk straight and he would not lie down; he looked like a frat boy that had one too many drinks. Whenever Kitty or Savannah would go into the litter box, he'd barrel in there and do nothing but move the litter around, forcing the girls out. He also decided to pick a fight with the water in the water bowl! Monkey would use his paw to pull the bowl closer to him, causing some of the water to splash out and get him wet. Well, he didn't like that and decided to use his other paw to attack the water! I was prepared and got some of this on video:

Now, Monkey is back to normal and is just as snuggly as ever! That cat genuinely loves to be near Mister and me; and what's really nice is Savannah is starting to snuggle too! Both have taken a liking to Mister's feet and the husband pillow we keep on the floor in the living room.

Doesn't Monkey look like a bear rug in that top left picture?! He loves to spread out like that anywhere in the house. He's also started to curl up with his sister.

The two of them have become like "peas and carrots;" especially, when getting into mischief!

The really interesting thing about watching these kittens grow up is seeing the differences in the way they play. I think I've mentioned before how loud Savannah growls when she's busy eviscerating a mouse, while Monkey just throws it around. I also noticed that Savannah likes her privacy when playing with prey. For example, I'm currently working on a crocheted doily that requires me to string beads onto the thread; since thread and string all ready enticed the kittens, the beads just added to their pleasure. Despite the beads being attached and the string in my hand, Savannah always insists on trying to drag the string of beads away. On the other hand, Monkey just bats and plays with the beads wherever they land!

On a completely different note, the paint box that I mentioned in my last post (ribbon decoupage kitty litter bucket) is finished! Here's the end result: