2/22/15 Feral Cats!

I could not believe my eyes today when I looked out the window and saw that the house – MY house – was surrounded by feral cats!

They must have a family out there in the woods. I saw two black and whites like this one:

and a huge gray with some tabby markings (I mean these cats are large):

But the surprising thing was a very large black cat that was perched on the neighbor’s fence. Reminded me very much of “Andy and Dougy” – very silky looking. I swear, it was there to snag a bird out of the bare tree. I mean, the cats have to eat! Mom wants to put out some tuna fish but she is worried if they come too close to the yard I might get them.

Here was the black cat – and then, when he got what he wanted, he was gone in a flash:

(Gone!)

I spent the morning watching out of the window to make sure that the cats did not encroach the barrier into my yard:

I am on Border Patrol! Woof! Love, Maggie

Advertisements

1/24/15 Big Toy

Mom and Jamie went out and bought me a Big Toy. It’s a very large tennis ball on a tough, knotted rope. I am loving it and having a fun time!

We got up to the 40’s the last couple of days, and most of the snow melted. Then it froze, so now the backyard has a thick coating of ice in spots.

I could hear a cat in the woods meowing her head off. I’ve seen her around lately. She’s a feral cat, and we think she is in heat. Mom throws chicken scraps out for the cats. I get jealous of that.

Anyway, I could hear her before the humans heard her, so I pretended like I had to use the bathroom. Once they opened the back door, I ran out through the sweet spot in the fence and into the woods to give chase to the cat.

Jamie jammed his shoes on his feet and tried to catch me, but the ice in the yard confounded him. He was persistent though, and found me on the other side of the swamp. Foiled again!

Mom was angry, and told me to lie down. She says that in the spring, they are going to reinforce the fence.

I am going to lie down for a while and then try to coax Mom with the Big Toy and a friendly game of tug-o-war.

Woof! Love, Maggie

PS – I think I frightened off the cat.

5/16/13 Catlick School

I feel bad because Mom had a really rough day today, and not just because when she left to go to her Liberry, I broke two bowls and got into the pantry again and ate half a jar of peanut butter.  I know, I know.  I couldn’t help myself.  I panicked.

I guess from what I heard Mom saying to Dad is that they are going to close the Liberry.  There isn’t enough money at the school to keep it going.  So Mom and her boss, whom she really, really likes, are going to be out of work.  Mom told Jamie that she would try to raise money for the school but it would be hard to do it in time, and that it was a “Catlick” School so they couldn’t get public money.  I didn’t know Jamie went to school with cats!  I have sniffed him carefully a lot of times and never smelled one single cat!  Maybe my nose isn’t working right having been in the Shelter for so long.  Anyway, I tried to be on good behavior, seeing as Mom was so upset.

Mom says she found a Pet Sitter for me and she is going to come by tomorrow and meet me.  She has lots of experience with nervous dogs and lives in the neighborhood.  Today I’m doing better.  I went into the backyard all by myself!  I even stood by the back door when I wanted to be let out.  Mom was proud of me today, peanut butter breath and all.

11/12/14 Why so freezing??

OK, OK, I get it: it’s November. But it’s not January! It is ridiculously cold outside. On days like today, I wish I’d let Mom put a coat on me. Alas, I am stubborn.

Mom and I went for a brisk (and I do mean brisk) walk this morning. I got in lots of good sniffs, peed on Blue’s lawn, and everything was fine until we got to the second block. Then the wind shifted, and blew right up my poor tail. I was ready then and there for Mom to carry me back (not going to happen)! We hustled it back to the warm house, and Mom gave me a treat for walking so nicely.

My humans have put up a new tether in the backyard. It’s taken me a few days to get adjusted to it. At first, I thought they were just leaving me out there. Then I realized I can walk around quite a bit. The lead on the tether is about 25 feet, so I have lots of room to sniff around and take care of business. But I can’t get under the fence or chase anything. I suppose the human plan is to shovel around the tether when the fluffy white stuff falls, and scoop me out a little roaming area. Not that I plan to stay out in that kind of cold for too long! But Mom remembers when I chased a squirrel all across the frozen pond last year, and she says she’s not going through that again this year. Speaking of which…

Mom was revisiting some blogs from last year around this time and hoo-boy, was I misbehaving! Knocking over lamps, taking chunks out of the walls and floor, barking at Jamie, and generally being a four-legged nuisance. Mom actually thought she would have to re-home me, I wasn’t listening at all. Then I went to boot camp and things improved. Thank goodness. I nearly “hairy bullet-ed” myself out of a good home. I’m so glad that didn’t happen.

In other news, Mom has a strange little bag packed in the kitchen. She says she has to go away soon to a far-away place called, “The Hospital”. I know it is far away because I can’t see it from the front windows or out the back yard. So it must be far. Mom says she is OK with having “The Operation” but she is worried about all of us back home. She is making lists for Dad and Jamie so no one forgets to feed me or the fish, change the filters on the tank, let me out, and things of that nature. Mom will be away most of next week, and I am going to probably be in the crate a lot. But I’ll update you when I can.

