Preparing for some fun

From my comments, I realize that some new followers are not aware that I have a cat-sitting business and think all the cats I photograph are mine. I cat-sit for 75 homes in the Carleton Place area so my kitty-clients are up in the hundreds. Naturally, I photograph some beauties for you. At home, I am owned by 6 felines and a Sheltie.  That's over my limit but I am an easy mark.

It's not fun shopping in 40 C with humidity but time is moving along here.  I finally found my outfit, jewellery, shoes and bag..Fabulous!  A wedding  takes some preparations even if the wedding is very 'intimate' and on a cliff in Newfoundland. I have never seen that part of the country although I have been to Nova Scotia twice. I'm getting excited for my daughter and soon- to- be son-in-law who I will meet in St. John's on Thursday night. And, this gal needs a little holiday.

It is the most easterly edge of North America.

Where the sun rises first.

The land of rich history and natural wonders. Best known for it's whale watching and the perfect place for hiking and kayaking. And look at these homes...colour everywhere. I'll take you along on my visit.

I had a fun play-time with Nico today.

He is a hoot and loves company. He was adopted from our local shelter by his wonderful owners and now has the perfect (in this case, purr-fect)  home. Who in their right mind would have given this guy up? Oh well...after 30 years of being some-what involved in cat rescue,  I've heard it all.

Cat-tip-for-the-day - add ice cubes to your cats water in this heat. Especially if they are outdoor cats. Interest in the ice-cubes will make them drink more.

We are sweltering here. I'm off to cat-sit and then drop by the spot where the ferals will make their way for some cold water and food. Poor things.

hugs, Deb

Tuxedo treat

It is supposed to hit 40 celsius with the humidity in Ontario this weekend. That's too hot to do much of anything and especially hot for a cat-sitter who loves to cuddle the cats. Unless the house is air-conditioned there won't be much of that going on. And I notice, too that cat's never sit in windows in this kind of heat. Well, all but Toby.

A little update on Audrey...she is healing quite well. The infection is all but gone. I won't be happy though until all the swelling is gone. She is day 5 on antibiotics and has to continue with them for 9 more days. She is not in the time-out room much anymore. I just keep her from playing too hard and check her incision periodically. I am dabbing it with peroxide to keep it dry.

I joke about her but she really is the best little feline patient ever. She takes her meds in her soft food so I don't have to pill her and she is always purring. I catch her checking out her belly but she does not disturb the incision. She just finds it rather interesting.
She is more cuddly than usual and I hope that doesn't change. She sleeps all night.

She's milkin' it for all it's worth, though. Always checking the hand for special treats.

Back to cat-sitting...
Look at these beauties.  4 Gorgeous black and white's that I am cat-sitting. All friendly and welcoming.

                                                                            Freya

Nico

Ripley

Nico again

Toby again.

Ripley again

There were 2 more fabulous felines but they were shy for the camera.

It was pretty hot so we played on the cool kitchen floor awhile. 40C is unheard of here. The animals hate it, too. I feel so bad for the ferals with this drought but I did bring them lots of cold water on my way home tonight. I have only seen 2 for months now. I leave them dry and soft food. Hope they make it through this stinkin' hot summer.

I'm linking up with http://dianaevans.blogspot.ca/ for Sweet Saturday.

hugs, Deb

Defective Humans

It's despicable what they've done to my fur-belly

And these 'time-outs' are deplorable.

My humans are diddlies, deficient, downright dreadful.

They say it is necessary to rest.

"Dastards"

Down with their rather dubious claims.

                                                           AA aka Audacious Audrey

And that's that.

Someone is in trouble around here.

Sierra spends much of her time on our front porch either waiting for the mailman or working as our 'greeter'.

This is the permanent expression on her face. She gives out kisses to everyone.

She's just always there and I hardly ever think about it. She never leaves our property. Never! She comes in before dark and heads out after breakfast. All that was just dandy until a few weeks back when I had to rescue a chipmunk from her grimy little paws. It must have ventured up to the front lawn and she just scooped it up. I, in turn, scooped her up and made her drop it. She was some mad at me but wore that same expression.

Yesterday was the clincher. I found a pile of bird feathers beside the porch. No bird; just the feathers. She did not seem to need dinner. I know this will upset some of you, it upset me, too. I can't stand to see anything hurt or killed. It drives me nuts.. I had to make a decision.
I realize cats are cats but here is where I feel guilty. I feed the wild-life in the back-yard under our apple tree. I place seeds and fruit there every other day. It is enjoyed by many birds, squirrels and chipmunks.
I didn't realize that at 10 years of age, our lazy, predictable Sierra would bother to hunt them down. She never was a hunter in her younger days.
I almost put a bird-bath in the yard this year. Glad I didn't.

