January 20, 2006 written 3:36 PM

I haven’t been terribly inclined to write lately – well, more than lately, a long time. I am usually very busy. I correspond with several people on an almost-daily basis and I guess that’s where my writing energy is going.

Two of Charya’s kittens, the sweet, little brown tabby female I named "Bug" and the blue female, dubbed, for lack of a better name, "Boo" went to their new home last week. I knew Bug would do fine, she’s one of those bomb-proof kittens that I occasionally produce. I admit, I have not been as good about socializing kittens as I used to be. Well, isn’t getting run over by a Border Collie on a daily basis socialization? Yet another reason for me to get out of breeding, I just don’t have the time (or the desire?) to bring up kittens. Bug and Boo went to live in Idaho. Glad it was them and not me! I can do without Idaho weather, especially when we’ve been having spring-like weather here in North Carolina. The woman who bought them has two children, unvaccinated and as such, home-schooled.

I hate shipping kittens. It is a horrible experience and I expect I suffer more than the kittens do. This time was particularly bad. It took about an hour for them to be checked in. All the while I kept taking Bug out of the carrier and hugging her. I hated to let her go, I really did, but I can’t keep all the kittens I breed.

Then they had to do the security check. Two security officers came over, with gloves on, and made me take the two kittens out of the carrier. Lovely, Boo about tore my hand off when I put her in the carrier and now they were asking me to take them out of the carrier so they could inspect it for bombs? Luckily, both Bug and Boo handled it fine. Then I was told after I put them back into the carrier I could no longer handle them. They made sure of this by taping up the entire carrier with heavy tape! I’ve never had this happen before. Okay, signed, sealed and almost delivered.

The hours from when I dropped the kittens off to when they would arrive in Spokane, Washington dragged. I was able to track the flight from Charlotte to Minneapolis and then from Minneapolis to Spokane. I received a call as soon as they were picked up. They were in the car heading home. Boo was growling in the carrier. Lovely. The woman who got them knew that Boo was on the shy side, but she just went along for the ride as it was Bug she was buying. Boo was thrown into the deal for free.

Later on that evening I got an e-mail containing pictures of Bug and Boo — both of which were out on the bed with her daughter! I couldn’t believe the photo was of Boo. I thought for sure Boo would be hiding under the bed for the next week or so.

Two kittens down, four to go.

The brown male from the sticky-burr litter (Oleander’s) is going to a home in California to live with another American Shorthair. He’ll be going in about a month. Kittens weaned on raw mature slower than cold molasses. Bug and Boo were about five months old when they left and that is about the age that I feel they can handle the flight and transition into a new home without suffering any illness.

These two litters of kittens, especially Charya’s were particularly trying. Charya had too many litters to close together. That’s what happens when you don’t cage your male cats and the queen cycles silently. I never knew when she was in heat. Oleander doesn’t give much more notice. Well, Charya won’t be going into heat any time soon as she’s spayed. Oleander will be done by the beginning of February.

All three of my intact males were neutered about three weeks ago. Chester and Simon are about a year old and never bred so they settled down almost immediately. Maud’Dib is still practicing tom-cat ways. It took Matrix about two months before he decided staying inside, where it is warm and dry, is far superior to wandering around outside.

I expect some people are going to think that I’m horrible irresponsible for letting my cats run free and breed as they will. I am; I won’t attempt to defend myself. It is more important to me that my cats are able to maintain some semblance of a natural life. It is reasonably safe for them to go outside. I do not have a lot of predators around nor am I close to a road. Except for Tippy whom I lost when I first moved to this house, I haven’t lost a cat to a car or predation. I haven’t lost a cat to predation at all. I think cats, especially those who are raw fed, are a whole lot smarter than we give them credit for.

I need to install a cat door one of these days.

Angelus is doing well in his training. We ran up against a wall not too long ago, but the issue seems to have been resolved. You may recall I had a run-in with a kennel club in Charlotte for allegedly having an unvaccinated puppy (Angelus) on their property. That has been resolved and for that I am extremely grateful. We started our first series of lessons there last night and it was very, very beneficial. Gel is going great places. He is such an amazing dog. Smarter than he should be, but I suppose that’s all part of being a Border Collie.

I fostered and placed two dogs over the past few months. A Doberman I pulled from a high-kill shelter in Gastonia and a Border Collie that I took on after the man who bought her decided that she had too much energy for his liking. Both are in good homes and Gel is back to being a single dog.

January 9, 2006 written 3:04 PM

Yes, I'm still here. Still very much alive and kicking. Just haven't felt much like writing. There's been some sadness in my life (I lost Rooney in October) and I've been extremely busy with the kittens, dogs and work. I've been hired to write a few articles, which has been great.

Oleander is the only intact cat left in my household and she'll be spayed in the next couple of weeks. Maud'Dib, Chester and Simon (Chester and Simon were from Charya's January 2005 litter) were neutered last week. Two of the four kittens born to Charya in July are going to Spokane, Washington to a holistic home, two are left. Both of Oleander's kittens are still with me. I suppose people are more concerned about how they'll be paying for fuel oil and gas than buying kittens. That's fine, I'll enjoy them for as long as they are with me.

I published Zorro's Story yesterday. Pull out your box of Kleenex and read it.

Until later (maybe)...

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