Hi All - I feel a bit guilty for I've been here about a week and never properly introduced myself before now.
I live in New England, where we own a small organic farm. I've had cats and other animals since childhood. Right now I have three cats - all of them rescues. We also have two dogs, a 7 year-old German Shepherd and a 4 year-old Pit Bull with only three legs. The Pit was a rescue who came for "a few days" from a horrific abuse background. We had to have his leg amputated due to abuse he experienced early in his life. He is also blind, but you would never know this. Our cats run the household and the dogs follow. My oldest cat, a female, came to us as a temporary care cat. She was hit by a car and was thought to be paralyzed. I took her home in order to provide her a comfortable and safe place until a decision was made about euthanasia. The fourth day, she somehow managed to get out of a spare bedroom and I found her walking around the kitchen looking for food. Not only was she not paralyzed, her injuries were minor. My second cat came from a neglect situation where she'd been kept in a closet for three years. She was in poor health and much of her hair had fallen out. It took her a long time to emerge from her cat condo into the rest of the world, but today, she is healthy, happy and very much the house socialite. The third cat showed up about seven years ago. She refused to come into the house or stay in the barn and wouldn't allow anyone near her. The first couple of years she lived in the shed, refusing to come closer to the house. Eventually, she decided to live on the deck and would allow me to pet her, but no one else. As time passed, she learned to trust and would seek attention, but still wouldn't consider coming into the house, even during the worst of the winter. This past winter, the evening before a massive storm hit, I went out to the deck to make sure the insulated dog house we used as her "home" was well anchored and the cat dashed into the house. I was astounded! At first she didn't like the indoor cats and preferred being with the dogs, but now she loves everyone. Oddly, she quickly adapted to being an indoor cat and doesn't show any sign of wanting to go back outside. She still prefers sleeping with my Pit Bull, but tolerates the other cats. I've never quite understood people who believe dogs and cats are natural enemies. I've never had an issue with my dogs and cats getting along. But then we have clear rules about boundaries for all the animals. Anyway, that's my story. I always like talking about animals with like minded folks.
I live in New England, where we own a small organic farm. I've had cats and other animals since childhood. Right now I have three cats - all of them rescues. We also have two dogs, a 7 year-old German Shepherd and a 4 year-old Pit Bull with only three legs. The Pit was a rescue who came for "a few days" from a horrific abuse background. We had to have his leg amputated due to abuse he experienced early in his life. He is also blind, but you would never know this. Our cats run the household and the dogs follow. My oldest cat, a female, came to us as a temporary care cat. She was hit by a car and was thought to be paralyzed. I took her home in order to provide her a comfortable and safe place until a decision was made about euthanasia. The fourth day, she somehow managed to get out of a spare bedroom and I found her walking around the kitchen looking for food. Not only was she not paralyzed, her injuries were minor. My second cat came from a neglect situation where she'd been kept in a closet for three years. She was in poor health and much of her hair had fallen out. It took her a long time to emerge from her cat condo into the rest of the world, but today, she is healthy, happy and very much the house socialite. The third cat showed up about seven years ago. She refused to come into the house or stay in the barn and wouldn't allow anyone near her. The first couple of years she lived in the shed, refusing to come closer to the house. Eventually, she decided to live on the deck and would allow me to pet her, but no one else. As time passed, she learned to trust and would seek attention, but still wouldn't consider coming into the house, even during the worst of the winter. This past winter, the evening before a massive storm hit, I went out to the deck to make sure the insulated dog house we used as her "home" was well anchored and the cat dashed into the house. I was astounded! At first she didn't like the indoor cats and preferred being with the dogs, but now she loves everyone. Oddly, she quickly adapted to being an indoor cat and doesn't show any sign of wanting to go back outside. She still prefers sleeping with my Pit Bull, but tolerates the other cats. I've never quite understood people who believe dogs and cats are natural enemies. I've never had an issue with my dogs and cats getting along. But then we have clear rules about boundaries for all the animals. Anyway, that's my story. I always like talking about animals with like minded folks.
