Ranch Kitties Need a Loving Home

These four adult kitties need loving homes as soon as possible. They are all very friendly, and I believe will do wonderfully as house kitties. They would probably prefer an indoor – outdoor lifestyle.
There are also some other adult cats at the ranch that are striped or black that are tame and need homes also. Many of them are spayed or neutered.
These kitties all live at the ranch where we used to keep our horses. The ranch is closing at the beginning of August, and the odds are good they will be picked up by the Humane Society, which probably means a shortened life.
I'd so appreciate any help you can give in finding these sweet kitties a home.

Valentine

P5290026    
I  am a very friendly kittie who loves to be held and petted. I am  a two or three-year old female  who has been spayed.  I have always lived at the ranch. I'm kinda small for my age, and I make up for it with love.

Mooshie

P6070096
I was a house kitty once, and my owner couldn't keep me so she took me to the ranch. I am a five-year-old male who has been neutered and had many of my shots. I've gotten kinda skinny at the ranch. I think it's because I need a home.

I like to be the king of the pack so I'd probably do best in a home where I am the only cat. I love to be petted. I sometimes get carried away and try to play with you.


Ebony

P5290023
I'm a spayed female born about 6 or 7  years ago at the ranch. Connie recently helped me be more trusting of her so I'm going to need you to be extra patient and work with me slowly until I trust you. I love to be petted. It just sometimes still feels uncomfortable to me. I'm healthy and have a good appetite. I know I can be a good kittie in your home.

Sandy
P8250085
I am an older female kittie who has been spayed. No one knows much about my history. I am a very friendly kittie who loves to be petted. Connie even wrote a blog post about me. Here it is… 

We have an older kittie at the ranch where we board our horses whom I’ve named Sandy.
We know nothing about her history, but she has been at the ranch since
we arrived 5 years ago. She’s very friendly and has a timeless, ageless
quality about her.

 She’s a basic looking cat with all the cat parts without the cuteness or beauty one usually sees in kitties.
In fact, you might even say she is plain with a coat of blended back
and gray without a faint striped pattern. She has skinny bowed legs
that look as if she’s been riding a horse for too long.

Sandy’s beauty is easy to overlook because there is really
nothing physical that is outstanding about her. Yet when you look
beneath the surface, her beauty radiates brightly.

Sandy has a heart of gold. While other cats are sometimes
aloof, timid or not in the mood, she is always friendly and eager to
being petted. She settles into your arms and trusts you to take her
almost anywhere. She is truly a good-hearted, loving soul-always.

Sandy is also a phenomenal communicator. She meows a lot to
say “hello” when I arrive at the ranch and makes it clear when she
needs to be fed. Granted, this sounds like pretty “normal” cat
behavior.

However, I’ve had interactions with Sandy that amaze and fascinate me with her ability to communicate her needs and desires. The most frequent communication has to do wanting clear, fresh water in the water bowl near our tack room.

One thing you need to understand is the cats, many of whom are
wild and feral, share the water bowl with the equally wild and feral
chickens at the ranch.
Chickens are not as dainty and fastidious
about having clean water. In fact, they often scratch dirt into the
water in their search for food.

Sandy is the spokescat for the group, waiting by the water
bowl and making sure I see the dirty water as I pass by cleaning
Destiny’s stall. After she has successfully gotten me to put fresh
water in the bowl, she immediately begins drinking.

Another more fascinating story occurred a few weeks ago. We
feed Sandy and a couple of other cats in our tack room, which is about
15 feet from Destiny’s stall. One morning after feeding the kitties, I
went into Destiny’s stall to clean. After a few minutes, I hear a meow
that was intended for me.

I look up, and there is Sandy, standing in the doorway and looking at me with sincere interest and attention. She meows a few more times as I continue to clean the stall, pausing only to say, “Hello.”

After a while, it dawns on me this is unusual behavior for her. I realize she is trying to tell me something and begin to walk toward her. As I do, she walks toward the tack room with me in tow.

Moments before we arrive, I think, “The chickens are in the tack room eating the cat food.” Sandy
stops as we reach the open tack room door, and looks back at me
pointedly as if to say, “Look at this. Would you please handle this
situation?”

P8250081
From now on, I pay a lot more attention to what Sandy tells me plus I
appreciate her beautiful, innocent spirit that greets me every morning.
  I realize she is much smarter and more capable than I previously believed.

Sandy is like your child, communicating with you whether you pay attention or not. She is also like your child when her beautiful, innocent, loving spirit greets you every morning. Treasure and enjoy your amazing child you have been given.

Father’s Day 2008

P6150101  
Drumming on Grandpa's head

P6150103

P6150105

Mendocino Delights

The five of us recently stayed at our favorite B & B in Mendocino The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek. Here are some photos from the weekend.

P5310032

P5310038

P5310044

P5310048

P5310057

P5310061

P5310062

P5310050

P6010076

Discovering the Cute Boy in the Mirror

Sebastian is passionately crawling and walking with assistance now. One of his favorite things is to crawl over to me, reach up and grab my hands, pull himself up, and then take off with me in tow. He loves it and so do I. Being a grandmother is much more fulfilling and delightful than I could have imagined. Of course, he is a delightful person to be around.  🙂

Here are some of our most current photos. Enjoy!!

P5270002

  P5270004
 

P5270008

P5270013

P5270015

P5270016

Does Your Child Have Limiting Behaviors?

Parents and educators who come to me for coaching feel
unclear how to handle repetitive troubling behaviors and challenges
with their child. They don't know how to effectively respond to
these situations in order to best help their child. They feel confused
about how to evaluate their child's behavior. What behaviors are
warning signs of a child in trouble and what are simply part of a child
growing up?

Many troubling patterns appear to be normal child development because
we see them frequently in children of similar ages. Parents struggle
with issues and challenges that appear to be similar to those other
parents' experience. These frustrating challenges can appear to
be part of normal child development.

When you see a behavior or stressor frequently in other families or
classrooms, it does not mean it is an emotionally healthy behavior."Normal" does not mean "healthy." Because a
situation occurs frequently does not mean this behavior is emotionally
healthy or whole. It only means it occurs often because parents tend
to relate with their child in similar ways.

If nurturing your child's emotional wholeness is important to
you, it is important to be able to distinguish between "normal
behavior" and "emotionally healthy behavior."

While traveling in France, I observed a family interaction that exemplifies
the kinds of limiting patterns parents and educators frequently experience
with young people. I am walking along a trail to see the ancient Roman
bridge in southern France, the famous Pont du Gard.

A family of four walks in front of me – Mother, Father, Daughter
about 3 or 4, and Son about 6 or 7. They walk in a line, all four of
them holding hands with the two children in the middle. It looks so
loving and connected.

Suddenly Daughter angrily and defiantly pulls away from the line, turns
her back on them and refuses to walk further. For a few brief moments,
Son continues walking happily between Mom and Dad, holding each of their
hands.

Then Mom and Dad stop and turn toward Daughter, trying to coax her back
into the hand-holding line, but she refuses. She is having what I call
"a silent tantrum." There is a feeling of tension in the
air. I walk past them as Mom and Dad try to coax their daughter to join
them.

A few minutes later I come upon them again. Their relationship to one
another has changed dramatically. Now Daughter rides atop Mom's
shoulders. Dad is nowhere in sight. About four feet from Mom, Son marches
woodenly forward, eyes glazed over and glued ahead, face expressionless,
trying to act is if everything is okay.

No one is happy. Even daughter. She looks defiantly and angrily toward
her older brother as if she is staking her claim to Mom and is warning
her brother to stay away.

These kinds of interactions happen frequently in families and classrooms.
A child develops a limiting behavior in an attempt to get her emotional
needs met. Then she repeats it often in many different situations because
it seems to work.

One of the biggest problems with this girl's behavior is that
she will continue to use this strategy throughout her life in all of
her interactions with others. The only way to change this is for her
to learn a more positive approach to asking for what she wants.

Parents and teachers unknowingly contribute to these limiting behavior
patterns in their child by how they react to their child's behavior.
No one wins in these situations, and the pattern continues.

What are the repetitive interactions with your child that interfere
with the harmony in your home or with your joy and peace of mind? What
are the frustrating situations that happen so frequently they feel "normal"
to you? What are the times when you lose your loving connection with
your child?

These repetitive upsetting interactions are red flags that indicate
an emotional concern for you and your child, whether they last only
moments or the entire evening. Parents often put off doing something
to improve the situation until it becomes an overwhelming crisis, and
they feel stressed to the breaking point. Then they seek support and
guidance.

Nothing is gained by putting off taking action to improve the seemingly
small difficulties with your child. Life passes by, and your child grows
up quickly. Instead of struggling with a troubling issue, take positive
action today to have more joy, love and connection with your child.
You both deserve the best life has to offer.