Quite a team

   I never would have believed this, had I not seen it myself… I heard Kismet coming up through the door from the basement. I turned to see Aki sitting just outside the door. Kismet was carrying a live mouse in her mouth and just as she came through the door, she released it, Aki pounced on it and chomped it (almost) to death in one fell swoop.

   Horrified by what I had just witnessed, I ran to the mouse's rescue and scooped it up in an old towel that was nearby, used to wipe the dogs feet when they come in from the snow. I could tell the mouse was not much longer for this world... But at least it wouldn't be eaten by these two. These two who are now, apparently, partners in crimes against smaller mammals.

   With this new reality, I can only imagine how successful they will be as a team. Each has already caught their fair share of wildlife single-handedly. Lord help the little animals!

Bump in the night

   It has been a very exciting Saturday night… I heard a bump upstairs, went to investigate, and found the kitty scrambling around the bathroom floor. 

   I picked up the trashcan and suddenly, a mousie jumped out from behind it and ran all the way up my arm almost to my shoulder before I could shake it off. I'm not afraid of mice, but it was so sudden and unexpected it made me let out a little scream that surprised even myself. It also drew a crowd:

   Kismet caught him, but the Shibas would have gladly dispatched of him!  Proof that this breed is as catlike as you've heard.

   I took these few photos to capture my mighty hunters, put the mousy in a trashcan, and took him a mile away from the house to release him back into the wild. I couldn't bring myself to kill a mouse, they're too cute. And so are the photos. Squeak!

Koo-Koo for Krazy Kismet!

   Lacey (Allyson's cat) thoughtfully sent some gifts for lil' Kismet. Kismet likes toys. Especially when they make intriguing noises like squeaking or crackling, move around, or have animal parts like feathers. So Lacey pretty much chose the best stuff ever. Judging from Kismet's reaction to the crackle tunnel, I may have my very own Maru!

   But Kismet isn't the only one who's koo-koo around here... Of course, Aki wasn't able to resist the squeaking mouse. Pretty sure she thinks it's a real, live mouse (the crazed, toothy smile gives it away), so I'll have to guard it carefully!

Too Smart for her own Good?

   Shibas are known for being smart. Good hunters. And driven. I'm not sure how well known they are for comedy, but living with them has kept me laughing. Ever heard that curiosity killed the cat? Well, it may get Aki one day too.
   Last week I took them down to the basement to give them baths. I bathed Taylor first, while Aki waited in the next room. I finished with Taylor, dried him, and went out to retrieve Aki, only to find that she had bitten a giant chunk out of the bottom of my bookcase! At first I was furious. Why on Earth would she DO that??? It only took a quick glance under the bookshelf for it all to make sense. Apparently I had very recently caught a large mouse in the trap hidden underneath. Aki smelled it and was frantically trying to get at it (probably to make sure it was really dead). When she couldn't get under it, she decided to go through it, chomping the bottom shelf. Sigh. I wasn't happy, but it's pretty funny when you think about it.
   Similarly, Aki loves her toys, especially a bright orange ball which is hollow. I fill it with treats and she'll spend an hour rolling it around the whole house with her nose to get the food. Often she drops it down the stairs so the food bounces out with little effort. And even more often, she makes the game harder by rolling the ball under the entertainment center. I've seen her do it so often that I'm *certain* it's intentional.
   On several occasions, though, this has gotten her into trouble. If she can't reach the ball with her jaws or her paws, she says, "I'm goin' in!" Which always leads to her getting stuck underneath & needing to be rescued. She starts whining and frantically swimming her legs... pathetic!

"I'm very disappointed in you, Aki."

   The moral of the story? Aki always gets what she wants; even at the cost of canine humiliation.

(And for the record, Tay isn't stuck in the deck railing, though he fooled me!)

@#*!!!

   The dog keeps stalking my oven. I'm guessing this means another mouse is taking refuge from the cold. Wild animals sure are stupid, coming into the House of Danger!!!

Bestest kitty.

   I adopted my lil' man, Atom, from a home with an out-of-control pet population & deplorable conditions nearly 13 years ago. He was 6 weeks old, barely old enough to leave his mother, but I knew I had to get him out of that situation. He was the tiniest, fastest little black blur, who fit into my palm with room to spare. "Atom" seemed to fit.
   Maybe because I adopted him at such a young age? He has always been incredibly sweet & cuddly. To the point where he wants to be right up in my face whether I'm working, eating, or sleeping--and he's super-persistent. Often to the point where it makes me crazy. But I always remind myself that he adores me, & that I should appreciate it, because he won't be around forever.
   Unfortunately that time may be near: he has seemed ill to me for months, though regular tests uncovered nothing. Tonight his blood levels confirmed kidney disease. And the levels of toxins in his blood are so high—LITERALLY off the charts—that my vet said most cats would be having seizures or be in a coma at this point. Atom seems miraculously normal. The only tip-offs are his horrible breath (from the toxins his kidneys aren't processing) and his constant use of the litterbox—just tiny spots of urine.
   I've been coaxing him to eat chicken baby food this week, & so far he gobbles it down. I'll take him to the vet every morning for the next 3 days for fluid therapy to see if the levels can be normalized. There is a chance that he will bounce back; I'll do everything I can within reason, with his comfort being my #1 priority.

