{The Animal Farm}

Remember last year when we got my first "non-fish" pet ever? One real pet. Boy, did we ever kick the trash out of that number. Total animal count at our house to date? Twelve. TWELVE?!? It's like a tiny petting zoo around here. And I still have no idea what I'm doing around animals. Sheesh.

It all started with that one, poor sad little kitty. I was afraid it would get lonely (it spent all it's time at our neighbor's house playing with our neighbor's cats and the girls were sad that Cookie didn't like it here.) So we got Oreo, the "companion kitty". Turns out Cookie is a mancat, and Oreo is... not. (I'm no longer trusting Todd in the gender definition department.) They spent a lot of time over the winter getting to know each other and guess what?!?

Well, the girls like to say they "got married."

...and produced five offspring. Five kittens from that one tiny little dainty cat. But she tricked us. After she disappeared for a day, she came back with one. One tiny, sweet, adorable newborn kitten! Oh, we were so excited! When we checked on her before bed they had somehow multiplied. Three! Oh, that's good. Three tiny little kittens to play with! The next morning? Five. Tricky Oreo. So if I have seven cats, doesn't that make me some kind of crazy cat lady...?

I think so. So we agreed on keeping two -- a black one and a grey one. So if you're in the neighborhood for a sweet little kitten with great mousing background, CALL ME! We have three females that need good homes! ...like now.

Be prepared to fall in love.

Awww...

They're very used to being handled, and just loooove kids!

...most of the time.

Besides, you'd be saving them from Lou.

So 7 cats + 2 pigs (who are growing well and behaving themselves quite nicely, thanks for asking) = 9

+ 2 goats = 11

That's right, goats. *sigh*

Those of you who know me best, know I spent a great deal of time last summer cursing our neighbor's goats. They were getting loose and munching my flowers and leaving "berries" on my front steps all. the. time. Then one day what do I see? Todd, my children, and two goats they borrowed "to eat the ditch banks."

Meet Nevil, the goat who thinks she's Todd's dog. Todd doesn't do much to convince her otherwise. They make an adorable couple, don't they?

Oh, but it gets better. The other goats is pregnant, but "don't worry! She's not due for a couple of weeks!"

...or a couple of days.

And she chose to have that baby right next to the ditch bank, so it slid right on in.

In the middle of a freak summer rain storm.

While Todd was in a meeting,

and it's real owner unavailable.

!!!

Let me tell you everything I know about birthin' goats.

nutin'.

squat.

zip.

zilch.

nada.

But I managed to pull that baby goat out and get her cleaned up and the two of them into the barn and nursing (thank goodness for my neighbor Michelle!) It was an interesting morning, to say the least. But look what I did!

Never mind that Big Mama and Flopsy almost put me into labor. I had contractions the whole rest of the day. All for a couple of goats (that I've been completely babying ever since). Talk about your emotional investment. I think I'm making up for 30 years of being pet free and putting it all into these two goats. Sheesh.

+ Flopsy = 12

12 animals on the animal farm.

Heaven help me.

All this talk of babies makes me think you could use a little update on me. Here is me at 31 weeks and growing nicely. What's one more when you're already running a zoo? :)