Stray Cat Basja in Winter

Life in winter is too difficult - even if it's winter in south of Italy. November is very rainy and the high humidity  is the best condition for every kind of diseases. That is why the stray cat Basja lives in this period in the best place she finds in her territory - and this place, you can imagine, is the pillow on the stool in front of the fire.

It's not so easy to protect the stool because these humans want to sit there, too. But generally it's enough to put on the claws in their backsides to make them change the idea. After it, the life becomes relatively calm.

The next problem is to wake them up at 2 or 4 o'clock to open the door when the poor stray cat does not want to sleep more and has to go out. There are different possibilities but normally the jumping in the bed from one to other helps them to understand the message.

Next problem to solve is the breakfast. Basja knows the hour of it very well, but they do not want to think about the necessities of the poor stray cat. Here you can nothing to do: they continue to eat and even the presence and the disapproval in the eyes can't help. So Basja limits herself disturbing them to eat.

You can understand that the very clever cat has to be ingenious and find innovative solutions for every situation. At the end, the cunning feline has always what she wants.

Love is a Strange Thing for Animals, too

When I told you the Love Story of our Mandarina ducks, I could not even imagine how the things can change drastically in only two days.

Our ducks live in the great open-air cage with my dear pond all destroyed now.

It's a nice place for ducks. They have enough water for all and they can graze all day long. They love the soft grass I seeded there in September.

Everything could be so nice but... the young duck does not love the old female and courts the young female. The old female does not want her first mate and sits alone. Her old friend ( really too old maybe?) is alown, too. Don Juan chants for his new flame and does not even look at the old female...

Oh my god, what have we do with them???

My Parrots - New Couples from Ornithological Show of Reggio Emilia

This year finishes with the many new birds in our "family". We had many different species this year but they were not very good for the breeding because they were very difficult to grow up and the mortality was impressive. It was very shocking for me. I do not breed them for money but I see sentient beings for me. The terrible deaths I had powerless observe all the summer were too hard experience for me. No, there is nothing good in it.

In the autumn, I suddenly bought 2 Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus)
One of them, too clever, observed our behavior for some days than flow away in a moment of distraction of my husband. The second, in 2 weeks he was alone, became depressed, began to lose feathers... He is too young. So it was nothing to do, I had to buy a friend for him.

I found 2 little Cockatiels in one shop and bought one of them. In the moment I took my new Cockatiel from there, he greeted so touching the brother (it's very probably they are brothers)... The first was content to have a friend but it seemed to me, there was not great friendship between them. One day I passed near the same shop and saw the second Cockatiel still there very upset. So, I bought him, too. Now, we had 3 Cockatiels but they were not very good friends.

In the same period, I bought an adult couple of Rosellas. Both, rosellas and Cockatiels are parrots from Australia. Rosellas did not want to know anything about the Cockatiels, and even in the period when the first was allown, they never wanted even near him.

Some days ago, we visited the Ornithological Show in Reggio Emilia, one of the most important in Italy. I went there with the clear idea to ask those bird lovers who are my Cockatiels and to buy couples for those who need them. I took many shots of my Cockatiels on  my cell for it.

It was something incredible: so many persons were there in the show rooms.

But there were not so many species of birds as I imagined to see there. I thought, there will be great variety of exotic birds. I could not go from there without some big (not very big, middle) parrots and purchased two adult couples: Cloncurry Parrot (Barnardius zonarius macgillivrayi)

and Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi)

Both are The Australian Ringnecks (Barnardius zonarius) and seem to be from the same family as the Rosellas. I did not know it, but in any case, I like them for their beautiful colors very much.

I found one friend for my Cockatiels, too, and now they are 4. The good notice is that the first of them, that depressed, loved the new arrival in the same moment and now they are the best friends ever. All of them are happy and I can sleep happily, too.

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Ornamental Birds

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Eurasian Coot near Naples, Italy

We went northward of Naples to visit some of my husband's friends who are bird lovers. On the way, we had to cross a little river that was more similar to an irrigation channel. Middle of the autumn is the time when many birds fly to south over our zone and we often hear their voices. It's not too easy to see them because they often fly in the night. I don't know why they do it but I think they know about the danger of hunters and that they sleep in the night. :-)))

Crossing the river, we've seen some ducks on the water and wanted to make some photos of them.
As usually I had only my cell and could not make the shuts better but I think, you can believe me.

