Back In Action

Tang's back..
Yep, we picked him up and he does, in fact, have an infection. I think it is kind of silly that we take the cat to the Vet saying we think he has a UTI. They keep him, give him tests, and the next day they say yes, he has a UTI. That will be $200 please. Oh well, it is well worth it to get him better.
He has a few chicken flavored medications he has to take and is back on patrol, checking out what the other cats are doing. He seems to be feeling OK but hard to tell with this little guy.

Tang...M.I.A.

Yes, Tang is missing. Actually he had to spend the night at the Vet's.

Sometime ago we noticed some pee outside the cat box. While I find this a pretty revolting behavior, I guess it also indicates that something is physically wrong with the cat. All the cats seemed to be fine and we didn't have a clue who the culprit was. Cats hide ailments so they don't appear weak. Sandi has been stalking the cats, trying to learn who was the random pee'er and caught Tang in the act yesterday morning. If you have random cat pee going on the good news is that it was pretty much confined to a bath tub. Clean up was a breeze...
So, our neighbor the Vet, kept Tang over night at the clinic to run a few tests. I'm told that it is probably an infection of some kind but it has to be treated.

It has been a different kind of Sunday morning without Tang, aka "The Sheriff" patrolling the family room looking for sun spots.

Sushi Sunday

Sushi is the newest of the cats. He is now over one year old but is still playful like a kitten. He has his favorite toys and plays with them until they inevitably end up under the sofa.  Not to worry though, Sandi is great at finding his toys at a drop of the hat. One of his toys chirps like a bird and I have to hide it at night.

He shows up out of the blue, all over the house. He is never too far away from us.











He plays hard and chills hard too.

Two of the Boys

When the sun is out this is the best spot in the house for the cats. They take turns basking in the sun, being lazy. They've been on the lookout for "No Bells" from across the street but I think he has been sticking close to home over the winter. I"m sure we'll have a close encounter before to long.

Spring Again?

 This past weekend did bring us some sun. I guess that is a step in the right direction. The sun didn't bring us warmer temperatures though. We did our best to have a "Poodle Day" on Saturday and Sunday. I don't think it really got much into the 50's. It was dry though and that is a big bonus.

 Gypsy is the most relaxed when we are outside with her. She plays with Dino, chews sticks, sniffs bunnies, goes birdin (keeping the big black birds away from our air space), and just relaxing at home base.

We even allowed Chloe to come outside to soak up some sun. She is too old and fat to try to run away.

Gypsy had a great time outside with us. I hope we can spend more time outside soon. (without a coat)

Cat Sunday...Zoe

OK, this is the first time Zoe is getting attention on Gypsy's blog. Sandi has reminded me of this often so in order to keep the kitty peace in the house I thought I'd show her off. 

Zoe, aka: ZoZo, is our big black cat. I say "our" cat but in all reality she only cares for Sandi. ZoZo doesn't even hang out with the other cats and they really try to avoid Zoe too. She can have a bit of an attitude.

Recently she has taken over Gypsy's bed. When Zoe is relaxing in her bed Gyp just finds another area to relax. Gyp also avoids confronting Zoe. You can see that she brought her wine cork along with her for safe keeping. We have spent hundred's of dollars on cat toys and she plays with a cork?

Today it is all about Zoe, the big black cat with a big attitude. She loves her Mom.

Spring???

I'm not going out in that!!!

This is supposed to be the first day of spring but, winter is reluctant to leave. We woke up this morning to a wet/snowy mess outside. If this was November we'd be excited to see the big, fluffy flakes but at this point, we're over it.

I'm over it too!!!

We had plans to get on our bikes to celebrate the arrival of spring but, that might not happen for a day or two.

Bring on the warm weather...Gypsy needs a Poodle Day!

Waiting in Line

Every morning it's the same thing. Sandi gives the cats food and water and I do the same for Gypsy. The cat's like to hydrate first thing from Gypsy's bowl. They just kind of line up and take turns while Gypsy stands over them. She has never growled or showed any aggression. She is actually very submissive towards the cats.
Hey, help yourself Dude!!

Here she is, patiently waiting for Tang (aka: The Sheriff) for a drink of water. Tang utilizes the paw dipping method for drinking.
Gypsy is really comfortable around the cats. I think she might think that she is just a big, hairy cat sometimes.

Stormi

Former "Pet of the Year" Stormi aka Pretty relaxing on my chair. If I am in a sitting position, she isn't far off.

Fun Snow

Just a week ago we had all this snow. The big melt is on now and we had rain all day yesterday. Our yard is a soupy mess. Gyp loves the snow and will play foir hours in it if I let her. When she is happy and content it seems like she actually smiles.

Sushi

OK, I'll take a break from my quirky Poodle and talk about a cat on Sunday. This is the latest (and last!) addition to our family. Sushi...his story is kind of interesting.

A friend of ours found a stray cat in a run down part of Baltimore and took her in. They more than likely saved this cats life. As noble as that act was I was still surprised that they kept the cat because

1. She is allergic to cats and
2. They already have two beautiful Standard Poodles and they took up so much of their free time. These are the folks that got us thinking about getting a Standard!

