Has Anyone Seen Hazel? And Excitement at the Casa.

First, a PSA: Hazel is Lost! Please Keep an Eye Out for Her!

Maryland readers: Little Hazel lost her family in the Hanover/Arundel Mills area on Saturday, April 23rd. Mom Esther, and her family, are frantic. They have checked shelters and rescues and are now branching out to nearby areas and contacted us, among others. We know the odds, but it's always worth it to put it out there. Here are Hazel's vitals:

Name: Hazel; Breed: Rat Terrier; Color: Black with White Underbelly, Brown paws and spots.
Weight: 6 LBS; Collar Color: Pale Pink (NO TAGS); Sex: Female; Age: ~4 years

If you should spot Hazel, please give us a call at 443.823.3944, and we'll get a hold of Esther, ASAP.

Such Excitement at the Casa

Oh, but another first, first... @Ted - no, I didn't make the roman shades. A friend of mine, Carol did. And the valances in the dining room, and the chair seat covers in the dining room. Nice having handy friends, eh? (And thanks everyone for the sweet comments about the remodel. I do love it!)

Excitement with Mama Lucia: Last night I almost popped back on line to give you an update... Mama is really starting to relax! Last night she honored me by rolling over and opening the milk bar for her babies while I was just an arm span + a hand span away. Squeeee!!! Sorry I didn't have the camera with me - it's the first time I've seen her nurse, live and in person!

Excitement with Miska: This morning Miska struck abject terror into my heart. I went down to feed Mama, do a quick peek and then was going to hit the road for work. But only 3 kittens were under the bed. Miska was missing. I looked and looked - no Miska. After giving up and starting to climb the stairs, something hit me. I'd seen what I thought was a plastic bowl upside down under the vanity leg. ????? I just cleaned on Saturday and there were NO plastic bowls downstairs.

I felt under the leg and realized it wasn't plastic, it was pyrex... a quick glance confirmed the pyrex bowl was missing from the scale (used to hold the babies while weighing). You know how adrenaline gives you extra strength? I lifted the end of the vanity as much as I could, with one hand and pulled the bowl up with the other... and a little black paw flopped into view. My heart dropped to my stomach. A touch told me he was ice cold - there was no response. Trembling, I gently moved in to scoop Miska toward me... and the little black paw was snatched back out of my sight. OMG! What relief!! He was scared and chilly, probably asleep when I moved the bowl, but otherwise fine.

While I warmed him, I tried to figure out what had happened. He must have climbed in the bowl and overturned it on himself. Sure enough the bowl is just small enough for him to have scooted it under one leg... across the width of the vanity, and under the other leg, before he got stuck in a corner. With the drawers above, there was no way he could have gotten out. I realized, with some relief, that the tiles are textured (plus there are grout depressions), so running out of air was not a danger. The little pyrex bowl has been replaced with a larger version, and put up, out of reach of little explorers!

I'll cut myself some slack on thinking it was a plastic bowl... it was all the way in the (dark) back corner and I suspect he was asleep, up against the side. I do not need this kind of excitement and neither do any of Mama Lucia's little family. We scoped the basement for anything else that might be a kitten trap... safety first!

As you can see, the kittens are quite mobile. That's Lessa's butt sticking out of the tube on the cat tree. Yes, she made it. This is old hat for her:

I think I owe Mama Lucia an apology. I feed mama plenty of wet twice a day and leave dry kitten kibble 24/7 just to be sure she's getting enough calories. The last couple of days I've been admonishing her for being messy with her kibble. Turns out maybe not...

And tonight, mama once again laid out in front of me (instead of her usual crouch or tucked position). Here's Lessa, showing mom what a good groomer she is:

Almost immediately, the sibs came thundering over. And Lessa decided to climb Mt. St. Mama.

The sibs thought this looked like fun and joined in.

Three kittens on mama's head.

Three kittens on mama's head and one thinking about it.

Everybody joining in the fun. Including ear noming.

Mama Lucia. A study in patience!

(Actually I think she may have been thinking, "Just sitting there taking pictures, are you? Think this is funny, do you? Just wait until they climb your legs for food. I will laugh. Laugh, I tell you!")