Pipd's Peeps!

[Crazy Maizie]

Well good luck with Casper. A lot of people wouldn't even try to find out if the cat belonged to someone.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I know firsthand how much it hurts to lose a pet, especially recently, so I wouldn't want to cause that sort of pain to someone else. Much as I'd like to ignore the possibility that he's already someone else's pet, making sure that he's not before I settle on keeping him is the right thing to do.




On the chickens, Myrtle is looking good as of this morning, so I went ahead and put her back outside. Dandy is also good to go still! Cazzie, one of my large fowl Cochins, had a bit of a weird kink in her neck this morning, but she seems fine now, so here's hoping they've collectively decided to give me a break on the ailments for now.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Everything always seems to come at once. Hope you have a great day!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Casper has no microchip. The lady at the shelter took down his description and our address in case anyone calls in about a cat gone missing in the area matching his description, but she said that since it's been a week since he showed up and they haven't received any such calls yet that it isn't likely anyone is looking for him.

So. I guess he's mine. At least, as long as no one does call. The anxiety of waiting on this microchip result has kinda proven to me that I'm already growing attached, so I guess that's that. He will never be Keiko, but at least he can help me finally start to heal that wound that she left behind.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

He's so gorgeous! It looks like he's inside? Slowly gaining his trust.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Oops, yup, I guess I forgot to mention that! I was able to lure him inside to my bedroom on Thursday with the help of my mom. He was very anxious at first and would go to the window and scramble around trying to find a way out, only calming down when I talked to him and petted him. After about 24 hours inside, he calmed down, and he doesn't even go up to look out the window anymore. I did set up a cage to put him in if I'm busy with something else, like opening or closing the coops for the day, but he took to the litterbox like nothing, and since I set the brooder up in there every spring and chicks rapidly get to the crazy flyer stage, I already know there really isn't anything for him to get into, so he's been free-roaming the room the past two days without incident. He has started showing increasing interest in exploring beyond 'his' room, but until he's had his first vet visit, and until some time has passed so I'm more confident no one will call to claim him, I'd rather keep him in one place where I know I can find him, if that makes sense.

As for gaining his trust, he's a very loving cat now that he's calmed down, and he seems to have just fallen in with being a housecat and become quite comfortable with the people now in his life. He loves to weave around your feet as you walk, and if you sit down, he'll either climb into your lap or flop down next to you with his head on your leg and just purr away at you. He also does this quiet little grunt of an 'mm' sound all the time. Like, if I leave the room and come back, he 'mm's in greeting, or if he's been asleep and I pet him, he does a little 'mm' as if acknowledging me. He 'mm's at me when I wake up in the morning, then follows me across the room as I'm changing and getting around to go out to the chickens, purring and 'mm'ing the whole way. It's the cutest thing.


He likes to help out with chores, too, like making the bed in the morning. See how helpful he is?

Not to leave the chickens out of their own thread, I've performed a butt check on Myrtle and Dandy this evening and all is still well with the both of them! Dandelion has started into her molt, so hopefully that means she will have stopped laying eggs for the season and that will give her time to heal and recover from the ordeal. No sign of issue since the first weird neck kink issue with Cazzie, and no problems with the rest of the birds, either. PHEW!

I got the flock a white pumpkin to peck at, but they already destroyed it before I could take pictures of them with it because they found it during free-range the day I got it for them. The rotten buzzards! Anyway, I was expecting it to be one of those white-shelled but orange on the inside pumpkins, but it turns out it was just white all the way through! The girls had a blast with it, anyway, so at least it performed as expected on that front.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Casper looks to be right at home.
I need to go get some pumpkins and let the chickens have at them. I've actually have never done that. But, I give them spaghetti squash when we have it for dinner.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

My flock is a bit hot and cold on the normal, orange pumpkins, but they loved this white pumpkin! This is all that's left as of this morning, and it was by no means a small pumpkin!

Editing to add, nothing but a stem remains tonight. Usually they leave the bottom 'shell' on pumpkins and just peck the inside until it's paper thin. I guess white pumpkins are a flock favorite!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I noticed Dandelion acting glum last night, and sure enough, a small prolapse has reemerged. Back inside to the hospital pen for her. She is not laying as far as I can tell, so I'm not sure what caused it to come back. Guess it's back to the hourly checkups and cleanings, and hoping for the best.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Oh darn. I popped in here earlier to see if I missed any updates.
You must be keeping pretty busy. How is the soap making?