I never realized how dangerous it was...

I never realized how dangerous it was to drink bottled water until I just almost took a big gulp of acetone instead.

HOLY. COW.

I touched the bottle to my lips before I realized what it was. If I hadn't smelled it I probably would have drank it. 🙁 But I will definitely be more careful. That was... unpleasant.

I feel like I'm about to FINALLY go work on some more jewelry. 😃

I feel like I'm about to FINALLY go work on some more jewelry.  😃

Shadow and his friend are sleeping... I have no idea what time they went to bed.  But they are out of my hair.  😃  I haven't heard from the Shaun today... I have a feeling that his schedule is pretty jacked up right now, so I am not gonna disturb him.  LOL  The ani-pals are taken care of, and the house is pretty much how I wanted it.  The grass could ALWAYS use more cutting, but it's thundering, so I'm not going out there.  My nails are done, so I have nothing else to paint...  Yeah.  This is happening.  😃

I'm about to make some coffee for me and some breakfast for me & J.  (I ALWAYS share breakfast with my puppy.  She gets the Canadian bacon off my English muffin.)  We're gonna watch the Dick Van Dyke show while we eat, and then we're gonna hang out while I paint.  I think I'm even gonna let Pomona have some girl time with us today.  I would love to have Teyla out, but she's shedding, so maybe she's not up for that.  I'll check on her later and see.  ❤

I SHOULD be doing more complicated nails right now...

I SHOULD be doing more complicated nails right now, seeing as how I have the time. I just REALLY wanted to do this instead. LOL

Someone is proud of his toes. 😃

ADOPTED 11/23/15 - Someone is proud of his toes. 😃 "Check it out - they're pretty much healed!"

His paw pads feel plastic-y, but he gets around like they don't bother him. He has one more dose of his pain meds, and then he's done with that. He has one toe with a scab, but other than that, he's lookin' good! 😃

FINALLY - Harley has decided...

FINALLY - Harley has decided that he can come to me to play and / or get petted.  Good boy!  😃

Slowly but surely getting things done around the house.

Slowly but surely getting things done around the house.  It's really hard when there is no pressure and I'm relying on motivation alone - because I just don't have it.  I'd rather stay up all night hanging with my guys, doing my nails, taking care of the ani-pals, or doing whatever else I feel like.  I think that's ok.  Wouldn't be much of a vacation if I worked the whole time, I guess.

On that note I have to go out and cut some grass.  I'm gonna start losing dogs in that mess.  LOL

Finally got this pretty blue color...

Finally got this pretty blue color from Model City Polish. It's called T-Virus. Hence the germy stamping. 😃

(P. S. My germs are purposefully askew, in case it isn't obvious.)

Yuck.

Yuck.  Woke up with a weird headache and slightly nauseated today.  No fun.  I'm gonna go eat something and chill on the couch.

I did have Harley out playing and I hate to put him up again, but I'm not sure I'm ready to leave him unsupervised in my room.  Sorry, little buddy.  He's really sad right now.  🙁  He's starting to really enjoy his free time even though he's still not too sure about people.  Maybe he'll come around soon.

Not too shabby for a fraidy cat with burned tootsies. 🙂

Not too shabby for a fraidy cat with burned tootsies. 🙂

This is Harley playing. A few days ago he could barely walk. Now he's getting around pretty good. 😃

His feet are starting to scab over. It looks uncomfortable, but he's taking it in stride. He's still getting ointment several times a day, plus pain meds twice a day. I'm sure that helps.

He's still a little scaredy and won't come to us at first. He still hisses initially, but once you pet him, he decides that you're ok. Noises still make him run, but maybe he'll get over that.

Isn't he so cute and funny? Gah. He just makes me feel all melty. ❤

Aww. I just got some little kitty kisses from Harley...

Aww.  I just got some little kitty kisses from Harley. AND he kneaded my hand a little bit. 😃 This is the first time I've seen him move his paws so much.

He's also starting to sharpen his claws. I guess it's time to buy him a scratchy!

I am SO tired... but then again it IS 4 am.

I am SO tired... but then again it IS 4 am.

We're on vacation this week and my schedule is so beyond screwed up.  I've been going bed around 4 and waking up around noon and LOVING IT.  LOL

I'm seriously broke so that's a little stressful, but I'll manage.  Despite that I feel pretty relaxed.  And today I was productive, so that makes me happy.  I'd planned to spend a bunch of time working on jewelry, but my house comes first and that's where my focus has been.  I cleaned / organized the kitchen, dining room, and game room.  I re-arranged in the game room a little bit with Shaun's help.  I am not 100% done with any of those rooms, but after the work I put in today all they need is a little finishing tomorrow.

My plan is to go over each room and change what I don't like.  Clean out and get rid of things we don't need.  Re-organize things in ways that make sense.  It probably makes me a huge dork to say this, but it's fun and makes me incredibly happy to do this.  There is nothing I hate in my living space more than messiness and clutter.  It affects my brain and I find it hard to function when things are out of order.  So I'm looking forward to enjoying the mental goodness that comes after all this work.  😃

Other than that there's not a lot to say besides a little kitten update.  Harley is doing well.  He acts almost like a normal kitten now.  He likes to explore and play; he's definitely coming out of his shell.  But he still hisses at us initially, and sounds (any sound - doesn't even have to be loud) freaks him out.  He seems to feel the need to run and hide when he hears anything.  Maybe he'll grow out of that.  Or maybe he'll just be fraidy.  Who knows.  But it's good to see him acting as though he's feeling better.  I'll take any improvement I can get.

And with that I am going to bed.  Goodnight, Internet.  Or good morning.  Whatever.  😛

We got Harley out to medicate him again...

We got Harley out to medicate him again and he REALLY wanted to hang out and play, so we let him for a little while. He seems to be feeling much better. I will have to post some video of him playing. 🙂

We ended up giving him back his litter box tonight, but not with regular litter. The vet suggested the recycled paper stuff, so we went and bought a bag of that for him. He got in there scratching like crazy and even rooted around a little bit like a pig (I can honestly say I've never seen a cat do THAT before), and then he made a huge poop. That wasn't the first time he's pottied, but it was the most epic. 

He seemed to have a little trouble doing his business, so I'm gonna keep an eye on that. He probably needs a good de-worming, but I think we'll save that for next week.

Anyway, I'm pleased with how well he's doing. The first few days were rough, but he's definitely on the mend. Yay! 😃

We had just ointment-ed the kitty feet...

We had just ointment-ed the kitty feet and baby boy wasn't ready to be left alone just yet. This is the most outgoing he's been. He's even got a pretty good purr going on. 😃

This makes me so happy. ❤

Of course, he seems to really like Shaun the Cat Whisperer. 😃

It feels nice to have time to do my nails again. 🙂

It feels nice to have time to do my nails again. 🙂

For anyone interested:  This is a white base, and the coloring was done with OPI Sheer Tints. I just kind of smeared them on the white randomly and they sort of melded together. Then I stamped over it - because why not? LOL

The colors are really pale, but you can go over them to make them more intense. I was afraid I'd end up with just a big brown smudge if I did too much of that, so I left the tints as one coat only. I think it turned out nice, though.

Now... off to do some serious housework and yard work. I just wanted to photograph these before I jacked them up. 😃

While I'm sure he's not quite as happy as he might look in this photo...

ADOPTED 11/23/15 - While I'm sure he's not quite as happy as he might look in this photo, I can tell that baby boy is feeling a bit better. 🙂

Hollywood / Harleywood / Harley / whoever this kitten is, purred tonight. It's the first time I've heard him do that. 🙂

His little feet are looking better already. The peeled skin came off of one of his paws by itself, and he's walking a bit more. For the last few days he only moved if necessary, but today he took steps towards me twice, and even showed interest in maybe exploring outside of his cage. Unfortunately for him, that's not gonna happen until he's a bit more healed and not in need of ointment on his paws 24/7, but hopefully that time will fly by.

I don't want to sound super paranoid, but I kind of wonder if his vision is ok. I get that he's been through a lot, but when you enter the room or even make a noise, he hisses. Once I touch him he's ok and usually doesn't hiss again, but I find it weird. He seems to enjoy being petted and will come towards me when I put him down, but if he's beginning to understand that we aren't going to hurt him, then I don't know why he hisses still.

Anyway, that's my baby update. He's doing better and I am really thankful for that. I am just not sure what all the hissing is about, but that's ok. We'll figure it out in due time, I suppose. ❤

Medicated kitten again.

Medicated kitten again. He only hissed at Shaun once when he picked him up and after we put him back he didn't hiss at all when I petted him. He even stretched out his chin and enjoyed it a little. 🙂 

Good boy. Yay for progress!

Just medicated some burned tootsies again.

Just medicated some burned tootsies again.  Both of us got covered in ointment this time.  Someone was a bit more wiggly.

He was NOT into being held, but when I put him down he let me scratch his ears and seemed to like it.  I'll take what I can get.  🙂

He curled up in the corner for a few minutes, but he's up eating right now.

I bet it hurts when I medicate his feet.  I don't see how it could not.  I bet that is why he's not a fan of being held.  😕

Woke up a few minutes ago to a scratching sound...

Woke up a few minutes ago to a scratching sound and it didn't take long for me to realize that Hollywood (or Harleywood, as Shaun likes to call him - due to his Harlequin testicles) had FINALLY POOPED for the first time since he's been here.  He was trying desperately to cover it up and the last thing he needed was to get poop on his little feet or traumatize them more by scratching, so I jumped up real quick to clean up.  I figured it was also a good time to medicate him, so we went ahead and did all that.  This was the first time I'd really handled him without Shaun here.

He did the obligatory super cute and not at all scary "hiss hiss" at me, but I took out his soiled bedding and replaced it with something clean, then scratched his little head, scruffed him and picked him up, and proceeded with the meds.

Either he knows he can't fight or just doesn't care to because he never does.  He's always really good, even though we hold him on his back a lot to have easy access to his feet.  I went ahead and gave his painkiller, then started ointment-ing his feet.  It was no problem to do it all by myself.

So I put him back in his cage and I always try to lay him on his side so as to not put any pressure on his feet.  I know he moves around in there, but really not more than he has to.  He is not playful like most kittens his age, understandably.  🙁

Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see that when I put him down, he stood up and took a step toward me.  I think that's the first time I've actually seen him walk.  I reached out to pet him, and he leaned into my hand.  He looked curious and like he wanted to climb back out, but I didn't let him.  I did pet him for a minute, then covered his cage up and left him alone so he would rest.

That just made my day.  I know this baby has to be miserable and terrified, but I am seeing glimpses of a curious kitten feeling better and coming around - slowly but surely - and it just makes me so happy.  ❤

Just medicated Hollywood...

Just medicated Hollywood. He vibrated the whole time. 🙁 I had to put on his ointment and also give him another dose of pain meds. I'm glad he's feeling a bit better, but he still makes me so sad. He just seems so afraid of everything. 😕

Hollywood Deville

ADOPTED 11/23/15 - Hollywood Deville. Doped up on opiate painkillers, and just chilling out. This is the first time I've seen him not rolled up in a corner. Much better. He still hisses at me but lets me pet him. He's had a rough couple of days, though, so he's allowed to be a grump. ❤

He sure is a handsome fella. 🙂

We are home and resting.

We are home and resting.  Thank you x1000 to Leigh and Shaun for paying his vet bill.  The trip to the vet was for me, but the pain meds were for him.  I just needed to know he was gonna be ok.  I knew those burns were serious when I saw them.  🙁

Doctor decided against soaking his feetses.

Doctor decided against soaking his feetses. They are too open and raw. 🙁 He's getting an antibiotic shot, an oral pain reliever, and some topical ointment for his paws.

They think he should be ok, but they said he's definitely in pain. They are giving him his pain meds now.

The tech also pointed out that he has one solid black testicle, and one solid white. That's pretty funny. She said his name should be Hollywood Deville. I'm down with that. LOL

Hollywood is a boy, about 9 weeks old.

Hollywood is a boy, about 9 weeks old. The tech said he is gonna be a big kitty.

They have him in the back - soaking his feet in some solution that I can't remember the name of. They might also trim the flaps of skin off. The tech said it looked worse than pavement burns. I'm thinking it must have been from the motor.

Vet time for Hollywood!

Vet time for Hollywood!  I hope his little feetses and toes will be ok!  Updates ASAP.

Hollywood keeps crying.

Hollywood keeps crying.  When I try to pet him, he hisses.  When I go away, he cries.  I almost feel like I should hold him, but I don't want to hurt him / freak him out.  I'm torn.  What should I do?

Nails I'm wearing.

Nails I'm wearing.  I love fairy stuff.  And this blue.  OMG.  I LOVE how it looks like it has freckles.  😃  The blurple color shift is pretty awesome, too.  😃

The smell of wet cat food is making me SO HUNGRY.

The smell of wet cat food is making me SO HUNGRY.  I guess I'd better go and eat some people food before I take Hollywood's breakfast.  LOL

So, little kitty is hanging in there.  When I checked on him this morning he hissed and I saw some blood on his puppy pad, but not a lot.  I noticed that he peed on one pad and tried to cover it, so I bet he opened up one of his little burned feet.  🙁  I haven't picked him up or anything to check.  I guess when Shaun comes over we'll wash and medicate his feet again.

I still feel terrible for him.  I have to wonder how much his feet hurt.  I need to pick up some vet records from Dr. Berry tomorrow, so maybe I'll just take the kitten with me.  I would feel a whole lot better if he got checked out.  😕

Daisy left yesterday and Sugar is going in a few minutes today.

Daisy left yesterday and Sugar is going in a few minutes today.  Both are going to foster / adoptive homes, depending on how things work out.

Daisy is with the son of another foster mom so I know she's in great hands.  Sugar is going to be with a friend who has storm anxiety experience and where someone will always be home with her, so I think that's gonna be perfect for her.

I am so happy for them both.  ❤

I guess it's just gonna be the fam here for now.  LOL  You would think with as many ani-pals as I have that two wouldn't make a difference.  But it does!

Fugly just chased her tail so hard...

Fugly just chased her tail so hard that she threw herself flat on the floor.  First time I've ever seen that happen.  It was pretty funny.  😃

Aww, Fugly's giving herself puppy kisses in the mirror.

Aww, Fugly's giving herself puppy kisses in the mirror.  How funny!

(Fugly = Daisy.  I'm sorry, but I just don't think she's cute.  She looks weird.  But she's totally sweet!  😂)

Sugar looks SO PITIFUL right now.

Sugar looks SO PITIFUL right now.  She was spayed yesterday and I brought her home this morning.  I know she can't be feeling well.  I gave her a pain pill.  Maybe she'll feel better in the morning.  ❤

Animal Post!

Animal Post!

I've been watching Koopa and his new friend for a few days now and they are getting along. But they are SO completely different. New baby wakes up in the morning and happily chases her food down. Koopa, on the other hand, sleeps most of the day and waits for his food to come near or he doesn't bother to eat it. I have been putting LOTS of bugs in there to make sure they both get plenty. I am sure he's eating, but I don't know how much. I was hoping that the competition would encourage him to eat more, but I don't know yet if it is working. I do wonder why he sleeps so much, though. He's always been this way. 

On another note I haven't seen Anansi in a few days. I noticed that she closed up the entrance to her coconut. I didn't realize that she was big enough to move dirt already. She's growing up fast!

I must be in the mood to try new things tonight...

I must be in the mood to try new things tonight. I've had butter coffee and fake corn dogs - both of which I enjoyed. 

I've been wanting to try butter in my coffee since I heard of it a few weeks ago. Butter makes everything better. 🙂 It definitely made the coffee go down easier. I usually have an acid feeling in my tummy after I drink it, but the butter helped a lot. I also usually use a full ass-ton of powdered creamer, but I didn't need any with the butter. Still put a little sugar in, but only about half as much as usual. I bought the fancy Irish butter so supposedly it is good for me. Who knows, but I found something new that I like.

About the corn dogs I just really wanted a corn dog, but am generally grossed out by meat. I barely eat meat as it is so I thought I'd try the veggie kind. I was pleasantly surprised! Woo for new things. 🙂

Never thought I'd see the day...

Never thought I'd see the day when Shaun held a spider, but hey - can't deny your own kid, right?  This is our new baby, Anansi.  🙂

How do you medicate your cats when you have to give oral medication?

How do you medicate your cats when you have to give oral medication?  Cats are ABSOLUTELY the worst.  Except for Scar.  Scar is like, "Yeah, sure, shove a pill down my throat.  It's cool.  I'll eat it."  Balthazar also wasn't bad - I shoved his flea pill down him without a problem.

Snaga usually fights me tooth and nail, but if I don't let her eat all day and then feed her her medicine mixed in with tuna she'll eat it right up.  Beyonce, well, I just have to mix hers with food and put it near her in her hidey spot and hope for the best.

Midna and Addsie... they don't eat much - even when they are hungry.  Petite little prissy cats.  They both put up a pretty good fight when trying to give them a pill so I thought I'd mix it with food and they only ate about half.  I guess they just can't eat for the rest of the day until they finish it.  I'm not sure what else to do.

I have heard of pill poppers for cats, but I don't have one.  Maybe I should order one from the Internet.  I've seen the vet just use tongs and shove pills down them and that seemed pretty effective.  I'm just worried I would scratch their throat or something if I tried that.  😕

If anyone has any tips or tricks - please post them here.  I'm hoping to make the next 'round go a little smoother.  Thank goodness I only have to do this once a month!

:(

This is Natasha (aka Nappy).

This is Natasha (aka Nappy). She was rescued from a breeder who'd let her get into pretty bad shape. She's come a long way in the last few years - getting rid of infections, gaining energy, and learning to be a happy dog. She's a big girl, and clumsy. A gentle giant, she is. ❤

I met Emma my very first time volunteering with The Animal Shelter.

I met Emma my very first time volunteering with The Animal Shelter. I saw that crazy hair, and had to go and pet her. When she looked at me with those beautiful eyes, it was love at first sight. She's a big girl, but a lap dog nonetheless.

I totally forgot to mention that...

I totally forgot to mention that I saw real live Axolotl's for the first time ever today.  I almost pinched Rex out of pure excitement.  😃  That was SO AWESOME.

Temp. Foster Pup, Daisy (ADOPTED 06/20/14)

Daisy, making a face.

Foster puppy doing puppy things.

It's not even 5, but it's been a long day.

It's not even 5, but it's been a long day.

I got up wayyy too early for it to be a weekend.  Had a thousand things to do this morning - from housework, animal rounds, etc., to mowing part of the lawn and getting a new temp foster settled in.  Got all of that done before heading out to Repticon.  😃

SO... I got there and it was wonderful to see my animal friends, Emily and Jennifer.  I wish it hadn't been out in the middle of nowhere... might have been nice to find a place to spend some time, but we all had animals and / or bugs so maybe it was for the best we went home.  The only thing that might have made it better would be Laurel, but I guess working was more important...  😛

Even though I wanted to BUY ALL THE THINGS I refrained.  I bought my beardie girls some butter worms which they both seemed to enjoy, and I bought Koopa a friend.  I also did buy a new baby, but it's an easy one - a chaco tarantula.  Supposedly, he or she will get to be about 8 inches.  They had a spider there that would get larger (12 inches!), but it was less friendly and I wanted Shaun to like our new child so I got the more mellow species.  😜

The same guy who sold me Koopa was there with more Horned Lizards.  Lots of them - and they looked fat and healthy - unlike Koopa did and still does.  🙁  I asked him what he feeds them and he said crickets with vitamin powder.  I've been trying for over a year to fatten up Koopa, but it's slow going.  They are supposed to need ants / formic acid from ants so I don't understand at all what's going on.  He didn't know that they made formic acid powder so now he does, and he sounded like he might start using it.  But I might take a cue and offer some crickets with vitamin powder, as well.   Or at the very least, start dusting the roaches I feed him.  I don't recall what he said he used, but I did get his card this time so I will find out.

Anyway, that's been my day so far.  Pictures soon.  🙂

Big news of the day:

Big news of the day:

Piggy got into a sanctuary!  I am so happy for her, but I'm missing her already.  ❤❤❤

Heading to bed.

Heading to bed.  Didn't get nearly as much done today as I'd planned.  Was too busy cuddling a pig.  That's ok - housework will always be there.  Piggy won't.  🙁

Had an alright day aside from the dog room flooding some and the dogs freaking out.

The gate worked and though Piggy got her head stuck for a bit - I have no regrets.  She pooped turds again today.  Never thought I'd be so excited to see poop.  😂😂😂  I'm just happy that it was in more of a solid form.

I'm so sleepy and I'm about to get in my bed, but it's hard to sleep with a little Piggy snout pushed up under your door, grunting, trying to call you out of the room.  I'm sure she misses her real mommy and all of the cuddling that came with that, but she's dirty already, I've showered, my room is clean, and I really sleep better alone.  It makes me sad, though.  I wish I could just cuddle her up all the time.  I know she's a pig, but she's a baby pig and all babies need love.  She's bringing out the mothering instinct in me.  💗

Goodnight.  ❤

Ooh. 🙁

Ooh.  🙁

I just went and checked the dog room.  Not only does it have 2-3 inches of water standing on one side (not the whole floor - the doggies are all dry), but Sugar tore down part of the door frame, broke a light switch, and pulled some paneling away from the wall.

The whole purpose of the dog room is that it's really ok if this happens so I am not upset, but I'm thinking that Sug might need medication.  I've never had a dog freak like that.

The obvious solution is to crate her - especially during bad weather, but I can tell you from experience that she's about as big as me and I cannot get her in a crate when she doesn't want to go in.  Not even with food treats.

Leslie, Shari - do you ladies have any advice?  What in the world should I do?  I hate that she is so distraught.

Boys are home.

Boys are home. Me and Piggy are up. That was nice. 🙂

"Could someone turn out the lights?...

"Could someone turn out the lights? No? Fine. I'll hide my face under this arm."

Aaand... She's awake.

Aaand... She's awake. First order of business? Scratch dirty little butt on my jeans. Second order of business? Get comfy again. 😂

More Piggy Dreams

More Piggy Dreams

Piggy Dreams 💗

Piggy Dreams 💗

This pig, tho.

This pig, tho.

Sorry, not sorry. I can't stop.

OHMYGOSH!

OHMYGOSH - SHE'S DREAMING!!!

Storm is over. My butt is asleep.

Storm is over. My butt is asleep. And someone doesn't want to wake up. 😃

Pardon the crappy cell pic.

Pardon the crappy cell pic. Storms came up and it was cuddle time.

Piggy is passed out. Warm laps are good. 🙂

Getting to witness Sugar's freakout.

Getting to witness Sugar's freakout. She is LITERALLY climbing the walls. Poor girl. She has some serious anxiety. 🙁

I just walked a pig. 🙂

I just walked a pig. 🙂 We had a nice root around in the dirt. She also started eating my grass. Kind of makes me really want to keep her around. 😂😂😂

Shadow called as I was getting off work. Apparently, I fixed the cat gate alright. Piggy couldn't push it down, but she did get her head stuck! She was screaming bloody murder. She was un-stuck by the time I got home, though. THANK GOODNESS. Maybe she'll learn to leave that gate alone.

For now we're just hanging out. Storm just rolled up so she's draped across my lap again - muddy nose and all. I'm gonna need a shower tonight. 😃

Piggy still has diarrhea.

Piggy still has diarrhea.  I'm starting to think it's not what she's eating, but that's she's sick.  Although, she did bust down the cat gate AGAIN last night.

I wised up and attempted repairs on the gate so she HOPEFULLY cannot push it down again.  It's up pretty tight.

If she's not better by this weekend we're heading back to the vet to be checked out.  I can't clean it up as fast as she can let it loose when she's got diarrhea.  🙁  Any other time she's great, but this is horrible.

I'm picking up some canned pumpkin on the way home from work today.  Maybe that will help.  Anyone with other suggestions, please let me know.

Crating her is out - she would most likely still poop in the floor.  They back up to things to do their business.  Putting her outside isn't an option at the moment, either.  My fence isn't super secure and I hate leaving animals outside unattended because people can be terrible.  I'm more concerned with making her feel better.  ❤

Told you their pee arcs backwards. 😛

Told you their pee arcs backwards.  😛

https://www.facebook.com/estherthewonderpig/photos/a.518481411592421/608096612630900/

Man, everyone must have stressed out when the storms came through today. 😕

Man, everyone must have stressed out when the storms came through today.  😕

There was some destruction in the dogs' room.  Nothing I care about, thank goodness - which is the whole point of that room.  Piggy knocked the cat gate down again, but thankfully did NOT eat ALL of the cat food.  I'm sure she did eat some, though.

When I got home the whole house was quiet.  No greetings from anyone.  Piggy snorted at me from under her coffee table cave.  She eventually came out and sneezed a giant glob of snot onto my shirt.  😂😂😂  I guess that's what I get for not being here to hold her.

Poor ani-pals.  This weather is so rough on them.  🙁

Piggy Pics!; She became of Resident of PIGS Animal Sanctuary on 07/28/14

Foster Piggy.  Yes, seriously.  LOL

Da feetses.  😳

She was totally passed out right here.  Storms are scary.  She needed some lap time.

How she slept through the storms the other night.

This is how she slept through the storms.  She doesn't quite fit, but that didn't stop her from napping.  LOL

*sigh* This pig.

*sigh*  This pig.

As much as I like her - I feel like I have a baby on the loose.  Probably because I do.  😂

It's REALLY HARD to keep her from eating things she should not.  I guess pig food isn't satisfying because she is always foraging around for something else.  But pig food is the only thing she can eat that doesn't give her diarrhea.  I mean I give her little treats and stuff, but she always wants more. I just have to stay strong.  LOL

Piggy is pretty good (when she doesn't have diarrhea) about using puppy pads, but she usually misses - at least a little.  I don't know if this is all pigs, but she backs up in corners to potty.  So I have to let the puppy pad rest against the wall or she'll pee on the wall.  Her pee arcs backwards so that is interesting and doesn't make things easier.

