I'm Not In Kansas Anymore

Today I had to say goodbye to my beautiful Scamper.  He lived nearly 15 years as a spoiled and much loved cat..  He was definitely the alpha of my pets.  He had two 60 pound dogs totally under his control.  He will be missed.

As I was walking out of the vet's office I noticed many other cats and dogs waiting their turn and one of the vet techs cleaning up a mess on the floor.  One of the dogs had an odd tail.  I turned to close the door, and much to my surprise,  realized that the dog with a funny tail was a goat!  I couldn't help but laugh.  I am so used to seeing only dogs and cats in a vet's waiting room, my brain didn't even register that any other type of animal could be on a leash wandering amid the plastic chairs and pet magazines in the room.

Scamp was a city cat.  I can't imagine what he would have thought of a goat.  That silly goat reminded me how much my life has changed.  I may not be in Kansas anymore, but I hope I find the yellow brick road.

Fur and Freeze

Does this cat look like she would be trouble?  No, she looks like a sweet, fat cat that would rather curl up on the bed than run like a demon from room to room in a house.  But beneath the fur lies the heart of an evil kitty, at least if her owner is trying to get her into a crate to move to the new house.  This is Emma, the cat who did not want to move.

All my cats have been feral cats who have adopted me.  Emma has lived with me 7 years, but unlike my other cats, she has not become a wonderful cuddly domesticated cat.  She does not like to be held, and has never climbed into my lap, but she obviously enjoys the benefits of regular meals.  She gets the same amount of food as my normal sized cats, but she does not move all day long.  The only time I see her walk is to go get food.

I was really worried about her being alone in the house.  The electricity had been cut off, and we have had temperatures in the 20's, but it ended up she was just as warm as I was with heat at the new house.

This was the kitchen thermometer/clock/radio/weather forecaster/calendar this morning, the warmest morning we have had in a few days.  Note, it is 54 degrees inside at 8:42 in the morning.  The heat had been running non-stop for days, but this is as warm as it got.  I think the main culprit is the whole house fan in the hall ceiling.  It is about 20 degrees cooler in the hall than anywhere else in the house.  It is going to look pretty tacky, but I am going to have to put plastic over the opening.

When I finally caught Emma at the house today, it was a toasty 60 degrees with no heat, and she was sleeping on my bed, and I had slept on the floor.  The cat is smarter than I am.