Life at Kimbolton

After Chloe left, Jake and I couldn't believe it was safe to walk about the yard.  We had a lovely peaceful day and then on the 17th January 2018, Mum put us in our crates and took us to Sharrow.

We stayed there for 2 nights and were so relieved when Mum picked us up on the 19th January.  We went on a really long trip.  I travelled in the back of the wagon with the dogs and Jake was up front with Mum.  On the back seat were the 2 roosters, 7 hens and 2 ducks.  It was very crowded.

When we arrived at the new house, Jake and I were shut in the main bedroom and ensuite.

 Food and crates in ensuite

 Chickens and stuff on lawn first night

 Dogs outside the new house

 Jake looking for breakfast

 Ducks and chickens on lawn

 Jake and me in the dog beds

 Freedom at last

 Jake was a little scared to come outside and needed a little encouragement

 Me off to explore 

 What lives down there?

 Lovely soft sand to dig in!

Jake 

Chloe (The Garden Pixie)

On the 15th January 2018, Chloe went home with a lovely couple from the Waitakere township.  Sadly she didn't like me and Mum tried lots of things to stop her bullying me.  She was wearing 3 bells and a lovely pink collar but was scaring me away.  Jake had taken to disappearing for a couple of days at a time.

This is Chloe in Mum's knitting basket.  It was for me to hide in but she took it over.

This is me trying to hide and get comfort from Mum.

A rare photo of me and Chloe in the same space.

Chloe is a Siamese with stripes and wanted to be the only cat.  I was told that Arnie kept her in control but he died the week before I moved in and as I grew up she terrorized me more and more.  She is really settled in her new home and being spoiled rotten.  She took her cat crate, scratching post, a quilt and bowl.

 Still in her crate at the new place.

 She has found a lap.

 Doesn't look like she is missing us.

 Being doted on.

 Chloe has the good life now.

That is definitely a Chloe look of do not disturb!

I know Mum misses her but Jake and I are now best friends and love living in Kimbolton with our family.  Read next post for our adventures. 

Introducing Ginger Thom

On the 11th Nov 2016 we picked up our ginger kitten from a work collegue whose partner found 2 dumped kittens in a box outside his work.  They were approximately 2 weeks old and were hand reared by this lovely couple.  We were privileged to take little ginger Thom.

 Thom and Millie

Little Thom kitten

 The day we brought him home

 Settling in on the sofa

 Getting close to Chloe

Shilo was fascinated by Thom

Trying to get close to Jake

 Playing with Hogan's tail

With the dead baby bunny Jake brought home for Thom.

Arnie (2002 - 3 Nov 2016)

Arnie disappeared on the 3rd Nov 2016.  It was not unusual for him to be away from home overnight or even once 2 weeks but this time it didn't feel right.  We called him that night expecting him to return during the night meowing as he did to announce he was home.  Sadly that did not happen so next day after I got home, I took the dogs for a walk up the drive.  When I spotted Poppy and then Shilo looking in a drain under the neighbour's drive, I thought I had better investgate.  It was Arnie.  He was half in the drain and definitely dead.  I picked him up and carried him home so we could say goodbye properly and bury him with the others.

This is the last photo I have of Arnie sitting on my legs while I was sewing the binding on my niece's quilt.  He was a real character cat and a mean hunter.  He lived a good full life with us after we rescued him and his brother Forrest from a forest out of Dargaville where they had been dumped.  He was 14.5 years old and outlived his brother by 7 years.

 Arnie was really confident with the dogs and was often found close to one of them.  In this case it is Shilo who really wasn't so sure.

 A group of tabbies - Arnie back left with Bruno and in front Forrest.  They are altogether again.

 Always in the centre of things.

With Jake.

Hanging out with Hogan.

We were due to get a ginger kitten the week after Arnie left us.  I was so looking forward to Arnie training the new one but sadly he left before that happened.

RIP Arnie 

Life is much quieter without you.

Brocketsway Shilo Rose (5 Nov 2006 to 8 Feb 2017)

Little Miss Shilo

Shilo left us after dinner on Tuesday 7th Feb 2017. Originally I started this blog to record her puppy adventures.  At the time I was a blog novice and realised this was public and deleted all of that history. I had saved it on my computer but subsequently lost the hard drive. Now I wish I had those memories.

Shilo was the most gorgeous puppy.  She was the youngest we had experienced at 7 weeks old and when she arrived was smaller than the cats.

She was very adventurous and probably was not trusted alone on our property for longer than any of the others.  She was an independent spirit from the beginning but was loyal to her big brother Rocky and sister Casey.  Casey played with her from start but Rocky wouldn't even look at her.

She grew into a beautiful girl and was lots of fun.  She loved doing agility and did it with lots of noise and passion.

Shilo was still competing at agility the weekend before she showed signs of being really sick.  She was only just 10 years, 3 months old and that really was too young to leave us.  We miss her so much.

Bon's Casey on Fire (Casey) 10 Mar 1999 to 26 Feb 2015

The day arrived that we had to make the decision to farewell Casey.

We had a lovely week at Matarangi and although she spent most of her time at the bach walking round and round the the house, she was well and showed signs of the beautiful girl she was.

 We took her to the wharf a couple of times for a paddle.

 She was good and walked well.

 A family shot

A tired girl.  

After walking around the bach she would crash and sleep 

for a while.  Here she is crashed at the water bowl.

It felt like she deteriorated on the last day and got quite distressed in the car 

when we got caught up in rush hour traffic on the way home.

  She could hardly stand when we got home. 

We gave her a day at home and she had a lot of trouble standing and would end up

lying down.  Here Arnie is keeping her company.  He has been a constant companion to her

and I am grateful that she made it home.  This photo was taken on the morning

we had her put to sleep.  She hadn't improved and it was time to relieve her of pain.

It was a really hard day but she had a good long life and she was no longer able to walk freely 

and had stopped eating her dinner unless I helped her.  

At  midday on the 26th Feb 2015

I helped my best friend of nearly 16 years pass to Rainbow Bridge.

Tribute To A Best Friend

Sunlight streams through window pane

unto a spot on the floor....

then I remember,

it's where you used to lie,

but now you are no more.

Our feet walk down a hall of carpet,

and muted echoes sound....

then I remember,

It's where your paws would joyously abound.

A voice is heard along the road,  

and up beyond the hill,

then I remember it can't be yours....

your golden voice is still.

But I'll take that vacant spot of floor

and empty muted hall

and lay them with the absent voice

and unused dish along the wall.

I'll wrap these treasured memorials

in a blanket of my love

and keep them for my best friend

until we meet above.

Author Unknown