******

   I just went downstairs to check on him, & he was in the basement—and SO excited to show me that he had just caught a mouse, which wasn't quite dead yet. (Ick.) Atom was over the moon. He turned up the sweetness and rolled all over, purring like crazy and doing his unique half-purr, half-meow. I disposed of it and came back upstairs.

Awesome kitty, Exhibit A

***15 minutes pass***

   I just went down to the basement to check on Atom again, and he caught ANOTHER mousie. And this one wasn't even a LITTLE bit dead yet!!! I wanted Atom to sleep curled up next to me, but he prefers to make sure I'm in good shape, rodent-wise, before he leaves me. Which is good, because Queen Gypsy is no mouser. No one can fill Mr. Atom's place.

Awesome kitty, Exhibit B

   Atom has been a good kitty for nearly 13 years and is proving that he will be a good kitty to the very end. It makes me profoundly sad to think about losing his bright spirit (and his superior hunting skills!). Pets are with us such a short time, perhaps to teach us to live in the moment. It's tough, but I've been blessed to have him and will treasure him always.

Deja Vu

   Aki is working overtime to excel on her midyear performance review.
   On Sunday I came downstairs to find a dead mouse on the living room rug. None of the animals claimed it, and I quickly picked it up and disposed of it.
   Today I came home to find another mouse in precisely the same spot as before. Pretty sure Aki bagged it, as she greeted me at the door and was clearly excited to show it to me. Ugh.
   The heat must be driving them inside. It's not as if I leave food everywhere! And how dumb are these animals, seriously? Can't they smell cats and dogs when they enter? Do I need to put up a "DANGER" sign to warn them?
   I'm glad my animals are on the job. I just wish they didn't need to be. Also, very thankful that they're not eating their quarry. Also, need to throw away that rug. It seems to be the depository of choice for rodent spirits.

Performance Reviews

   The 2010 performance review season just ended, and Atom is already working on an "Exceeds" for 2011.  (Previous reports here and here. My September 2010 posts are rodent-filled.) Aki and Taylor are working hard as well, as expert puppy-raisers for my foster brood. And Gypsy... well, Gypsy looks cute. (She's the queen, so we'll let her slide.)

   Tonight I got home, started dinner, and ran downstairs to feed the cats and found a helpless juvenile mousie in the middle of the floor. He was injured and incapacitated—Atom thoughtfully made sure I'd find him alive. I could tell he wasn't going to live long because he had a puncture in his neck. But he was alert enough that I placed him safely in an aquarium with some food, water and bedding material so at least he'd slip away peacefully.

   I realize I'm the only person in the world who cares for a little mousie, and they are pests, and I don't want them in my home, but I hate to see such a sweet little animal suffer. Sorry, lil' guy. Hope you're living it up in mousie heaven.

And then there were none.

   Despite my best efforts, I was not able to keep the two baby mice alive, and both passed today while I was at work. It definitely saddens me, but at the same time, I know that neither was in great shape when I found them, and I did everything I knew to try to help them. I take some comfort in knowing that they had a last meal that any mousie would dream of, they had warm bedding, and they had each other. Every life is precious. Rest in peace, lil' guys.

   And now, I shall do an interpretive dance to honor the memory of these mice, courtesy of my friend Eric. And WOW—this is one talented mouse! (The poop all over the course made me laugh.) That takes me right back to 7th grade science fair, when I did a rodent throwdown of sorts: with Dad's help, I built an elaborate obstacle course out of PVC pipe to see if a rat, a mouse or a hamster could navigate it the fastest. (I believe my project was entitled, "The Rat Race.") Sorry to be anti-climactic, but I forget who won. I do remember that that was NOT the year that I made it to the state-level competition!

And then there were two.

   I thought (and hoped) that the mouse family had all been discovered & ousted. But about an hour ago when I went into the basement to find a shipping box... I opened the door to the storage room and a tiny mouse sat motionless on the floor in the middle of the room. I was sure it was dead. But it turns out he was only MOSTLY dead.

