CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
You guys think I am goat crazy! HA*)! My friend Berit feeds the goats and cares for them at Wilder Ranch and she SINGS to them and they all gather around her (a couple of ewes too, and all the goats are girly goats!). She sings to them!!
Annie our Starving, Tortured Goatie is right now BAAing for Breakfastie! He has this idea that he needs more food than anyone in the world so far says he needs- manuals- internet postings- Sizzled!! He wants more and more goat chow- he loves his goat chow!! And he is HUNGRY for goat chow!!! He is becoming friends with anohter of our cats, our second-in-command huge white cat Catkin (he weighs almost 20 pounds and his nickname is Coyote Bait!). Theu touched noses this morning!!!!
But I discovered a secret weapon in the war against nipping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I discovered a surefire way not to get nipped!!!
For some reason he had completely stopped nipping the baby- when I kneel with her in front of me so she can pet him, he just STOPPED nipping her. Sometimes puts out his little mouthie & nosie like he's about to and then kind of sighs and looks disgruntled!!!!
So yesterday I figured it out!!!
SUNTAN LOTION!!
The last week the baby has been venturing out of her sandbox/playhouse area which is shaded by a huge beach umbrella- so I have been slathering her in suntan lotion (BullFrog- the other kinds she is allergic to!)- Annie really dislikes the taste of it!!! So I put some on MY calves yesterday and sure enough- he went to nip me and tasted me with his little tongue (he does this werid little tasting nips like he is licking the salt with his teeth!!) and he gave me the most disappointed look!!! Like he was REALLY disappointed in me in a moral way!!! Maybe there is somethign goatie about nipping- maybe he is attempting to ggroom us? But he seems to take it persoanlly in a hurtful way, poor Goatie.
Luckily I hadn't put any on my ten year old so he trotted right over and nipped her immediately, which seemed to make him happy.
Evan, ten year old, adores him, and the nipping leaves no mark, it is like a scraping taste, and she was happy to have his attention!!
She calls him Annie Bananie now too!!!
Maybe I could market this- "Goatie Away! Personal Goat Repellant!" If only pygmy goats became the new in-thing I could make millions*!)*)!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
p.s. Our Cats-
Christian Eugene - 17 years old
Longhaired Black cat with white paws, white ruff at collar like a priest wearing gloves. Has beautiful big golden yellow eyes!!! Is my best friend!!!!!! Was feral rescue and took YEARS to tame him- literally years he was SO FERAL- years before he would come OUT form under things- now is a sweetie- Has NO interest in Goat!!!!!!!!!! But does not find him offensive. Displayed a mild, genial curiosity when Goatie came!!! (Would have found a puppy, dog or new kitty revolting and personally offensive!!)
Catkin George- 6 years old
Norweigian Forest Cat rescue from a kitten breeding facility, was starving when we got him, could count every bone in his shriveled body- now 18 pounds- huge, fat strong but waddles- white with orange ears and orange tail, beauitful greeny eyes, like all Norweigian Forest cats- has temperament and habits of a dog! would fetch as a kitten, and chase cars (seriously), loves exploring and is ultra friendly. Touched noses with Annie this am. Interested in becoming betetr friends with Annie you can tell!!!!!!!!!! (Vicious and bites through flesh if you try to bathe him!)
Gink Pablo Chalupa - 6 years old
Longhaired black with orangey-yellowy eyes- looks EXACTLY like cat in kids book Whiffle Squeak!!! EXACTLY!!! Rescue with tons of kitty diseases, got him & Catkin through Project Purr Feral Rescue same time- I was sick, so were they- they said Gink was going to die and needed hundreds of dollars worth of meds and vet care- I said, "I'm sick, he's the perfect cat for me!" Gave him meds 5 times a day, he non-stop vomited and had diarrhea- he was so tiny and so gross frankly, just a squirmy mass of feces and vomit all day for a couple of months- first cat I didn't *love* at first because he was just so hard to love- mewed non-stop all day, all night- and has never been able to be housetrained- he sprays like crazy everywhere- was found emaciated in the woods with a bunch of diseases- now he is just a gorgeous weird sweetie!!! one of the smartest cats I have met but has VERy bad habits!! he urinates on feet, sleeping male grown-up feet. I think he means it in a nice way. He is our Outside Cat! He is now my favorite next to Xian and if he didn't spray he would be Top Cat after Xian dies!!! he is an incredible moler/mouser/birder/squirreler (sorry Magic Acorn) despite wearing 4 bells!!!!!!!!!!!! tries to act like he is relaxed around Annie but Annie scares him and he is embarassed about it!!! Annie chases him and thinks it is funny!!! Only thing Gink runs from ever- when cars come down the driveway Gink won't MOVE- he MAKEs you get out of the car and pick him up and cuddle him and move him yourself!!! Clever kitty!!! (Dumb malleable me I know!)
