Month: October 2019

This kitten has taken no time to adapt himself to our family. I’m keeping him confined at night and when we aren’t home to make sure he stays safe, but other than that he has run of the house. I guess I had forgotten how easy kittens can be compared to puppies. I didn’t have to housebreak him, and he isn’t chewing all the wood in our house into toothpicks. I have always loved dogs, but as I’m getting older, cats are definitely moving higher on my list. I do enjoy having a dog to walk, take for rides in the car, go on hikes, but for every day home life, cats really are so much easier. I think the older, always running, always busy me is really learning to appreciate that.

My biggest challenge so far, is working to get my older cats to accept him. I didn’t expect any trouble from our male cat, but he did a lot of hissing at first. They aren’t best buddies yet, but they are definitely starting to enjoy playing together.

While we really like the name Dezmond in theory, it just doesn’t seem to fit this little guy. My daughter came up with the name Bean, and it seems to be sticking. Our family loves the book, Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, and Bean is the main character.

Happy Halloween!

Looks like the new fuzz ball is going to be Dezmond. He seems to like the name so far. I’m trying to break the habit of continuing to call him “Baby Cat.” The older cats are starting to settle in and spend more time with him, so overall the adjustment is going well for all. I even had all three cats eating together on the kitchen table for breakfast and dinner today. The big cats don’t usually get wet food twice a day, so they are really happy with the little treats they have been getting!

Dezzi is definitely the neediest kitten I have ever encountered.  He wants to nap on humans, not just near them. We let him sleep with our son last night, and apparently  he spent the whole night on top of him.  If our son moved, the kitten moved back on top of him.

Today I was working on the computer and Dezzi came over begging to be picked up. I scooped him up and he started purring and snuggled up on me. The problem was that I had to be all slouched down to make the kitten comfortable on my chest, but it was not a comfortable way to sit! What I did next might qualify me for Crazy Cat Lady status, but it was a back and sanity-saving decision. I went and found my old baby sling, and I snuggled the kitten right up in it. He was so happy, and I got to sit up straight without having to hold the kitten. It was perfect. He napped happily in the sling for a good half hour before I had to get up and disturb him.

Today’s other big event was Dezmond’s first vet visit with us. He didn’t seem to have any problem with being put in the carrier, or being handed around to strange people.  He explored the exam room and liked climbing around on the scale. He weighed in at a big 3.6 lbs! Not bad for just 10 weeks! He didn’t need any shots today, but he did have an exam, worming, and a Feline Leukemia test. All looks good!

Back to the vet for another kitten check, worming, and vaccine in 2 weeks. I’ll be curious to see how much he grows in two weeks.

Make sure you check out PetMomma.Co on Instagram for more pictures. It’s hard not to constantly take pictures of him. Of course also check back here for more updates. What do you think, does Dezmond fit?

Prep has begun. New litter box, kitten food, toys, and of course setting up a safe little area for our new friend, the excitement is real! Saturday we visit the breeder.  I’m trying to be realistic, there is a chance we could meet this new fur ball on Saturday and decide it just isn’t the right personality for us, but I’m hoping it all works out.

I’m not sure if we have a choice between two kittens, or if one is already spoken for. I know there were two males available, and I just told the breeder I wanted the craziest, most playful one. I’m not sure if anyone has claimed the other male yet, or if we will be able to pick. The breeder seemed to feel they were pretty similar in personality. One has double paws, one does not. If personality is equal, I’d prefer the one without double paws. I know double paws are considered a desirable trait, but we have one double pawed cat, and his nails are a pain to cut. I also don’t care enough to want to pay extra for a kitten with double paws.

Fingers crossed all goes well on Saturday! Of course pictures and updates to come.

I just wrote myself a prescription for a kitten.  I totally believe pets help with stress!

This is a great step in the right direction for animal rights.

