Cleaning with Critters

It's a challenge to clean with the critters.  Some of them don't like the tools of the trade, some of them want to 'help' - it's interesting for sure.

Let's start with the vacuum - the pig, the puppies and the cats - none of them are fans.  Emma barks at the machine and tries to bite it.  The ferrets are good until you get out the hose - then there is a pressing need to attack...quite comical.

Winston absolutely loves getting his room cleaned.  He loves the smells of the cleaners.  He loves when I do his laundry - fabric softener is a favorite as well.  I use mostly Method products - they smell good, clean well and many of them are non toxic.  The pig feels compelled to try to rub his body on the surfaces you have cleaned - not particularly helpful....

The puppies - they are still getting used to everything around here - they don't love cleaning days. They hate the hard floor cleaner and the vacuum and you moving stuff around to put things away makes them quite nervous as well....  They do, however, seem to enjoy getting their toys out after they have been put up in their toy area.

The ferrets and the kitties are notorious helpers.  In particular, Oliver who likes to be right in your face at all times and Tabitha who likes to be under foot seeing what you are doing.

It makes chores entertaining and at times frustrating.

Love those little fluffers -

Week in Review

This week has kind of flown by for me.  Here we are on Friday already.

It was a pretty good critter week for us - Violet had her glucose check appointment and medication adjustment.  Winston got a lovely package from his Valenswine and the rest of the critters got some special treats and lovies.  We had repair folks in the house 2 days this week. When I went to critter land this morning to give Vi and the kitties their meds I was happy to see her chasing Kai around. She is very active and happy - which in the big scheme of things is the most important to me.

The weekend is packed full - we have friends coming tomorrow.  Very excited to see them and very excited for them to meet the puppies for the first time.  On Sunday morning I am lucky enough to visit a local pig sanctuary that I will start volunteering at soon - I am very excited to meet the piggies. Sunday afternoon and evening we have plans with friends as well.

All in all - things have gone well this week.  The weather here is supposed to be lovely this weekend so I would imagine that puppies and pig and little critters will spend a good bit of time outdoors!  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Super Troopers

Whenever we have anyone in the house for repairs and such - it causes scheduling havoc for the furries.  Today we had the HVAC guy out to do the regular maintenance on the machines so all sorts of schedules were blown out of the water.

One thermostat is in critter land which means that the ferrets and the kitties had to go into their rooms with the doors closed.  They have their bedroom and my office so whomever was sleeping in whichever room got closed in there for the morning.  I am pleased to report that there was no scratching at the doors - ferrets are notorious scratchers and Oliver - the wailing kitty was quiet for the entire morning.

One of the furnaces is in Winston's room - actually in the room we affectionately call the Christmas Closet off the laundry room.  There is also a thermostat in Winston's hallway and the door to the garage where another unit lives is in his hallway as well.  Usually there is not an issue because Mr. Piggers can just go outside but today - of course - it was pouring down rain.  We all know that the fragile boy will melt in the rain so outside was out of the question.  So - Winston and I laid down in his bed (which is in the other closet in his area).  I snuggled with him and covered him up with his new Valenswine blanket.  I left his light on and closed the door.  What a good piggy - there wasn't a peep out of him the whole time.  He just hung out in his bed and waited patiently.

The puppies were great - they didn't bark or get scared and Emma just hung out in our room so there wasn't a peep from her either.

Thankfully the weather cleared up this afternoon and the pups and the pig were able to have some outside time.  The little critters were happy to have their doors opened up again - it was like a shift change - critters that were in the bedroom moved to the office and vice versa - they are so silly.

It's nice to know that all equipment has been checked and is operating safely.  Thankful that the critters were such troopers - tomorrow we get to return to normal!

Winston Has a Valenswine and She Spoiled Him ROTTEN!!

Winston has a sweet Valenswine - her name is Charlotte - and today he got a lovely package of Valentine's goodies in the mail.

Winston and his Valenswine's package

A gift and a bag full of goodies!!

Winston checking out his new sign

Love, love love!!!

Lots of lovely things in his gift bag

Envelope for his card from Charlotte

ADORABLE squeaky toy

He loves it!

Yummy Treats!!

A back scratcher - let the forking begin!

Checking out his fuzzy new blanket

Cheerios!!!  Every piggy's favorite! 

Testing out the new back scratcher

Um....  I think he likes it!

His new sign up on the wall!

Winston and Emma's wall - which will get redone soon - Winston will have the whole thing and Emma's stuff will move in with on the puppy wall!

