Seems many are having series of unfortunate events

I lost track of this site for these past few days I've been off. I came in to catch up, somewhat, to find many have found tragedy in the way of dogs, bears, coyotes, vandals and so on.

I figured I'd kick in on this as well. That damnable pup of mine, who has yet to find herself a new place to live, has been wandering free in the mornings before I let the birds out. That is, until I found the mess she made in the shop. The shop door is stuck open because, well, because I broke it and we have to buy new cable for the overhead door.

About 2 weeks ago I found out just what a live chicken looks like skinned. I looked out the window just in time to see Bella pinning a bird in the caragana bushes. "BELLA!!!" Whip around, open the door, open the other door, "BELLA!!!!!!" Feathers flying, bird screaming, tail wagging -- kick, grab chicken, yell at dog, shake chicken "Wake up, chicken!", kick dog again when she tries to snatch the head, yell at dog, throw chicken in bath tub, "Wake up chicken!"

The chicken woke up, barely. I think she was playing dead. Bella got her good though, tore her back end into a mess without feathers and ripped skin. I considered putter her down, but figured I'd give her the night to decide if she wanted to live or not. I set her up in Bella's puppy kennel with some fresh hay and by morning she was perked up and had preened most of her feathers clean of dirt. I put her in one of the breeding pens for a week so she could heal up without the other birds on her and to prevent potential cannibalism. She's doing well.

Anyway...

I was pre-emptive, I know Bella and I know her well. We bought a bunch of food for while Moose is away in BC so I wouldn't run out. I laid out my 3 gallon buckets and rationed out the feeds in even quantities, put the lids back on and stacked the buckets neatly. Why? Because she tears into the feed sacks and pulls them everywhere. Problem. Solved.

Not so much. I went out to let the birds out and grab them a conveniently sized pail of feed to find every single carefully portioned ice cream tub strewn all about the shop, spilled everywhere. !!!!!! Really? REALLY? Now she's tied up.

Well, she figured that out, so I tightened the collar to where I could BARELY squeeze 2 fingers under it -- well she figured that out to. So I'll move her, I thought. I'll move her so she can't get tangled and thus get enough pull to come out of that collar. Aha! I've outsmarted you. In the words of Sid the Sloth: "With this little stick and my highly evolved brain, I shall create... fire!" Instead of getting loose, she decides to just eat the deck, which is, you know, great!

Oi, I can relate somewhat. I've been lucky, so far, with the birds, though we have yotes not far who I'm sure will make their way in soon -- I make sure to lock them up tight at night and hope for the best. I have lots of young pullets and cockerals if anyone needs a jump start. I know they're not much, but send me a PM and let me know if they'll help at all.

Anywho, off to bed. Share your week thus far if you like

It hs been a weird week here too. Nothing working out the way it is supposed to. Schedule distroyed, weather isnt helping, neighbour being a pain, county freaking... And to top everything off I ahve someone sending me their 10 year old kees girl that they got from me when they were a kid. She has a boyfriend and going to college so the dog is no longer convenient. "Not getting the attention she deserves". She is moving out of her parnets house (a farm where this dog has lived all her life) and says the old girl needs a home that can pay attention to her. THE DOG IS 10!!! She doesnt need attention, she needs a comfy place to lay, food and water, familiar surroundings. Not to be dumped because she is ont convenient. Her parnts bought the dog for her when she was about 10 years old because she was really shy. This dog was her best frined. Today she is being dumped here because she is inconvenient.

There is a special place in hell for people like this.

I could list a few things that are really bumming me out. Mostly my foot which cracked a few weeks ago that is taking forever to get better. Only way it can is if I stayed off it for a few weeks but try doing that when you know you have responsibilities that you just can't put aside or have someone else who can do them. Thankfully I have Bruce. Without him I think I would chuck this crap in sometimes!

My only other real thing that bummed me out is it looks liked my cat Dairy might be gone for good. July 21 was the last time I saw him. Thing is he wasn't mine to begin with. Nearly 6 years ago he just showed up here. Always thought he was the new neighbours who arrived the same time as the cat did. For 3 years, even during the cold winter nights, I saw this guy on my back porch. I just let him stay there as it is covered in for my own cat.

When my mother, older cat & dog all died within months of each other, it was another cold winter's night when I finally took Dairy in. He got along well with my younger cat so figured if he did belong to someone that they would come asking for him. No one did.

I was always worried something was going to happen to him. He is a loveable cat but not a good acreage cat. Too friendly and always wanting to crawl into someone's vehicle and into the back seat. My other cats run like hell away from anything strange but not him. Too friendly. Too trusting.

I just hope that he has taken up with someone else who has them in their home. In a way, it would be better than here. As much as I loved him, he really had a hard time fitting in. Always afraid of the poultry. Always lying in front of the car when you are trying to move it. Getting in the way of danger. I miss him.

Let me know if I can help you out, Arctic -- I have my old boy who could use a slower paced partner. Just have to get rid of that damnable puppy! People's priorities change -- if she has children, I wonder if she'll get to that point as well... I think it's foolish. It's one thing if an animal isn't right for a home or a home not right for the animal, but it's another to give up your best friend because there's "not enough attention." Bull spends a lot of time by himself, groaning and sleeping. walking stiffly to get a drink before bounding around like a puppy for 5 minutes just to do it all over again. Kick that person -- hard. At least she's coming back to a good place.

TB, I'm sorry to hear that. I understand how it can be. When I lived in Georgia years ago, we had a cat show up at our door and walk in uninvited. He stuck around for months, never asking to go outside, used the litterbox off the get go, got along with the cats and dog and was super affectionate; he wasn't neutered, however never sprayed. One day he asked to go outside and never returned. I'd like to think he wound up on some other lovable person's doorstep, like the Littlest Hobo, but I always wondered. Know he had a great life with you. I struggle with this as well because I let my male cats out sometimes and they go missing, come back in rough shape -- I vow to never do it again, but they end up back outside.

Head up, lovely.

I haven't been on here much as I have had one very unfortunate event after another and this morning was yet another traumatic horrible event. Everyone says things happen in 3's but so far I'm up to 4 and looking at a 5th. Sometimes I guess we have to go through these tragedies in order to appreciate every moment and the people we love.
It must be about time for someone to start a truly crazy or funny thread to cheer us all up