Puppies on a Walk

Every day we take a "walk" outside the fence.  The pups love running around in the wide open spaces - and I love it when they run off some puppy energy!!

Juliett

Charli

Tango

Naughty Nighttime Antics

Some nights everything goes smoothly but other nights the critters are just naughty.  Tonight is one of those nights - the naughty nights.  The little critters are good - they are in critter land - they have been loved on, medicated (Violet, Ollie and Phoebe), their area cleaned up, etc.  They are settled in for the evening.

The big kids however - OMG - what a pain in the rump they are!!  Emma decided she wasn't going outdoors for her final potty.  Tango and Charli decided that they were going to pitch hissy fits when they got put in their beds for the night.  Winston made a giant fuss so I took him out to potty - which he didn't go - and then I put him back in his room and he continued to fuss.  It wasn't til I went in there and did his bug check - checking him for ticks - that he decided it was finally time to go to bed. Okay - that last one is kinda cute more than a pain in the rump.  Only Juliett did what she was ask with no fuss.

So - as I type this I think everyone is finally settled down. Tango is grumbling because I put a new crate bed in his crate - he is a bed killer and this one is chew proof supposedly.  Charli has finally gotten comfy - she complains every night - not just tonight.  Juliett is sacked out - I do think she likes her crate and it doesn't take but an instant for her to be sprawled out and fast asleep.  Emma is snoozing at the end of the bed and Winston has finally gone to bed now that we determined he has no bugs - crazy damn pig....

I do love this crazy bunch!!

Happy Friday

It's Friday - woot - it was a long week for the humans and we look forward to some down time this weekend for sure!  The critters had a good week - nothing earth shattering to report and I like it that way.

The puppies spent lots of time outdoors this week.  They are still doing well with their crate training. They don't sleep in as late as I would like but they are getting better and better about ignoring when the humans get up for whatever reason while they are in their beds.  I would say in another month or so they will have the routine down pat.  Emma is doing very well - she seems quite happy and appears to be feeling great.

Winston is fantastic - active and happy to be outdoors for the bulk of the day.  His health seems fantastic and his attitude has been great the last few weeks as well.  He is the next one on the docket for vet visits - the vet will make his annual house call and perform all of his maintenance.  Winston will get a physical, vaccinations, tusk trim and if needed a hoof trim.  I guarantee I will be much more stressed out about the whole happening than he will.

The kitties are well - they are happy, lazy spoiled creatures....lol.  Everyone seems to be at a healthy weight - the girls are keeping off the pudge and Oliver is keeping his much needed weight on.

The ferrets are well too - Violet continues to thrive.  She will get her glucose test at the same time the vet is here for Winston's appointment.  Spring coat changes are pretty much done and I think the associated weight loss is done as well.  No one lost an alarming amount but you can definitely see a thinner version of Bash and Tabby in particular.  All in all they are a rambunctious bunch.....I so love those weasels.

Critter land is staying in relatively good shape - I vacuumed, dusted, mopped this morning.  I head down there many times a day in an effort to stay on top of cleaning up messes, toys and scoop boxes. It is a ton of work but so worth it.

So - there you have it - the latest and greatest from here.  Happy weekend!!!

Furless Mom to Furry Kids

Happy Mother's Day!  I am not an official mom to a human child - that is just not in the cards for me but I am a mom to my fur kids.  People who don't have pets or who don't think of their pets as their babies just don't understand this.


I would imagine that in many ways it's like having a human child - you teach them the behaviors you want them to have, you worry when they are sick, you celebrate their milestones and accomplishments and you try to ensure that they are happy and healthy at all times.

I often think of my critter's critter moms - and thank them for giving me this amazing bunch of babies.

We got to meet both of the parents of the puppies - they have a wonderful life with a family that takes amazing care of them.  We knew Emma's mom as well - she has passed but she was a wonderful dog. We met Winston's mom when we adopted him.  Here she is.... my guess is she is still around as she was a fairly young pig and Winston is just shy of three years old.  I hope she is happy and healthy...

As for the kitties - we met Aggie's mom when she was a kitten, same with Phoebe's mom when we adopted her - my guess is that both of them have likely passed.  Aggie is 18 this year and Phoebe's mom was 6 or 7 when she had Phoebe and her litter mates and she will be 13 this year.  No idea about Ollie's mom as my sweet boy was a stray....

And the ferrets - all of them are Marshall ferrets - their mom's have a short breeding cycle and then are put up for adoption.  Given Madison, Violet and Theo's age - their mom's might not be around any longer.  The lifespan of a ferret is just way too short.  Kai and Tabby's mom would be getting up there and Bash and Fiona's mom would likely be 4 or 5.  I hope they have wonderful families and are happy critters.  I am forever grateful as these critter mom's made my babies who bring me such an abundance of happiness.

The Latest News

So - here's the latest and greatest.

1.  Violet just had her vet appointment - glucose number was amazing at 77!  Woot!!

2.  Crate training for the puppies continues to go well.  We have progressed to them going in when asked and me not having to give them any physical queues.  We also did a first today - into crates during the day so they were in their beds while I ran to the vet.  They likely would have been fine as I was only gone for an hour and a half but it was good practice.  They went in with no issues, didn't complain and were all sound asleep when I got home.  It's going very well!!

