I love animals! These posts are about cats, non-cats, behavior, health, animal welfare and rights, animals in the news, pets, animal humor, animals in the wild, you name it.
Last week I took Teddy Bear in to the groomer’s (The Cold Nose), and he looked so cute I just had to post these pictures. He always looks like a new dog after he gets groomed, and with the hot weather, I’m sure he appreciated the shave. It’s funny – when I take him for walks now, people ask me how old my puppy is. They’re pretty shocked when I tell them he’s 12 years old!
Last week I finally purchased a cat tree for Zoe and Jesse. It took them a little while to get used to it, but they now consider it to be the center of their universe. While Jesse (the declawed one, of course) has figured out the “scratching pole” aspect of the tower, Zoe still prefers to claw on cardboard scratchers. Both of them have figured out that they can jump up to the top perch, where they like to spend the greater portion of their day. Zoe prefers to nest in the tube part, while Jesse likes to sit on top (although the pictures I took today are exactly opposite of that). Aren’t they cute???
I was recently given the opportunity to be a temporary elephant keeper, kind of as a reward for doing such a good job with Roar and Snore. I was pretty scared that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the hard physical work, especially in the heat, but I’ve really enjoyed it. Look at me, all clean in my WAP uniform (not clean for long, though). Those are some of our African elephants, and I am indeed standing in the exhibit. It is pretty exciting to see the elephants up close, and I’m learning a lot about them. My favorite elephant is named Lunguili; she’s the smallest of the herd (besides the baby), the least dominant, and clearly the smartest.
Vus Mus is our newest elephant, born February 23, 2004. He’s very cute, but he’s a little rat – he steals elephant pellets from the other elephants’ mouths, and will do just about anything to get your attention. What a ham!
Did you know that elephants are hind-gut fermenters? This means that 50% of their food goes in one end and out the other. Which is what 75% of my job is all about.
Below are some pictures of my immediate family, namely my cats Zoe and Jesse, and my dog Teddy Bear. I love them tremendously, even if they are a major pain in my ass most days.
Zoe (left) and Jesse (right) are my two cats. Zoe’s main job is to wake me up in the middle of the night by licking some of my exposed skin until I’m in pain and bleeding. Jesse likes to yank my chain by peeing in the hallway, outside of his litterbox. Oh, those madcap kitties! Full of hijinks and shenanigans!
This is Teddy Bear. He usually looks like he’s been up to no good. In this case, he doesn’t want me to know that he’s just consumed all the cat food I’ve put out for Zoe and Jesse. Additionally, I’ve recently discovered that he likes to snack on cat-box “leftovers” (which may partially explain the bad breath). But I love him despite his whininess and voracious appetite.
Fuzzy Undertones 