Checking Out the New Hens

This afternoon I had hoped to be outside working. The snow has melted off of one of my flower beds and I wanted to clean it up. Then the wind came up and the snow started coming down...again.

It is probably best that I don't work too much. I have hurt my left shoulder pulling big truck tires out of the back of my SUV. I am not convinced I should be doing any hoeing yet. Hopefully in the next day or two it will feel better.

Remember when we got our new hens? Twelve new beauties came to live with us. I took these pictures the day after they arrived.

They were settling in to their new coop and I had one of the little chicken doors open so they could go out into the run if they wanted.

I was up at the house looking out the window and I saw Ginger.

Oh look she is back up in the barn loft. Great! Maybe she will find a mouse or two.

But then I realized she was staring down into the chicken run, where a few of the new girls were.

And I mean really staring!

Then I realized (duh!) what she was up to. She was just getting ready to jump down.

I flung open the door and yelled at her. That startled her into first jumping back up into the barn and then starting to make her way back up to the house.

I don't know if she would have hurt the hens, I would like to think not.

Here she is slinking up the path, knowing full well she is in trouble.

Not that she cares, because she is Ginger and we all know Ginger rules.

Don't you look all innocent there, Missy! Stay away from the chickens!

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A Meeting of Two Minds - da Wolf and Ginger

When we went away for vacation, Da Wolf got to come with us.

Ginger stayed with friends in the Valley,

where she got along well with everyone.

(Perhaps because there are 3 dogs, about 10 cats and 3 horses where she stayed -

she may have figured she needed to display absolutely exemplary behaviour).

And then.....Ginger came home.

da Wolf:  "Ginger! I missed you!!"

Ginger: "Oh, what are YOU doing here?"

da Wolf: "I had a fun time, but I'm glad I'm back home and you are too! Wanna play?"

Ginger: "Up yours"

da Wolf: "Gee Ginger, you're making me feel bad. I missed you, ya know"

Ginger: "Pppppffffffffffffffffftttttttt"

"Mommy, LOVE me....NOW"

"Yup, things are pretty much back in order now. I got my fave spot back.

But wait....I see something better!"

"Aaaaaahhh, yes, I'll curl up on da Wolf's blankie...right in the middle!

That'll teach him!"

Poor Wolfie....Ginger is back and she is ruling this roost!

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Training Ginger Cat to Stay Off the Kitchen Counters

Ginger is doing great! We got her so we would have a mouser

around the place, and she is doing her job very well.

Even in Winter I have been finding gifts on dead

mice and voles on the doormat.

But one thing that she was doing that was pretty much

having me pulling my hair out is.....

she was jumping up on the counters in the kitchen.

To me that is so disgusting....I would sneak up on her with the

water bottle and spray her.

She soon got smart enough to watch for me coming, jump off and run

away before I could get to her.

My friend in Boston gave me a good idea!

Get contact paper (or Mac Tac as we Canucks call it)

and put it Upside Down on the counters.

Completely cover your countertops with it.

Peel off the backing, so the sticky side is facing up.

And.....wait.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for me to hear

"Crinkle, crinkle, crinkle" and I peeked into the kitchen

just in time to see Ginger trying to get OFF the counter.

She didn't like the feel of the sticky contact paper under her feet.

I left the paper on there for 6 days I think.

(At night, when Ginger goes into the back room for bedtime, I can close

the door on her, so then I would take the paper off for the nite)

Yes, it was a PITA to have the paper on there! Having to move

it to make meals, etc....totally a PITA.

But so much better than having a cat jump up and walk around on the counters!

I caught her up there a total of TWO times....about half an hour after I put the paper on there,

and then again maybe 3 days later. I guess she was trying to determine if the sticky stuff

was still there.

And....I haven't seen her up there again. So give this a try - it can

hopefully rid your cat of a really bad habit.

Let me know how it works for you!

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It's All About Ginger...

"I AM the master of this domain.....

I am cold, cuddle me....NOW!

My ear is itchy....scratch it for me....NOW!

When you are in MY way, I shall simply walk all over you....

I will sit in my super power egg carton and contemplate

how to further increase my hold on this mere mortal family....

Ha! You turned your head sideways didn't ya...to get a better

look at me!

Told ya, CATS RULE!

Now go away, you're bothering me!"

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Ginger - the Aftermath

Yesterday I wrote about a possible fox down at the barn....

(and thanks for the comments, we did see the tracks. My friend

has lived here a long time and knows what fox tracks look like.

But, whatever it is I'll let you know once

we catch him (if we catch him)

Some shots of Lil Ginger and her injuries.....

"Aw shucks Ma, it's not so bad......quit worrying"

"Keep holding me tho....you know, just in case"

You can see the mark on her nose and right under her eye....

"Yeah, but you should see the other guy!"

"He was as big as a house, but I brought him down to size....

I coulda inflicted a lot more whoopsass on him,

but I figured I'd take it easy on him"

"I'm telling ya...I coulda been a Contender!"

"Ok that's it...no more pics please, I'm outta here....I gotta go find a counter to jump up on."

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