3.  I am officially ready to declare critter land CLEAN!!  Spring cleaning project finally wrapped up yesterday.  Don't get me wrong - there is always more that could be done - spots on the floors and baseboards I could go after with the scrub brush, outside windows that could be washed, etc.  But - for the most part the rooms are tidy and hygienic and I am pleased with the routine I have been keeping for the last week or so.  Critter laundry has also been done - that gets mixed reviews from the critters - some like it - some prefer their own stank.....

4.  Pups and piggy are outside - trying to keep them out as much as possible between rain showers.  It' is so hard to keep them entertained when they are stuck indoors.

That's about it for now - all is great here....  Happy Thursday!

Weekend Updates

It's Sunday morning and things at the zoo are going great.  First off I am happy to report that  Juliett is feeling much better. Not sure if she had a touch of a virus or if she got into something she shouldn't have.  Regardless, it lasted about 36 hours with her.  Charli had a touch of it as well - hers was only about 8 hours.  Tango was unaffected.  Both the girls are feeling fine and back to normal.

Crate training for puppies continues - for the most part it is going pretty well.  They are getting better about going in their crates when asked (only needing a little bit of encouragement from mom).  The last two nights have been good - no complaining once they get in and sleeping until a reasonable hour.  We will continue to stay the course.  We also got a new fan.  The one we had was older and noisy.  This one is almost silent.  It keeps the air circulating for the pups but doesn't keep the hubs awake. Win/win!

Emma is great - she seems to be quite happy and feeling good.  We have been monitoring her assumed lipoma (fatty lump) over the last week - no changes in size or shape.  Yesterday I started her on the holistic treatment called PawHealer Dissolve Formula.  It's an herbal product that works on fatty lumps at the cellular level.  We will give it a whirl and see if it works for her - it has mixed reviews online - either it worked so well the lumps went away or it did nothing.  I find most holistic things tend to be like that.  Either it works amazingly well or not at all.

Winston is great - he is really doing well with his new food - gunky eyes are much better.  Skin is looking great - he is a happy pig.  He has been spending time outdoors and has been very well behaved lately.  I am quite please with how things are going with him.

I have made some good progress on my quest to complete the spring cleaning in critterland.  I have finished their bedroom, bathroom and food closet - they have been scrubbed, mopped, shined - baseboards cleaned, shutters cleaned, windows washed, walls spot cleaned, etc.  I also took out the litter boxes for the kitties and replaced them with new ones.  I use plastic under the bed storage boxes and after time they absorb odors so it was time to replace them.  Today I will tackle their hallway and other bathroom - then all I will have left is my office which is in pretty good shape.  I will be happy to have that done.

The critters in critterland are well.  The ferrets were 'helpers' yesterday while I cleaned.  Kitties are doing well - Oliver is holding his weight on which is great.  The pudgy girls are looking more and more svelte which is also good.  Violet goes for her glucose check on Thursday.  Fingers crossed she is still stable.

All in all the zoo is doing just great!

Under the Weather

My sweet Juliett is a bit under the weather today.  She woke up very early this morning and had a bit of an accident in her crate.  Thankfully she was very careful about not making a mess - she stayed out of it and clean up was easy and her bed is in the dryer.  She felt bad that she had an accident - I tried to reassure her that she wasn't in trouble.  I think she must have eaten something that disagreed with her.  I am not totally surprised since these pups have their mouths on everything!

She is eating and drinking and going potty so I don't think she is sick with an illness of any kind - just and upset tummy.  I made her some rice with chicken broth and let her eat as much as she wanted. She made a pretty big dent.  The other pups including Emma helped clean up the left overs.  I also gave her some Vetasyl which is veterinary grade fiber.  It's one of those magic things that works when critters are plugged up or too loose.

She took a long nap and when we went out for the latest potty break she only had to pee which is a good sign.  She had some lunch and a good sized drink and as I type this she is chewing on a bone.  I think she is feeling better.  As always, I will keep an eye on her and take her to the vet if something changes.

Look Back/ Look Forward

Well - another perfectly good month has whizzed by...wow!  May already!

April was a good critter month:

• Winston got spoiled by his Easter buddy Cupcake
• Violet continued to be super stable on her medication!!  WOOT!!
• Puppies had their first grooming sessions
• The Zoo got spoiled on Easter with treats and new toys
• We survived multiple days of rain which gave everyone a bad case of cabin fever
• We started crate training for the pups
• We started impulse training for the pups

All in all it was a good month - good health and happy fur kids.  Can't ask for more than that.

Looking forward to May:

• Violet will have her next glucose check on the 11th
• We will continue both the crate training and the impulse exercises with the pups
• We will continue our quest for deep cleaning in critterland - I am determined!!  :)
• Kitties will be due for vetting again - not sure this will happen in May
• Winston is technically due at the end of May for his annual house call from the vet - his appointment is scheduled for June 7th
• Emma is on watch - she has what feels like a lipoma on her side.  These fatty tumors are fairly common in dogs and are harmless.  We have a size reference and will keep a close eye on it.  If it grows or changes at all we will take her in.  In the meantime I have a holistic product we have used in the past that I will start her on.
• Ferrets are doing just great.  Theo is next in line for his health and wellness blood panel.  Not sure that will happen in May either - depends on how things go....

I can't believe it's May!