   I scooped him up & he bobbed a little. He immediately started licking my palm, which I took to mean that he was dehydrated & desperate for a drink. I quickly got him some water by way of a slice of peach. He was so excited that he hopped up on it & went around in circles licking at it. I quickly found an old aquarium that I had in the garage, cleaned it up & turned it into a mouse house.

   The new lil guy is even smaller than mouse #1 (whom I've been calling "Bartholomew," or "Bart." Don't know why. Just seemed like a good mousie name.) Mouse #2 shivers & bobs a LOT. I'm not sure if it's because he's so young (he's not eating solid food yet), or because he was cold in the basement, or if his lil systems are shutting down & it's a sign that he won't make it.

   In any case, while the two were indifferent toward each other at first, I just checked on them & they were huddled together sleeping happily. 
   Again, say what you will about me being a big weirdo (or at the very least, a little weirdo), I think these lil guys are adorable and deserve a shot at life. I'll do my best to keep them alive & when they're well enough, find a nice spot at a park to release them. I always say that everything happens for a reason. No idea what these two have to teach me, but the very fact that I found them alive in a houseful of animals suggests to me that they're supposed to be here.

Ghosts of Mousies Past

   I returned home to find a dead baby mouse in the hallway, and another in the living room, just a few feet from each other. Atom was proudly strutting around, swishing his tail. That seals it: Atom is doing an outstanding job as CEM (Chief Executive Mouser) & gets an "exceeds" on this year's performance review! He has caught & dispatched 4 mice in 3 weeks. (He is available for hire if you are in need of his services... as soon as he finishes clearing my house.)

   As glad as I am to not have vermin running all over my house, I can't help but worry that all the Ghosts of Mousies Past might return to haunt me...

A better mousetrap

   Anyone who reads my blog must already think I'm a little strange, so at this point what's the harm in providing a little more evidence for your case against me?

   This afternoon my cleaning lady called me at work to deliver some news that I certainly wasn't expecting: she found a live mouse in my house! It was in the laundry room, stuck in the bathtub I use to wash the dogs. Who knows how he got there, but the bathtub apparently provided sanctuary from the cats. She thought he looked sick & said he was all wobbly. She wondered if I had poison in the house. (I don't; it's too risky for my own animals.) I asked her to block the door to keep the cats out, and I'd deal with him when I got home.

   When I arrived I immediately went downstairs to check him out. It's a baby. A CUTE baby. And as if that wasn't enough to evoke my empathy (it is), one of his back legs is broken. (Aww!) And he was damp from the moisture in the tub, and shivering from the cold. (Is this breaking your heart yet?) I scooped him up and he sniffed my hand, then started licking me because he was so hungry. (How about NOW? Oh c'mon, you saw Ratatouille, didn't you??)

   I can't kill a mammal. I don't even like killing insects, or anything for that matter. Too much of a guilt complex. I don't think that animal life is any less a miracle than human life, frankly. Mom wisely suggested leaving him in the tub & putting poison in there for him to eat. Great idea, but can't do it. I might as well eat the poison myself, like a bizarre staging of Romeo & Juliet. With my luck I'd think the mouse was dead, be overcome with remorse, eat the poison myself & actually die, and then the mouse would wake up & be so distraught he'd... climb out of the tub and make himself at home in my home. Hey, waitaminute!!!

   So my plan at the moment is to keep the baby in a small aquarium & give him food & water, and see if he can get the use of his leg back—at least enough that I won't feel like he's completely helpless. Then I'll drive him out to a park and let him go in the woods.

   At first I thought, how stupid are these animals that are coming into my yard & now coming into my home—can they not smell the 2 dogs & 2 cats?! And then it dawned on me: they must know that if they can get past my canine & feline defenses that I won't hurt them, and they're home free! EXHIBIT A: Tonight my little buddy is curled up in a bucket (still in the bathtub so I know he can't escape), enjoying birdseed with a side of banana, peach & spinach, and a jar lid filled with milk. It's as if I've painted "SUCKER" across the front of my house & rolled out the welcome mat.

He was so hungry that he gobbled up the birdseed

(Oh c'mon, you're not made of stone, are you?)

Oh, hello there! (You're smiling, I can tell.)

Look how cute & tiny he is! (Yep, it's working...)

Aww, he's licking the palm of my hand! (Undeniably adorable)

   This was seconds before he got so sleepy that he curled up & slept in the palm of my hand (You want one, don't you?)

   I'll see how he's doing in the morning & hopefully release him back into the wild tomorrow. Nothing left to do tonight but make a tiny cast for his bum leg & sign it "2 cute 2 be cat food."
   P.S. to prove that I am not as crazy as you think I am, know this: I now have 5 mousetraps hidden around the house. Sound contradictory to everything I just said? It is. But I am realistic about the fact that mice can carry disease and can also damage your house, chewing through wiring, etc. So as cute as they are, I don't want them as houseguests. I can clear a trap in good conscience for that reason alone. At least with a trap they die quickly & hopefully less painfully than with poison or glue traps.

