Ballsy Binx

On November 13, it was time for Binx's first official vet appointment and the scheduling of his neuter appointment.
We brought along Binx's stuffed puppy so that he'd knead the dog instead of the vet. He sat perfectly in our black cat carrier only mewing during the car ride. There were no tantrums and fits like what we see from Sparta in the carrier. They quickly brought us back, looking warily at the puppy dog in my hand. Is it for the lady or for the.... cat?!? I could hear their thoughts screaming. The vet technician, a tall male with pulled back brown hair, pulled Binx from the carrier as I set the puppy on the steel gray examination table.
Our big black cat weighs just under 12 pounds!

He loves to sleep on people

Then, another technician came into the room and proceeded to do the feline leukemia test. Thankfully, I wasn't able to see as the guy jabbed and jabbed poor Binx's inner leg unable to get any blood. The vet, a man with a light sandy handlebar mustache, walked in, assessed the situation, then slightly pushed the technician out of the way.
"You have to do it higher up to get any blood," said the vet.
My lips thinned. Had that idiot just been stabbing my cat that entire time because he didn't know what in the world he was doing? Welcome to the medical world of amateurs or old schoolers who refuse to budge from the original practices.
"Have you taken his temperature?" the vet asked.
No, they hadn't. Binx experienced a sensation like never before to reveal a perfect temperature.
Then, the vet came Binx a once over by looking into his eyes, mouth, and ears then patting him down. He pronounced Binx extremely healthy. The vet started feeling Binx's backside.
"Oh wow, he's neutered," said the vet.

Wait.... WHAT??

Inside or outside??

"But, my neutered cat at home doesn't look like that," I stammered, referring to the very noticeable "man parts" under Binx's tail.

"Well, we think he's about 3-years-old," the vet answered. "If he was neutered recently, say in the past few months, then he would still have that. Also, he has a very large head."

"Well," I said to Stuart, "there goes our easy fix on the aggression."

"Aggression?" said the vet.

"Yes, he's completely fine with us," I stated as the vet continued to press into Binx's pelvic region. "But, whenever he comes face-to-face with my other cat, he stalks him like prey or rushes him. He's extremely confrontational!"

"Well, that sounds like he has testosterone in his system," said the vet. "I can feel something small and round on the inside of his legs where testicles could be, but they could also be lymph nodes or fat depositions. I would say that if he's not neutered, then his testicles are up in these tubes that lead down to the scrotum. Or, they never dropped at all, and we would have to operate in his abdominal cavity like a female during a spay surgery."

"What are our options?" we asked.

"You could do nothing and wait for him to spray or go after a female. I don't recommend that," said the vet sternly. "We could take some blood and send it to a lab for testing. See what his testosterone levels are. But, I don't know how much that would cost off the top of my head. You're looking at paying for that and then possibly paying for neutering depending on what the tests show. Then, we can perform surgery here but because we don't know where the testicles are, we would have to do exploratory surgery, which puts you at $70." 

Stuart and I stared at him as he continued to pound Binx's belly with his hands. We were baffled. Confused. Bamboozled. Confounded. Astonished. That was the vaguest information ever given in the history of human and animal medicine.

"Well..." said Stuart.

"Huh," I said.
Another vet was called in to examine Binx as well.  She couldn't find anything either.
"Well, what do you think?" The vet chuckled. "Looking at him, I was expecting to feel some big testicles. But nothing!!"
Stuart and I could only glance at each other with large eyes.
"I guess we're going to have to wait and make a decision," I answered.
"Yep, I'd hate to put the guy through surgery and anesthesia for nothing. To make slits on the inside of his legs and check to see exactly what those hard round lumps are is simple. But, if we have to go into his abdominal cavity, that's invasive surgery. It's something to think about. In the meantime, I'll make some calls and find out what it would cost to do the testosterone tests."
"Thank you," we said and headed out of the office. My beautiful, perfectly healthy, somewhat less masculine Binx had been completely calm, quiet, and perfect through the whole 15-minute ordeal, even during the leukemia shot after all the manhandling. No ripping out the vet's throat. No gloves or towel needed. Not a single peep!
As soon as we got into Stuart's car, we burst into a fit of laughter. What were we going  to do now?? What came to be referred to as The Great Balls Debate on Facebook quickly came to a conclusion!

