Insulated Outdoor Cat Shelter for Feral Cats

This is Eva. She got dumped off here last spring.

Although she is somewhat feral, with patience and kindness,

she is starting to come around.

She has taken to sleeping in a little bed outside of my studio on the covered porch.
With cold weather upon us, I started looking online for instructions on building an insulated house for her.

I came across this step by step YouTube video with detailed instructions on how to make an insulated outdoor shelter out of a cooler! Jerry immediately whipped up two of them out of a couple he had on hand.

Eva took to it right away. Now she will be safe, cozy and warm all winter long.

We put the other one in the barn and think that Ja Ja is already using it too.

We will continue to try to get her to come inside at night, but until she is ready, she has this wonderful new house. It's a marvelously simple and economical way to provide shelter for your outdoor kitties.

Evie definitely gives it her seal of approval.

♥

and Eva

Where Do I Begin?

All is well in Sandy Land!

Opie Darling III
5.5 x 7.5" watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10"

As it turned out, I found out on Friday evening that one of the kittens that Jerry and I were keeping as a girl and had named Betty Boop, was actually a boy. I was disappointed. I wanted a boy and a girl cat. (What parent doesn't?) I had already promised the two calico girls to my blogging friend, Robin Larkspur. She was coming the next day, 300 miles, all the way from central NY with her husband, to fetch them. She had already named them, Pixie and Pyewacket. She even started a blog called PurrrSnicKitty about them. One of the calico kittens that Robin was taking, Pye Pye, was trying very hard to be my favorite. She wanted to be with me, purring and talking and jumping up on the cage when I came into the room. She reminded Jerry and I so much of our little Princess as a kitten who had just passed a couple of weeks ago at age seventeen. It was heartbreaking because Cutie Pye was quickly succeeding. She stole my heart away from Betty Boop. Then, when I found out that she was a he, I had no strong feelings left for him/her at all. 

Bobby Boop?

I had already cried for days thinking Cutie Pye and I would have to part, however I knew I would get over it. I was going to stick with the plan. After all, a deal is a deal. I couldn't do that to anyone, let alone a kind good friend like Robin. 


We all had a wonderful, short, pleasant visit on Saturday into Sunday morning with Robin and her husband, Jim.  They are the kind of people you feel like you've known and will know forever, in this, previous and subsequent lifetimes. Robin is such a magically sweet, loving person. The time went by way too fast. I couldn't sleep at all on Saturday night, knowing my favorite kitten would leave me in the morning.

Princess Cutie Pye

It was a beautiful morning. We had breakfast, enjoyed the wildlife here at the Sandarosa and took some snapshots. All too soon however, it was time to put the kittens into their travel cage. I put Pixie in, no problem. Then when I lifted Pye Pye up, tears immediately shot out from my eyes and I began to sob. "I didn't want to fall in love with you," I said; "but I did". To make a long story short, Robin graciously traded Cutie Pye for her new Pyewacket, (or Pye Man) and everyone is going to live happily ever after!

Princess Cutie Pye and Opie Darling III

Thank-You Robin, Thank-You Universal Mind!!

Exciting things are happening here in Sandy Land everyday.

Stay tuned, updates coming soon!

Hugs and Purrs,

"No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat,and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch."  ~ Leo Dworken

The Whole Cat and Caboodle

We still haven't caught the kitten's momma.

The folks at Ace of Spays sent me to

the AlleyCat.org website for some help. 

They have a section on socializing feral kittens. They say ideally you should spend about two hours each day holding and playing with them, which I have had no trouble doing. Two hours each, times four equals eight, right?

My friend Nan, lent me her cat condo.

It's a real god send and the precious pussy cats just love it.

They can't jump very high yet,

but have learned very quickly to climb like monkeys

to reach the top perch.

The itty bitty kitties seem very happy,

enjoying their space, my frequent visits and each other's company.

This shy petite Pixie will be leaving us this weekend.

Along with her personable big sister, my sweet little Cutie Pye.

Yes, the calico girls will be meeting their new mom and dad this Saturday!  On Sunday they will depart with them and travel 300 miles to their new home in central, New York. I am really and truly grateful that they are getting such a wonderful home! I have to admit that it is bitter sweet however and I'm afraid I will miss them terribly. Even though they are incredibly awesome kittens, I am amazed at how I have become so attached to all of them in such a short time.

 Their new mom, Robin Larkspur, is starting up a blog called PurrrrSnicKitty that will feature these tiny "Jersey Girls" and their adventures.  So along with everyone else in the blogosphere, I will be able to keep up with them and their new lives. I know they will be treated like royalty.

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods;

 they have not forgotten this."  ~ Terry Pratchett 

Thanks for reading everyone.

Your comments are always welcomed and appreciated.

Hugs and Purrs,

Spirit Bears and Kitten Distractions ~ SOLD

Spirit Bear - 5.5 x 7.5" - Watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10" 

This week just evaporated into thin air! I didn't get a whole lot accomplished, but I was able to do some sketching everyday and finished this one Spirit Bear painting from last week's sketchingeveryday drawing.

Friend and fellow artist, Lee Gates, booked a private watercolor session which lasted most of the day on Tuesday. ( Surprise - more bears!) We were both pleased with her end result.

The itty-bitty kitties currently living in my studio have been such a wonderful and fun distraction! It's totally amazing I've gotten any work done at all. I'm finding I need to take kitty breaks every couple of hours just to play with them and laugh. (Their momma is still at large, BTW. We caught two raccoons and one groundhog last night.) 

Today I had a brilliant idea (if I must say so) and I set up a kitty corral in one of the corners of the room, using two 6 foot folding tables. I put the kitties in a small cage and opened it up inside the enclosure.

Bold little Betty Boop was the first one out.

Little brother, Opie quickly followed her lead.

Then he had second thoughts and returned to the safety of the cage

with his sisters, Pye Pye (left) and Pixie (right).

Before long, all four of them were going wild, running in and out and all around the little cage. I sat on the floor right in the middle. They leaped and ran over my legs as we played with their favorite toy, the feather on a string. After about an hour, I fed them and moved their beds into the corner by the cage. They are all totally zonked out as I type. I think this will be a great new temporary home and a way to socialize them, without them hardly even noticing.

Jerry had me take a few shots of our flowers in the back of our house this morning. He wanted to show the guy at the garden center where he bought them. We don't have any in the front. It's very plain. We want them where we can see and enjoy them.

I love this brass planter with lion's heads that Jerry picked up for me at the scrap yard. The plant he later purchased fit into it perfectly. I think it makes a bold statement at the studio entrance. I'm so lucky to have a hubby that's always so supportive and constantly lavishes me with gifts!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about my art, kittens and life in general! Hearing from you is always greatly appreciated. Really!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Wishing you joy and gratitude everyday, even for the little things in life!

Love and Hugs, 

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things."

~ Robert Brault

Hummingbird Painting and Exhausted Kitties

Hummingbird Four Ways #4

This is number Four of my current challenge - using the same drawing, four different ways. You can see more about the ideas behind this madness here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exhausted kittens after  first check up and imprinting.

imprinting -  (imprint on) Zoology (of a young animal) come to recognize (another animal, person, or thing) as a parent or other object of habitual trust.

Bobbie came over today and helped me out with the kittens.  She is a very experienced cat person and I always rely on her for cat help and information. Together, one by one, we removed a sweet, little, furry, wild thing from the cage. We inspected each one for fleas, ear mites, gender, dirt and goobers. Surprisingly, they had no fleas and are amazingly clean for feral cats, so nobody was in need of a bath. Yay! A couple of them did have ear mites though. We treated each baby with a small dose of Revolution. I put a little in a small lid and painted it on with a brush while Bobbie held on to them. It's quite an amazing product and takes care of ear mites, fleas, ticks and worms and it is safe to use on kittens over 6 weeks of age. I've been using it for years.

Only momentarily disturbed by the flash, then back at it.

 Have you had a cuteness attack yet or what?

~~~ And I've Got Some Great news! ~~~

All the kittens are spoken for!! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have a Have a Heart Trap set tonight for their momma, Ja Ja.

WE would like to get her spayed before she goes into heat again.

Keep your fingers crossed. 

It really helped last time, THANKS! ♥

I'd love to hear your thoughts about my Hummingbird Spirit - 4 - Ways challenge, or any of my previous ones for that matter. Which pieces or techniques did you like or dislike and why? I've got a couple of ideas for new challenges in the works, but I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions.

Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Commenting is not mandatory, but as always, it is most appreciated.

 Until next time, wishing you happy days and cool nights! 

Hummingbirds and Itty Bitty Kitties

Hummingbird - 4 Ways - #3

5.5 x 7.5" -Watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10" 

Last month's personal challenge doing the sunflowers and hydrangeas four different ways was fun and inspiring, so I thought I'd do the same thing with my hummingbird spirit sketch. This is number three. You can see the first two here on www.sketchingeveryday.com.

5.5 x 7.5" - Watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10"

Another hummingbird painting done this week.

7.5 x 10" - Coloring Page -Pencil on Yupo paper - Free Print Out

Please feel free to print this out for your personal, your friend's, children's or grandchildren's pleasure. It fits nicely on a standard 8.5 x 11" sheet. You can see two more of my free coloring pages here. 

Taken through the screen - The wild turkey mother who started out with eleven chicks this spring is down to three. They are a pretty good size now and can fly well, so their chances of survival is good.

If you remember my "Cat Man Do" post,  we caught feral cat, Ja Ja only to discover that she just had kittens. We brought her back un-spayed so she would continue to produce milk for them. She finally brought them out in public about ten days ago. 

Jerry started putting out Have -A- Heart traps this past week. My step son, Jimmy, caught the ginger tabby on Wednesday and Jerry caught the little orange and white later that afternoon.

They are already settling in and adjusting quite nicely. Cats are so clean and smart. After taking away the towels, they have already started using the litter box for their business instead of for a bed.

Jerry left a trap on the deck last night without food in it. To his surprise, kitten #3 was inside this morning!

We've got the cage on a dolly so we can wheel it where we want it.

Tigger is not at all happy with the situation, as expected. He already  took over Princess's bed in the studio and really liked the idea of being an "only child".

I have set up my studio lights and started shooting again.

The healing of my ankle continues and a vast collection of medical equipment is on the way out of the studio!

I'd love to hear your comments about my Hummingbird Spirit - 4 - Ways challenge.

Which pieces do you like or dislike and why? What do you think about me offering free printable coloring pages?  How do you like the kitties? Any ideas for names? 

Thanks for reading my blog! Commenting is not mandatory, but as always, it is most appreciated.

Until next time, wishing you great days!

Howdy Hoo From Cat Man Do!

Sophie - sweet resident barn/shop cat

I said I'd fill you in the cat happenings here at "Cat Man Do", so here I go. It's complicated. Eva, the one year old recent drop off and fred's last fling has been vetted, treated, spayed and contained in a large cage in Jerry's shop since last Tuesday. She's been in the same room as Sophie and Ginger, our outside/inside, barn/shop cats. Sophie is a real doll, but Ginger is a an insecure, neurotic pterodactyl. (Wow, how do you like the spelling of that word?) The three cats seem to be accepting each other and I think we'll open Eva's door to the room with the two girls on Wednesday. I hope her and Sophie hit it off, because Ginger really annoys the Soph with her constant clinginess.

Ginger - Sweet, skittish and fat with various issues

The love triangle - Eva,  Ja Ja and Fred 

Eva -  tiny newbie 4.5 lbs.

Eva seems very docile and tame. Jerry's been sticking his hand in the cage and petting her, which she likes very much.

Ja Ja - teenage mother, 6 mo. old

As per my previous post, we caught Ja Ja,

only to find she was nursing kittens,

so brought her back untouched except for a rabies shot.

She loves the trap and we have caught her several times since. 

Freddie the Free Loader - Still at large

Fred's just too smart and continues to be an outlaw. We set the trap. He sniffs it, sprays it and walks away. He's been around the block a few too many times and we're afraid he is going to be a difficult one to catch.

Princess has her good days and bad. She's 17 now and often seems grouchy. She has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. We have her on transdermal medication which is helping her have more good days. She now has a better appetite and is starting to put some weight on. 

Tigger is our big, lovable guy. He is spending more and more time with me in the studio, much to Princess' dismay. He's usually very good and tolerant of her and her space, but every once in a while he has to be a bad boy and get right in her face. This of course sets her off and gets her all riled up. He's young and playful and does it just for the fun of it and because it really annoys her.

Lately, Tigger's been taking all of the big soft balls out of his toy basket. Then, he walks around with them in his mouth. He carries it like it was a kitten, all the time crying in a loud, pitiful way until he finds a good spot to lay it down. Then he goes and gets another one and repeats the process. Saturday morning, we woke to find all four of them arranged in a neat, evenly spaced row. He continued observing and guarding them throughout the day until later that evening, when he started adding smaller sparkly balls to his arrangement. Then he seemed to loose interest. I think he wants to be an artist.

Leah - resident outside feral

Ziggy and Leah seem to be staying to themselves, mostly hanging out on the shed roof during the day where they occupy the penthouse suite.

Ziggy - Tigger's brother, resident outside feral

Snowflake  - spring 2011

They are not alone up there in their roof top abode anymore though. For the past couple of weeks, a raccoon has been coming out of their apartment and joining them for their evening meal. We don't think it's Snowflake, because it's shy and runs when it see's Jerry, but it could be one of the babies from last year. Anyway, they all seem to be getting along at the moment. Most likely, Ziggy and Leah don't have a choice and are just trying to hang on to their prime real estate. 

"Psychologists now recognize that the need in some people to have a dozen cats is really a sublimated desire to have two dozen cats."  ~ Robert Brault