Chalk up another one.

   After work tonight I took the dogs to Heritage Park and let them run until they were ready to collapse, then had a nice dinner, and returned home to find that Atom had left me another "gift." That's two mice in two days, in case you're following along. It's as if he knows that annual performance review time is right around the corner and he wants to finish strong. (That's a total of 4 mice in just under 6 years.)

   Here are his current standings:

   I really, really hate finding dead animals anywhere near my house. But as cute as I think mice are, I don't want them living with me. So, good Attie! He's fulfilled his role as CEM (Chief Executive Mouser). Gypsy is my PSEPQ (Photogenic Social Expression Product Queen), having been featured on Hallmark cards, books and frames. Aki & Taylor are SESIBAs & FDTSs (Senior Executive Shiba Inu Breed Ambassadors & Foster Dog Training Specialists). Which of course makes me the CWWTMDA (Crazy Woman With Too Many D*mn Animals)! Hey, everyone needs a job, right?

Kitty Kollage

   Just a lil' something from my sketchbook. In honor of Atom presenting me with a dead mouse at 6 am. Gross! I assume the colder weather is driving them inside (it has been in the 50s at night). Or maybe it's my fault for keeping so much cheese in the house at any given time. (Today alone I have goat, cheddar, parmesan & pepper jack.)

Today = another eye-roller.

   Work is really busy. And normally I like that, but it's a little much even for me right now. I'm beginning to long for the days when I had time to eat lunch, or go to the bathroom at least once in a 9-hour period. (Is "sudden bladder explosion" covered under Worker's Comp?) Today we caught an issue that is going to cause quite a lot of reworking of digital files, & Ginny & I worked right up to the minute that I had to leave to get my hair cut.
   The haircut helped relax me; Bob always gives a scalp & neck massage—is it any wonder I've stuck with him for 10 years?—and the products he uses smell great. By the time I was driving home I was feeling spent. I couldn't wait to get home, change into my PJs and lie in bed & read & watch TV until I fell asleep. (This was at 6:30 pm, mind you.)
   Got home, greeted the dogs, patted Gyp & headed up the stairs, when Atom intercepted me. He looked very happy to see me and was purring. Me, not so much. He looked like the victim of a car crash: on his left side, the fur on his face was caked with blood, his ear was red, inflamed and full of blood & pus. My mind flashed to Frankenstein's monster. Zombie cat. That scene from Indiana Jones where they're eating brains right out of the monkey's head. 

   My first worry was traumatic injury, but he acted fine, and the dogs had been confined to the kitchen all day, so they couldn't have been involved. Next I wondered if his eardrum had somehow ruptured. I snapped my fingers softly around his head to ensure that he could still hear out of his left ear. He reacted instantaneously, a great sign. He must have scratched it himself. Sure enough, I touched his ear & he melted in ecstasy. He was super-incredibly-itchy.
   I called the vet & rushed him over there, & the vet confirmed my diagnosis of allergies—plus a side of ear infection that had set in. He gave me ear ointment & Prednisone & sent us on our way. That's twice in as many weeks that Dr. Rad has helped me with an urgent pet issue. He is my hero.
   The next morning Atom was looking better, though his ear still looked shocking. He must have been grateful, because when I went downstairs to feed the cats, he greeted me with this:

   Of course I feel sorry for the mouse; he is adorable. (Look at those tiny FEET!) But even so, I don't want mice taking up residence in my residence. This was Atom's 3rd trophy since we moved into the house nearly 6 years ago. The first mouse was killed & left in the dining room. The second was live. I awoke to a racket at 2 am, flipped on the lights & ran downstairs, to see Atom sprawled at the bottom of the stairs with his paws clutched together. When I said, "What have you got, Atom?" he lifted his paws as if he didn't remember, and the mouse made a break for it. Atom pounced on him again, and I grabbed the wastebasket. Between the two of us, we trapped him & I left him in the garage to ponder his fate until morning, when I released him in the cement drain behind the house. He ran like he was on fire, so I was sure he wouldn't return.

   Anyway, between Taylor's bee sting last week, Atom's ear trauma, all 4 of them needing vaccines recently, and a round of flea-killer for all 4 that also included Predisone for Taylor—who is apparently ALLERGIC to fleas—the attack at the dog park, and 2 trips to buy prescription cat food for their sensitive stomachs, I've had about enough trips to the vet. But at least for today, Atom earned his keep.