yakalskovich | Fluffy little black animal

Cats are very useful! Some people even believably co-blame the Black Death on medieval anti-cat superstitions. Cats were 'devil' animals and witch companions, and not welcome to the faithful; hence, cities were overrun with rats, which in turn were overrun with fleas etc. etc...

I remember reading that! The medical community in Round Rock came out and said not to kill the feral cats because the rats carried diseases!

Sure enough, Austin did not kill their population and our city is all but rat and snake-free.

When I first moved here and saw the business owners feeding the cats (I was charmed to see Siamese cats in the wild), I asked them about it and they told me the story.

I am a firm believer in feral cats but the kittens just deserve a better life! Every cat can produce something like 50 kittens in their short lives. I would rather have them fixed so they can get back to rat hunting. *grins*

I guess the ones you don't get still manage to keep the population stable and the rats down?

Does the Austin Humane Society have a web site about that amazing colony? It's a great story.

Blessings on your household!

I went in search of an article and found out they are doing free neuters/spays. <3

I am off to pick up some live traps to bring them in.

http://network.bestfriends.org/2956/news.aspx

And tomorrow is Friday! What a lucky coincidence.-

I know! Now if they will only go in the trap...

Will need tuna for that.

Tuna might be good.

Do you think you could post more pics of that little dustbunny? That little grey piece of fluff is seriously cute! I love how grey cats have grey noses...

This is even cuter! The Siamese one (she's all white right now, they grow into their markings) is skitterish (the Siamese ones tend to be that way). I can handle her but she doesn't come willingly (I have to catch her). So this morning I woke up and looked down --

and she was curled up on my German Shepherd's tail!!! (My dog sleeps right beside my bed). I guess she decided the bigger creature was her mamma. :D

Edited 2011-09-08 15:23 (UTC)

Awwww how utterly charming!

I know. <3 Keeper is such a good nanny. She takes care of all the kids at the barn and then comes home and watches over the kitties.

She's old now -- with glaucoma and arthritis but the most faithful companion in the world. I brought her with me from Canada (she was going to be euthanized there).

There is nothing better than an old reliable dog. I still miss the Metropolitans' big ole rottie who died in 2005...

d'awwwwwwwwwwww! (love the selling pottery pic lol)

Yes, I am dreading Keeper's demise, but just about the time I think she is done for, she rallies and goes romping around the polo field.

And last night she was busy watching the kittenpalooza in the living room.

Q was such a personality...

'Kittenpalooza' sounds slightly chaotic, though.

It was. The grey one you saw kept running up to Keep, who would enthusiastically try to wash her.

But Keep's tongue is roughly twice the size of said kitty and she kept knocking it over.

Awwww that must've been too cute for words...

I got my new pony in for training last night. :)

That's a pretty little white creature.

That is a BEAST!

Give me six months and that one will be unbeatable. :)

At what?

I train hunters and jumpers and my area of expertise is Ponies.

This one will qualify for Pony Finals. She has a monster jump and a 10 step.

By the time we finish, she should be worth about $50,000. (No, I don't get paid that much. The owner gets all that.)

Who buys that kind of horse?

Americans with excessive amounts of money to spend on their child.

It's obscene but I maintain that horses keep rich kids grounded. You have to work your butt off in this sport and it is a very humbling experience.

Kids who ride are the nicest, most hard-working, focused, disciplined lot.

There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part that has been my experience. They don't shop or do drugs. They spend all their time at the barn working. And invariably they are excellent academic students as well.

Well, I hope that horse goes to the right sort of hard-working kid, then, in the end!

I know it seems like they are a spoiled lot to have that kind of money (but better on sports than on clothes, eh???), but they really are a great group (the parents, however...)

Here is Bruce Springsteen's daughter, Jessica, winning the Maclay. She worked her butt off for this win!!

Did you train that horse??

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idylchild.livejournal.com - 2011-09-08 19:52 (UTC) - Expand