•°o.O The Tater Tots Family 2011 O.o°•

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Shiloh:

Yeah Maybelle is free-range. She never sleeps outside though, she still has the shed as I prefer to keep them from being so exposed to the elements. You know, I really was quite concerned about the cats here when we first started allowing her out. However, Maybelle is bigger than the cats and being the fighter she is, the cats are quite intimidated by her. When she is out, I am always about, normally watching her from the large kitchen window and Houdina also watches over her by the patio door.

There are some cats that try to come in the yard only to be quickly chased off by Maybelle. However, Maybelle does like a few cats and I often catch them playing together. I can think of 3 or 4 right now that she plays with. They kinda play a hide and seek game, Maybelle binkying away triumphantly after sppoking a cat from her hiding place. I think what makes a major difference is the fact that none of these cats are strays. They are all family cats and pretty much all of them have other furry family members as well whether it be dogs, rabbits, etc. They are all well-pampered pets so they don't see Maybelle as a snack. Most of the cats just like to sit on a patio chair and watch her. I saw "Kitten" taste mint the other day, trying to imitate Maybelle. Lol. May also always has access to the shed and various hiding spots to get away if she wants. She normally naps in the shed and then comes out after her nap to play. Meanwhile, the cats really appreciate coming because I leave water out for them. Most cats don't have access to clean water whilst there owners are away and they are pretty parched.I can't stand that. :expressionless

I did see "Kitten" get a tad too excited for Maybelle's liking quite a while ago so Maybelle gave her a good nip.Neither had any injuries though, and Maybelle sure could have bitten her if she had wanted.Hasn't been an issue since. Lol. If it starts to rain, I often find Maybelle and a cat sitting together in the shed so I guess she really doesn't mind them since she even tolerates them in her space.

I know this is pretty scary to most people. I do understand even myself, sometimes, I wonder if I am doing the right thing. However, I also strongly believe in trusting their instincts. I think there is a reason as to why Maybelle doesn't tolerate some cats but is friends with others. It's the same with the piggies and them playing with Houdina and allowing her to sit in there living space. Meanwhile, watching them interact is very special. I just told my neighbor on Sunday that his tiny cat spends a lot of time here watching Maybelle. He thought that was nice that they get along. Strangely enough, now that I think of it, all the cats that Maybelle likes are cats that are part of the same clan and are often hanging out together. I wonder if she's just "part of the clan" to them? :confused2:

Aside from the cats, there isn't anything else here aside from hedgehogs. The yard is entirely fenced in. The only real thing I am terrified of is a pet ferret escaping and attacking the buns. However, I also feel that Rolo would have less of a chance since she is in the hutch and wouldn't be able to get away. Birds aren't an issue really either because they don't bother flying over here since they have the fields further where there is plenty of food for them to catch. Those that fly over are mainly ducks, swans, andherons.

As for children, right now, it seems time will be making the decision for us. With Jeff turning 40 in August, I just feel that we might just run out of time. I think having a child at that age takes some serious consideration. And, from talking to Jeff a while back,I am concerned he is doing it more because he doesn't want to 'deprive' me of that more than he would be doing it for himself as well. Basically, I am not exactly sure yet that he'd be doing it for all the right reasons.

Only time will tell.

Hehehe, I'll be sure to keep your buns in mind for the bunny smooches :winkIt's nice to see you back online!

_____________

Ali:

Yeah, but that's the good thing about introspect. If we take the time to look within ourselves, we can often see our own misdoings. :)Baggage also has it's pros too though. Hehehe.

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Susan:

Thanks Susan. Yeah, I like my life simple. That's what I told Jeff. I just don't understand why it's so bloody complicated. This is JUST a language course! Geez. But of course, it's not just the language course so yeah, things are a bit more complicated than I would like but hopefully I will find ways to simplify things soon. :)So far, Jeff seems to have taken things very seriously and had been acting on it. Therefore, it seems that he really is a man of his word and does take things seriously enough. That pretty much satisfies me, knowing that I am not about to see a repeat of a past experience. :)Jeff is a great guy and I am very happy to know that when somethingof the sort does happen, it can be dealt with. Hahaha though, your 'air' comment had me in stitches. Fair enough :p

As for the language, I'd be learning it faster if I had a proper course. It's not too too hard really. My shyness really slows me down though. Lol. We could still get married. That wouldn't be a problem. It's getting my permanent residence or citizenship that can be. I can also be fined for not completing the exam in time, etc. Hehehe I don't plan on getting married in Canada but you're always welcome if we do get married ;)All you need is a good bunsitter. So, you have some time to find one. Hehehe.

Awww Susan, I hope one day you get a nice house for yourself and the buns with an even nicer garden! I bet it must be really hard. Really, he loves the marigolds? I was thinking of planting some for May in the back since everything that will go in the back will be Maybelle safe. Hehehe. Do you have some on your patio now? I know herbs grow really nicely in pots :biggrin:I will have to grow a big herb pot in front since I am sure I will have to fight May for them and I love using them in my cooking. Lol.

Thank you for your hugs, they are always very much appreciated!

LOL @ you and Shiloh arguing over Maybelle. Would shared custody work? Lol

_________________

Thanks guys. You always make me smile!


 
Yup but still sucks!
 
Oh, Sophie, reading your blog makes me so mad for you. The school situation sounds miserable. I'd want to pack up and come on back to Canada but you are stronger than me :D
 
[align=center]Just a quickie[/align]
[align=center]BUT[/align]
[align=center]If all goes well, we will be welcoming a new member to our family. :hearts[/align]
[align=center]:yahoo:[/align]
 
It must be a PUPPY?????????

YES NO

You must answer. NOW

Susan:?
 
Lady that is not right!
 
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees :biggrin:

We shall be welcoming a wee puppy into our family. I will be picking out a King Charles Cavalier puppy as I had wished.

This is the kind (and color) of dog I will be getting:

http://www.puppydogphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/puppy_62.jpg

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/_images/dogbreeds/cavalierkingcharlesspaniel.jpg

I am EXTREMELY excited and also a little bit apprehensive. This will be my very first dog. I have done a lot of research on the breed and various other breeds but really felt that this is the one. We do own our home but we do not have a large yard and the home itself is built on 3 floors so it's best to stick to a smaller dog. Of course, we have a nice dog-zone patch of grass lining the streetright in front of the house and we live 2 mins away from the lake. I cannot wait to take the wee one there.

We will be getting her from a proper breeder. I spotted an ad where a breeder was selling them with pedigree, microchip, deworming, and vaccinations. She also has the parents' pedigrees and they have been tested for health issues. So we might look into getting one from her. They sure were cute! These dogs aren't found in shelters here. Not in general at least. Being that it is my first, I really want to go the breeder route so I can know the background and figure the source of any behavioral issues. These dogs have the highest incidence of mitral valve disease so it is really important to get themfrom a breeder that knows what they are doing.

My only real concern is the cats' reaction. I am hoping that they adjust to her rather easily and that Baloo doesn't get jealous of her. I think it should go okay. Hopefully, once Baloo sees that she doesn't wantto eat him, he'll be fine. As long as she really doesn't want to eat him... :expressionlessLol. The cats will have priority of course and I will try to make it as smooth an adjustment for them as possible. However, I think having a dog can really help me out and so I think it's best to go ahead with it.

Anywho, I do not have her picked out yet. I am not sure when I will get her but it shouldn't be too long. Meanwhile, I'll be dog-proofing the home. I'll be removing our expensive and fancy rug so that it is safe from puppy accidents and chewing. I will miss that rug but I think it is for the best. We'll put it back later when the dog is fully house-trained and listens.

It's really going to be something. I think this can either be wonderful or it can go terribly wrong. For now,I will work towards this being fantastic and it all coming together nicely. If it does, oh wow, I will be so happy. If this works, I'll now have a friend, a companion, to go out with and enjoy the little things in life. Just being able to step out of the house on my own will be a great accomplishment already.

As for Jeff... I'm not sure how this all happened really. I think he thought maybe it was a phase and I'd stop bugging for one soon enough. I really did stay persistant though I backed off, then tried again continuously. Lol. See, the thing is, he had been saying no for a while, however, he had been doing his own research. Funnily enough, when he told me I could get a puppy, he said "Oh by the way, we don't need to pay a dog tax in this municipality." Of course, I was so excited about getting a puppy that I didn't react right away. However, later, I did ask why he would have bothered looking into dog taxes if he wasn't going to let me get a dog. His answer was that it was just for research purposes. Lol. Right. Just like the time he pulled up a picture from a breeder right? Lol.

*Sigh*

Ahhh the thought of walking with my lil pooch...

Oh, and we'll also be getting her a seat belt (unless a carrier is better) so that she can travel with us. :biggrin:

I am looking forward to it!
 
Just had to share this...

My whackadoodle kitty, Baloo, loves being spanked. I knew this already but recently discovered that he likes it even more if you smack him with a flip flop sandal. Here is a video of my wee oddball...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTaterTotsFamily#p/u/4/YMTxCpwqEHc]http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTaterTotsFamily#p/u/4/YMTxCpwqEHc[/ame]
 
I use seatbelt. Love them more than carriers.
 
[align=center]Ohhhhh[/align]
[align=center]How happy I am today. My wish came true. We now have a new family member. I must say, I had a LOT of ups and downs the past week. I was terribly scared that we wouldn't find. It seemed like every breeder had everything but what I was looking for. I had my heart set on a blenheim girl and I had already decided to call her 'Bailee' (took the double 'e' from Bailee Danielle - who's name I have always loved -Lol) as I had always loved the name but no bunny every seemed to fit the name. Well, things didn't go quite according to plan. We saw some puppies and walked away. Then, we found puppies, and there were lil blenheim girls. However, we hesitated and the moment we asked the breeder to reserve one for us, we were informed that they had been sold. [/align]
[align=center]I cried all night.[/align]
[align=center]I had soooo been looking forward to getting a puppy, my little girl. It seemed we had run out of breeders... Jeff said he liked the other puppies, even if they weren't blenheim girls... This got me thinking. More and more, I began to think that maybe I didn't HAVE to have a girl. So we messaged back to ask if they still had the blenheim boy, which they did, and then decided we would take a boy home instead. Jeff asked if I was sure, I said yes, but deep inside I wondered if I would secretly find myself wanting a girly...[/align]
[align=center]That evening, we went to pick him up.[/align]
[align=center]It took all but 2 minutes that I had forgotten about wanting a girl. I was greeted by our lil guy and noticed right away that he had the cutest little spots on his nose. Oh my word, how adorable! You see, I had seen the puppies but hadn't reeeeally seen them as they were sleeping and didn't want to disturb them. The little boy had come to him but because I was so stuck on getting a girl, I really hadn't paid him any attention. However, it seemed he had paid attention to us. Unlike the girls, he was much calmer and more snuggly. He also didn't bite. We were quite happy with him and confirmed that we'd be taking him home. [/align]
[align=center]From there, we took him to the store to equip ourselves with the necessary things that were missing. We found him a lovely large pillow for 15 euros and some toys and treats. We already had the crates (which I am thrilled to be using since they were so darn expensive) and used the bunny playpen to section off my hobby/pet room that is shared with the guinea pigs. Of course, while we were there, he got quite a lot of attention from everyone. :)[/align]
[align=center]I spent the whole car ride worried about our 'poor lil boy' because it was so darn hot and he was uncomfy. He was panting from the heat but luckily we weren't very far away. When we got home, he was sooooo tired and justnapped for a bit. Houdina sat on the other side of the fence, simply watching him as he slept. Baloo did the same, except he was a bit further away. [/align]
[align=center]When the puppy woke, he informed me that he needed to go out but I didn't get there in time so I ended up with a tiny puddle on the floor. However, I was thrilled to see that he was already informing me that he wanted to go outside when he felt the urge. After the next feeding, he started getting whiny and restless so we went outside and right away he pee'd and pooped. How great is that?! After that, Jeff started playing with him, making him chase him and I took pictures. When we brought him in, he simply fell in a deep sleep. [/align]
[align=center]We had initially intended to keep him in the fenced in hobby room but I quickly realized that this would absolutely not work. At his breeder mom's house, he had the run of the mainfloor and access to the yard. He was always able to be with his people and he HATED not being able to come to us. I looked at Jeff, told him I didn't see this working out and we pulled out the fancy and expensive rug, rolled it up, brought it upstairs, and then let our puppy out after having hidden the wires. Luckily we really don't have much out in the open for him to get into. The only thing I need to fix is the cabinet where Ikeep some cleaning products but I willput a child lock on it or move them.Not a peep from him since. Perfect toilet habits too. Basically, as long as he can be around us, he has no problems at all. I have no problem with that as long as he is good about his toilet training. He's been absolutely great.[/align]
[align=center]At night, we took him out once last time. He pee'd and pooped and then it was time for bed. I put his pillow, blankie, and stuffie in the crate and he walked in. I closed the door. Not a sound.He curled up and went to bed. We closed the lights and went upstairs and went to sleep. Baloo came to sleep on me as usual. It was awesome that he slept. Jeff informed me this morning that at around 2:30 or so, he was crying like mad so Jeff went down to check on him. He cuddled him and he quieted down. Jeff then put him in front of the crate and he walked in, curled back up and slept. He slept all through the night. We think maybe he just woke and kind of had a bit of a panic, not remembering where he was, not seeing anyone, etc. [/align]
[align=center]When Jeff woke, he let him out right away and he did his business outside. Not a single drop in the crate. I'm simply amazed. He did crate him though because he had to go back upstairs (I was still sleeping) and that's when I heard him crying like crazy. When I came down, Jeff had already let him out again and he was fine. So basically, this lil one cannot stand being away from us if he can hear us. That is understandable, the cats are exactly the same way. Anyway, I fed him, took him out, and let him pee and poop. I showered and he slept, and then took him back out. We are still outside now and he is sleeping after having played a nice game of chase.[/align]
[align=center]I am simply thrilled and amazed by how simple he is. He doesn't bark at all unless he's upset about not being able to see us. He is really taken by the cats and wants to go see them but knows that they aren't sure so he hangs back. It's hilarious to watch him follow Houdina at a distance. Baloo is a bit intimidated but not nearly as scared as I thought he would be. In fact, when I came out of the shower, they nose bumped and then Baloo asked for a petting before walking away. I think they will be perfectly fine in no time.[/align]
[align=center]As for myself, I think he fills that void just perfectly. Jeff is quite smitten as well and treats him like he never said 'no' to a puppy. In fact, this lil guy quite loves Jeff and he seems to feel safe with him and naps against him a lot. That seems to be the general feeling with all family members involved, including myself. ;)[/align]
[align=center]Honestly, I couldn't ask for anything more perfect...[/align]
[align=center]Pics coming up ;)[/align]
 
[align=center]Here is our bundle of joy...[/align]
[align=center]He's a blenheim King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Almost 10 weeks old, still unamed though due to him being a boy :p[/align]
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[align=center]more coming...[/align]
 
[align=center]He's a cheeky one and loves to pose. He also knows just how to tilt his head at the perfect angle so that he is too adorable to resist...[/align]
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[align=center]And, like I said, he has taken a liking to Jeff (and Jeff to him ;)):[/align]
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[align=center]head against Jeff's chest here:[/align]
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[align=center]Sleeping on Jeff again:[/align]
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As for the bunnies, he has not met them yet. I have to put him in a playpen so I can see how Maybelle reacts to him first. She'll either accept him and simply ignore him or be furious. Lol. Rolo will always be in the playpen so I will take it slowly but hopefully she doesn't freak out. Sheis finewith the cats so I am hoping she'll react the same way.

He has not yet met the guinea pigs either but he hears them since they share the same room. (I have blocked off access to them with a playpen so they are safe) I hope to let them see each other this afternoon. The guinea pigs don't seem at all concerned with him.

:)
 
I have known boys with the name Bailey why not your dog.

He is cute so you went to a different breeder?
 
He is stunning congrats!
I thought of the name Riley for him straight away. Nice, soft boys name for a puppy that isn't very tough or masculine looking lol! :)
 

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