Of Cats and Sheep

[altivo]

We seem to be missing a cat. He was last seen Thursday morning, our big hefty barn cat who came in the dog door a year ago. Youngest of our three cats, extremely friendly and bold as a dog, very confident. I hope he didn't get into the road, though that's not a direction he normally takes. He's a mighty hunter, sometimes bringing home half a dozen mice in one night, and also, I suspect, and expert moocher who gets fed by many of the nearby neighbors. Hopefully he'll be back soon.

Speaking of mice, I got fed up with computer mice that get sticky wheels or other problems and don't work smoothly. Found an optical one on sale for five bucks and nabbed it. Works beautifully, at least for the moment.

While doing chores this evening I noticed that one of our two ewes appears to be "bagging up". That means her udder is filling with milk and enlarging, for those not familiar with shepherd's lingo. I've been thinking that she was looking very pregnant lately. We may have a lamb or two in the next few days. This is early for her, normally she lambs late in the spring, but there's no reason it can't come now, really.

Comments

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

*tries but fails to avoid saying something about shagging sheep... :P

Hope your kitty decides to grace you with his presence again before long.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

That was definitely in bad taste. Also, absolutely beyond my ability to imagine, bad jokes or not.

I think I spotted the cat's prints made today (we had an inch of fluffy white last night, these were fresh) around the woodshed and then headed for the shrubbery around the house. I'm suspecting he got cabin fever after all the subzero weather, and when it started to warm up to 20 degrees yesterday he took off. He'll probably be back.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

Well, you know us felines, very independant creatures. He'll probably come back soon. As for the sheep, isn't there some danger for the lamb if she gives birth during such temperatures? Nothing I'm sure you haven't dealt with before, but I immagine it would be extra stress for you in an already stressful run of weeks.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

Like I said, something you've dealt with before. Best of luck with it, hopefully the new addition is healthy and well-spirited.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually it's getting warmer. The last couple of days have been 20s daytime and teens at night.

In fact, we've had no problems with temperature and the lambs. Several have been born during subzero weather and have done just fine. Wool is every bit as effective as its publicity would have it, and as long as they eat and move around they get along fine. The only problem is if they have a bad mother who rejects or ignores them, and this ewe didn't do well with her first lamb, but the two since then she has been excellent with.

Theoretically, we want to separate mom from the flock before the lamb is born and keep her in a separate pen until the lamb is three days old to insure bonding and all that. We've never succeeded, though, in predicting a birth far enough ahead. I have a suspicion we'll go out this morning and the baby will already be here. So we play a little logistics game to get mother and child into the lambing pen together. Fortunately we've had enough practice at that now and it goes pretty well.

The lambing pen, or "jug" as shepherds call it, has a couple of heat lamps over one end too, though they probably aren't really necessary.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

Replied to the one above. From what it sounds the lamps are necesary, i'd suppose, but I guess the precaution is warranted.

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the future critter family additions. And hopefully that wandering feline reappears soon too. And manages to capture some tiny GPS locator from somewhere during the hunting trips, he'd sure need that.

Hmm, that would be quite interesting too, see the path cats make along their travels. Those seem to traverse quite a lot of area if they get to that mood.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

We can play hide-and-seek one winter.

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

*starts looking for small GPS locators*

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

No cheating! Just follow the... scent.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

What I'd really like to see is a tiny video transmitter that shows us what the cat sees on his wanderings....

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

That would be even better. ^^

[hgryphon.livejournal.com]

Yes, "girl mice" (the ones with the recessed red dot underneath) tend to work better than "boy mice" (the ones with balls, which tend to get dirty)...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're right.

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

I have one of those mighty hunters myself. Hope yours comes home. ;.;

[altivo.livejournal.com]

This one has been known to kill and eat squirrels. Not easy. He's also been mauled a couple of times, by squirrels I suspect, and had to be stitched up by the vet. Still no sign other than some footprints in the snow that might be his.

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

;.;

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I hope he shows up soon, but cats do sometimes just wander off, strange really. Optical mice are the way to go :D