Still morning...barely--LOL!
We've had some rain come through...
...from sprinkles to steady downpours.
So glad! We needed it!
The wind did break off the existing marigolds that had been blooming when I bought them.
The new blooms will be sturdier having grown up in the wind tunnel outside my door--LOL!
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Well, I've been torturing Annie. Not at this very moment...although she thinks I am. She's sitting next to me meowing with some complaint or another.
My guess is that she's not happy that I just closed the place up and turned the AC on--LOL!
It was so much cooler the past couple days that I could have the place open all day and Annie was in seventh heaven. All good things must end, isn't that what "they" say? Back into the 80s again for the next week. If it's cool enough at night I promised Anne I might at least crack the patio door for her for a while. That's the guilt talking for the ongoing cat torture.
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And how am I torturing her?
I am trying to switch her over to a different system for her litter box.
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Leah found out about this online and Annie is our guinea pig. If it works Blink will be next. Just in case Annie refuses--no point in them buying up all this stuff because I could send it over for Blink.
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Okay--this system uses hardwood pellets for the litter. These are the actual pellets people use in pellet wood stoves. Way cheaper than clay litter, better for the environment and the cat...but I have to talk an old cat into a new trick--LOL!
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For anyone who's interested there are many videos on youtube. Note: in researching this further I found it is not recommended to buy pine wood pellets because there is something in the pine oil that can make cats sick. They recommend using hardwood pellets, but in a lot of the videos people are using pine.
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The litter box this lady was using looked perfect for the change. It's made by Tidy Cat and come with plastic pellets. Plastic--yuck! Most cats I have ever had--well, I can't imagine them ever using plastic pellets. But those come with the litter kit.
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Even though this lady uses the wood pellets for horse stalls (which I don't know if those are hardwood or pine), I stuck this video in because it shows this cat box with the tray and how it all works. Easy to put a plastic bag underneath the whole thing so you can pick it all up easily and cleanly when it's time to empty the sawdust. I liked her system.
Even in the information that came with the litter box it suggests putting the new cat box next to the old one...
...and to put a pee ball inside to give them the idea.
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Annie's response...
"Surely you jest!"
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Annie's response...
"Surely you jest!"
Their suggestion was to let the old box get so dirty that the cat would try the new cleaner box. Well, honestly--Annie would probably keep going in the dirty box and I'm the one who can't stand a dirty litter box--LOL!
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Annie has never set one paw inside that new one.
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So, I started adding some of the hardwood pellets to her old box to get her used to the feeling of digging in the pellets.
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Annie has never set one paw inside that new one.
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So, I started adding some of the hardwood pellets to her old box to get her used to the feeling of digging in the pellets.
My plan is to gradually add more pellets until there is almost all pellets in there--and then remove the old one and pray.
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Don't worry. I do have some of her old kitty litter and will clean and save her old bigger cat box just in case. In fact, I might set this one inside of the old one after it's emptied and cleaned for a while just so it feels more familiar. I really hope this 8-9 year old cat will accept the change because sawdust is so much better for the environment than the clay--there should be much less dust--and I can get a 40 pound bag of the hardwood pellets for about $4.19-4.59 here in town. So, I say, "Annie...please, be adaptable!"
Wish me luck!
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Ian was here from about 10:30am till 5:30pm on Friday for Gramma Day! The time just flew by. Caroline was delivering my groceries right when Ian arrived. Ian helped me put groceries away. It was a bristle block/TV day, I guess. We watched "How It's Made" videos on YouTube--one was on how they make Nutella. Ian said he hadn't ever had Nutella so afterwards we had a taste (he loved it) and read the ingredients on the jar.
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We watched a show on dinosaurs where he sat with Gramma because it involved killing and eating other dinosaurs...so we talked about lions, wolves, and baby sea turtles. We needed a break--so I counted while Ian ran 10 times around the kitchen table and then he helped me change a big round light bulb in the bathroom. Little exciting projects for an almost four year old. ;) Time for some gentleness after the dinosaurs...Ian asked to watch some Mr. Rogers. Yup--the day flew by and Daddy was here to pick him up.