Til next time, I’m cold and tired from being outside and going to snuggle with blankie and take a little nap. Have a great day!

Woof! Love, Maggie

11/7/14 A Dog and Her Boy

We are getting to the time of year where it changes to dark time very quickly. It is not even 4:00 Human Standard Time here and already the sun is setting. Yesterday it was gloomy all day.

Today, however, the sun came out for a little while. Mom had put me in the crate (I always know when she is going to, even when she acts nonchalant about it) but explained that she had to get Jamie from school. I understand “Jamie” so I knew I’d be seeing him soon. I was glad, because I miss him while he is away studying all day. So the crate wasn’t too bad. I wasn’t in there too long.

When Jamie got home, I was let out with lots of petting and praise. Mom gave me a rawhide shaped like a donut and I chewed the living daylights out of it. Jamie took off his good clothes, meanwhile, and when he was done changing, we went into the back yard to take advantage of the fading sunlight. Jamie bought a K-9 Cannon that shoots the tennis balls all the way across the yard, and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was playtime.

To be honest, I am not good about fetching balls. I’d rather play with my stick instead. Which is actually a beat-up yellow Wiffle bat. I like the larger sticks, since I have a big jaw, and the bat works just fine. Dad hinted I might be getting a new one for Christmas.

Anyway, Jamie shot the balls out of the Cannon and I ran around like I was going to fetch, but instead I doubled back, crouched low to the ground, and Hairy Bullet-ed to my stick. I ran around with that while Jamie gave chase. Then we had a couple of great tug-o-war sessions:

I did end up victorious in one round. Jamie slipped and went rolling over and over on the grass. I happily chewed the stick. Mom brought Jamie the gardening gloves, and then he won again.

I had a good play, and now it’s time for a nap.

Woof! Love, Maggie

10/29/14 Over the river, and through the woods

Or, over (at least the pond) and through the woods. But not to Grandmother’s house!

Today started off like any other day. Except I decided to work The Plan.

See, I’ve been after the rabbit for a while now, and who should move in to the pond next door but a “swamp kitty”. I’ve seen it in our – er, MY yard and I’ve seen it sitting in front of the woods. Today, after a nice long nap and lots of cuddling, I was refreshed, and decided to act.

I let Mom know I had to “go” and when she let me in the backyard, I bolted for the fence, where I have conveniently been making a hole with my head. The hole is behind where a bush is sticking through the fence, so Mom and Dad did not see me making it, and it’s not visible from the house. I felt all, “Shawshank Redemption” and everything. Mom chased after me but wasn’t quick enough. Before she could clear the patio, I was in the woods.

Mom had to cut through the house, go into the front, then to the side of the house into the woods to find me. She saw me “going” in the woods, but when I saw her, I stood up and ran for it. I was gone a while.

Mom ran back to the house, covered in burrs and thistles, and called the Police, the Animal Control Officer, Laurel, and Dad. Laurel calmed Mom down while she cried. “I’m afraid they’re gonna shoot her because she’s a Pitbull,” Mom said, her throat catching, tears sprinkling down her cheeks. “I kept telling them she’s friendly.”

Laurel was in the process of reassuring Mom when I slinked in through the hole in the fence and made my way toward the back door. I was cowering pretty low, but I couldn’t make out the look on Mom’s face. I’d say, “heartbroken” kinda covers it. She hung up with Laurel and checked me over for ticks. (No ticks). But lots of mud. She checked me all over again for blood, and didn’t see any blood, so she knew the kitty and rabbit had gotten away once more.  Mom just said, “Bad dog” and got the lead. She wasn’t even loud about it. I thought she was putting me in the crate, but she frogmarched me upstairs and into the big walk-in shower for a bath.

Mom wouldn’t let me lie down on the human bed because first I was muddy, then I was wet. So I curled up with my blankie on my chair.

Mom says she is talking to Dad about a solution to the backyard problem – either another tether or a “dog run”, since they can’t keep me from breaking the fence. Mom’s not talking to me now, and I think that’s the worst punishment of all.

Woof! Love, Maggie

5/25/14 A Perfect Day That Ended In Disaster

Erik came over and the humans put up a volleyball/badminton net.  I had no idea how fun badminton was until I chased that birdie all over the yard!

Dad made a delicious cookout and Mom gave me some scraps.  The day was perfect and I spent the whole day chasing sticks, balls, and the birdie.  Until I found something more fun to play with.

Mom wandered over to the badminton net to check things out and noticed I wasn’t there.  She scanned the yard and did not see me.  She eventually found me in the shade by the pool with my new chew toy that I was destroying.

Except…it wasn’t a chew toy.  It was Erik’s glasses.  They fell off his shirt and into the grass, where I saw them winking in the sun and decided I just had to have them.

I have never seen Mom go nuclear before.  But I did today.

Dad managed to get one of the lenses put back into the frame.  The lens was damaged but Erik was able to at least drive home.  Mom and Dad are buying him a new set of glasses Tuesday.

I ended up on the tether after that one.

No more catching birdies for me.  The end of a perfect day, that ended in disaster!

(droops tail) Love, Maggie