To be continued...

Memoir of Cat Part 1

For Intro to Creative Writing and Editing, our final project for the Creative Non-Fiction section is to write a memoir, personal essay, person essay, or place essay. I chose memoir as it is genre I enjoy and I already what topic I wanted to write about. There is nothing dearer to my heart than my pets, present and past. My major dream right now isn't working for the New York Times or writing a novel. It's owning two German Shepherds... or maybe a beagle.
Since I brought him into my life full-time, Sparta has been the being in my life that my day revolves around and his around me. I can't start the day properly without cleaning up cat vomit. I can't end the day without cuddling with him on the couch. So, I wrote a memoir about him and what pets have meant to me during my life. Here is part 1.

Piddy Paws and Sparta...when they still got along

[The Untitled Sparta Project]

"Shards of glass gleamed in the yellow light of my lamp. Glitter twinkled among the threads of dark carpet. Adrenaline pumped through my body waking me fully from my deep sleep as I stared at the mess and slowly came to the conclusion that nearly everything had been destroyed. Yellow eyes stared back at me across the mess with fear and curiosity. I realized I was in way over my head.

Sanibel

Growing up, pets were a central fix on my life. My mother, who deserved to be the wife of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, played wife, mother of two, and high school biology teacher when she was not imitating Irwin by wrestling our life-sized crocodile float for the backyard pool. Real life drove a stake between her and her dreams of rescuing wildlife and working with Siberian tigers. However, that did not stop her from passing on a love and respect for animals to me, her oldest daughter. I, too, became obsessed with every furry creature that passed my way, and together, we rescued several baby rabbits, raised monarch butterflies, and took in abandoned kittens. All of our own pets, except the reptiles and small mammals, were picked up off the street or adopted from the local shelter. It seemed as if we were always bringing in a new animal because, ironically, we were never able to keep them alive for whatever reason. Sandy the lizard froze to death, Nibbles the guinea pig just fell down dead, my first hamster was eaten by the cat, Nikki the cat had an aggressive streak that bordered psychotic making her unsafe, and Frisky the cat disappeared one frosty morning and was never seen again.

Turquoise

When Sparta entered my life, we had Candy the dog, Piddy Paws the cat, and Turquoise the turtle. Ma recently put down her long-haired, pink-nosed cat Luca who had taken the place of her one true love, Sanibel the white-haired cat of princes. Now, she had found a new replacement under a car at a gas station at two in the morning. His nose was light like a cougar’s, he had gigantic lemur-like golden eyes, and a strange brindle pattern over half his face and down his back.

Candy

            Sitting on the couch, I was watching TV as usual. My sister Abbey always went to bed late, which meant that I got the TV in the morning since she’d sleep until at least noon on the weekends and in the summer. That morning, Abbey emerged from her room earlier than usual. It took two glances before I noticed the bright-eyed kitten sitting in her arms.

            “Look, Alexa!” she squeaked, cuddling the kitten as Candy tried furiously to get at what was in her arms. The kitten was completely unfazed by the short dog and kept his eyes on me. Immediately, I reached for it; furry animals were like a magnet for me.

Nutmeg

            After the usual whining and crying, Ma relented that we could keep the new kitten much to Piddy Paws’ annoyance and Candy’s excitement. It took quite some time to come up with a name, but after watching a YouTube video about a crazy, exuberant cat, we settled on the name of Sparta, or Spartacus when he had done something wrong.

            After adjusting to his new home, we realized that Sparta was unlike the usual cat. Aside from his strange but beautiful coat of miniscule stripes on his head, leopard rosettes down his back, and a ringed tail, Sparta had several characteristics of a friendly dog. YouTube overflows with videos of cats that attack, spit, and hiss at their poor owners who only want to reach out and stroke them. Sparta never attacked out of viciousness no matter what oddball position he found himself in among our arms. At the shake of a feather toy, Sparta back flipped and leaped into the air with ease and agility. He even played fetch for small furry mice toys, bounding after them and prancing back with the toy in his mouth. Occasionally, a strange gleam would enter his large eyes, and he’d streak down the various hallways with gusto and craziness.

            Then, I never knew how much of a part Sparta would play in my life. I already had a cat with Piddy Paws. Piddy was a stray I picked out of a litter at the local animal shelter as a replacement to yet another cat we could not keep alive to old age. Piddy Paws, a fat regular cat, was my whole world all through middle school and high school, and when I went to college and lived in a residence hall for a year, it was Piddy Paws I cried over incessantly, longing to return to my friend. In my sophomore year, I was allowed to have a pet in my new apartment. Piddy Paws was the cat I wanted, but Piddy Paws was also the cat that refused to use the litter box and peed on random objects. The smell of cat pee is a nose-cringing, breath-holding monstrosity that cannot be removed. To take Piddy to my new apartment would be a one-way ticket to eviction, but I had to have a pet with me. I also felt it was unfair for my mom to solely care for my cat and turtle, so I decided to pull Sparta out of her home and into mine instead of picking out a new friend from the animal shelter..." 

Piddy Paws

Where I'm From

It started with a drop of McCoy blood,
That long ago infamous feud,
Now filmed for television in order that
My kin be laughed at and discussed
(Not that they weren't before)
And here I am, my sisters and I, seventh generation.

From three months of Sunshine, too much,
North Carolina was the right fit for us.
A little town - Mt. Hollywood, we called her.
We kids believed to be made for bigger lives.
And so they dreamed, and I wrote -
A sign of boredom at first
Now, a career choice I look forward to regretting.

From childhood, growing up like a stubborn, endless weed
Reciting Dr. Seuss before learning how to read,
From animals of both me and those as pets
Me as a cheetah, horse, wolf, growling dog,
Breathing animals: cats, dogs, fish, frozen lizard,
Oh, the green snake, hermit crab, hamsters galore,
Baby birds, week-long guinea pig, and the turtle that refuses death.

From books to falling for film
Moonstruck, Moulin Rouge, Adventureland, The Lion King
Oh, longing to do that!
Met by my mother's harsh tongue and quick sting
Still, I dreamed on a bed by the window
Where the trees' leaves fell over and over again
Until cut down, I tearfully plotted revenge.

From running barefoot on the splintered deck
Round the pool, both swimming hole and frog love boat
Never tanning, always burning my white Welsh skin
Resisting school for summer's play or tuning out to write the day away
In a world that only made sense in my head
Until college showed up and brought me here instead. 

The Must List, August 25

Read, watch, chew, post pictures!! 

1. The Hands of Isis by Jo Graham
What a wonderful novel about the beautiful, passionate, and tragic tale of Queen Cleopatra. Told by one of the handmaidens, The Hands of Isis is seeped in detail, romance, beauty, and breathtaking wonders of the ancient world. Cleopatra's tragic love affairs are told with brutal honesty and Charmain's own love story turns out for the best in a way completely unexpected. I am now a huge Jo Graham fan.

2. TwitPic
I'm into Twitter again, and I've started regularly posting my pictures via TwitPic. This is a spin-off of the Twitter social networking website that allows users to post their pictures with the same privacy rights as Twitter. I'm not an Instagram person... I don't have the app. And, I've never liked the layout of Photobucket. So, TwitPic is my go-to for posting pictures on Twitter. It has my Twitter name on there so my accounts are linked perfectly together. All of my photos show up in a feed or I can switch the view to "gallery" to see them laid out side-by-side. If you click "Home," you can see what everyone else is taking pictures of.

3. "White Collar" television series
This is my new favorite show (now that I'm saving the last few episodes of "Lost" because I don't want it to end). Neil Caffery, played by the beautiful, blue-eyed actor Matt Bomer, is a suave, charming con artist whose list of crimes extends to bond forgery, art thief, and art forgery. Caught by FBI agent Peter Burke, he strikes a deal with Peter to wear a tracking anklet and help the FBI in white collar cases for the remainder of his prison sentence. This is after he broke out of jail, of course, and went searching his true love, Kate. Kate, however, had other plans and seems to be manipulated and cornered by a different FBI agent. While solving crimes with Peter, Neil secretly tries to find out what has happened to Kate. The show is clean, low of cuss words, and is quite funny.

4.  We Bought a Zoo DVD
Who wouldn't want to buy a zoo? Seriously!!? Who wouldn't want to grow up in a zoo? Matt Damon plays a widow raising a son and young daughter, and he decides to uproot his family to a new home in order to start afresh. He happens to buy a house that comes with a zoo - lions, tigers, porcupines, peacocks... yes, they have them all! Damon's character then realizes afterwards that the zoo is in a severe state of disrepair and must fix up the place in order to reopen it for the sake of the animals and his oddball staff. Can he do it in time before the official inspection... will his son ever forgive him... will he fall in love with the boyish, no make-up-wearing Scarlett Johansson... does he even have enough money????

5. "Chewtublar" hamster toy
This thing is groovy, man! A giant tube for your hamster to chew on, PLUS it has non-toxic, brightly-colored bedding inside that your little friend can bury in or take out and put whenever he/she wants. It is a great toy for their teeth, and it provides comfort and warmth. My hamster Nutmeg instantly took to it.

6. Nerds plush toy
Yes, you can eat the candy all day long, but have you ever hugged a Nerd candy before? I'm not talking about the pillows shaped like the candy boxes and bars. I'm talking about the little cartoon caricature of a Nerd candy drawn on the box. Yes, they exist!! And yes, Stuart worked long and hard to find one for me after I told him that getting one for me for Christmas would mean I would love him forever. And he did. He went to several different websites, tracking the toy from one link to another until finally he found and bought me a Willy Wonka Nerd plush... without the backpack clip-on!!! Best Christmas present EVER!

Sparta's Grand but Short Adventure

It is yet to be determined how much of a hand Sparta had in the beginning of his own adventure, but last night after 11:00, Sparta escaped from the trailer!
Almost on the brink of deep sleep, I heard the end of a loud slap and slightly woke.
"Baby, are you ok?" Stuart called from the living room behind my closed door.
"Yeah," I answered groggily not knowing why he was asking. My brain had still not put together what had happened. In fact, my sleepy mind had decided that Stuart had come into my room to smack a fly or two with the flyswatter. Still... something nagged at me, and I sat up in bed to find my box fan on the floor and the screen of my open window to be bent in half. Frantically, I leaped out of bed and literally clawed my stuff from under my bed searching for Sparta. He wasn't there. He wasn't under the desk. He wasn't squatting in his litter box. No, my crazy cat had jumped out the window to freedom in the pitch dark!
"Sparta's outside!" I cried to Stuart, throwing open my bedroom door as I threw on some clothes. Stuart leaped from the couch and immediately headed outside. After one more sweep of my room, I joined him, and we began calling for kitty.

The area around my house is not the most ideal place to look for a cat in the pitch dark with two small flashlights between us. The other thing, Sparta was scarily quiet. Usually when he's outside, he meows and caterwauls to nature throughout the whole walk at the end of his leash and blue harness. This time... nothing! That little conniving cat was staying purposefully quiet so he could stay outside longer. We called out his name; I even had his favorite treats with me and shook the bag to get his attention.
I walked around the trailer with its side wooden fence that he could have easily avoided and the brush that covers the steep slope that leads right to the fast-moving river. I didn't think he'd be that stupid and only glanced at the area briefly. Stuart and I both combed our landlord's land next door where his two greenhouses and workshop sit. The land is covered in high grasses, shrubs, various junk, and A MILLION places for a cat to hide. It didn't help that one of the greenhouses had its door propped open, and it was necessary to search among the rows of various plants for a brindle and white cat with a red collar. That was definitely a relief for me... he had his collar on with my cell phone number printed at the bottom of his little gold tag!

I had many thoughts running through my mind, but none of them amounted to anything close to panic.
Thought #1: I need to call my friends at the Jackson County Animal Shelter tomorrow and give them a description of Sparta.
2: I'm not going to get any sleep tonight if we can't find him, and I need to be prepared for that.
3: Tomorrow morning, I need to make posters and go to WCU's library to print them before hanging them up around the area and putting them in my neighbors' mailboxes.
4: Call my landlord in the morning to let him know he might see Sparta and to please call me.
5: I should have put on better shoes. 
6: We will find him!
Remember that major change I talked about yesterday? In my mind, this was a test. I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to find Sparta. It was truly a test of my faith, and I prayed every second.
Suddenly, Stuart called out as I swept my flashlight through some shrugs lining the dirt road.
"Baby, come here... and don't run!"
We slowly approached, and for several moments, I still could not make out Sparta in the darkness and hoped that Stuart was calling me over because he found the cat not because we were about to take on an angry raccoon or possum.
And there he was with his ringed tail in the air prancing about in the wet grass without a care in the world across the street in the neighbors' yard. As we approached, Sparta hopped up onto a fallen log and scratched his claws like a happy kitty before prancing just out of reach. We cornered him in front of a different trailer across the street. Teasing him with chicken-flavored treats, I was able to bribe him over and after one missed grab, I scooped up my kitty and walked him home.