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I think I feel like Blink here after a day with Ian--LOL!
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We watched a show on dinosaurs where he sat with Gramma because it involved killing and eating other dinosaurs...so we talked about lions, wolves, and baby sea turtles. We needed a break--so I counted while Ian ran 10 times around the kitchen table and then he helped me change a big round light bulb in the bathroom. Little exciting projects for an almost four year old. ;) Time for some gentleness after the dinosaurs...Ian asked to watch some Mr. Rogers. Yup--the day flew by and Daddy was here to pick him up.
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I think I feel like Blink here after a day with Ian--LOL!
Gramma was falling asleep in her chair by 8:30!
But it is a very happy sore and tired. :)
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But it is a very happy sore and tired. :)
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Then Leah was here for Crafts yesterday. We are trying Sunday afternoons for Craft Days instead of Tuesday nights. I had gotten a Kindle Fire on sale and Leah set it up for me! I mostly wanted it for reading books (enlarging the font) and audio books.
Leah made the Birthday Party invitations for Ian's birthday later on this month. We went over the steps for the three-tree Christmas cards, made a change in the plan, and took note that we still need green cardstock--but for now I can start working on the next assembly-line steps when I am feeling decent. It is soooo nice to be having some better days. Whoohoo!!
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That's about it from this week. Saw a suggestion that if I make a comment on my own blog with a click to be notified of further comments I should get email notifications. So I am going to try that. (Thanks, Djan!)
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Have a fantabulous week!! :) :)
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"Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet."
Thich Nhat Hanh
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That's about it from this week. Saw a suggestion that if I make a comment on my own blog with a click to be notified of further comments I should get email notifications. So I am going to try that. (Thanks, Djan!)
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Have a fantabulous week!! :) :)
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"Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet."
Thich Nhat Hanh
20 comments:
This is my comment to see if I will be able to respond to other comments on the blog. ;)
I am glad you are feeling so much better Rita. The time with Ian sounds such fun, that is a wonderful age. The twins are 4 and I have been really enjoying being with them. GOod luck with the kitty litter project, I hope Annie gets the message! LOL. Just as well you had somewhere to put the marigolds - what I find frustrating is when just the heads break off and there is not enough stem to put them in any kind of vase! Have a good week!
The litter box situation reminded me of our days with cats in the house. Every time Favorite Young Man changed the litter, F. Cat Fitzgerald would hop in the empty litter box to pee in it. It seemed as if the sight of the litter being changed made her feel that she had to pee right at that moment and absolutely could not wait. Or maybe she really didn't like any litter and took advantage of the opportunity to pee without it.
Love,
Janie
yes put the new one inside the old one:) She will adapt quicker than you think. I always wanted to train a kitty to use the real toilet:) Sounds like a fun day for Iam!! AND you too! :)
Poor Annie doesn't like change...I understand because I'm not a fan of change either but — I do gradually give in and adapt. Hope Annie does too.
Plastic pellets?! They would be incredibly bad for the environment. After watching A Plastic Ocean on Netflix, I'm trying to reduce our use of plastic because they pointed out that it never truly breaks down...only gets broken up into smaller pieces which are just as damaging to the environment/oceans. I hope people don't buy the plastic ones. The hardwood pellets definitely sound like a good way to go.
I was about to suggest mixing in some of the newer pellets with her older mix and then read that you did exactly that. Hope it does the trick. Good luck!
It sounds like you had a wonderful day with Ian and yes, I remember how it can wear us out. Rest needed afterwards, for sure.
You got a Kindle FIRE! Whoo hoo! I kinda wish I'd gotten the Kindle Fire over the Kindle Paperwhite but too expensive at the time. Still, I'm loving the Paperwhite all the same. It has really encouraged my reading as it's so convenient and I LOVE enlarging the font. The Kindle Fire apparently shows pics in colour too whereas the Paperwhite is black and white only. Not that it really bothers me because I can view books using the Kindle app on my phone/computer/iPad and they show coloured pics.
I might try Djan's suggestion too about the comments....thanks, Djan! :)
Love and hugs to you and Annie xo
Glad to read you are feeling better. That is a BIG savings on pellets over cat litter. How well do the pellets scoop and what happens to the ones the cats urinate on?
Hope Annie likes it eventually.
Wonderful Ian and Grandma time. Hope the Kitty Litter Exchange goes well as the days pass. Good to read your post today Rita.
Hugs.
Joy
Such a trial for little Annie! I know she will adapt, but us old ladies resist change, don't we! The trick works for embedded comments, but not for ones that don't have a Notify Me box to click, I found. :-)
Hopefully Annie will adapt. Gradually changing might work. Hope it does! Those marigolds are so pretty and colorful.
Ah, cats! They, like the rest of us, can get set in our ways. I think your idea of gradually including more pellets in with the clay is brilliant.
I've been checking the published comment section on my blog "dashboard" every day to see if new comments have been made. I hope they fix this issue soon.
You HAVE been busy! This finally just showed up in my inbox - 24 hours it takes apparently, but at least it comes and that's all I ask. We, too, have had pouring rain and way too much of it but the green stuff outside loves it and I'm sure it will be helpful later in the year when everything goes draught dry (feast or famine around here). Poor kitty. I guess it is hard on any creature when new things suddenly appear and old things go away. I hope for all good things with her and her potty box. I love the description of your day with Ian. It is charming and I am so sure that it is making memories that he will carry for a lifetime (as will you). Nana time is the best. IMO it gets better as they get older. I love my 16yo gson. I have learned way more about all the adventure movies and characters than I ever wanted to know, but I love sci-fi so in many ways we are sharing things we love. He need mythology to fill in the background of some of the stories and THAT I have! I have a kindle fire and love it. Altho I've neer used it for listening. I'll have to check into that. Especially since I seem to have locked myself out of my ipod. I'm guessing I could have music on it, which would be a really good thing. So thanks for mentioning that. Lovely to chat with you here!
Those lovely marigolds remind me of West Texas. When I lived there, marigolds and sunflowers were the only two flowers that I could grow successfully.
I'm sure that Annie will eventually get used to the new litter. Hardwood pellets are not only better for the environment, they are supposedly better for the cats. Clay litter can cause health issues, such as wheezing and possibly asthma.
The photos of the litter boxes gave me a great idea for my cats. That big box (made out of a storage tub) would be perfect for my cat Bosco. He loves to dig wildly in the box and the litter goes everywhere. That big box would be perfect for him.
I have two litter boxes for my three cats. The two females are always neat and careful - but Bosco (the boy feline) always makes a horrendous mess.
Good luck with your new kitty potty. I tried clicking where they said & I still am not notified on comments!!
Hope she takes to the new litter if it will be better for her and the environment.
Interesting about the kitty litter. I don't have a cat now so I don't think much about litter, but you are right about how they would be better for the environment. Hope Annie gets used to them soon. and great hearing all about your early June. :) Hugs-Erika
Great to think about the environment even about cat litter!
I am sure Annie will get used to it soon! Just be patient with her!
♥♥♥
Love to you and Annie!
HUgs, Susi
Dear Rita, thank you for the info on the cat litter and cat box. I'm going to consider this once I've used up most of the clay litter that I have from K-Mart (Tiday Cat, etc.) I buy in bulk because of no longer driving and so I have about 3 months worth. So once that's almost gone, I'll look at the video again to get the facts she gives. And thanks for sharing Annie's experience with it. Peace.
I'm loving your dramatic skies.
I just had to catch up here Rita! I love watching those videos go the boys in the last post! Blink is so patient! I think you are being very patient with Annie! I do hope she takes to the new system as it sounds a lot cheaper! Take care!! Hugs, Chrisx
You had some rather dramatic cloud formations there! That's interesting re: using wood pellets rather than cat litter. I've never heard about that before. I don't think our cats would like the feel of pellets either.
Mr. Rogers is always a good choice. I remember watching that show growing up. He always had such a gentle presence, was encouraging and positive, and a wonderful teacher. Wish there were more people like Mr. Rogers in the world.
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