Once a cat gets the taste of it there is no turning back. So, there's no changing Sierra now. There will not be any seeds, apples, berries or peanuts under our tree anymore. Sorry birdies, the drive-thru is now closed. Just keep flying, don't look back.

Sierra will be watched much closer now.

A cat's a cat and that's that.

It's a busy weekend ahead. I have 6 tuxedos to care for plus I am monitoring Audrey very closely. It looks like the antibiotics are doing their job but she still has swelling. I also have lots of non-cat related appointments and shopping to do. Plus I want to lose 10 pounds this weekend :-b. It is so hot here that it is hard to do anything outside. We were out at our property and if it wasn't for the 50 large Maples, we'd a died. Kane knew where to rest.

I am looking forward to the Fall already as this summer has been unbearable.

hugs, Deb

A birthday

I was cleaning up the pantry and came across this little packet of seeds that had dropped down behind a basket and never thought of again.

 I love daisies and am stopped dead in my tracks when I see one.

We celebrated a special birthday this week at our favorite little pub. My daughter, Jess turned 30. "Yikes", says momma who feels very old right now.

Jess and Riley

My Banana Cake with Vanilla icing and fresh strawberries on the side. It got 2 thumbs up.

 Marriage plans are in the air. So, we'll be gaining a son. And we couldn't be happier. :-)

Looks like I'm heading to Newfoundland soon.

Audrey is coming along with her healing. We have a ways to go but she is such a good little patient. She is in lock-down during the day and then she'll be out of the spare room all evening and in our bedroom at night.. I've given her lots of cardboard boxes to play in and she is customizing their look as I type this. 

Drop over to http://consciouscat.net/ to see her wonderful article on 'What to look for in a cat-sitter'.

hugs,Deb

Side effects to Clavamox

Cat-tip-for-the-day=^..^=Side effects to Clavamox
Audrey is on Clavamox for 7 days to treat the infection built up around the incision from her spay. She has had a re-action to the sutures that they commonly use now on cats and dogs. I asked if it was a rare occurence and the answer was "Yes".

I am to keep the area clean and dry. Monitor the swelling and keep her as quiet as you can keep an 11 month old cat.

There are side-effects to this antibiotic.
Diarrhea - this occurs because the antibiotic not only kills the harmful bacteria but also the healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract
Vomiting
Loss of Appetite - your cat can actually lose it's sensation of hunger.


Thankfully, she is not experiencing any of the above so far.
I read this on line...
I f your dog or cat was spayed recently, the veterinarian may have used dissolvable sutures to close its incision. Dissolvable sutures are placed under the skin and do not require removal because they will eventually decompose on their own. Many vets use dissolvable sutures as opposed to typical skin sutures because it decreases the chances of the animal bothering the suture line as many pets try to pull out skin stitches on their own. Although the use of dissolvable sutures is advantageous in many ways, they do require a certain amount of care.
That care is to keep the area clean, dry and monitor the animal daily.

Having done all the above, Audrey still had a bad reaction to the material used in the sutures and infection was discovered 7 days after surgery. So now she has to heal. Just some information I thought all cat owners should be aware of.

hugs, Deb

Back she goes & Give-away winner.

I am just back from the vet with Audrey. Unfortunately, she took a re-action to the suitchers from her incision and she is on anti-biotics for 1 week and rest. Poor, poor Audrey. We thought all was going so well and then yesterday I saw some swelling and sure enough we had a problem. There was infection behind the incision. She is now in the spare room again for complete rest. She thinks of it, I'm sure, as her time-out room. I feel so bad for her. She acts fine, eats fine, uses her box fine, purrs when you pet her and seems all-around jolly but she has to be kept quiet. I will let her out in the evenings when I can keep a close eye on her and I have to keep track of the swelling. She is not to jump and she should stay off the stairs a few days. That would be impossible if she is not 'shut away'.

I was thinking back to all the cats we have had spayed. Not one ever had a problem with healing. Not one. And I think we had around 8 females spayed. If a cat will have some problems and I will have some worries it will of course be with Audrey.

I had to close the give-away at 5:30 tonight as I am heading out to celebrate my oldest daughter's birthday.So, the retired-guy helped with picking the winning name today for the give-away. All names were placed in his fishing hat and he did the honours.
The winning name ishttp://sweetpurrfections.blogspot.ca/ with Truffle & Brulee. Congratulations to 2 beautiful cats and mom, Paula. Please send  me your address and postal code and your gift will be shipped off to you very soon.  Enjoy your new teas in a pretty tea-cup, Paula. Hope you enjoy the treats, sweet kitties.

Well, I guess I'll be turning the spare room/time-out room into my reading room just so little Audrey doesn't get lonely. Wish us luck with her recovery. We need it.

hugs, Deb