Status report

It's not actually spring down here -- it's summer, I think!  Been in the 80's for weeks now.  The barn cat over at Al's used to hang out in the stalls to stay warm.

Now -- he goes everywhere with us.  He even follows us when we take the manure cart clear out into the field.  Maybe he thinks he's a dog, I don't know.

As for our own cats at the house, they love laying in the sun on the back porch.  This is "Li'l Guy," the world's most expensive cat.  (He got attacked by a stray dog a couple years back and we ended up spending more on his hospitalization than we paid for the horses!)

And this is Harley.  When I lived up in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, I was walking home from the bus stop in about a foot of snow when I heard high-pitched, really LOUD meowing.  I looked around and found a tiny little kitten not more than 5 or 6 weeks old laying there in the snow.  I picked up the poor thing and stuck her inside my coat and headed on home.  By the time I got to the house she was purring so loud that I could hear it through my heavy coat and over the crushing sound of my steps in the snow.  And once she was inside and loose, the sound was incredible from such a tiny little thing.  And that's why I named her Harley -- when she purrs, she sounds like a cat version of a motorcycle!  When she goes to the vet, they're always amazed.  If anyone touches her, even if they're just holding her still for a shot, she'll purr like an engine!   She never seems to get old, either.   It was either 1993 or 94 when I found her, so she's at least 17 years old but she doesn't seem any different now than she did 10 years ago. 

I just hope that's not the case with Joey.  I REALLY hope he grows up and settles down SOON. 

I decided to try and repair that window seat that he destroyed, so I bought a box of those peel-and-stick tiles to put on there for now (I don't want to spend a bunch of money until I know he's not going to rip up whatever I put there).  Anyway, I set the box of tiles on the window seat when I got home that night.  By morning? . . .

yep . . . he found them.  On the plus side, although he managed to destroy the box, he did NOT manage to destroy the tiles.  That's a good sign!  Maybe they'll actually last until he matures past that chewing phase. 

I'm going to get Mark to drill holes in a strip of metal for the edge of the lid, then put those tiles on the top.  I know that's not going to look all that high-end, but on the other hand, it'll look a LOT better than the disaster he's turned it into at the moment!  Please, please, please, Joe-Joe . . . please GROW UP!!!   (Before the house falls down around us!)

But I guess I should be glad that he's at least gentle with people and other dogs, even if he DOES chew up everything within reach.  When I got to LSU to pick him up from therapy on Friday, he was out of his cage and his therapist's family including a couple small children were playing with him.  They were hugging him and kissing him and hanging all over him, and he was just wagging his whole self lapping it up.  He really IS a sweetheart.  If only he would grow out of that chewing thing!!