Take a Walk on the Wild Side!

"Art may imitate wild nature; less often does it dare to place itself in the midst of it, and when it does, it may come out second best." -John Hart

One of my pals

When we moved from the city to the country, I had one condition - the next place we would live must be just like camping. The scenery looked just right and I was pleased to see wild bunnies upon moving in. I got more than I bargained for, but I couldn't be happier. Here is a look at the crazy critters that live in our trees, shrubs, bushes, and even underground in the neighborhood. I call them my friends.

Chipmunk. I see this little one and his/ or her mama all the time.

Squirrel eating some food.

I call this squirrel Donut. I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but I do. We have a bond.

Can you spot the little birdy?

Please, please National Geographic, stop calling me for this picture. Just kidding.

I thought it was funny that this bird likes to sit on St. Francis's head. And ironic too.

"We don't communicate through words, but yet the time I spend observing wildlife, is the best conversation."

-the Dirty Vegan (that's me)

Another shot of this gorgeous bird sitting atop St. Francis. Look at the pretty coloring, feathers, and tail. Again, NatGeo, I'm all booked up! Gosh!

Bird scoping out the seed situation.

Two birds singing.

Uh oh, they caught me! I'm like the Critterazzi!

Two squirrels foraging.

We think this handsome darling is a woodchuck!

One of the resident bunnies. There are a few of them that live in the neighborhood. One was abandoned because its mother was killed by probably a cat, so I introduced the baby bunny to a mother bunny who gave birth and made an underground nest in our yard. Luckily, the mother accepted the abandoned baby, and now it is alive and healthy (and pretty big now - juvenile size). That very same bunny can be seen laying in patches of grass in various yards and also hanging out with another bunny of similar age.

It was funny when we accidentally discovered the nest, my husband was mowing the lawn, went over a patch of overgrown grass, and saw a bunch of bunnies pop their heads up out of a hole. It was funny to see a bunch of babies that looked the same and then this different looking wild bunny that Mama Bunny decided to care for. I'm grateful she did.

Funny, Mama was always so large, I thought sheesh this bunny looks more like a giant cat! Then she didn't come around for a bit. Next time I saw her, she was noticeably smaller. It finally dawned on me that this large rabbit was not overweight, just very pregnant!

Note: Its best to just observe wildlife; you should not feed wild animals. I never do while hiking, and during camping animals will only get what we happen to drop and not end up picking up. We don't want to mess with their natural ability to forage and survive. These animals live in the yards in our neighborhood. They reside here and procreate here. So our little community is all that they've ever known. If you've ever been to Boston or NYC and have seen the squirrels in the parks there, you will know exactly what I mean. You know when your strolling along and these squirrels just come right up to you? It is kind of like the Enchanted Forrest where I live. Or Disney World, except here we have to clean up after ourselves, no magical brooms. But I still do not get too friendly with my wild animal pals. I do not want them to trust people, because there are people out there that might be mean to them. Also, I put out bird seed, bird baths, fountains, and Apple Feeders only) especially now since Shirley got sprayed by one of the resident skunks, which I am told by neighbors is old and has been around many years carrying on his evening ritual of visiting yards at 8:00 pm. We have rescheduled Shirley's bathroom visits and no leaving out trash or sweets; skunks are known to have a sweet tooth. In addition to skunks, we have been visited by raccoon, possum, so many wonderful birds (ducks too and even an owl!), and bats too! I also love to observe the insects; I love to watch the dragonflies dance. Dragonflies do not fly their entire life. They fly for only a period of their life, usually brief. That is why when you see a dragonfly, they normally do not take breaks - they fly, fly, fly with not a care in the world. If only everyone could see that life is too short, so the time you do have to fly, go for it, fun and breezy, and don't sweat the small stuff. And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. 

"Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell? We are standing by a wishing well. Make a wish into the well, that's all you have to do. And if you hear it echoing, your wish will soon come true." -Snow White


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Cat Talk: Claws, Litter, and Fur Shedding

Today I'm going to address three topics that are common among cat parents, including myself, with some simple solutions or ideas on how to keep the whole family in balance at the same time.

Simon making his Puss In Boots face!

Claws

When we rescued Simon a few years back, he had a problem with little Rocky. I talked about it in a Previous Cat Talk Post. At that time, Simon was attacking Rocky and it even resulted in some scratches. In fear of Simon ripping Rocky's eye out, kitty received regular nail trimmings and SoftClaw applications. Since this past winter, peace has been restored in the house, no more SoftClaws for Simon, and he now just gets regular nail trims. He no longer attacks Rocky, but not because he fell in love with him, its because we rescued Shirley, a dog who wouldn't stand for anyone being mean to anyone else in her pack. 

Shirley saves the day!

There are many other instances where your cat child may be causing doom and gloom with her claws. Many cats kneed on furniture or even scratch up the entire house. It is also not uncommon in the world of rescuing animals, to encounter feral or non-feral cats who just want to claw the crap out of you! Declawing is NEVER the answer. SoftClaws and similar nail covers is a better and more humane alternative. Thankfully it was temporary in my household and since, the canines and felines created their own boundaries and territories. I really didn't have to do too much there. However, if your fur children aren't making their own space and separating themselves, you may want to create a space for each, in which they feel comfortable and safe. It takes time and is trial and error, but eventually peace should be restored. Offering scratching posts, lots of toys and play/ stimulation, is also always a great idea.

Litter

There are always issues when it comes to litter. The mess, the strong fragrance, the way your cat reacts to litter, if your cat favors a particular brand or not, and so on. There is also the potential harm to your cat's health and the environmental impact to think about. A lot of clay-based litters that contain perfumes and other chemicals are risky for cats, especially since cats are such keen groomers and are prone to ingesting these chemicals. Alternatives are fragrance free litters or natural pellet and pine litters. I've heard a rumor that the small natural company that owns Feline Pine, has been bought by Arm & Hammer. I am still researching this, but if this is true and A&H is still testing in animals, then obviously Feline Pine would not be a vegan-friendly recommendation  However there are many other natural litters available, and other pine products. Another perk of using clay-free litters is that you don't have that dust cloud when you are pouring litter into the box. That is kind of gross.

Fur Shedding

Whether your cat child is a short haired breed or long haired breed, chances are you're dealing with fur everywhere. Embedded in your rugs, on your furniture and clothing, and even clumps slowly breezing by like tiny tumbleweeds. Well, regular brushings help keep everything under control, and also will create a bond between you and kitty. Also, some groomers have a brush that trims a little while it brushes, if your cat is very fury. For rugs and such, I notice that a hard bristle broom (plastic bristles work great) will get the hair unstuck. Just sweep as usual, applying firm pressure to your rug and sweep into a dustpan. You may also want to use a small handheld sweeper. I usually take Simon's fur from the rugs and brushes and put them outside in the yard for the wildlife to make nests with. Its always funny to see nests made with an array of materials, including your cat's old rug fur! It must keep the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and other wildlife nice and warm in the fall and winter months. Not to mention it must make a soft and comfortable home for them.

Do you have any neat animal companion tips or stories?

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All You Need: Be That Voice For Others

I surround my life with knowing about all this cruelty and pain, so that I can fight to free others of their pain and suffering. I knew I was meant to do something in life, and to find that something is the biggest blessing to me. I am meant to fight for others who are less fortunate than me. I am meant to speak for ones who cannot speak for themselves. Animals, gay and lesbian community, fellow women who are still victims of sexism, people of all races and nationalities, people who are alone and need help, victims of bullying, men and women who are victims of domestic violence - everyone has the power to help someone else out. Let's speak up for those who don't have the means to speak up for themselves, or ones who need a little help doing so.


There is so much that can be done to help. Volunteer at an animal shelter, holding the animals to provide them some comfort until they get to their forever homes. Foster animals so that frees up space in shelters and lessens the chance of them being put to sleep. Rally for people's rights, vote for peaceful ways that allow others to be happy and make their own choices, the ones that suit them. Not everything is right for everyone, but let others decide what is right for them. Speak up for people being bullied. If you know someone who is a victim of anything, tell authorities, tell your teachers, or parents, or someone you trust, go to the police. If you know of animal abuse or neglect, call the humane society or local animal control office. Do these things anonymously if you are scared of backlash. Volunteer at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, old-folks homes - be the sunshine in someone else's day. Be the light that shines on someone else and brings them joy when they thought it wasn't even possible to feel happiness again. You never know what one kind word, or one kind action, will do to someone's life; it can turn everything around.


Are you proud of what you accomplished today?



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Crazy Kitty?

Q: Does your cat beat up your little dog?

Dirty Vegan: Mine does.

Q: Does your cat claw at the furniture?

Dirty Vegan: I could care less if my cat claws at the furniture as long as he doesn't claw at my Chihuahua's face.

Whatever the reason may be, people do consider de-clawing their cat. I have never considered this because cats need to flex their claws. It feels good to them. However, I was at a loss when I adopted a 4 year old cat with issues, that used my Chihuahua as a rag doll. Something had to be done...and fast! I started by keeping up with his nail clippings at the groomer's and at home. Still poor Chihuahua had some scrapes. I had to do something more; what if the cat catches the dog's eye, what if he blinds him!? I needed an alternative to de-clawing and fast. I stumbled upon SoftClaws. My cat loves them and so does the dog (heeheehee). They are soft and slightly squishy claw caps that are almost like fake nails for cats. They also come in colors. Here you will see my cat with his Halloween, orange and black, claws.

Moral of the story: there is a kinder and humane option for every inhumane one.

Which option do you choose?