the chicken

More demolition!

This time it was for the dogs. The backyard was just that, the back of the house was fenced off. This was fine, a nice size, no hazards, but the house is long and narrow, leaving a wide unused strip of yard down one side. We went to the dump shop and got hideous second hand gates for the princely sum of $70 - stoked. And so are the doggies, as they now have somewhat of a racetrack.

They go up and around the clothes line and back down. Repeatedly, until Miss Patch Rat gets her hackles up and slams poor Rock Star into either the wall or the water tank. She never raced as she wouldn't chase, I think now that she would chase, oh hell would she chase, but she would be barred for life for turning her head and trying to run the other dogs off the track!

These are the hideous gates.

They had the number 14 on them, we removed the 4 so as not to confuse anyone as we do not live at number 14!

They will be getting painted, only I have the massive task of deciding what colour. Doesn't sound so hard does it? deciding what colour to paint the gates. It really is though, as the colour must tie in with the eventual colour of the roof, and the house and the new front fence.... which all tie into what we are doing inside. The domino effect.

Our little house is feeling more and more like home each day, with the changes we are making it is becoming "ours" and less like someone else's. It is so awesome to be able to rip down entire walls, put holes in the wall, basically do whatever the hell we want. I ripped the noxious climber off the fence, and then got bailed up by the neighbour asking if I planned to remove the foliage on HER side too?? Ummm, well, no, I wasn't, but seeing that she is elderly and all I said that I would come and take away the offending greenery over the weekend. The entire neighbourhood is very curious about what we are doing to the place, they watch as I unplant the entire front garden and remove the delightful metal archway with compulsory climber from the front gate, as we concrete posts in for the new/old gates and so forth. In about 1 years time this house will look nothing like what it does today, and I can't wait for that to happen! Not that I don't love our house, I do, just not the way it looks...

This is mid unplant... the pile on the tarp is all the poor defenseless plants that I murdered. May they rest in peace.

Speaking of which, there has been much resting going on with the 4 legged members of the house of late. It is getting hot, and taking its toll on them all.

Benny is usually found in his bedroom.

And the dogs are flaked out under the fan in the lounge. Tough life.

My Cat - My Hero

There are few things in this world that truly disturb me. One of those things however is dirty great Huntsman spiders. We have been doing some renovations on the house... well, more like demolitions, not much actual building is taking place, a huge amount of knocking down and ripping out is! Hence we have upset the resident arachnids. I am pretty ok with them outside and not touching me. Having them inside is not so cool.

This is what I came across the other night

This delightful critter was hanging out in the laundry. Where I have to walk through to get places. Hmmm, what to do. Set the dogs on it? Ya, that would be totally productive, Patch would barely raise her head and Rock Star would more than likely run screaming from it.

Enter Benny the wonder cat. He is quite mad, runs crazy eyed and bushy tailed all over the house each night at around 10pm. He is a hunter by nature, and in this instance I am very grateful. I had a restless night wondering where the fearsome spidey was and what evil death he had planned for me... yes, I have an over active imagination.... and I wake up in the morning to the nicest present a cat has ever left me...

A dead spidey!!! I was so impressed that Benny Cat got sardines for brekky. I should let him loose in the shed to eradicate the rest of the family because as you know, where there is one, there are more....

Having deserved a rest Benny has a lie down on his own bed. He has his own room now, fully equipped with a queen size bed and a mattress under the bed just in case he wants to hang out there too.

Spoiled I hear you say? No way, not my animals!! It is nothing less than fit for a cat that keeps me safe from nasty spideys.

Big is beautiful....

So what if The Chicken has feet warmers? - his belly sags over his back feet when he sits down -

Apparently Chicken is borderline morbidly obese.... he is 6.1kgs and the vet says he should be 4kgs. That is about a third of his body weight!!

As if that isn't bad enough I took Ben to the vet today, and he is a rotund 6.4kgs. Not nearly as bad as The Chicken as he is a bigger cat but I was advised that he should be no heavier and possibly a little lighter.

He is a little tubby on certain angles I guess.

His latest trick is being a flat cat. He sleeps straddling the arm of the couch or sprawled across the back of Patch's chair.

He looks vaguely comfortable... it has taken him a little while to find his feet here. He went to the vet today and had a few needles for allergies that are causing him to scratch and be uncomfortable. Hopefully once they kick in he will be a happier boy. We are going to the new house today to do the pre-purchase inspection and measure up for furniture and things. I will also be deciding where the dogs and Ben are allowed in the house and if there is anywhere suitable to build a run for Ben so he can safely enjoy the outdoors.

I think that he and Patch will take the longest to settle into the new routine. Rocky is pretty laid back - due to his lack of brains I think! - so will just go " uh, new house - ooooh! bright shiny things.... " and be fine. Patch is very sensitive, she is not happy about all the boxes, she is eyeing me suspiciously as things slowly disappear from the house. She and Rocky will be hanging out with the Divine Miss Flo on Saturday while we shift most of our things so they don't stress. I will be stressed enough without having to keep an eye on them and Ben as well as the boys we roped into helping us move.

Must go ration out the biccies for Ben, he is on a weight management diet while the poor Chicken is on a weight LOSS regime. He has to "work" for the food he gets. I have horrid visions of my mum strapping him onto a treadmill and dangling tasty morsels just out of reach in front of him.......

Making himself at home

Doesn't take long to become one of the tribe.

The delightful Mr Ben, on the bed, where he is NOT ALLOWED, looking like one of my demon crew.

I think I mentioned that he was a muscley cat, I might have to re-evaluate that statement after capturing this shot of him today, he gives The Chicken a run for his blubber in the tummy stakes....

Impressive to say the least. While Ben is living it up and sleeping on the bed, where he is NOT ALLOWED, the dogs are in sulk mode. I am working 6 days straight, long shifts and Pete has buggered off to Perth for a holiday. I am not totally heartless though, I got mum to baby-sit on Thursday, she came and dispensed food and cuddles, basically the dogs got food and Ben got the cuddles!!

This is an actual text exchange that I had with mum, her ph was turned off, so I sent her this

"I hope you are not necking with boys or trying my clothes on while you are meant to be watching my kids"

To which she replied

"Sorry, drank all the alcohol, ransacked ur drawers then passed out, didn't hear the ph!"

Awesome, my mum is so not a responsible guardian. In light of that I have asked that Flo and M look after Patch and Rocky tomorrow night, not only do I have to work all day, I then have the work Christmas Party....

Poor neglected puppies. Rocky is taking it the worst, this is what I got when I asked him to go outside this morning.

Very unimpressed. I promised them I would make it up to them on Monday, I have the whole day off and said we could go to the park and have fish and chips for dinner. They pushed for sea world but I had to explain to them that money doesn't grow on trees and that because we just got them a new house we couldn't go this time, maybe for Rocky's birthday. This was met with pleading looks, which I am immune to by now.

So the park it is......