My husband sees better than me and as a bird lover he knows different bird species, so he cried: These are coots! Look here, you can see them here!

Well, coots or not, all the ducks were just hidden in the rushes when we neared them and I took some photos only when they did not see me. And, unfortunately, it's impossible to understand what species are those.

In any case I was very happy to see that there are still alive beings in the wild nature in this region because I've seen that there are too many persons with the guns and there is not any wild animal or bird who is so courageous to live in the day time.

Sleep, my Friend! I'll never leave you!

I could not pass away when I've seen this beautiful collection of the photos representing sleeping puppies. After the bad experience I had yesterday, when I've seen an old and ill rottweiler left by his owner on the parking place near a supermarket, I was very upset. That dog was so calm and looked trustfully on all the persons around him. He was so sure that somebody will help him. He did not even try to go somewhere. He was calm and good. How could that animal, his owner, left such a dog????? What heart has that beast?

I needed something positive. I needed to know that there are persons who would never do it...

Source: themetapicture.com via fanny on Pinterest

From the Life of the Ants

There is a completely strange world that everybody of us, humans, would like to avoid in the majority of the cases. It's the world of insects. Most of these beings are disgusting and terrifying. They are our nightmare of the daytime. We prefer to be as far as possible from almost all of them.

One of the species of insects that is not so much hated by humans as others is the ant.

Since I live in the countryside, I have to stay in very close contact with many species of insects. Ants create many troubles in our life. They make passages in the stones of the walls, they eat wooden parts of the windows, they feel free to eat everything they find and everywhere and so they make many damages in the house.

But if you begin to observe their behaviour, it becomes very interesting. They have many things common with us. Ants like sugar and can't resist when they have it in front of them. Ants have cemeteries and have special stuff to maintain them clean. They suffer from the diseases in the same way as we do...

Now, this time, I wanted to tell you how the ants drink.

This summer was particularly hot. There was not water and we tried to conserve it, too.
When Stassi was alive we had always a big pod with water near the door because not only Stassi but all the hens and other animals and birds came to drink from that pot. After the death of Stassi, we often forget to put new water there. But there are other jugs normally.

Once, I noticed this scene:

Ants went and went there. The row was sometimes very long, all round the side of the vase.  When I came with the camera, I just had not time to focus it because the ants finished to drink and went away.

Canine Mortality

Do you love your dog? Yes, you do. I did, too. My poor girl was dead at the age of 13 years from canine cancer that destroyed her shoulder. The terrible disease grew for 2-3 or 4 years. Here is inphographic that will be interesting for you. And here I found an article
How to Lower the Risk of Cancer for Your Dog

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My Parrots: the Eastern Rosella and the Cockatiel

Many years ago, I had budgerigars that lived free in our flat. They were incredibly clever and sly. They had a cage, nice and big enough to live happy there, but the female learnd to open that cage and they were flying in the room every day when I turned home from work. So, they began their life out of the cage.

I could tell you infinite stories about them, and you would surely understand the reason I like them so much.

In the years I live here, in Italy, I asked some times my husband to buy parrots. But I've seen them as the birds that have to live in the house and we have not the possibility to have animals in the house.

In the last period, I changed the idea and understood, it's possible to make them live in the henhouse, with other birds. So, when we went in a bird breeding, I bought two couples of parrots: the Eastern Rosella and the Cockatiel

Here you can see some photos I took the first day they lived here. Both rosella are very beautiful. The most beautiful I've seen in internet.

We leaved them in the part where quails and pheasants live. This part is divided in two. fter two days, the two couples of parrots live in different parts of this "habitat": the Cockatiels with the pheasants, the Rosella -with quails.

I come to visit them different times a day and the Cockatiels that are young seem to accept just my presence. The rosella which are adult do not feel good when I am there. But they chant! You know, they chant so nice! Probably, they wanted to know if other rosella live in this part of the world?

