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Today’s Compromise

Yesterday was a LONG day! We spent over 7 hours in the car, but we were able to watch our son’s hockey game in one part of the state, and then have some lunch and drive over to Peconic Maine Coon breeders in another part of the state before completing the triangle and driving home.  Thankfully it was an absolutely beautiful drive around the White Mountains, and through some pretty foliage.

I wish I had thought to take pictures while we were at the breeders, but I was so busy playing with kittens I didn’t even think about it. There were 5 kittens, and 10 adults at the house. The adults were gorgeous! Big, spikey-eared hairy beasts.  Every single one of the kittens was amazing.  I’m glad we had pre-reserved one, because I don’t think I could have chosen on the spot.

This precious little 10 week old morsel came home with us.  He doesn’t have a name yet, so right now he is just Baby Cat. Let’s hope that doesn’t stick!

It is not taking Baby Cat long to settle in at all.  He’s pretty much taken over the house. We have him set up in his own room for now while everyone gets to know each other. When I’m around, he’s exploring the house.  He runs around and checks everything out, but if I get out of sight, he starts howling as soon as he notices.  I’ve never been around a cat this obsessed with people!

I sat down to work on my computer, and Baby Cat played on the floor for a while, he explored near by, then he wandered too far and started howling so I had to find him and show him where I was. He tried to climb up my leg, so I helped him into my lap.  He climbed onto my chest, kneaded my neck a bit, and then settled in for a nap. That was all very sweet, but I can only type one handed for so long, so we compromised and I found him a new spot:

I’m not sure how this is going to work out when he gets bigger, but for now, he is all snuggled up and I have a nice neck warmer!

Cali, the dog, loves the kitten. She’s a tiny bit jealous, but as long as I pat them both at the same time, she’s happy and they are already playing together.

Logan and Puck, our older cats are another story. Puck is really easy going and we thought he would be super accepting of the new kitten, he’s not. Last night he sat outside the living room peering in. When the kitten got too close, Puck hissed, and left. Today they are doing a little better.  They are in the same room together now. Baby Cat really wants to make friends, but Puck isn’t ready for that. I got a pheromone collar for Puck to see if that helps ease his anxiety about the transition.

Logan is carefully watching from a distance. She’s doesn’t seem stressed about the new addition, but she also isn’t interested in being friends just yet. I was going to get her a pheromone collar as well, but the pet store only had one, so I have one on order from amazon for her.  This is what I bought if anyone is interested:

The clerk at the store said she had used them and it seemed to help.

Baby cat is laying on my chest again, purring, and licking my chin.  I think we are going to get along just fine. Let’s hope the big cats learn to like him soon.

Vet check tomorrow.  Let’s hope the vet think’s this little guy is as perfect as I do!

Check back soon for more kitten pictures and updates.  Hopefully we will come up with a name soon!

If All Goes Well…

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.

Stella & Chewy’s, Treats and More

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.

Fall Hike

Cali is ready!

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!

 

My Dilemma

The Female

 

A few years ago we adopted two cats from a shelter. My son fell in love with the gorgeous, long-haired male cat, but he was part of a bonded pair and had to be adopted with his female friend.

We had a gut feeling that we shouldn’t add two cats at one time because of Logan, our older female cat., but we thought we would give it a try. The female cat was pretty awful. She hated people, and loved cables. She had a nervous habit of eating cables, and in our technology-filled home, this was a disaster! I lost count of how many phone and watch charging cables we had to replace.

The male cat was gorgeous!

He was a big giant of a cat, and we all loved him, but he was a bully.  He chased our Logan, and also the female cat he was supposed to be bonded with.

For almost a year, we tried to get the three cats to get along. We didn’t need them to be best friends, but we did need them to stop fighting. Eventually, Logan got so nervous that she started urinating all over the house. We worked with a vet, we medicated, we used hormone scent diffusers and special collars. Nothing seemed to help. As much as we hated to admit defeat, we talked to the shelter where we got the cats, and we brought them back. It was awful. I felt better when I called the next day to check on them and they had already been adopted again!

Since then, my son and I have been desperately wanting another long haired cat. We rescued a kitten that we were told was a Maine Coon Mix. Puck is an awesome cat, but he’s short haired and only 7 lbs.  We don’t think there is a whole lot of Maine Coon there.

We love our Puck, but we are still searching for our long haired cat.  I’ve been watching rescues for quite awhile, and I never seem to be able to find a long haired male kitten. We’d really like a Maine Coon with their dog-like personalities, and there are some in rescues, but not kittens. With our cranky older lady, Logan, we are afraid to add any more adult cats to the mix, and she seems to get along best with male cats.

I started looking to breeders. Maine Coon kittens are even hard to find from breeders! Many that I spoke with have all the kittens in a litter reserved before they are even born!

The Dilemma – Eventually, I found a breeder that has two male kittens that will be available in a few weeks.  What to do?!?!? In some ways, I hate the thought of buying a cat from a breeder, but I also don’t think we can find the right fit at a rescue this time. I know there will be more rescue pets in my future, and there have been plenty in the past, maybe we buy a kitten? What would you do?