What did you do with your flock today?

[kurby22]

Gorgeous kitty! Mine insist on 'helping' with my projects. Of course Elliot took it too far when he ate 35 yards of sewing thread and had to have his bowel re-sectioned in three places... but the less said about that the better!

Holy moly! 35 yards of thread?!? How does a cat do that? That’s amazing he survived that kind of impaction! Naughty boy!

 

[kurby22]

Elliot is absolutely fine now and currently curled up on my lap. Thank God.
He got in my sewing room and basically chowed down on a bobbin of thread. He started being sick 3 hours later and couldn't keep anything down except small amounts of water.
We had no idea he'd even eaten it until 2 weeks and many vet trips later when my vet decided he needed exploratory surgery. He'd had countless x-ray, ultrasounds and contrast x-rays which revealed nothing. By this point he only weighed a few pounds and was so sick he might not even get through the surgery. He's a big boy, half Maine coon, half Bengal so you can imagine how much weight he lost.
Anyway, 7 hours later Laura (vet) rang with the news she'd removed 35 yards of thread. It had knotted round the base of his tongue, formed a knot in his duodenum and was slicing through his bowel as he tried to pass it. He was out of the anaesthetic but still touch and go whether he'd make it.
Fortunately he did but it was a long road to recovery.
Stupid little bugger hasn't learnt his lesson. He will still target anything 'stringy' so any and all such things have to be hidden. He will even pull loops on towels to make his own 'thread'!
I honestly think he has pica, he once flooded the dining room overnight by gnawing on the air lines on the fishtank. I got up to to gallons of water on the floor and the poor fish trying to 'swim' in 2 inches of water!

OMG! Elliot is a very mischievous and determined boy I’m so amazed he was able to survive! I had a cat that had a respiratory illness that turned into her not eating and my mom not noticing because she’d been hiding under the bed since I had left to head back to college after Christmas. So 2.5 weeks later my mom noticed she seemed thin and we decided she needed to move up to school with me even though cats weren’t technically allowed. She continued not eating so I took her to the vet school and they ran tests, did biopsies, and said she had just gotten so thin her body was starting to shut down—so they put a hole in her neck to feed her fluids without her being able to refuse it and throw it up. I decided to check her out and bring her home because I felt like her anxiety and separation anxiety were contributing to her not getting better. Spent almost two months feeding her thru the tube in her neck with a syringe of watery cat food 4 times a day while going to school full time. Took her about 2 weeks to stop projectile vomiting and then we got her some antidepressants that dissolved thru her ear as an ointment to limit more stress…and she finally started to heal. It was so traumatic and stressful for me and I felt I’d let her down because she was my baby and didn’t like anyone but me and I had to leave her behind when I went to college. After a year on the antidepressants I weaned her off and she lived another 8 years that was almost better for her than her first 12 years. She was more mellow, less easily startled, and just loved being with me. The things we do for the things we love! All your animals are clearly well loved and in great hands! Protection from themselves sometimes!

 

[kurby22]

Oh No! I'm so sorry Kurby. You did everything you possibly could. I'm sure if she could she'd reassure you that, despite being so ill, she loved her time with you.

Thanks Shetland, I hope she did. She got to eat eggs and veggies that made her happy, and sit with me every day while I worked, and got to go on a road trip…I just wish she could have stuck around longer. :-( I think I might be done with lavender birds. I’m just having terrible luck with them and I fall hard for them too. My big rooster that died last Christmas Day was a lavender Orpington, Asha was a lavender Orpington and Fluff was a lavender Ameraucana My last large fowl lavender bird is Nohope and he was acting weird yesterday so I got panicky and brought him inside for awhile. Gave him eggs and vitamins and watched him to see how he did and he seemed okay and enjoyed sitting with me, so I may have been overreacting…but who can blame me? He’s my big sweetheart boy and I’m just so tired of losing my favorite boys in tragic ways. Might bring him inside tomorrow too, supposed to be wet and rainy all day and if he’s feeling weird I don’t want it to get worse cuz I’m not out there to watch him better.

I also moved the Balls outside with my young bantams and set up the new bigger run and they’re settling in well. Brie, Ariana Sushi, Parmesan and Pistachio are very easy going birds so I think they’ll do alright with the Balls. It’s not the best set up and I will be adding shavings to the run this weekend after the rain, but I think it will be workable for now!

I’m so hoping I don’t have a December like I did last year. I feel like winter is becoming synonymous with chicken death and I am not a fan. :-(

 

[PopoMyers]

My little 'helpers' are obsessed with raking out anything I put in garden sacks. As soon as i turn my back (and sometimes before!) they're emptying it - usually by tearing a new hole in it! Weirdly, they're terrified by the empty bags and go to the ends of the earth to avoid them. Gotta love chicken brains!

"Maybe she hid some bugs or worms in there. We usually find some tasty morsels." Henny Penny

 

[PopoMyers]

Forgot to post Sammy's pic. He's not a year old yet, and has a big head and paws. Catches rodents often. Wish he would catch the rat digging into the coop.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Good morning! It is still dark here at 6am. The littles have already walked out into the yard, probably confused by Christmas lights lol. My neighbor who goes all out every year just put his lights up last eve so, I am sure they are mesmerized by the glow. Well, the early bird gets the worm so they say so I tossed out leftover catfood and turned the shop light on for them. Poor kids.

@PopoMyers Sammy is beautiful ♡♡♡ I am sure it's those brown stripes that made my heart go pitter patter but the white spots make him irresistible forsure. What a face !!!

@kurby22 you two fought the good fight my heart goes out to you. I hope she has a beautiful final resting place where you can visit her ♡ I know this is the part of chicken keeping that we don't like but it happens anyways She has taught you a lot and I'm sure will save future chicken lives. I'm sure the Balls will keep you hopping and moving forward. Mourn, breathe, take a step forward.

Except for the spiders (scorpions and snakes) you live in a paradise @ChicksnMore . I just love your style and chicken juggle 6 hours drive (!!) and then back, wow. People on this isle act like they are going to die if they have to travel 1 hour. Which is good traffic and road wise but still, little dedication or few with it.

Much of the same here and it is all good, just lots to do. So now that the sky is starting to lighten a little I had better get after it. Happy Saturday all! Hope it is a good one

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Well despite all the efforts, Asha passed away about an hour ago in my arms. Poor sweet girl, I’m going to miss her so much. We were couch buddies for the past month and I’d grown more attached to her Thanks for all the help and support though

I’m so so sorry!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Oh! Special shout out to @Shetland lover and Elliot! who would of or could of thunk that?!!! My goodness, what a silly miracle kitty to have made it through all of that. Great vet catch, great job all. Must have been horrible going through it at the time but BRAVO!!!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I obviously have ALOT to catch up on. Been so busy trying to make this little guy happy. I can’t go anywhere without him freaking out. Busy busy busy.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Jazzy says hi...who wants to play?View attachment 3344872

Absolutely beautiful!