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Our Crew Paco  Kona Paco and Kona are our latest additions. It was pouring cats and dogs the day they came home to the farm. We adopted them as older "puppies" from a Pennsylvania puppy farm. There is one thing universal about puppy mills-older dogs are at the bottom of the heap when it comes to the adoption pecking order. The young puppies, less than 3 months, get clean, warm, and dry stalls. The older puppies are relegated to small rabbit cages. It is a very sad and inhumane existence. Many are sick or become ill and perish. Our two pups are the most loyal and even tempered creatures we’ve ever met. If you are looking to adopt, think of the older dogs first. The rewards in adopting them are immeasurable. Sissy Sissy was adopted at 15 months. She was not toilet-trained and lived in a puppy crate, literally. Her back was “bent”, did not know how to bark, and she had a seizure every month. We decided not to medicate her but to change her diet and lifestyle. Now she enjoys being the prima donna of the bunch. For an Akita, she is quite friendly, playful, and loves mixing it up with her brothers. Sasa As the only female feline member, Sasa enjoys being pampered. She’s very little and fluffy and serves as her brothers' Skeeter and Porky's furry nerf ball. She loves to be brushed. And, she really loves catnip. Skeeter This is one of the most lovable cats alive. Also known as "Freckles", he was the runt of the litter. Today, he is the biggest. His favorite activity of the day is suppertime. He becomes so excited that he likes to gently headbutt all the others as they wait for their meal. Odie aka "O" As the grandpa of the crew, he tolerates the younger kittys but does not like Homer. He also does not like Nick but not as much as he does not like Homer. Chuck Chuck is the enforcer. He keeps peace between Otie, Nick, and Homer. They never mix it up with him, even though he’s smaller. Chuck likes attention but he’s somewhat temperamental. We think he is jealous of Porky because Chuck shadows him and tries to jump him every now and then. Every summer, he gets a shave because his fur grows thick and long. Also known as "Sage", Chuck has buck teeth; but, braces are not in the budget for awhile. Nick aka "A Pain in the Nick" Nick is our most people friendly kitty. He’s the loner, as far as the other cats are concerned and he likes to keep it that way. He likes to roll in the dirt and has become quite the expert in sneaking into the house. Nick is always hungry! Homer Homer is the youngest of the older kittys. He was a sickly orphan from the streets of LA. His first mommy adopted him and they roomed together at college. He soon became the darling of the dorm. But, then his mommy transferred to UC Davis, and Homer was sent to live on the farm. He is the only crew member that can claim that he flew cross country. Porky Porky entertains us with his amazing ability to be cute. He has learned to jump up on the Mule, ride around the farm and generally come running to us when he’s called. Our friend, Meg who owns his twin brother, Tracky says that her porker is cuter. Wait till Meg sees the Pork fetching tennis balls! Here he is making sure the printer is working properly. He loves his work. Porky loves climbing trees.   Our Porky became seriously ill one weekend last summer (2006) and we had to rush him in for emergency care. After several days and a handful of tests, he was diagnosed with Polycythemia vera, a rare and fatal blood disorder that affects not only cats and dogs, but humans as well.
It was a trying time on the farm; our resident mischief maker was deathly ill; we thought the Pork had used up all his nine lives.
Fortunately, our Porky regained his strength and he was able to return to a somewhat normal existence. Presently, he is taking a chemo drug-hydroxy urea, twice a day and it seems to be stabilizing his condition. We remain hopeful that he will be able to live a long and satisfying life-at the very least a contented one with his crew.
We are uncertain as to the cause(s) of this disease; but, we suspect that feline inbreeding contributes to this disorder. Porky was adopted as a kitten from an isolated feral colony.
Another small reason to neuter/spay “fix” your cats. In some areas, it costs very little-$15-30 plus paperwork. There are also feral cat societies which will trap and neuter/spay cats and return them back to their environment. Think of the many cans of cat food and bags of cat crackers saved with fewer mouths to feed. The more people who are educated about wild cat welfare, the healthier and happier this neglected group will become. December 2007 Update: Porky's health has improved and we have reduced his drug dosage. All of you who have emailed us about your cat's conditions-let us know if you need more info. Chow time! Nick, you snooze, you lose. Kona smells the grub... Sup Paco? Two determined pups. Paco waiting patiently to smell the cat food. |
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