Diamond Crystal Rose (daughter Evan named her) 5 years old
shorthaired black with one little white diamond at adams apple. she is fat in winter and lean in summer and spring. a great hunter. loves moles, never birds thank goodness!! (lots of bells yes yes yes) friend of Annies!!! LOVES Annie!!! Hangs out with Annie a lot!!! Would not be surprised to find them sleeping together (platonically) someday soon!!!!!!!!!
Duchess 6 years old
Maine Coon rescue, abandoned breeding animal, gorgeous but psychotic. She stands transfixed to receive messages from the planet Xornon. She will just sit and stare with her incredible gorgeous amber-black eyes- will wait to be let in at the door for HOURS- but WON'T come in until the transmissions from the planet Xornon instruct her the time is RIGHT (only thing we have been able to figure out as to possible reaon! she is weird!) Will watch ghosts and react to them. Very weird cat. Was badly abused and abandoned by Maine Coon breeders. Hisses if you pet her, scratches and bites if you pet her- and purrs loudly and rubs up against you to be petted!! She does not seem to notice Annie exists!!! Acts exactly the same. Sleeps with my daughetr Evan and gives her kisses and nuzzles (amid scratches and bites and purrs!) She insists on a little gold rimmed plate at feeding time and won't share a plate with other cats. Dislikes ALL other cats and wants to be the ONLY CAT!!!!!!!!!!!! She acts like Annie is NOT there even if he is towering over her on the porch and he kind of ignores her back because she puzzles him!!!!!!!!!!!!
Harley 6 years old
Gorgeous longhaired Lynx point Siamese rescue cat. Was abandoned by neighbors across the creek. they moved and left him with his little Harley Davidson motorcycles collar (name came form that). Gave him away to a friend who kept him for a whole YEAR and then RETURNED him so cannot gift him away again- he is traumatized!!! VERY AFFECTIONATE, wants to be Top Cat!! Pushes old 17 year cat around and mounts him!!! Which is why friend gave him back- he is an ELDER ABUSER! He was mounting HER female old 19 year old cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is brawny because until he was 5 years old he was a tom cat!!! He hates ALL OTHER CATS. He wants to be THE ONLY CAT!!!!!!!!!! Does NOT like Annie and htinks Annie is trying to be Top Cat/Goat!!! Gives Annie hisses!!!!!!!!!! Mean Harley!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
p.s. Bud 3 years old Studio Tenants Cat!!!!!!!!
He is a striped shorthaired Maine Coon, HUGE, not as big as Catkin though (Catkin is slightly, okay, very obese, we always have him on a diet!) maybe 12 pounds. Still a BIG BOY! Tomcat but doesn't like to fight. Friends with Diamond. Friends with Catkin. Fights Gink/Harley if they start it. Fights 17 year old CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!! Lets him win I think!!!! Christian is really super skinny & frail now but Bud never engages physically, does hour long show-downs with lots of noise!!! FUll-on muscials with hissings and sputterings and GRRRRings- and Christian looks so triumphant and vigorous- and not once have they engaged physically!!!
So either Bud is a coward or a very compassionate cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the latter- he is a slinky skulky kind of cat-
He likes Annie but is a little scared of him and shows it by approaching cautiously!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Your posts about your cats...well, I lost one of my cats about 4 months ago.
She was beautiful...Sweet......Fat!!!
I loved her so...
Both of my cats were rescues and sick too.
I recently moved my last remianing cat to my Mother's.
She would not do well here with all of the heavy equipment and noise that we are about to have.
My husband is NOT a cat person. With 7 dogs, some with pretty high prey drive,
Maybe I will have to forgo cats until my new house is built....
I love cats.
Your not only a great goat mom, but a great cat mom too!!!!
I'll tell you a little about my seven dogs.
I have Tupper. Mixed breed---getting old. Found crossing a busy intersection as a puppy.
I told the Lord that if he got that puppy safely across the street, I would pick him up.
I have Sophie. Large, chocolate brown lab, who adopted us when we moved to the country. She is about 7-8 years old now, weighs 80lbs.
Loves to play tennis ball. Has to great you with something in her mouth. I find my underwear, shoes, cups, plates, baby dolls, etc., outside as she does this continuously.
Marvin-about 7 years old. Big, fat boy. Found as a very sick puppy in the woods. Called him Starvin' Marvin as he was just about starved to death when he was rescued.
This is the dog that used to play chase me and I'll chase you with our goats. Weighs about 75 lbs.
Maggie-About 5 years old. Rescued from local animal shelter. She weighs 80 lbs. Was raised with my babies.
She won't come inside until the children are all inside. She is a coon dog.
Sam-a german short haired pointer mix...Still pup even though he's over one year old.
Rescued from the side of the road last year, covered in ticks, and starving.
Wonderfully, goofy dog. He weighs about 65 solid pounds.
Wild Child---another street rescue. Her real name is Princess, but I call her Wild Child. Name really fits.
This is my snake alert dog. She alerts to frogs, lizards and snakes!!!
She weighs about 40 lbs, but is sweet especially with the kids.
Cisco- Alabama animal shelter rescue...weighs about 18 lbs.
This is our little guy with the big bark. He barks a lot.
Doesn't like anybody but family. Has been known to nip other's heals. Dangerous dog!!!
Just kidding.
Didn't mean to have 7....it just happened. We love them all, but I never, ever leave them alone with my children.
I am the pack leader. They all know it.
My initial hope when we moved to the country was to rescue as many needy animals as I could.
Hopefully one day, when my children are grown and gone, I can pursue this.
Right now I am trying to talk my children out of wanting a cow.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Wow*)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SEVEN dogs!!! I am impressed!!! They sound like a wonderful family/pack!!!!!!
You know they *breed* miniature COWS now!!>? they cost 1,000 and are the size of a big dog!!! If you got one of those it could gallop arond with your dogs!*)*!)!)!*)!!!!!!!!
Dogs used to scare me, I was bitten by a retired police dog and held by the left knee for over 1/2 hour until they found the owner when I was 4 so I was deathly afraid of dogs for YEARS and actually that is why my left knee is still Lymed while the rest of me is fine because I had a bum left knee from then on- and scarring- where the police dog held me!! It always gave out suddenly- still does actually- when I ran from that point on and I think the scar tissue has prevented abx from reaching the lYme there-
ANYWAYZ- I took up petsitting Great Danes when I was 12-14 to get over it- on purpose- but I was SO scared of those dogs and they were so BIG and I was tiny and they would drag me down the street on walks!!!
Now I like dogs and think of getting one- I am sure with me a rescue so a mutt but you knever know- I love Great Pyrenees dogs- and bassett hounds- and corgis!!!
Yes, Geneal, I realte to the out-of-control issue*)!*)! I am a 4 cat person at the most! But the other two just showed up, literally, well, one literally and the other showed up at teh dorrstep of a friend who kept telling me about her for 3 MONTHS until I couldn't BEAR to hear any more about the gorgeous Maine Coon who had taken up residence in a bush outside her front door and who had NOT moved out from that bush in 3 months!!!!!!!! Obviously a traumatized formerly indoor cat from the Maine Coon cattery which had been cited for violations and had just packed up and moved down the street- the morning before this cat appeared (abandoned!!). Anyway- yup, I am sucker for a escue too- and big pleading hungry eyes get me every time&*)!*)!
Nice to know you*)!*)! And one day I hope you gets cats again!*)*! Best wishes, Sarah
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Annie has a new pale pink leather collar with white diamond rhinestones*)!*)!)! She looks so pretty(!(!_)(!_!
And she loves Coco Puffs*)!)!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
sizzled
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1357
posted
Posts: 4258 | From over there | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
AND a matching pale pink leather lead with white diamond rhinestones for walks!!!!!!! AND a hot pink plush dog bed for her little bed**)!*)!*)!
She is one happy goatie*)*!)*!)!
(And she has only had Coco Puffs once when Isadora insisted she eat her leftovers and Annie was very happy to do so!!!)(But she liked them a lot*)!*)!
I had this one friend come over a few days back (Cindy) who hadn't met Annie yet because she'd been out of town, but had HEARD about her- and Annie didn't butt her ONCE OR NIP her- not even ONCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She did her "I am a sweet little goatie yes I am!" routine where she lays her little pygmy head against your knee and looks up, doelike, or as doelike a little goatie can be anyway, and just ooozles you with her brownie goatie eyes!!! And Cindy said, "I was expecting some FIERCE thing, not THIS!" and swooned over her. It was a love fest!! I kept making nervous statements like, "Well, any second now she may-" but she DIDN'T!!!!!!!!!!! it was amazing!!! She was completely well behaved!!! For a good ten minutes!!! I was astounded.
Cindy is a Native American Sundancer, so maybe that is why, her spiritual energy is really high.
but Annie just acted- WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!! TAME!!!!
SWEET!!!!! But non-fierce!!! She is always sweet, but fiesty and fierce, too, in her pygmy goaty way!!!!
I saw Cindy down at the beach a couple days later and she said, "Oh your sweet little goat!" reminescing and it gave me a weird sense of hope that ONE DAY Annie won't nip ME*)!*)!*)!
I can dream*)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic