Move day was Tuesday November 4. Gary had been having so many fevers and has been so sick, it was really difficult. I went back-and-forth between the RV and the house twice a day to care for the ferals. I took stuff from the RV with me on many of the drives over, but I really couldn't stay to do things, as I couldn't leave Gary alone for long. He finally caved, and let me wash the RV without him. Got air pumped into the tires, got her ready to travel, and he drove her over here. And she is parked across the street from us. The topography of the road (not flat, has a hump in the middle) and the bottom of the driveway (has a dip in it) were such that the RV is either a foot too long, or needs to be about four inches higher off the wheel base. The ball of the hitch dug into the pavement. Gary had to use the jacks to get that unstuck, and I used a crow bar to hammer it out. Our neighbor Gary came over to help. We tried numerous things - different angles, different direction - to no avail. So I went to meet our across-the-street neighbor, and asked if she minded if we parked the RV on the little stretch off the road across from our property (she can't see it from her home). She was so very sweet, and said of course we could. We do not plan on leaving it there. We've contacted a towing company that handles big rigs. They'll place boards with supports across the road and the bottom of the driveway, and if Gary can't just drive up, they'll use a lift and winch for those 10 or 15 feet we need to be able to drive her up here.
Gary is majorly bummed about this situation. BUT... I think it is a small payment for what is turning out to be a heck of a home.
First of all, the cats LOVE it. I mean we are blown away by this. Lazlo was never happy in a house, and we were very worried about him. He was scared at first, he hid under the cedar chest (which is exactly where he hid when we first moved from the RV into a house. :lol3: ). But by day two? Out and about, running, playing - playing like he did as a kitten. In fact, playing in a way he didn't even play as a kitten! I think we were having meals in the kitchen with all of the cats by dinner of day two? BLOWN AWAY.
One of the things that turned up in storage was a turboscratcher. Looked new - it basically was. We got them one the first time we moved into a house in 2004. No one ever used it. Now they're all playing with it. :lol3:
Billy, Pawley and Chumley are the only cats that had never lived in a house. And even THEY got out and investigated the next day!
Chum was the most nervous about this - and he got sick. (He's our FIV+ boy). He developed a URI. He got antibiotics, and the bacterial infection has been knocked out, but he's still contending with the viral aspect of it. Vet says it could take some time. :heart2:
The house. First of all, for those that didn't see my other thread, this home was built in 1974 by a Danish merchant marine, also a woodworker. There are beams that are just for decoration in the living room and kitchen. The beams are off a ship, and the whole house has a ship theme to it (and all the art work when they lived here was nautical). The beams have handmade nails in them, many have the stuff with whatever function they had. And..... the door frames with these beams make GREAT scratching posts! Who knew? We bought a home with built-in scratching posts!!!!!!
You can see the hand hewn axe marks - so cool!
The nautical touches:
(The fireplace has a thick piece of board insulation over it as it doesn't have doors on it yet. We don't want the cats up in it).
I noticed the little holes in the architectural beams - woodworm. I called the inspector (who also has his own business as an exterminator!). I wanted to make sure these were historic holes, not active infestation, LOL, as it was not mentioned in the report or discussed while we were here and he was inspecting. Yeah - 100+ year old woodworm holes. *PHEW*
And I LOVE the light fixtures. Again - all nautical!
(And yes - the windows are AWESOME. These in the kitchen / dining area are 8 feet long. The living room is 9 feet long. Master bedroom window is 8 feet long, and the other two bedrooms have 7 foot long windows. The views are spectacular. ).
And? We LOVE this. The light that stays on all the time, in remembrance of those that have passed from this life. It is a Scandinavian tradition (according to my SIL, whose family roots are Swedish). It's hard wired: no switch. It's hardwired into the security system, so if the power goes off, it runs on battery. How lovely is that?
This is what it looks like with the flash on
And, of course, the front hall entry light matches it
And the mirrors we traded for the cost of the well inspection ($200).
In the entrance hallway:
We also got the firewood box:
(Context. In that picture, the front door is behind me. Front hall. Living room is immediately to the left. Doors ahead lead into the kitchen, and the kitchen/dining area are parallel the living room. At end of the entrance hallway to the right is the hallway off of which are the bedrooms and main bath (and linen closets. There is so much closet space!!!! ).
Mirror in one of the bedrooms:
Finally (sorry, :lol3: ), a picture from the back of the property, up the hill, looking down on the back of the house. The tent is where the ferals are housed.
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Carolina suggested I use her feeding box idea with the feral cats. Get them chipped, use the pet door that can be programmed to the chips, and install it so the feral cats have access to the basement. We are doing this. The chips have been ordered, they'll be here Tuesday or Wednesday. The vet is coming a week from tomorrow to inject them into the kitties.
The cats are doing great. A little antsy, but they'll just have to wait. Caged, we can chip them. Whether or not they end up using the basement... :dk: But at least it will be an option. They can help keep it mouse-free.
But they are all VERY, very good. Happy, even! I let them out individually to explore the tent, stretch, get pets and get picked up if they want that. The only one I don't let out is Bean, because I can't handle him. I think they get what's going on, and they're just ... such good kitties! :rub: Lots of purring going on, I'm SO very happy to say!
I won a heated cedar house, and someone gifted us two feral villas. !!!!!!!!!!! So those are on the way and will be set up for them.
I've given them catnip toys several times. They've rubbed and slobbered all over them. We'll scatter those about the property. Same with some of each of their pee and poop. I'll give them drops of rescue remedy - not in their food, but just on the cage floor - for two or so days before we release them. And then I'll go put drops of rescue remedy out around the property. We're focusing very heavily on scent.
When we release them, it'll be at the dinner time meal. I'll put their food out - and leave the cage doors open. They can stay or go explore. And hopefully they'll all be there in the morning for breakfast!
So not sure when this is happening yet. Perhaps a week from this weekend. Shelters we make should all be in place. Their feeding stations will be out. We really want the RV up here before we let them out (so the noise of heavy equipment is over and done with).
And I think we're going to leave the tent up for the winter. We will use board insulation in the cages - they can use them as shelter, if they like. We'll just leave the tent doors and cage doors open. It's a pretty flimsy tent, but if we knock the snow off... :cross: At least it blocks wind.
I hope they all stay. Dottie is coming in, so it's just Baloo, Smokey, Froggie, Khol, Bean and Treebie. :heart2:
Gary is majorly bummed about this situation. BUT... I think it is a small payment for what is turning out to be a heck of a home.
First of all, the cats LOVE it. I mean we are blown away by this. Lazlo was never happy in a house, and we were very worried about him. He was scared at first, he hid under the cedar chest (which is exactly where he hid when we first moved from the RV into a house. :lol3: ). But by day two? Out and about, running, playing - playing like he did as a kitten. In fact, playing in a way he didn't even play as a kitten! I think we were having meals in the kitchen with all of the cats by dinner of day two? BLOWN AWAY.
One of the things that turned up in storage was a turboscratcher. Looked new - it basically was. We got them one the first time we moved into a house in 2004. No one ever used it. Now they're all playing with it. :lol3:
Billy, Pawley and Chumley are the only cats that had never lived in a house. And even THEY got out and investigated the next day!
Chum was the most nervous about this - and he got sick. (He's our FIV+ boy). He developed a URI. He got antibiotics, and the bacterial infection has been knocked out, but he's still contending with the viral aspect of it. Vet says it could take some time. :heart2:
The house. First of all, for those that didn't see my other thread, this home was built in 1974 by a Danish merchant marine, also a woodworker. There are beams that are just for decoration in the living room and kitchen. The beams are off a ship, and the whole house has a ship theme to it (and all the art work when they lived here was nautical). The beams have handmade nails in them, many have the stuff with whatever function they had. And..... the door frames with these beams make GREAT scratching posts! Who knew? We bought a home with built-in scratching posts!!!!!!
You can see the hand hewn axe marks - so cool!
The nautical touches:
(The fireplace has a thick piece of board insulation over it as it doesn't have doors on it yet. We don't want the cats up in it).
I noticed the little holes in the architectural beams - woodworm. I called the inspector (who also has his own business as an exterminator!). I wanted to make sure these were historic holes, not active infestation, LOL, as it was not mentioned in the report or discussed while we were here and he was inspecting. Yeah - 100+ year old woodworm holes. *PHEW*
And I LOVE the light fixtures. Again - all nautical!
(And yes - the windows are AWESOME. These in the kitchen / dining area are 8 feet long. The living room is 9 feet long. Master bedroom window is 8 feet long, and the other two bedrooms have 7 foot long windows. The views are spectacular. ).
And? We LOVE this. The light that stays on all the time, in remembrance of those that have passed from this life. It is a Scandinavian tradition (according to my SIL, whose family roots are Swedish). It's hard wired: no switch. It's hardwired into the security system, so if the power goes off, it runs on battery. How lovely is that?
This is what it looks like with the flash on
And, of course, the front hall entry light matches it
And the mirrors we traded for the cost of the well inspection ($200).
In the entrance hallway:
We also got the firewood box:
(Context. In that picture, the front door is behind me. Front hall. Living room is immediately to the left. Doors ahead lead into the kitchen, and the kitchen/dining area are parallel the living room. At end of the entrance hallway to the right is the hallway off of which are the bedrooms and main bath (and linen closets. There is so much closet space!!!! ).
Mirror in one of the bedrooms:
Finally (sorry, :lol3: ), a picture from the back of the property, up the hill, looking down on the back of the house. The tent is where the ferals are housed.
**********************************************************
Carolina suggested I use her feeding box idea with the feral cats. Get them chipped, use the pet door that can be programmed to the chips, and install it so the feral cats have access to the basement. We are doing this. The chips have been ordered, they'll be here Tuesday or Wednesday. The vet is coming a week from tomorrow to inject them into the kitties.
The cats are doing great. A little antsy, but they'll just have to wait. Caged, we can chip them. Whether or not they end up using the basement... :dk: But at least it will be an option. They can help keep it mouse-free.
But they are all VERY, very good. Happy, even! I let them out individually to explore the tent, stretch, get pets and get picked up if they want that. The only one I don't let out is Bean, because I can't handle him. I think they get what's going on, and they're just ... such good kitties! :rub: Lots of purring going on, I'm SO very happy to say!
I won a heated cedar house, and someone gifted us two feral villas. !!!!!!!!!!! So those are on the way and will be set up for them.
I've given them catnip toys several times. They've rubbed and slobbered all over them. We'll scatter those about the property. Same with some of each of their pee and poop. I'll give them drops of rescue remedy - not in their food, but just on the cage floor - for two or so days before we release them. And then I'll go put drops of rescue remedy out around the property. We're focusing very heavily on scent.
When we release them, it'll be at the dinner time meal. I'll put their food out - and leave the cage doors open. They can stay or go explore. And hopefully they'll all be there in the morning for breakfast!
So not sure when this is happening yet. Perhaps a week from this weekend. Shelters we make should all be in place. Their feeding stations will be out. We really want the RV up here before we let them out (so the noise of heavy equipment is over and done with).
And I think we're going to leave the tent up for the winter. We will use board insulation in the cages - they can use them as shelter, if they like. We'll just leave the tent doors and cage doors open. It's a pretty flimsy tent, but if we knock the snow off... :cross: At least it blocks wind.
I hope they all stay. Dottie is coming in, so it's just Baloo, Smokey, Froggie, Khol, Bean and Treebie. :heart2: