Introducing Betty White

daftcat75

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,710
Purraise
25,262
That's a really cute pig toy! Where'd you get it?
Yeah, I somehow can't see that as a squirrel but your plan sounds like a good one. Before birdseed went up, I used to buy 40# bags and feed the birds. And the squirrels. We still see lots of each visiting our yard, which is probably one of the safest and most natural in the neighborhood. Except for the owl who's been very noisy recently, nights. And the redtails who visit from time to time.
That piggy was a cat me down from Krista. She got it from her cat sitter as a thank you gift. Second Bird Buddy just for the squirrels? I don’t think community managers would go for that.
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
That piggy was a cat me down from Krista. She got it from her cat sitter as a thank you gift. Second Bird Buddy just for the squirrels? I don’t think community managers would go for that.
Yeah, a lot of people don't want squirrels close by. Fortunately, my yard is welcome to all. Wish I could still get the birdseed. I had one dish type feeder for anyone, and one "squirrel-proof" type, plus a hummingbird feeder on the front verandah.
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
Hoping you and Ms. Betty are weathering the storm okay. Elvis is taking refuge in a tight croissant on the bed, and I'm studiously avoiding the roomies. So far, we're basically okay; but next city over, in Burbank, there is a lot of flooding; and up in the Mojave where I used to live, there is massive, massive snow.
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,710
Purraise
25,262
I have been trimming her meals slightly to account for the fact that she’s finishing them and that they often contain A/D “starter strips.” The results look promising. She may reach 10.5 soon enough. I’ll reevaluate from there if she needs to lose anymore.
8A3F86B1-CF9A-4711-8319-04DA02900F7B.jpeg

In other news, my car got robbed by the most polite thieves. I can’t tell a point of entry because thankfully they didn’t break a window this time. Either they hacked the key fob or I simply left a door unlocked. I’m leaning towards the latter. It’s the less disturbing option. They took my Check Engine Light code reader and a pair of sunglasses. I thought that was about it. But I guess they went into the trunk too and nabbed my dance bag. Doh! I literally haven’t danced in years and the shoes in them are totally worn. The bag, though, that was an REI shoulder bag. Quite spendy. I had to replace it the last time my car was broken into. At least I don’t have to replace or clean up any glass. For that, they can have what they took. That little rear side triangle piece of glass set me back $600 last time. 🤦🏼‍♂️

I also got a notice from the community managers. They’re pitching a fit over hooks into deck ceiling and walls and how they can compromise the weather worthiness if the wood. Oh give me a break! They don’t bother to seal the upper deck. That would protect that wood a lot more than removing hooks. I was thinking about installing an awning. But it sounds like that’s out too. I swear my deck is not my own. It belongs to the mythical future residents. I am the least of the offenders. Yet I believe this spells the end of the Bird Buddy. Just as well. It was getting a little stressful. It was taking more pictures and videos than I could get through. And the AI left me with a lot of Mystery Visitors. I could ask the Bird Experts. But I was often getting more new postcards than I could get through to get to their responses. I was hoping that having to restock and recharge the feeder might encourage me to use the deck more and maybe even decorate/renovate it into something I’d like to use on the regular. But if the prop mgrs are going to flip out over a hook, they won’t like the awning, the additional lower fence (to minimize the amount of leaves that get blown under weekly by the landscapers 😡), or the heater I was planning to install above the laundry door.

This community is rent controlled and in a good location. That’s why I’m not pitching a return fit over this. It would cost me between 25 to 50% more to get a comparable unit that isn’t rent controlled.

Storm wasn’t too bad here. Lots of wind and some outages earlier in the week. No snow in San Jose. 😔
 
Last edited:

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
I have been trimming her meals slightly to account for the fact that she’s finishing them and that they often contain A/D “starter strips.” The results look promising. She may reach 10.5 soon enough. I’ll reevaluate from there if she needs to lose anymore.
View attachment 444563

In other news, my car got robbed by the most polite thieves. I can’t tell a point of entry because thankfully they didn’t break a window this time. Either they hacked the key fob or I simply left a door unlocked. I’m leaning towards the latter. It’s the less disturbing option. They took my Check Engine Light code reader and a pair of sunglasses. I thought that was about it. But I guess they went into the trunk too and nabbed my dance bag. Doh! I literally haven’t danced in years and the shoes in them are totally worn. The bag, though, that was an REI shoulder bag. Quite spendy. I had to replace it the last time my car was broken into. At least I don’t have to replace or clean up any glass. For that, they can have what they took. That little rear side triangle piece of glass set me back $600 last time. 🤦🏼‍♂️

I also got a notice from the community managers. They’re pitching a fit over hooks into deck ceiling and walls and how they can compromise the weather worthiness if the wood. Oh give me a break! They don’t bother to seal the upper deck. That would protect that wood a lot more than removing hooks. I was thinking about installing an awning. But it sounds like that’s out too. I swear my deck is not my own. It belongs to the mythical future residents. I am the least of the offenders. Yet I believe this spells the end of the Bird Buddy. Just as well. It was getting a little stressful. It was taking more pictures and videos than I could get through. And the AI left me with a lot of Mystery Visitors. I could ask the Bird Experts. But I was often getting more new postcards than I could get through to get to their responses. I was hoping that having to restock and recharge the feeder might encourage me to use the deck more and maybe even decorate/renovate it into something I’d like to use on the regular. But if the prop mgrs are going to flip out over a hook, they won’t like the awning, the additional lower fence (to minimize the amount of leaves that get blown under weekly by the landscapers 😡), or the heater I was planning to install above the laundry door.

This community is rent controlled and in a good location. That’s why I’m not pitching a return fit over this. It would cost me between 25 to 50% more to get a comparable unit that isn’t rent controlled.

Storm wasn’t too bad here. Lots of wind and some outages earlier in the week. No snow in San Jose. 😔
Excellent Betty UPdate and glad you both survived that part of the latest "atmospheric river"...
You COULD put the Bird Buddy on a stand in your patio. No nails, no hooks, no problem. And you COULD just put something at the bottom of the fence that isn't nailed/hooked/affixed in any way to it, so as to minimize the leaf litter. 1x4, or any form of weather stripping, either prefab and bought, or creatively thought up and put there. In the Mojave, to keep unwanted invaders out of our compound, the original owner had put small boulders (is there such an animal?) all the way around it, at the bottom of the chainlink.
That's awful about your car. But yeah, it could have been worse, and yeah, hope and pray it was the least disturbing option. People can be SO evil. But then, we all know that.
 

Margot Lane

Kitten at heart, not a Top Cat
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
4,450
Purraise
9,180
I have been trimming her meals slightly to account for the fact that she’s finishing them and that they often contain A/D “starter strips.” The results look promising. She may reach 10.5 soon enough. I’ll reevaluate from there if she needs to lose anymore.
View attachment 444563

In other news, my car got robbed by the most polite thieves. I can’t tell a point of entry because thankfully they didn’t break a window this time. Either they hacked the key fob or I simply left a door unlocked. I’m leaning towards the latter. It’s the less disturbing option. They took my Check Engine Light code reader and a pair of sunglasses. I thought that was about it. But I guess they went into the trunk too and nabbed my dance bag. Doh! I literally haven’t danced in years and the shoes in them are totally worn. The bag, though, that was an REI shoulder bag. Quite spendy. I had to replace it the last time my car was broken into. At least I don’t have to replace or clean up any glass. For that, they can have what they took. That little rear side triangle piece of glass set me back $600 last time. 🤦🏼‍♂️

I also got a notice from the community managers. They’re pitching a fit over hooks into deck ceiling and walls and how they can compromise the weather worthiness if the wood. Oh give me a break! They don’t bother to seal the upper deck. That would protect that wood a lot more than removing hooks. I was thinking about installing an awning. But it sounds like that’s out too. I swear my deck is not my own. It belongs to the mythical future residents. I am the least of the offenders. Yet I believe this spells the end of the Bird Buddy. Just as well. It was getting a little stressful. It was taking more pictures and videos than I could get through. And the AI left me with a lot of Mystery Visitors. I could ask the Bird Experts. But I was often getting more new postcards than I could get through to get to their responses. I was hoping that having to restock and recharge the feeder might encourage me to use the deck more and maybe even decorate/renovate it into something I’d like to use on the regular. But if the prop mgrs are going to flip out over a hook, they won’t like the awning, the additional lower fence (to minimize the amount of leaves that get blown under weekly by the landscapers 😡), or the heater I was planning to install above the laundry door.

This community is rent controlled and in a good location. That’s why I’m not pitching a return fit over this. It would cost me between 25 to 50% more to get a comparable unit that isn’t rent controlled.

Storm wasn’t too bad here. Lots of wind and some outages earlier in the week. No snow in San Jose. 😔
The fact that the thieves didn’t smash windows might indicate a desire not to attract attention to themselves whilst purloining, which also might indicate that it was difficult for them to sneak around. Though it it is comforting to think there are polite thieves. Are there any security cameras anywhere? You could hide one of those Apple ID tag things inside, in case the polite thieves get a hankering for a joy ride, which allows you to track the whereabouts of your car from the safety of your home.
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
The fact that the thieves didn’t smash windows might indicate a desire not to attract attention to themselves whilst purloining, which also might indicate that it was difficult for them to sneak around. Though it it is comforting to think there are polite thieves. Are there any security cameras anywhere? You could hide one of those Apple ID tag things inside, in case the polite thieves get a hankering for a joy ride, which allows you to track the whereabouts of your car from the safety of your home.
EXCELLENT ideas, Margot Lane Margot Lane .
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,710
Purraise
25,262
No security cameras. It seems they would rather patrol our decks than our parking lots. 🤦‍♂️

Finally got the new modem installed. I had made a Google Sheet of IP addresses and MAC addresses and what they all went to assuming something would break. Couldn't have been easier. "These are your previous settings. Would you like to keep them?" Heck yes! "Sit tight. You'll be back online in ten minutes." (Presumably downloading the latest software, updating a few databases, and crap like that.) New modem is twice as fast. Which means I may top out my bandwidth in half the time. I feel like this is extortion. Here's more bandwidth than you know what to do with. But don't use too much of it or we'll charge you more. Why don't you just cap the download speed? It looks like with their modem rental (because I'm still too lazy to buy my own modem and my own wifi router), it's only another $11 to go unlimited. Since the first overage penalty (up to 10) is $10, okay. Fine. You win. You doubled my bandwidth. I'll give you another $11 to end this bandwidth overage madness. Works out for the both of us. Who woulda thunk it?
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
No security cameras. It seems they would rather patrol our decks than our parking lots. 🤦‍♂️

Finally got the new modem installed. I had made a Google Sheet of IP addresses and MAC addresses and what they all went to assuming something would break. Couldn't have been easier. "These are your previous settings. Would you like to keep them?" Heck yes! "Sit tight. You'll be back online in ten minutes." (Presumably downloading the latest software, updating a few databases, and crap like that.) New modem is twice as fast. Which means I may top out my bandwidth in half the time. I feel like this is extortion. Here's more bandwidth than you know what to do with. But don't use too much of it or we'll charge you more. Why don't you just cap the download speed? It looks like with their modem rental (because I'm still too lazy to buy my own modem and my own wifi router), it's only another $11 to go unlimited. Since the first overage penalty (up to 10) is $10, okay. Fine. You win. You doubled my bandwidth. I'll give you another $11 to end this bandwidth overage madness. Works out for the both of us. Who woulda thunk it?
Who, indeed.
1984 forever!😑
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,710
Purraise
25,262
Maybe I’ll put the Bird Buddy under the chair that’s being destroyed because the deck above me provides little protection from the rain. I’ll convert it into a Squirrel Buddy.
 

Margot Lane

Kitten at heart, not a Top Cat
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
4,450
Purraise
9,180
Maybe I’ll put the Bird Buddy under the chair that’s being destroyed because the deck above me provides little protection from the rain. I’ll convert it into a Squirrel Buddy.
Hilarious! Or maybe put it near your car!
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
Maybe I’ll put the Bird Buddy under the chair that’s being destroyed because the deck above me provides little protection from the rain. I’ll convert it into a Squirrel Buddy.
*Another good idea!*🐿*All right, so it's a chipmunk. Did you actually expect a squirrel?*😑
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,710
Purraise
25,262
It's cold and wet again. This confirms it. Whenever it gets cold and wet like this, Betty's eating dips. She's my cat alright. We both get seasonal depression. 🤦‍♂️ 😹 She left about 16 grams (1/3 portion) on the overnight and it looks like she may leave close to the same on breakfast. She'd rather hug the radiator this morning than return to that cold dark front room where the plate is. Oh well. It's not going to be dark, cold, and wet forever. I trust her.
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
It's cold and wet again. This confirms it. Whenever it gets cold and wet like this, Betty's eating dips. She's my cat alright. We both get seasonal depression. 🤦‍♂️ 😹 She left about 16 grams (1/3 portion) on the overnight and it looks like she may leave close to the same on breakfast. She'd rather hug the radiator this morning than return to that cold dark front room where the plate is. Oh well. It's not going to be dark, cold, and wet forever. I trust her.
Here, too, but my gardener is here making the yards look better. :agree:
Yes, Betty is YOUR cat and you're HER dad. *Just don't start eating bits off the carpet. That's definitely not a Betty trait you want to imitate.*;)
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,710
Purraise
25,262
She did return to the plate but didn't eat much. So yes. She left another 16 gram remainder.

I gave her a fat A/D strip inside her lunch. If she's going to leave remainders, at least she'll get some good calories for what she does eat.
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,710
Purraise
25,262
All that sleeping worked up an appetite. She momentarily considered asking me for an early dinner. Then she must have remembered she had lunch remainders. And out the door she went. About five or ten minutes later she returned and then started asking for dinner. Really I think she just wants the A/D she gets with the meds and her starter strip. I’m okay with that. She ate before she took her meds and that works for me too.
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,939
Purraise
65,333
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
All that sleeping worked up an appetite. She momentarily considered asking me for an early dinner. Then she must have remembered she had lunch remainders. And out the door she went. About five or ten minutes later she returned and then started asking for dinner. Really I think she just wants the A/D she gets with the meds and her starter strip. I’m okay with that. She ate before she took her meds and that works for me too.
Oh yeah! GOOD Betty! :hearthrob: :kneading::hearthrob::goldstar::cheerleader:
 
Top