Do you know to shine from Happiness?

This photo went round the Facebook. The question on the photo is: do you know to shine from happiness like this?

Why are  they so happy? Look here. When you had such an expression last time? And for ONLY reason that someone caressed you...

Source: imgfave.com via Steve on Pintere

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Source: blog.mybigeyekids.com via tarunverma on Pinterest

You Turn Home with your New Friend

When training your dog, be sure to enforce every command you give. This helps your dog understand that they must listen to you when you give a command. If your dog learns to think that he can can ignore you when you give a command, it can be very difficult to correct this.

Reinforce desirable behavior from your dog. Don't just rely on treats though. You can reinforce these behaviors through positive attention as well. Petting your dog and talking to him in cheerful tones can be a good incentive too. So can a new squeaky toy or a trip to the park.

Remember that sometimes patience is key, don't become frustrated if your dog doesn't catch on right away. It would be nice if every dog could understand your every command but you have to remember they can't. Just try and be sure you are aware of your dog's emotions and when they do follow your command reward them so they know what they did was right.

Not all dogs are comfortable around other dogs or people. The best way to train your dog to be more comfortable around other animals or people is to expose them to as many people and other dogs as often as possible, preferably earlier in their life. This will make them accustomed to being around others.

Consider your dog's personality as you begin your training program. Make sure to start slowly if your pet has aggressive tendencies.  If you try to exert control over a dog that prefers to be dominant, your pet may react aggressively toward you and derail your training plans.

When you are working on dog training your newest addition to the family, try not to accidentally punish the animal for good behavior.  If you have gotten a puppy, for example, and he goes to the bathroom outside correctly do not leave the dog out there alone.  Take time with him and play with him because if you leave him alone he will be sad and think he did something wrong.

If your dog is misbehaving, try to determine why. It is important to work out why your dog is doing what it does. Knowing the reason for poor behavior can make training significantly easier. It is far more difficult to correct an action that you do not fully understand the reasoning behind.

Throwing out your dog's food bowl can assist you with your training program.  Studies have shown that animals respond well to working for their meals.  Incorporate food as a reward in your training and also, use it for entertainment purposes.  You can do this by putting the food in a toy or a puzzle.

Dog training is not something that is easy to do properly, which means you should do your homework. Learning how to train your dog is almost as important as learning about dog behaviors and how they interact in a pack. Knowing what your dog expects from a pack leader makes training the animal much easier.

Very Hot Morning...

If you think about all the activities that are possible to undertake in the hot hot morning, you probably have to consult Basja. She is great specialist in the field of hot morning time organization.

The secret of a happy morning is the full stomach.

The only problem is to enter the house (since Basja is a stray cat). But when one of the humans has to go to work at 5 am, everything becomes easy: enter the house and wake up the other human who still sleeps in the bed. 2-3 jumps on her back -and she stands up to add food in the plate.

Than, it's necessary to open the door to go out. It's too hot in the house. Only repeat jumping on the back - and the door is open. Now, good morning!

If You are Looking for a Good Veterinarian

A good veterinarian is really very important if we have a pet. There are different reasons to look for somebody who fits for us and our friend, too. Our vet has to understand needs of various species of animals, he has to know their problems of health, he has to understand our personal state of mind, too, just like colorado springs veterinarians and other very attentive vets everywhere do.

Your furry (or not) friend is precious for you, and the vet has to understand your feelings when you come with this animal to him. It hurts you so much when your vet -even if he is a very brave doctor- treats your friend as a kind of common object that can be thrown in every moment. Unfortunately, it can happen. With two Rottweilers we had, we changed 3 veterinarians just for this reason.

There is an other point that is necessary to remember when you look for a doctor for your pet. Choose the vet who can explain you it's medical conditions and the ways of further development of the illness. It's so important to understand them so that you know what can happen and how can you help in this or that case. The doctor has to show you all the options of the treatments. He has to tell you why they can be the good way to follow. In our case, the vet continued expensive therapies when they could change nothing more without explaining us anything. The bill raises so much with unnecessary procedures. We want to pay a good vet and his work but not the cures given only to make you turn back always and pay something.

If you are looking for more detailed recommendations and advises about the choice of a veterinarian, visit Colorado Springs Veterinarians site where you will find different interesting articles about it.

What a Bull can tell to a Man

This photo was published in Facebook and I copied it here because the story of it touched me deeply.

This is a moment when a bull did not want to fight with the man. Wounded, he stand in front of the man and looked in his eyes with the expression:  I don't want to fight with you. I feel bad because I'm wounded. You can kill me if you want. But I did nothing to you.

Toreador closed the fight, went away from the arena, became vegetarian and is an opponent of all corridas now.

Cats of Rome

I heard the tails about the cat's of Rome many times. They said about the entire communities of the cats that live in the excavation sites in the center of Rome. I met them, the cats, when I worked in Rome about a week ago.

I did not think about the cats. My work was to accompany my clients everywhere as a translator.  They wanted to see Rome the first evening they came in Rome and so we came in piazza Argentina where...

How to Raise Game Birds

Game birds are difficult to raise without experience, I have to say you. My husband, how goes in for birds generally but never had game birds before, decided to try with them this year. He bought different kinds of birds in winter beginning with quails -casually, and now we have something terrible: birds, birds and birds in every corner since they do not want to live together with those they do not know.

Everything is relatively easy with mini-hens that we have now, too. There are not great differences between big, normal and little hen's chickens growing. The only problem we have now with one of very little of them is that it doesn't want to eat anything except boiled eggs.

Game birds are different. Some of them are too little, others born with something wrong. One is born today with legs that it can't take together. Probably it is destined to die. We had just one birdy with the legs this way...

Others, rock partridges, are hooligans. But they lived in peace with the chickens they were born the same period. We had to separate them because the chickens are just walking in the garden but the rock partridges fly away even if they turn than back to the chickens. But cats etc. can catch them.

The best are surely pheasants. Calm and friendly with everybody, even with the newborns.

Lonesome George Died Without Descending...

The last gigant tortoise, Lonesome George, left this world. The announce about his death was published on June, 25. His body will be embalmed and the tourists will see him in the Charles Darwin Research Center, Galapagos. He left the world without descending. It's very said because he was the last representative of his species... With all the possibilities of the science, it was impossible to assure the survival of this tortoise. And even the eggs he was a father could not be saved... I do not understand, sincerely...

The photo to remember him I took from TreeHugger

 

Galapagos Islands: Solitary George - Click here for more blooper videos

Our Newborn Birds' Department

The newborn department is constantly full in this period. Every week born new little birdies and so we have different parts: first days, first weeks, birdies who have not one month... They can not stay all together because those who are too little have to sleep more and they are too fragile. When they sleep, they seem to be dead. The bigger chickens can walk over them and kill them. This is why we need so many "departments".

Unfortunately, we are not expert in grow them up and have to learn everything making mistakes. But it's a great joy to see them run in the henhouse when they become big enough to live there...

Our Chickens' First Walk

We have many little birds this year. Some of them grow with their mom but we took them in house till today. The weather was not very good and the hen is mad, too. She is too protective and tramples them down. This way, she killed just 2 of these precious chickens and -after this walk- the little who sits on her back was dead, too...

The feeling I had was terrible. I have to do everything for them since my husband has not too much time to pass with them. And I feel really very bad to see them die after all the time I dedicate to cure them.

Ehhh... what can I say... it's necessary to accept the rules of the nature but I am not able to do it.

A Dog Who Plays Piano

Unfortunately, I could not add this video in my post -it would be very nice to have it in my collection- but it was impossible or, maybe, I don't know how to do it, so you have to open this page to admire the dog who realy plays piano listening the owner playing an other instrument.


Playing Dog

I had a dog that liked to chant with me or when I played piano melodies he loved -like this

 

But I've never heard about a dog who has a capacity to play melodies...

When Giving A Cat Treat is Appropriate

Cat owners adore their finicky pets and may from time to time choose to give their furry friends a treat. However, knowing when and how to spoil your pet will ensure your animal’s health and safety. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Adding Variety 

If you’re like most pet owners, then you feed your kitty from the same cat food bag until its empty and then you purchase your pet another bag of food. Therefore, your animal is most likely eating his or her next 20 to 100 meals from the same food bag. When you give your pet an occasional treat, your pet’s life will surely become more enjoyable. For your pet’s comfort and safety, you’ll want to keep your animal’s food consistent. However, you can give your pet a treat every once in a while. 

Training 

When you are training your animal friend to learn a new behavior, such as walking with a harness, you can reward your pet when he or she learns from the training process. Don’t give your kitty too many goodies while you’re training as too many rewards can reduce their influence. When your furry friend is not cooperating, you should not give your pet a treat. Make sure that you are patient and give your kitty the chance to achieve success. 

Selecting Treats 

When you bring treats home for your pet, be sure to select a variety of flavors and textures. You can choose soft treats for training and to reduce stressful situations. You may enjoy giving your furry friend a

catnip treat, which will encourage a bored cat to find entertainment. 

Catnip treats are also good for overly inactive cats. You have a number of flavors to choose from when buying treats for your pet including salmon, chicken and liver.  You may even find that a certain cat treat, such as Temptation Treats (http://www.temptationstreats.com/), are the favorite of your feline, and yield the best behavioral results. 

Treats for your Cat’s Health 

You can improve the health of your cat’s mouth by giving him or her treats since certain types that are formulated to remove plaque and tartar. Other varieties can give your friend fresh breath. When your pet is recovering from an injury or illness, you may consider adding treats to encourage a normal diet. In some cases, you can use treats when your animal is under stress, as this can cause your kitty to go off his or her diet. 

Treats can keep your cat healthy. Treats have a number of benefits for your kitty such as improving your animal’s health, encouraging training, and ensuring your friend is happy. 

This Cat is so busy to study all the days!

Basja is without any doubt a very busy cat. There are so many things to do every day! Some days ago, I told you about her heroic gesture when she wanted to comfort her owner (my husband) How the Cat Felt Sorry for Her Owner

Now, it's the high time to help me to study. I learn something new every time I have to accompain tourists in one of so rich in important objects of touristic interest of Campania. I like to tell stories to the persons that come here and I'm very interested in the history of this region, too. So, I learn and learn and learn something about them. Yes, it's impossible to tell everything I know but it's for me, first of all. And than, I like when my tourists tell me how much are they surprised that history is so fascinating.

Well, it's hard to sit on the chair all the day. And to sit for the PC, too. So, I put books, maps etc on the floor.

Basja could not avoid to sit directly on my precious maps. And, when she noticed I take the photo camera, she decided to occupy as much place as she can.

 

How the Cat Felt Sorry for Her Owner

Spring is very busy time in every factory. Ours is not a real factory but we decided to grow little hens and some ornamental birds this year.

I'm very busy with chickens and the hen, incubator and gardening. And I don't tell you about other things that are urgently to do in every family. Well, we have a hen that had to grow 14 chickens of every species. I created a little yard for her, and she is happy with her children there. Its the second "yard". The first was in the shed where we believed there are not mice. And there was happend this story.
 

Two days ago, after the first night the hen passed there, I entered in the shed and saw 2 chickens dead in the hen's "yard". I was shocked. Those precious chickens! We bought the eggs who knows where. We waited for them with impatience... Nothing to do. One of them was still alive, I did everything possible to heal it...
It was clear that the hen squashed it. And one chicken disappeared. We understood that the mouse wanted to eat our chickens for breackfest but the combative hen caught it. When doing it, she squashed those 2 chickens.



My husband, woke up after the night of work, was desperated, too. He said all the words he could find about the mouse and about me because I liberated a rat from the trap once because I could not kill it.
Together with me Basja, our cat, heard him.
We went for shopping, and than he wanted to sleep before he had to go to work. I closed the door of the bedroom and went in the pther room to turn out my PC when -suddenly- I hear somebody hit the bedroom's door.
What it is???? Who could it be????
I go out from the room where I was and see Basja eating calm from her plate. And ...a big dead rat laying for the door of the bedroom.
You are fortunate, I said him. If I would not close the door, she would take that rat to you in the bed!



She decided to comfort her beloved owner, felt sorry for him and took him the killed robber!
My husband believes the rat is really that who stole the chicken. And Basja is now the Hero of our family. It's absolutly clear that she understands it.

Why Every Dollar Counts When it Comes to the Best Wet Dog Food

There are many different opinions on the kind of food that is best is for your dog. Two of the biggest arguments are wet dog food versus dry dog food and "premium" foods versus "bargain" foods. The type of food you give your dog is often a personal choice and depends on several factors. The age, breed, health, and allergies of the dog are major factors. 

Many veterinarians suggest the best wet dog food for young or older dogs because they are high in protein, easy to digest, offer more hydration, and easier on the dog's teeth. Dry dog food can be a good choice for many dogs in middle age ranges because of the benefits to the dog's teeth and gums, easy storing and measuring, and assurance of more solid stools. Many experts say the most benefit comes from a mixed diet over a dog's life, combining a more canine cuisine like diet consisting of the best wet dog food and dry food brands and the individual circumstances of the animal. 

The second issue is of "premium" foods versus "bargain" foods for your dog. Though many would choose bargain priced dog food, there are substantial benefits to premium brands. Most premium brands, whether wet or dry, contain more balanced nutrition for your dog. Premium brands also lean heavily towards all natural or organic recipes which lower the possibility of animal by-products, fillers, and preservatives in your dog's food. 

Many dogs often have health issues that are better handled with premium foods as well. A dog that has certain allergies, for instance an allergy to dyes (which are found in many dog foods), can completely solve this problem with all natural or organic food blends. 

Premium brand dog foods are also more often tailored to the specific needs of a particular dog's health, such as dogs who suffer from diabetes or digestive problems. It is easier to find a large selection of premium brands that are tailored to the size and weight of your dog, sometimes even a general breed guide, than it is to find something so specific among the bargain brands offered. 

Many manufacturers of premium brands approach the formulas for their dog food from a more holistic approach and testing is more often done in homes or with test animals that have options for adoption into pet loving homes. All of these benefits outweigh the cost for many dog owners. Spending a little more for daily care may also prevent higher medical costs in your dog's future.

Great News in Our Henhouse! The first chicken is born!

This is what I would like to tell you with great joy: the very first chicken was born yesterday! He was born in incubator but we put it immediately under the broody who left all her "natural" chickens. My husband took the eggs and broke them and found that the chickens were all dead. Probably, when the weather was too cold, the hen went to eat and the eggs became too cold. The poor hen sits just more than 30 days and seems to be too sad but she does not want to leave the eggs... That is why we were so happy when this little bird was born.

This morning I went in the henhouse to see how the chicken feels today because I was afraid the hen will crush him. But here is what I found there:

 

 It's so little! We want to grow breeds of little hens.

 

 Now, I run every minut to the incubator and listen if someone wants to born more... The problem is that the hen will not accept chickens who will born too late. We hope, she will sit for other 2-3 days more.

Our Mandarin Ducks

The situation is stagnant in our "zoo" in the last weeks. We wait for the new arrivals but the man who has to sell animals to us has problems. And so we wait and wait and wait and... leave the reproductive season. In the meantime mandarine ducks have a new house where they will live with an other pair of mandarins.



After some weeks of habit, the female seems to accept the mail that has enormous patience with her. He is always near her but she does not show particular feelings in his confront.



In fact, we still do not have any egg from them.

In a local agricultural exhibition, my husband bought an other mandarine mail. He is very very beautiful.



First he lived with the quails but it was not very good because he had not the possibility to swim since the quails can fall in the water. Now, he lives near the first couple. We could not leave him with them because the female hits and threatens him always. They say, the mandarins have fixed families and probably she thinks she is the owner in that corner.

As for me. the first male is not bad. But since they do not have eggs, my husband thinks, he is too old. We don't know how to see the age of these ducks and nobody among the friends of my husband know. So, he wants to sell this couple now.
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It's very sad. I hope, if the new female and a couple of carolina ducks arrive, this couple will feel the competition and will begin to lay eggs...