Enjoying a peppermint!

Thanks to Charlotte and her piggy mama for an amazing Valenswine package!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from our furry gang....  In honor of the holiday dedicated to love - some pictures demonstrating the love in our fuzzy family:

V Day image from a couple of years ago - since this we have added Fiona and Bash and the puppies

I love this photo - it's Finn on the left, Theo in the middle and Clooney on the left - I am so thankful that Clooney found ferret friendship in the latter part of his life and that Finn felt so much love in his short time with us.

Emma and Winston - about 30 Winston pounds ago

Phoebe, Oliver and Zoey - I miss that crazy orange kitty

Phoebe, Finn and Violet

Winston and Oliver - he was probably about 8 weeks old in this photo

Emma and Oliver

Harlow and Theo - oh how I miss that ginger girl

Madison and Violet

Oliver and Madison

Harlow, Kai and Tabitha

Juliett, Charli and Tango

Charli and Tango

Emma and Tango

Aggie, Phoebe and Oliver

General Updates

I haven't updated for a bit - here are the latest and greatest happenings from the zoo:

Oliver - he had a case of squinty eye last week (he either gets something in his eye or he gets poked and then he squints).  He is all cleared up and doing fantastic - his eye is completely back to normal.

Phoebe and Aggie are both doing well.  They have been enjoying a bit of outside time in the playspace since the weather has been so nice.

Winston is doing well.  He is getting more and more used to sharing his yard with the puppies.  His behavior has been just fantastic - very sweet and affectionate and very obedient.  Gotta love it!

The ferrets are doing quite well - they have also been spending time outside in the sunshine.  The little girls are all just great. The little boys are wild children - happy and active.

Violet went to the vet this morning for a glucose check and her number was crappy.  She was at 51 which is icky.  She needs to be at 60 at a minimum and 70 for optimal levels.  The good news is that she is completely asymptomatic.  She is feeling good and quite active.  So - we have increased her predisone level to .96 cc.  This is likely as high as the vet is going to want to go so we will give it a few weeks and check again.  We go back on March 6.  If her numbers have not improved then we will add in the second medication.  We can adjust dosages for that med to see if we can get her numbers in check.  At that point if we get to the max on the second med we might be looking at a surgical option. I think we are a long way from that still and I am optimistic as she really shows no signs of  the illness at all.

Emma got her spring hair cut over the weekend.  I think she feels much better getting rid of all that hair.  My mom and her dog Quincy were here for the weekend and they had some time together which Emma enjoys.

The puppies are doing very well.  Potty training is going quite well with only one accident in the last 7 days!  They all three are terrified of Winston - I hope it stays that way!  They all three had a bath over the weekend as well.  They remained clean for about 27 seconds until they went outside and rolled around in the dirt - silly pups.

All in all the zoo is doing just great!  No complaints.

Drama Kitty

Oliver has 'squinty eye' again - that's my technical term for it.  He is quite rough and tumble and he wrestles with both kitties and ferrets and as a result he gets poked or gets something in his eye three or four times a year.  I have taken him to the vet for this condition multiple times and they give me a soothing ointment - but really no treatment for it so I have started treating him at home using colloidal silver.

When his eye is squinty I flush it out with a syringe of the silver - Oliver hates this process but tolerates it.  Usually in a day or two his eye is good to go.  I flushed it out last night and went to check on him early this morning.  He is such a little tabby colored turd....I went in his room and he was bathing himself - his eye was a tad bit swollen but open almost normally.  Then he saw me - little stinker snapped that eye shut.  'Oh - my eye.'     D R A M A.....

I gave him lots of lovies and I cleaned it out and flushed it again.  He ate the attention right up.  As always I will keep a close watch on it and take him in if it doesn't get better in the next couple of days.  And - my standard disclaimer - I am not a vet and the treatments that I decide to use on my critters are not to be considered a recommendation.  Please consult your vet should your furry have an issue.....

I Love that Crazy Pig!!

I have to say that even though he can be a big pink turd some of the time I absolutely adore the pig. How in the world could you resist that perfect face???

Ferret Snaps

I spent a bit of time down in critter land this morning playing with the ferrets.  They are all doing well.  Violet took her medicine like a champ and everyone was up and around and playful.  I got some snaps of everyone but Kai - he was too wiggly and all of his shots were very blurry.

Fiona

Fiona

Violet

Violet

Theo

Theo

Theo

Bash

Bash

Madison

Tabby

Theo

Madison