I’ve been wanting to write about this company since my husband brought me some samples from PepCom Tots & Tails a few weeks ago. Honestly, I’m glad I didn’t get a chance to write about them sooner, because the more I use their products, the more I like them!

The company is named after the owner’s two dogs, as she was inspired to find the best nutrition to keep them healthy and happy. I love that the products are all made in the U.S.A., and they are processed in a way that helps to minimize bacteria and keep the foods safe.

Ingredients are all responsibly sourced in the U.S. and include high quality ingredients from farmers and ranchers, grass-fed, cage-free, some wild-caught, and some farm-raised.

They offer a wide variety of frozen, freeze-dried, kibbles, wet food, treats and supplements. I’ve had a chance to check out two of their products, Wild Weenies Duck treats, and one of the Meal Mixers.

As you can see above, the Wild Weenies look like little hot dogs. They are freeze-dried and raw. They smell good, and contain 97% poultry and organs. They are grain-free. I was a bit shocked when I looked at the package and saw only four ingredients!

Cali will do anything for these treats! I keep the bag on my desk, and if I even move the bag, she is there, sitting and staring at me as she wills the treats out of the bag. One of Cali’s big faults is that she loves to bark. If she hears anyone come in the house, close a door, etc. she’s barking. With these treats, I show her the bag and tell her to “quiet” and she waits patiently for her treat. She’s stubborn, and the “Quiet” command doesn’t always work, but it definitely works better when these treats are involved.

Meal Mixers are the other product I’ve been sampling, and they are great! I will definitely be purchasing more of these when my bag runs out. Like the Weenies, the are freeze-dried and grain-free. The idea of this product is to mix it with your regular kibble to add a healthy boost of raw food nutrients to your pet’s diet. They are also supposed to entice your pet to eat, and they definitely do that for Cali.

I take Cali’s regular kibble, add 3-4 of these little chunks and break them up. The chunks are great in that they stay together well and don’t fall apart in the bag, but they are soft enough to break up easily in my fingers when I want to crush them. I add a little bit of water, swirl the bowl, and my picky-eater dives right in.

While these are called “Meal Mixers” they are, according to the package, a complete and balanced meal if you chose to just use this without added kibble.

I’m really impressed with the quality and palatability of these products and look forward to checking out other products in their line. Next time I’m at my local pet store, I’m going to look for their frozen patties and morsels, which they make for dogs and cats. I’d also like to try their “broth topper.” I’ll be sure to post an update when I get a chance to try the other products.

Check them out at: www.StellaAndChewys.com. Some of their products are only available in store due to the perishable nature, so check out the website for locations near you.

It was absolutely gorgeous out yesterday. I was settling in for a morning of chores, but Cali looked up at me with her big brown eyes, and I knew there were more important things to do.

I put her orange safety vest on her, Safety first! We headed out to a local trail. It was a perfect Fall day, the weather was crisp, but not cold, and the leaves were beautiful.

The reflection of the leaves on the water was so pretty.

Cali seemed to be in a mood to behave herself, so I let her off leash. She proved me right and did a great job.  She stayed right by my side.

She got a bit excited when a family with a dog crossed our path, so I scooped her up and we walked by. Later, some ladies crossed by, and they wanted to say “Hello” to Cali, so I let her go, and she gave them kisses without jumping up, good girl!

As we were finishing up our walk, an older couple crossed by and I could tell they weren’t happy that Cali was off leash. I called her over to me and told her to stay, and she hung out right by my side without bothering the couple. We finished up our walk and headed back to the car.

I came home and still managed to get Hector’s cage cleaned up, cleaned cat boxes, and did some laundry,  but I’m so glad I took the time to breathe in some fresh air, stretch my legs, and give my furry friend a chance to do the same.

Enjoy your free time!

Just saw an ad for this thing show up on Facebook.  You get to clean your dog and the floor.

What do you guys think? Pretty interesting idea.  If I still had a big dog, like my lab, I think I would be interested in checking it out.