Slumped back into bed in my now stuffy room, I decided the hamster would have to deal without access to her high rise that night, and I let Sparta rule the house for the night in order to get more air in my room (I still don't have a working window screen so I don't know what I'll do tonight). I was about to become super comfortable in my bed when a thought occurred: my cat just walked around in a wooded area in the summer.
"Stuart, can you check Sparta for ticks?"
In the end, we both held down the cat while I cleaned out his filthy foot pads and combed his fur looking for ticks. He was clean, thankfully.
Then that no-good cat bawled, meowed, caterwauled, wailed, and had an all-out fit for the next half hour because he wanted to go back out into the dark, the cold, the wilderness with its foxes, possums, other cats, free-roaming dogs, hawks, and all sorts of animals.... After all that trouble, he wasn't the least bit pleased to have been rescued. What an ungrateful cat!!!

Photo of the Day: June 3

This is my new favorite dog at the animal shelter. Her name is Streets, and she is a terrier mix with a HUGE heart!!! I really hope she gets to go to a good home with kids because she loves to snuggle and play, play, play!! Definitely a dog worth rescuing.

Movie Minute: Constructing a High Rise Top for a Hamster Cage

Now, this cage topper thing was WAY MORE COMPLICATED than it ever needed to be thanks to the design of having to construct the darn thing through the one-arm wide lid!!! An extreme pain, I must say... but Nutmeg LOVES it!! I was very proud that Stuart and I worked well together and didn't have any disagreements while constructing this frustrating contraption.

Photo of the Day: May 28

This was taken in the summer of 2010!! I am missing my kitty so much right now! I can't wait to cuddle him again tomorrow! :)

5th Time's a Charm

 Well... I find it ironic how much I hate change and have the lifetime desire to find my perfect home, but I keep moving. This will be the fifth time I've moved in two years! Thankfully, I'm not moving across half the state this time. It's just from Cullowhee to Sylva.

Welcome to Sylva, North Carolina

As much as I'd love to divulge why I'm moving again, I'm going to wait until I get my deposit back before I spill the illegal secrets of my landlady and her so-called "business." I always had a twinge of worry in the back of my mind since I never saw the place or met her before I moved into the single wide, two-bedroom trailer up on a mountain covered in tall trees, llamas, and mini horses. Still, even if I had gone over the trailer with a comb... there would have been no way Justin or I could have seen the kind of trap we were moving into!
Right now, I am pet sitting three large and friendly dogs in Greensboro. The day I get back... WE ARE MOVING OUT AS FAST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN!!! Already, Stuart and I have taken box after box over to the new place in Sylva in an effort to just get out of that trailer!! Believe me, I want to get as far away as possible as fast as I can!

The new place!!! <3

The new place is a longer drive from Western Carolina than I would have liked... but it's so beautiful and CLEAN!!! Like you don't think of a trailer as being clean... that's not anywhere close to the stigma that goes hand-in-hand with a trailer. But this... is only two years old, custom ordered with extra insulation, and was kept very neat by the woman who used to live there. The trailer has two bedroom, carpet everywhere except the kitchen, and comes with a beautiful tan leather couch that could double as a bed. No puke green walls or stained carpet!!! It sits on a small property with view and access to Scotts Creek, a small-sized, fast-moving river. There's a yard in the back and on the sides where we will plant a garden and have a screened awning in the back overlooking the creek. The bubbling creek cancels out the noise of the traffic on Main Street, which is across the creek. It's a short walk to the library, the Farmers' Market, downtown restaurants, and the City Lights bookstore from our new place. Sadly, Jack the Dipper ice cream parlor isn't downtown, too. That would be ideal!!

Jack the Dipper ice cream parlor... not in downtown

It will also be the first time since the summer in Raleigh that I will have both of my pets, Sparta and Nutmeg, in my house on a full-time basis. I am so excited to get Nutmeg back. I've missed that crazy hamster, and after reading a hamster care book, Stuart and I found out that we've been caring for her all wrong this entire time!!! And somehow, she never died!! Yesterday, I purchased a wire cage high rise, which attaches to her glass cage in order to give her three extra levels for more fun, more exercise, and more air flow as compared to the stuffiness she has experienced in her glass cage. At the same time, the high rise is easily detachable so we don't have to worry about Sparta trying to pry apart the wire top when we're gone or can't watch them. Stuart and I also plan on feeding her more fruits, a spoonful of fruit yogurt now and then, a pinch of meat once a week (yes, meat!!!), and provide nature's own joys like branches from a willow tree or washed grass. Apparently, hamsters LOVE this stuff!
Now, as to my roommate... well, I'll announce that later on, but I can't wait to tell you all (my four devoted readers, I adore you all). In the meantime, I'm chilling in Greensboro, waiting... waiting... waiting........... I JUST WANT TO MOVE... RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

Photo of the Day December 15

Yesterday, I packed up a good chunk of my personal belongings and made the drive to Raleigh. My Christmas Break has officially begun, and I'm spending it with (yes, I'm going to be very cliche) the love of my life... and my cat!! I'm so excited to be with Sparta again! And, he seems happy to be with me, too! All day yesterday and this morning he's been clinging to my side and meowing for affection!
I've missed this crazy cat!

Finding a Winner

In preparation for my transferring back to Western, I traveled to Cullowhee last weekend to look at houses, apartments, and mobile homes for my new residence. It was stressful and frustrating: I had one weekend to do it in! This time, my criteria for housing was very different than my Greensboro home.

1. I was looking for one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes. Yes, I said two-bedrooms. And, not because Stuart has suddenly had a major change of heart and wants to come back to Cullowhee with me. Nope, I have a new roommate!! I know what you're thinking... "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" I've been burned by roommates since I first attended college. My freshman dorm experience wasn't superb, probably because neither my roommate nor I had ever shared a room before, certainly not a room that small. Then, there was my Cullowhee apartment, which was strange but stressful many times. Then, there's my current home with a peeing cat and other issues.
Honestly when I first looked for places to live in Cullowhee again, I was strictly looking at studio layouts and one-bedroom apartments only. Then, something changed. My boss at The Western Carolinian newspaper, JC, decided that his one-hour commute to campus cost too much, and it was time for a change. Jokingly, I told him he should move in with me! He actually agreed, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Let's be honest... I'm not in the best health to live by myself! In fact, it'd be quite dangerous for me to live alone and off campus. Who would spoon feed me peanut butter if my blood sugar dropped? Who would be able to get me off the ground and into the house when my energy was zapped? I'm sure JC hasn't thought about these implications and may he never have to deal with them, but they are consequences of my life, consequences that I have to think about and put first whether I want to live with someone or not. I am excited to live with JC though. He and I have had two years of working experience together, and if you can't work together, you probably shouldn't live together. I have never had but minor issues with JC, and I've always been proud to be his employee and admired his work ethic. This weekend, we even had a trial roommate scenario as we shared a room on campus to sleep. His personality is relaxed where mine is high strung. He worries easily about the types of things that I typically sit back and relax about. I'm learning to see him not just as a boss but as a loyal friend. And best of all is that even though he's a guy, he has been Stuart-approved to live with!!

2. Everywhere we looked, the places were high up on a hill, slope, or the side of a mountain. That's what you get when you live in the mountains!! However, it was crucial that JC and I find somewhere close enough to campus, but also that wasn't so far up a mountain or ridiculous terrain that we couldn't get out for food or classes when it snowed a few inches! That's a major thing I never had to think about when looking for places in Greensboro. SNOW and ICE!! It's become a major concern, especially after the horrible winter in 2010-2011. I had to reschedule one of my exams, and the first week of classes for the spring 2011 semester were cancelled due to snow and that students couldn't get back from their homes because Balsalm Gap was closed. There were quite a few places we looked at that it just wouldn't have worked. The slightest possibility of ice, and our cars would have not only spun out but we would have pitched over the side of the mountain and crashed landed at the bottom after hitting every tree, rock, and shrub on the way down!!

January 2011, Cullowhee

3. As always, Sparta is an issue, but this time there's Nutmeg, too. Any place that would take too much money to heat - even if we didn't heat the place as well as we could to cut down costs - would have been too cold for the fragile body of a small hamster. Over the summer, she nearly died from hammie heatstroke when Stuart's air conditioner was broken. For me to pop open the cage lid and find a frozen Nutmeg inside would leave me scarred for life!! Many places in Cullowhee don't allow pets under any circumstances. JC and I passed up a lot of great places just because of Sparta. I don't believe Nutmeg would have been an issue since she's in a cage, but people are scared of what damage a pet can do. Even the apartment complex I lived in last time I was in Cullowhee - they no longer allow any pets! Cats can claw, pee, break window screens, and cause noise problems... and those are only the bad behaviors of Mac! Even though Sparta has lived in three rental places with no damage (if you don't count the flea fiasco, which I fixed!!!), it isn't enough. Pets are just not allowed in Cullowhee.
After a weekend of searching (an adventure that deserves a post of its own), JC and I believe we've found our place! The ironic thing about it is that we actually didn't find it the weekend I was up there! I haven't seen the place, but based on JC's descriptions and photos, I think it'll be perfect!!!

• It's a good location to campus
• It has special parking at the base of the mountain in case of snow and ice
• It has large-ish bedrooms
• The landlady seems nice, friendly, and not nearly as scary as some other people we met
• It's the perfect price, and includes water, sewer, and trash pick-up
• Sparta is only $75!!

WIN!

Photo of the Day November 8

This weekend, I got a pet sitting job! From Friday night to Sunday night, I babysat two crazy puppies who were the size of grown dogs, a fat cat that thought it was a monkey, and two beautiful horses!! The horses were definitely my favorite! I've been obsessed with horses for as long as I can remember and used to take horseback riding lessons (the only sport I actually enjoyed). When I grew out of having someone telling me what to do while riding, I gave up the lessons. But, I have always wished for my own horse!! This weekend was great because I pretended that Prancer (right) and Shirley (left) were my own! The weekend went by way too fast!

Photo of the Day August 28

I love this picture! My roommates' pets, Fleetwood and Mac, are fascinated by my hamster!!

"Hey, Doc, you ever get the feeling you was being watched?"

Temporary Goodbye

Today, I said goodbye to my beloved cat Sparta for the time being. Until further notice, he will be living with Stuart in Raleigh. It's just not safe for him here at the new house in Greensboro due to the other cat that we live with.
 Hopefully very soon, Sparta will be able to rejoin me where he belongs. He has been my constant companion since last October and a faithful pet for over three years. I miss him dearly. I want him back so badly... but it is safer and healthier for him to stay with Stuart. I know that Stuart will take the same loving care of him as I have done.

Sparta and Mac being calm for a moment...

In the meantime, I have Nutmeg the hamster now at my house. Nothing will take the place of Sparta cuddling with me, keeping my feet warm at night, purring loudly, and bouncing through the house... However, I'd rather have Nutmeg here than no pet at all. I hope she will like rolling around the wood floors in her brand new exercise ball!
I agonized over this decision for many days. At first, Stuart refused to take Sparta as is completely right for him to do. Sparta isn't his cat and shouldn't have to take responsibility for him. But as the behavior of the other cat, Mac, continued, it was obvious to both of us that it was right thing to do. While Sparta may be stressed about not being able to find me, I know that he will be comfortable and happy away from Mac and the unfamiliar surroundings of Greensboro. He will adjust, as will Nutmeg.
It breaks my heart to be away from him. He was everything to me last year - a friend when I was getting adjusted to living on  my own and away from my family the first semester of sophomore year then a companion and someone to hug whenever Stuart came and went during second semester. We suffered through a hectic Christmas season and a crazy, dramatic summer together. He's just the best little cat, and I miss him so much.
Hopefully as things fall into place and the stresses of moving die down, I will be able to bring him home soon. He belongs here with me, and I intend to fight for him.
...I can't write anymore. It's too difficult. Oh, it's his birthday today. He's 4... or 5. I think it's 4, but happy birthday, Sparta. I hope you enjoy the peace again and I'll see you soon, ok?

Sparta happy 

Read favorite Sparta moments:

• Sparta and I move to Raleigh
• Why Sparta is awesome!
• Sparta and his toy
• The Bleach Incident
• Sparta destroys a bunch of snow globes!