I haven't worked on jewelry and I've let the housework slide just a little because I'm always running around cleaning up accidents.  She's trying and I'm seeing improvement, but this potty business is a work in progress.  It's probably all for nothing since I doubt she'll be a house pig, but I think it's easier than harnessing her and taking her outside.  She goes out and potty is the last thing on her mind.  She wants to root around and look for things to eat.  Of course.  😛

It's also weird because she seems to want me in the room with her, but she doesn't like to be petted unless she's itching.  Then I'm allowed to scratch her.  😂😂😂  She likes to lay in my lap to sleep, which, I don't have time for that all the time, but I get it.  She is just a little baby.

So.  That is what's going on with me.  Pig stuff mostly.  Just trying to keep up over here.  😳

Decided that it couldn't wait and washed a pig.

Decided that it couldn't wait and washed a pig.

Oh, she didn't like it, but once she figured out she couldn't get away she just decided to let me get it over with.  Good girl.  🙂

She only had about a million fleas on her.  I would normally give a stray dog Capstar, but I don't think you can do that with pigs.  The vet even said she was too young for de-worming shots.

Either way she is a LOT cleaner and should be a LOT less itchy.  Maybe she won't have to twerk all the time now.  I am hoping that she will go to sleep and get some rest now so I can do the same.  ❤

I'd heard the saying "Eat like a pig," but you know. I never had a real pig to compare that to.

The power is back on, but I'm not washing Piggy.  It will have to wait until I wake up again.  😳

SO... I spent most of my Saturday evening on all fours.  While it wasn't as much fun as it sounds like - it also wasn't so bad.  😛

Yesterday, I found out that the Swiffer just wasn't helping the Piggy diarrhea situation in my living room.  I don't think that all of the Swiffer juice in the world could have helped.  😕  So I spent the evening on all fours, scrubbing the floor with an enzymatic cleaner, making sure to get in all the little grooves, too.  It was a chore.  But I had good company.

While Shaun made it to the porch he wouldn't actually come inside and I don't really blame him.  Piggy diarrhea smells awful.  😂😂😂  But I did have Piggy to keep me company so that was ok.  She would be off exploring or looking for something to get into and then come and check my progress.  Nudge my hands, grunt, sometimes get excited with a RRA RRA RRA sound.  Sometimes she just needed a butt scratch.  I've found that you can befriend almost any animal with a good butt scratching.  😁😉

So I finally got the floor clean and then the power went out.  The wind was blowing hard, but you couldn't even hear the thunder at that point... but my dogs just KNEW it was the end of the world.  I had to crate Nappy.  Crating Sugar wasn't happening and neither was Thunder-shirting either of them while holding a flashlight.  So they just had to manage.  Nappy whined until she gave up trying to kick her way out of the crate and Sugar spent the evening loudly going in and out of the dog tub and in and out of the closet.  Woo.

Little Piggy isn't a huge fan of the storms, either, and since my floor was clean and everyone was freaking out I thought I'd sit in the living room where I could talk to my dogs and supervise the pig.  So I sat in the floor and what do you know - Piggy got in my lap.  First time that's happened.  She's kind of too big for my lap, but she didn't care.  She fell right asleep and I sat there (legs and ass asleep for I don't even know how long) so as not to disturb her.  I got some photos of her with my camera (yay flash!) and they are really cute.  I will probably share all of my cute Piggy photos with you after she's where she's gonna be.

After the storm passed and I finally got up out of the floor I was bored as shit without a phone or Netflix or even light to paint anything.  So I took my flashlight and did some cleaning up.  I did easy things like pick up stray laundry and dishes, swept the other floors, and lit enough candles to shower.  After my shower I went to the couch and sat there until I fell asleep.

At some point during the night the cats knocked down something that Shaun had put on their cat tower.  It was a giant bowl and some produce that we'd bought at the little curb market thing at Pickette's.  I should have moved it when he first sat it up there, but I was busy dealing with pig mess and forgot.  😕  When the power came on I got up to go check on everyone and guess who was eating all of the produce?  Piggy.  Having the time of her life.  And guess what.  Just guess.  She'd already given herself diarrhea again.  😳

I swear - her life's pursuit is finding things to eat that will give her the shits.  I think she's had the shits about every other day that she's been here.  First time was on me.  I gave her wayyy too many grapes, but in my defense she was eating like she was starving and I found her so late at night that I couldn't buy any pig food until the morning.  I wasn't aware that pigs just eat like that all the time, no matter what.  I'd heard the saying "Eat like a pig," but you know.  I never had a real pig to compare that to.  That is REALLY a thing.  😂😂😂  Since she was outside I thought she literally might be that hungry.  Lesson learned.  The 2nd time she got the shits, she'd busted down a gate and eaten a ton of cat food.  And now she's spent I don't know how long munching ears of corn and plums.

I've got the floor cleaned back up at the moment.  Piggy isn't snorting and grunting and I don't hear things being pushed around so I have a feeling that she's asleep.  Maybe I can finish sleeping and not wake up to total disaster.  That would be lovely.

And when I get up... I am washing her.  She can squeal like I'm killing her, but this is happening.  Poor little gross itchy pig.

When the lights come on I am washing this pig.

When the lights come on I am washing this pig. She is SO itchy. 🙁 Poor baby scratches against everything. She can twerk better than Emma. 😂😂😂

Power is out. Phone is dying.

Power is out. Phone is dying.

Candles are lit. Nappy is crated. Sugar is alternating between the closet and dog tub.

Little pig in my lap. ❤

Piggy wants in my room...

Piggy wants in my room or either wants me to come out. We're buddies.

🙂😕🙁

Piggy is a 6-8 week old farm pig. 🙁

Piggy is a 6-8 week old farm pig. 🙁

I think someone thought they were getting a pet and then realized that was not the case and threw her out. I am so sad... and really not sure what to do. 🙁

Holy cow. Harnessing a pig?

Holy cow.  Harnessing a pig?  I think my neighbors probably thought I stuck Piggy in a frying pan alive.  I have never heard a critter scream so much.  😳

Piggy forgives fast, though.  Piggy has already eaten my "I'm sorry" grapes and started following me around again.

Heading out.  Wish us luck.  This is gonna be an interesting day.  ❤

Was greeted this morning by an excited pig with diarrhea and no water.

Was greeted this morning by an excited pig with diarrhea and no water.

Ooh, what a mess.  😳

I learned the hard way the other day that when Piggy has diarrhea Piggy can't choose where to poop.  Piggy just poops where Piggy is and has no problem with running through it repeatedly.  Yuck.

Ok.  First time Piggy got sick that was my fault for giving too many grapes.  This time Piggy is either actually sick or ate all of the cat food in the hall yesterday.  I am thinking that Piggy ate all cat food, but I still think I'm gonna get this kid to the vet.  If Piggy is the pet kind we are gonna start crate training with a litter box today.  If Piggy is the biggy kind I might store this kid with my mom's goats until it's claimed or I find a sanctuary.  There is no reason to go through training a pig that's gonna live outside, I think.

Now, the big question is:  How do I transport this pig?  I picked Piggy up yesterday and Piggy squealed like it was dying.  Maybe I should just harness Piggy and walk it like a dog?

I feel like I need help today.  😂😂😂

But seriously... if Piggy is this much of a hand full all the time - which I bet Piggy is - I could maybe see someone getting frustrated and letting Piggy loose.  This kid is more work than a dog.

I know:  This is my fault because I had no clue what I was getting into by letting a pig into my house (especially one that I was unprepared for), but I am not upset.  This is what I like to call a learning experience.  😁😂  And besides, I couldn't leave Piggy outside with the coyotes and stray dogs and fast cars.  No way.

I have some figuring to do.  Anyone with suggestions and / or pig experience - feel free to leave your helpful tips here.

The animals at my house seem to have had it rough today.

Aww.  The animals at my house seem to have had it rough today.  😳

So I came home on my lunch break to meet the HVAC guy.  $220 later I have Freon and cold air again.  Woo.  I was surprised he even came because it was raining pretty good here at the time.  But he did his job and left, and Shaun and I needed to get back to work so we settled the animals in and braved the rain.

The weather didn't look so great and some of my ani-pals looked afraid, but it was mostly just rain and I thought it would pass over pretty fast... so I guess I stupidly assumed everything was fine and went on my merry way.  Nappy and Sugar were both trying to get into the living room - pretty normal.  Piggy was hiding under the coffee table and not coming out - Piggy is new, so I could understand that, too.

WELL.  When I got home they were not where I left them, suffice it to say.  😂😂😂

I went in the dog room to let the dogs out to use the bathroom.  I looked around and I felt like something was missing.  More like someONE.  I didn't see Sugar.  She's the biggest, whitest dog in the house so it's not like she would be easy to overlook.  So I'm like, "She was here when I left.  Where the hell is she?"

At this point I am puzzled, so I looked towards the tub since she watch-dogs from there sometimes.  She is not in the tub.  I do, however, see feet dancing under the door of the closet.

Ok, just to give you an idea of why this is so bizarre... my dad installed a human tub in my dog room so I could bathe them in there.  It's raised so I can reach them easily.  It's got about an 8" clearance under the bottom, IF THAT.  We never blocked it up... I'd intended to put drawers or something down there, but never got around to doing it.  So that open space - small though it is - opens into the dog closet because most of the plumbing pipes were run through the closet.  That is probably redneck as shit, but I don't care.  I love my dog tub.

ANYWAY.  I have a small dog that goes in the closet sometimes and raids the treat bag and former foster Cookie used to hide in there, too.  But in all the years I've had that tub I have NEVER had a big dog belly crawl under there (through the plumbing) and just hide in the closet.  But that is exactly what Sugar did.  I guess she didn't realize that she couldn't easily get back out.  I am honestly shocked that she could even fit under there, but that is the only way she could have gotten in because the door was shut.  So, I have no idea how long she waited in the closet for me to come home, but wait she did. 😂😂😂

So on to Piggy... when I came home to meet the HVAC guy I was pleasantly surprised to see that Piggy had pooped twice on the puppy pads.  Piggy peed very close, but missed, and that is ok.  It's the thought that counts.  🙂  When I left Piggy was hiding under the coffee table and I assumed that is where Piggy would stay.  But that is obviously not how things went down.

I don't know if Piggy is THAT afraid of storms, or if, between Nappy kicking the door and Sugar banging around in the closet that was just too much to handle.  LOL  But when I came home Piggy was NOT under the coffee table.  Piggy was in the hallway.  Piggy either pulled the gate open or climbed on the litter box to get over it.  The top of the litter box was off so I think Piggy might have tried climbing, but I am not sure.  There were Piggy poops and pees in the hallway because there were no pads there because there was not supposed to be a Piggy there.  😂😂😂  I am not mad, though.  It all cleans up.  Note to self:  I gotta buy some Swiffer juice tonight.

