Tag Archives: animals

The Saga of a Stray Cat~ Chapter 4

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By the time Tuesday rolled around the still nameless stray had settled into a routine with the other two cats. I was slowly adjusting to having a  cat underfoot every minute but it was time to break up this fine domestic scene and take  Tippy to his new home. I can see why fostering a homeless animal can be hard. It’s impossible not to get attached and then you have to give them up.

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It was the right thing to do. Three cats in a one bedroom apartment was a bit crowded and I was concerned about the expense. People think cats are cheap to own and at one time they were. But in today’s economy, not so much. They need health checks annually along with vacinations and then there’s the general every day maintenance of kitty litter , food and treats. Food used to be very inexpensive but now it’s hard to find canned food for under $.60/ can. With 3 cats I was going through 4 cans a day. Moose had a huge appetite. So although I was sorry to see him go I was relieved.

I dropped him off with his accumulated  “stuff” . I gave  the new owner  his rabies tag and vet records, patted him on the head one last time and prepared to leave. His new owner was thinking of calling him Mr. Tux…cute. I like that. He was busy exploring his new digs as I went out the door.

Back at work that Thursday I checked in on how “Mr. Tux was making out. I was assured it was a good match and that everyone was happy. I joked that if he came back to me again I was going to name him “Boomerang”, Boomer for short, or Re-Run. I joked because I really thought this time the re-homing would stick.

It didn’t. He lasted less time at this home than he did at his first one. On Sunday I got a  call to come get him because his hair was falling out. Not shedding, he was getting bald!? His new owner was sure he was sick but I had my doubts. My vet had checked him out and I trust her. She ran all the blood tests and since he was boarded over night they even got a stool sample and checked it for parasites. All came back negative. There had to be something else going on.

I couldn’t go right away because I was at work until 8PM so I promised to come by on Monday. When I got there Mr. Tux’s things were all packed up by the door for me and sure enough , he had a bald spot!

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I said “Hey Buddy, What’s up with you?” and he came running! That was the first time he had responded to anything I’d called him! I picked him up and was rewarded with little “Kitty Kisses” on my ear. I guess he did miss me.

Back in the car went his things. I called the vet and off we went to get his head examined. Literally! Depending on the result it was likely that he was baaaaack!

Gators or Crocodiles

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One thing I learned in my exploring around the Everglades is that Alligators and Crocodiles are not the same creatures. Oh they may look a lot alike but there are differences.

Both animals are reptiles and they do look a lot alike but with the exception of Florida they live in entirely different areas of the world. They also prefer different kinds of water but aside from habitat the easiest way to tell the difference is the snout.

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The snout, or mouth and nose, looks very different. A crocodile snout is long, narrow and V-Shaped while those of the alligator as wider and u shaped. If you get a chance to look at the 2 species side by side the difference is not subtle at all. In fact I think once you compare the 2 snouts you’ll be unlikely to ever mix them up again.

The snouts are an indication of the different diets these beasts follow. The wide snout of the alligator gives it more crushing power which it need to devour its favorite meal of turtle. Crocodiles on the other hand eat mainly fish and small mammals so they don’t need that big chop to break through a shell. Thier narrower snout lets them strike quickly to snag the small creatures that make up their lunch.

One of the things that I find most interesting is their jaw. When an alligator closes its mouth the lower teeth are not as visible as in the crocodile. Because the alligator has that wide snout its upper jaw covers the lower jaw so the teeth in the lower jaw fit snuggly inside. A dentist’s dream.

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But the crocodile, now that’s the orthodontist’s dream patient. Braces for life. The upper and lower jaws of the crocodile are basically the same width so when it closes those jaws the bottom teeth interlock with the upper ones. My what big teeth you have!

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The last difference I will touch on is color. The typical crocodile tends to be an olive , brown hue. Alligators are much darker, almost black, especially when wet. Alligators that have been sunning and are dry may look more gray than black but all of the crocodiles I’ve seen have definitely tended more toward the brown. (Not that I’m an expert by any stretch)

Of course if you happen to run into one of these animals in the wild, on a walk, or in your pool, I wouldn’t stand around trying to figure out which one it was. I’d make tracks to a safe distance and call the experts. Crocodiles can run up to 10+ miles per hour for short distances. Alligators not so fast but they can spin around and jump really fast because that’s a skill they need to ambush their prey. So if you run across one..call the Gator Boys or 911 and don’t touch! 🙂

A teeny tiny “Farm-ette”

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Boy have I been slacking! Statement not question. I always get lazy when the weather gets cold. Each year it gets harder and harder to motivate myself to brave the weather. Seems like I get cold easier and warm up harder. Winter hasn’t even “officially” begun and I’m trying to go into hibernation.

In the midst of this seasonal malaise I got an invitation from one of my co-workers. He knew I have an interest in photographing “critters’ as he refers to them and his pygmy goats had just had babies. He wondered if I’d like to come down to see his little “farm-ette” and take some pictures. He warned me to wear boots because it might be muddy. I assured him that wasn’t a problem as I had grown up on the same kind of “farm-ette” (I love that word)

Our definition of a “farm-ette” is a little land on which a few animals are raised for fun and maybe a little profit. Whatever combination of animals you like. This includes the old-fashioned “family farm” as long as it isn’t too big. The homeowner has another job that pays the bills and for the animal hobby. I grew up on a “family farm”. At various times we had chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, goats and horses but my Dad worked at his business every day as well as the farming.

My friend has a similar situation. He raises Silky chickens, Alpacas and pygmy goats and a couple of horses along with the family pets like cats and birds. Although I didn’t get to see them I believe he said he had a couple of parrots.

We started our tour in the chicken coop. These aren’t the regular  run-of-the-mill chickens. These are called silky chickens and they are cute as can be. The hens have a  Pom-Pom on the top of their heads and male and female are really fluffy. They are just the cutest things. There were some chicks and I went about trying to catch them in pictures…boy are they fast!

After my only partly successful attempt to photograph those feisty birds we walked through the alpaca paddock heading to the pygmy goats. The Alpacas were a bit more willing to stand still and “pose” but still kind of wary of a stranger.

Then we reached the goats. Pygmy goats aren’t even as tall as a big dog. I think the adults only came to about my knees and they were very friendly.

The little “kids” were bouncing all over, climbing on feed sacks, opening and closing the barn door, just getting into everything.

Here the light was very dim so it was once again a photographic challenge but I can tell you these are really cute babies.

I’m glad my friend thought to invite me over and take the time to show me around. Like “Charlie” of Charlie’s Angels my friend wished to remain in the background so all we’ll see of him are his hands . 🙂

I just  love the animals. It was a great afternoon and the “shot-in-the-arm” I needed.

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