Off the Leash

Igor has made a lot of progress over the past week. As I mentioned last week, we began taking him for "walks" using a harness and leash. The first few days he was terrified and spent most of the time trying to bolt back into the office. He finally started to relax a little bit, so a few days ago we graduated from the leash.

We now leave the office door open when we're working at the front barn and Igor explores on his own. He spends much of the time sitting right at the office door and observing the world. Over the last couple of days Igor has begun exploring the barn and even making brief trips outside the barn. He loves to pounce on little bugs in the shavings. When we're not at the barn we shut him in the office.

Igor had his first encounter with Ewen and quickly established that he was going to be the boss of Ewen. As Ewen cautiously approached, Igor stood his ground, pinned his ears, and growled. Ewen slowly stretched and put his nose close to Igor. Igor immediately slapped Ewen on the nose and Ewen retreated. Igor seems to be a very smart cat so far and he is starting to enjoy his explorations of the outside world although the office is definitely his safe space. Igor is making progress!

the first meeting between Igor and Ewen; look at Igor's stance and his pinned ears. Right after I took this picture he swatted Ewen on the nose and the terms of their relationship were established

Igor being brave and exploring a stall

Igor briefly exploring outside the barn; he's still very skittish about this

--------------------------

the chestnut club wandering through the pasture; Ripley, Walon and Wlson

Lily and Ewen

MyLight and Charlotte

Maisie and MyLight

Charlotte and Renatta

Traveller and Lily

Roho and Gus

Cisco and Thomas napping, Moe and Homer grazing

Elfin and Trigger

Happy and Miel

Mick, Digby and Paramount . . .

. . . a closer look at Digby . . . 

. . . a closer look at Mick

Hemi and Thomas

Convey, Chance and Cisco

Cuffie, Dolly and Calimba

Silver and Flyer

Lotus and Romeo

Cino and Lightning

Remmy, Hesse and Walden

Havana and Fabrizzio grooming

Sunday Stills

Remmy, Baner and Hesse

Johnny and Taco

Sam and Happy

Paramount and Digby

Asterik and Cocomo

Mick and Nemo

Rip and Grand

Johnny, Digby, Nemo and Taco

I could hardly see Maisie and Dolly in the morning fog

Trigger, Convey, Moe and Homer

Apollo and Elfin

pretty morning sky

Renatta and Norman

Happenings Around the Farm

We've had a lot going on around the farm lately. One of the most "exciting" parts was having a norovirus visit our house. That was fantastic. Carter and I succumbed but Jason, so far, has been spared. He probably doesn't need to declare himself in the clear yet.

I really only had one day where I was almost completely not functioning. I got through morning chores, then I crawled back into bed and didn't get up, except to go medicate a couple of horses, until the next day. I was happy to let others pick up my slack for a change. Somehow, during the course of that one day, the clothes in our laundry basket went on a breeding frenzy and grew into a mound of clothes that could fill multiple laundry baskets. In addition to the laundry explosion, it seemed that a bomb of toys and clutter exploded in our house. I missed basically one day of full functioning, I don't understand how a month of laundry and clutter happened in one day.

When we haven't been enjoying a norovirus I've been attempting to teach Igor, the most recent addition to the WebbPet empire, about life outside of the barn office. He's been in there for almost 90 days, and he's changed from a skinny, half dead, terrified kitten into a plump, friendly, playful kitten. He's also now fully vaccinated, de-wormed, neutered, microchipped, and treated for fleas and ticks. I've attempted to walk him around the barn on a leash four times now. We don't get very far. After spending the last week deciding it is time to try and make his escape from the barn office, now he just tries to bolt back into the office. He has finally had a couple of moments where he takes a breath and looks around briefly, then he flees for the office again. Hopefully Igor will keep taking tiny baby steps into the bigger world outside the barn office.

______________________________

Igor nervously looking around at the outside world

Igor being somewhat more brave as he takes in the sights in front of the barn. A second later he bolted back into the office.

Silver

When you feel like you're being watched, and turn around to see that you are, in fact, being watched. Roho, Rubrico, Gus, Rocky and Johnny


River and Gus


Sparky, Timbit, Sabrina and Bonnie


Maisie and Dawn


Flyer


Gibson and Gus


Blu and B-Rad


Donovan and Johnny


Ripley out cold in the hay with Wilson eating


Calimba and MyLight


Chance and Convey


Merlin, Havana, Fabrizzio, Hesse and Cino . . . 

. . . a closer look at Havana, Fabrizzio, Hesse and Cino . . . 

. . . and a closer look at Merlin


Bruno, Duesy and Walden


Levendi


Faune and Asterik


Cocomo and Lotus