Anyway.  Everyone is ok so far.  I guess it was just rough for a while while I was gone.  I am not sure how long Piggy will be with me, but maybe Piggy needs a Thundershirt, too.  I have no idea if that would work, but it might be worth a shot.

Sorry for anyone who might have gotten annoyed seeing "Piggy" so many times, but if someone is missing this child then they are going to have to describe Piggy perfectly and they are getting zero hints from me - not even Piggy's gender.  To be completely honest I am falling for this kid and I wouldn't be disappointed if Piggy's family (if indeed, a family existed) never turned up.

I tried Googling, but I haven't found any info on how long I would have to care for Piggy before I can legally stake claim.  It's not like I'm hiding the fact that a Piggy is here and I have posted in Happy Tails and scoured the lost pet pages and boards at local feed places and CraigsList and The Anniston Star and I'm coming up with nothing.  So far I feel like no one is missing this kid, which is unfortunate because what?  We're gonna start having stray pigs now?  Way to go, Alabama.

I am thinking that legally ownership would rely on the burden of proof so all I would PROBABLY have to do is take Piggy to the vet and then I would have a record.  If Piggy was originally bought from a backyard breeder or escaped a litter of pigs in my area, then it is not likely that anyone would have a receipt or other proof of having this pig.

I don't want to be a douchebag so I'm not running off to the vet right away, but if I have no leads by next weekend, then I probably will.  That is ample time for anyone to figure out that their animal is missing and to begin a search.  Piggy needs a check-up, and probably vaccinations, and all that fun stuff.  And I need to know what kind of pig I have here so I can figure out what to do accordingly.

If I get to keep this kid you all are gonna die from the cute.  It's magnificent.  😃  It is so hard not to just show you all right now.  You have no idea.  ❤

In other news:

In other news:  There is still a pig here. And I kind of like it. 😳

Had a weird day yesterday.

Had a weird day yesterday.  I woke up with a tremendous headache and some nausea.  I took some Ibuprofen and tried to sleep it off, but I was in too much pain to sleep right away.  I eventually fell asleep and woke up around 4.  I felt ok - not even slightly good - but it was MUCH better.  Due to all that fun I missed work - which I desperately didn't need to do.

Later in the day (TMI Alert) I got my period.  I had none of my regular signs of PMS so it was totally unexpected.  When I checked the calendar, though, it was right on time.  I am wondering if my sickness was related to that or not.  I have never been sick like that before due to my period, but maybe my hormones aren't perfect yet.  I do know that I've felt pretty good the last two weeks so I wasn't expecting even slightly to wake up feeling so horrible.

In other fun news my air conditioner seems to be not cooling, which sucks.  I am about to call the repair guy, but the last thing I need is an extra expense.  On the bright side I'm up early so after I get some calls made and my rounds done I'll head to work and try to get a head start on next week's check.

Ahh, life.  It's always something.  😕  I'm sure glad it's Friday, though.

So tired.

So tired. Having dinner with my Emma J. and calling it a night. ❤

Did my nails for the first time in over a month.

Did my nails for the first time in over a month. I just couldn't make it happen in May. It's good to have painted nails again! 😃

Bootie Babe nail polish

Well, I am pleasantly surprised...

Well, I am pleasantly surprised that the house isn't in worse shape today.  Was NOT sure what I was coming home to, leaving the pig alone in the house unsupervised.  Of course, there wasn't much it could get into that would hurt it, but it did have diarrhea.  One puddle of poop, one puddle of pee.  Not bad for 7 hours alone!  🙂

I swear I saw a post...

7:15 am [Me]:  I swear I saw a post on Facebook within the last few weeks about someone missing a pig.  Can someone direct me to that post?

7:36 am  [Friend]:  …did you find a pig?

7:37 am  [Me]:  Maybe a pig found me. LOL

Yes. It was outside of my dog fence.

So I let it in.

And fed it grapes. LOL

...

I don't want to be pig-napping someone's pet, but I let it in last night because it was dark and I live right on a road. I searched for the lost pig post on here for hours, but I couldn't find it. I have also checked CraigsList and the Anniston Star.

...

Everyone keeps asking me what I'm gonna do with a pig. Here is my awesome plan:

1) Keep it warm and dry and safe.

2) Buy it some pig food.

3) See if I can find its family (if it has one).

4) If not - decide if I can care for a pig and if not, foster until I find it a home.

I don't know, y'all. I'm just winging it. I just didn't want to wake up to a hurt or dead pig outside my house. Better to let it in, I think.

So we found out recently...

So we found out recently that Sugar is sleeping in the dog tub.  Most of my dogs avoid the tub like the plague.  Sugar finds it to be a cool, private place from which to keep an eye on things.  Big old goofball.  😃

I didn't get anything made this weekend.

I didn't get anything made this weekend. It was kind of a crappy weekend and I was extremely unproductive. So no dinosaurs yet.

I'm planning on working around the house this evening and maybe I can get some stuff made this week. I really hope so, but no promises.

I have cry eyes. My face smells unfamiliar. I'm tired.

I have cry eyes. My face smells unfamiliar. I'm tired. And I'm with humans today.

Trying so hard not to be a Grumpasaurus or cry. I am not ready for this. Wish me luck. I need it.

Scooter has been squinting...

Scooter has been squinting with one eye for days.  I thought maybe he just got poked in it or something.  I can't see anything in it, but it does look red around the edges.

He's being a super grump.  Arguing with all the other dogs.  Might just have to pack him up and take him with the cats tomorrow.