The Pet Update (The Backlog!)

I don't think the dogs differentiate between their names. If I call Loki, Kila follows him over. If I call Kila, Loki runs over and then Kila hops on his back! Whoever I pet, the other inevitably shows up.

Loki gets fed up sometimes, but overall they get along wonderfully. 

I think it's cute when they crash under the table near me at night.

Kila has to go in her crate before I turn in, but Max sometimes claims it before then! I feel a little bad kicking Max out, but it's not like Kila is going to a luxury suite. We need to lock her up to limit teething destruction, cat poop consumption, and possible running/barking overnight or in the early morning.

Kila prefers fabric over her chew toys. Carrie thought it was cute for a while when she'd chew on Shane's sandals or her big boots. Kila's teeth have graduated to causing damage now. To my dismay, I found my shoelaces aglet free! The turd!

I keep my shoes off the floor now. Once or twice, either she hopped up or a cat running knocked them off the bench by the dining room table. 3 out of the 4 ends of my laces are much shorter than the started out!

At least Kila's not an extreme chewer. Most of her energy comes out in the form of running and jumping!

Loki is the main target for her shenanigans. She's gained a lot of height and stands near even with him.

She's got plenty of room to fill out, though. He's still noticeably bigger (Notice that she's willing to drink from the water bowl without noticeable fear now? That's progress!).

Kila's a big fan of mimicking the cats when it comes to the couch.

Normally, I don't let her stay there if I sit down. Some dogs are just quirky, but others can translate how high up they sit to their status in the pack. I let it slide for a minute this time, because I thought I could get a funny picture out of it.

I had to act fast to avoid getting licked. I know where her mouth has been!

I'm not worried that Kila views herself above me. If anything, if my voice turns harsh she panics and runs! I need her to learn to come better. Her amount of training or trust in me isn't enough to override her fear of situations or my displeasure. She bosses Loki around, but she's a chicken-hearted little thing. There's not aggression in her actions, so much as boundless energy!

Loki won't jump on the couch unless coaxed onto it. Kila says hello to any cat who will let her.

She has no concept of personal space. She'll stand over cats or push past if she's trying to reach a human. I've seen her plop down on Max and Happy! Aria and Tsuki won't stick around long enough to allow for an accident.

Happy is by far the most tolerant. Here's proof: I caught her grooming Kila on camera!

They're not speaking quite the same language. Kila doesn't seem to understand what it would mean to sit still and return the favor, but it's cute to see them being gentle with each other.

Happy's a saint. She's uniquely forgiving for a cat. I don't think she stayed long after this shot where Kila dog piled on top of her, but it was long enough for me to capture it!

I've learned all of Loki's itch points, but I'm still working on discovering all of Kila's. She likes attention to her ear tips much more than he does.

She wears herself out and sleeps soundly throughout the day. She wears out Loki, too, so he doesn't have any complaints about catching some z's.

The horses are all doing well, too. Carrie has kept the fields open, so the work hasn't multiplied yet. 

Maddie's in her dry lot to prevent her from scratching herself raw on the concrete around the waterers. See how happily she drools?

Eowyn's off at Sarah G's to be sold. 

Eddie is old and happily bossing around Ernie. He can be a jerk about kicking Ernie out from under the lean-to in the rain. 

Meanwhile, Ernie looks a little stiff as the weather gets colder. He's showing some sensitivity in his front feet again. Carrie says the nerves have regrown from neurectomy. He's ready to be retired from riding. Laura got him out on the trails some with Carrie this season, but I think she may be retiring from actively riding herself.

Abby is still queen of the ladies' lot. She seems mostly healed from her phantom lameness. Micayla comes out to groom and play with her, but she's giving Abby the cold months off to make sure she heals up. Carrie trusts Micayla's skills and has given her carte blanche to play with Lilly when she likes.

Lilly is Carrie's main girl for the hunt season. The dogs and I greeted Carrie and Lilly out in the yard here. I was surprised the dogs were willing to get so close to her (That's why I bothered to pull out the camera!).

Lilly's mostly laid back while she can eat. Mostly. She gave the dogs some dragon ears here to tell them to mind her bubble!

That should cover most of the random animal pictures I have. I used to take a ton of pictures of the horses and share them at school. Barn ownership was newer then and the second year I did it because we were virtual and I was doing what I could to be interesting and open. Kila's the cool new girl in town, so she gets a lot of the fanfare. That may change when Beau arrives in December, but we'll see! I'm more of a dog person than a horse one.