Handsome Dude: Mom. We should make our chickens free-range chickens. That’s best.
Me: Dude, our chickens ARE free range.
HD: No. We have a fence.
He speaks the truth. However. Our chickens care not about gates and fences. They fly over them. For who has time to clip chicken wings?
Not I.
Our chickens are everywhere. And not because I want them to be. It is just one of those things I cannot get a handle on these days. Also, I think I have 10 roosters and like 50 hens. So it is a bit daunting.
Me: Bud, our chickens have made themselves free-range. They roam the empty pig pens. They hang out with the cows and horses. They are pooping on our porch. They are fine.
HD: Well. I am going to leave their gate open just in case.
A bit later, David came in our front door and announced that a hen had laid an egg right by the front door. Which was thoughtful of her.
Me: See, Dude? Free-range.
***
As we were driving to and fro the other day, the DJ on the radio was blabbering about, and he mentioned his name was Felix.
Me: Felix! That’s what we should name Bessie’s calf! The red steer!
All Kids: Yes!
Never have we all agreed so quickly on one thing. So now, unnamed steer, formerly known as unnamed bull calf, will be now known as Felix.
Here is a recent photo of him with his pal, Houdini.
Felix is the reddish brown fellow. He was Bessie’s calf and came with her when David bought them in August. He is now about 7 months old.
***
I took my cat to the vet. In retrospect, it was foolish. But I like her, goshdarnit. Her name is Mama Cat and we have had her for about 5-6 years. We got her as a rescue cat awhile back and I believe I took her to the vet when we first got her for some vaccines. But after that, she has not been back.
Her hobbies include slaying mice, visiting humans when they are doing outside chores, and birthing kittens in the hay barn. I dig her.
Little Dude and I are the only ones in the family who really enjoy the cats. Little Dude noticed there was something up with one of her ears about a week ago. He has been been bugging me to take her to the vet. I finally did a few days ago.
We take her in and the vet tech was asking me some questions about it, and I mentioned I was pretty sure she was pregnant. The tech gal gave me quite the look and raised her eyebrows:
Tech: Pregnant, huh? Why do you think that?
Me: Well, her belly feels full of babies.
Tech: Huh. Ok. Let me go and talk to the doctor.
So in walks in the doctor and she tells me that according to their records, Mama Cat was spayed when we brought her in 5 years ago.
Me: She is definitely not spayed.
Vet: Well, we are pretty sure she is.
Me: Well she had a litter in March, so . . .
The vet then went over a bunch of treatment options for my sweet Mama Cat, who is a barn cat. The costs ranged from $350-$650. I told them there was no way I could spend that much. I just thought she had an ear infection and it was swollen from that, but it turned out she would need a minor surgery.
The vet was insistent that we give Mama Cat an ultrasound to determine if she really is pregnant. The ultrasound was an extra $71.
Me: I really don’t want to pay for an ultrasound. I know she is pregnant.
Vet peoples (still thinking I am super dumb to believe a spayed cat could be pregnant): Ok, well we really cannot do much for her then.
Excellent. So I had to pay $50 for them to talk to me about her and another $50 for them to drain the swollen ear, but it is still swollen and I am not sure if it really even helped at all. It is not life threatening and the worst that will happen is that her ear will kind of get deformed. And I love her, but I am ok with that.
I might send them a photo of her with her litter when they are born. Yes?
***
Here are some photos of us Maliblahblahs kicking off the holiday season:
David and I at the town’s Christmas lighting ceremony. It was very rainy and David was feeling very merry.
Here is a group shot that took about 87 tries. The boys have gotten even more difficult than David when it comes to photos. This one was after they were threatened with certain death. Tis the season!
Happy Sunday!
So…your spayed cat IS pregnant? It is a miracle birth! 🙂 You braved the cold for the lighting ceremonies?! This teacher might have just taken FOUR pajama days in a row. Tomorrow will kill me.
Lovely to see a new photo. Your girls look so grown up now!
A spayed cat that has kittens, regularly! I love Mama Cat! Hope she gets better.
There was a tv show called Felix the Cat, but it’s a good name for a steer too. 😄
Felix does sound like a good name for that steer, congratulations on everyone agreeing on the same name!
I recently took a cat to the vet too, they wanted to do blood work for an eye infection, my sister said, no, we’ll only pay for the antibiotic shot and the Rx for eye drops. At $105, that was plenty.
YES! Send them a picture of Mama Cat with her newborn kittens! Tell them they owe you another spaying since the first one was a failure/didn’t take. Obviously if they have a record of the first spaying, they should give you a free one (if you want it.)
Good luck with the free range chickens and eggs that are laid on the doorstep!!