Anyway they gave her a good home and shortly thereafter discovered that she (the cat) was pregnant. Along came the litter and this little guy was given to Sandi as a birthday gift. I had very little say in the matter. Actually, I had no say in the matter. That was a year ago and I'm actually glad that Sushi came to us.

 Sushi just turned one year old a few weeks ago and still has that playful, kitten side going on. Every morning he plays with his favorite toy, knocking it around the hard wood floors until it goes under the sofa. Sandi can be seen every morning retrieving said toy for him several times.

He is also an avid bird watcher. Here he is peeking at them from behind a curtain.

Sushi has been a great addition to the family, bringing a little youth to the group of animals. He keeps the red boys on their toes as he will spring out and jump them from time to time. He is great with Gypsy, usually giving her a sniff when she is sleeping.

Our friend kept all of the remaining kittens and they have a great life. Just think what would have happened had they not found that stray cat?

High Anxiety

Gypsy has always been an anxious dog. Even as a puppy she seemed to be wired a bit tight. She is always what I call "on alert" intensely looking from side to side. Almost like she is hunting. She rarely seems like she is relaxed. Only when she is sleeping. She has never liked being alone either. This is probably on us because when we got her, Sandi worked from home and was at her side all day long and then I came home and played with Gypsy the rest of the day. There has been a few times that we have left her with friends or family and she just stares at the door and whimpers until we return. When we're home, she has to be in the same room as we are in. Usually laying on the floor, staring at us. When Sandi and I go out, we keep her confined in the office or if it is nice, on the deck. We felt that she would do better this way and less likely to get in trouble. Most of the time while she is in the office, Moose is also in there sleeping on one of the chairs so she has company. I tell her to go in the office and she always slowly shuffles in with her tail down. Occasionally when we return we would hear her whimpering but not that often. When we put her outside it isn't any better. She simply paces from one door to another, looking for us. If we come out, she jumps for joy and has a big time playing but only if we are out with her.

Recently this stressed out behavior seems to be getting worse. Maybe because she is getting older, not sure. We talked to our Vet about it and she prescribed some "happy pills" to take the edge off and help her relax. I'm not a fan of taking pills, even for myself, but if they will make her a happier dog I'll give them a try. Now that it is nicer out we can pick up our walking too. I'm sure that will help calm her down.
Maybe I should consult Cesar Milan?

The Snow Was Fun

We had a great time in the snow this year. We had a few decent snow events and it was cold enough that it stuck around for awhile. We're ready for spring now. We had a sample this weekend and Gypsy loves it when we are outside with her. I've got a lot of work to do in the backyard to make it Gypsy worthy.

Last Snow?

Last Wednesday night into Thursday morning we had yet another snow storm. The news was building it up like it was going to be the storm to beat all storms. It snowed mostly all day Thursday and I guess we got another 6-7 inches. The people in Boston laugh at that snow total.

 It did come down pretty hard for awhile and Gypsy had to get out into it. She still enjoys the snow.

Friday morning it was time to dig out and she spent the morning outside with me. She still plays like a puppy when she is outside but when we get back in the house she crashes hard. Showing her age some I think.

This morning we walked out into the fields. There were plenty of deer tracks to sniff. Standard Poodles can do just about anything. I read somewhere that they were the original "retrieving" dog. Gypsy wouldn't do very well at that since she hates to hear gunfire. She seems to have a strong hunting drive in her though.

She had a great time. We had to take advantage of the snow while we could. This weekend is going to warm and the big melt will commence. I suppose the field will be a soupy mess for some time. 

Gypsy is now sprawled out on the floor, snoozing away, a very happy girl.

Home Brew

Today was the day that I opened my first ever home brew. This is something I've never tried before but always wanted to give it a go. So a few weeks ago I brewed up a German Kolsch type beer. It's been sitting in Sandi's closet fermenting for the last two weeks. I'm happy that none of the bottles exploded. I've been worried that I created a skunk beer. Happy to say that it is drinkable. A bit hoppy but a good crisp flavor. Not bad if I do say so myself. I've been told that I have to name the beer and it has been suggested we go with "Gypsy Juice" not sure if I'm a fan of that one or not. 

By the way, I did mention a few posts ago that we've gone with a Paleo diet. This is true but I guess I still get my share of liquid grain.

CHEERS!!!

More Cold

 Yep, it is another cold weekend here on the eastern shore. And more snow/sleet is on the way this Sunday afternoon. Yesterday morning Gypsy and I did a few things in the back yard. While my back was turned, I hear the familiar squeaking of Dino. Gypsy found Dino under a bank of snow and ice and saved him.
I've got your back Dino!!!
She picked him up and ran laps with him. She was happy to be outside with me.

After that we walked to the backside of the neighborhood. We back up to some fields. During hunting season these fields are full of hunters picking off innocent geese. We can hear the gun shots from our deck and Gypsy isn't very fond of shooting. Her tail goes between her legs and she cries. It's safe to play in the fields now that the hunters are gone.
Hey, I'm just sensitive!!!
Yes you are. Anyway, Gypsy had a ball running through these fields. The tree line was bordered by these deep banks of snow. Of course, after this first shot my battery went dead.
We'll get her back out in the fields again this afternoon and hopefully get a few more pictures.