Jayden tells me today, “Mom, Scooter is my VERY best friend”

Ahhh, Jayden and Scooter. Theirs has been a love-hate relationship from the beginning. Jayden would love on Scooter and she’d tolerate it. Then he’d love on her a little more and she’d swat at him. Then he’d squeeze her just a little too hard and she’d scratch and bite him. Through many time-outs and talks about how we treat animals, Jayden has SLOWLY started to be gentler to her.

Then, after telling Jayden how great he was treating Scooter and how much she loved him petting her so nicely, I walked away to make lunch. 2 minutes later I was breaking up a kid/cat fight because Jayden was trying to force-feed Scooter one of Willow’s little plastic stacking rings, telling her, ‘You have to eat this Scooter, it’s your breakfast!’. Baby steps……baby steps….

Jayden and I spotted this cute big bunny in our yard during lunch today.

At first, I felt sorry for it because I figured Scooter had gotten a hold of it and it was probably dead or maimed or something. And to tell you the truth, I was going to be mad at Scooter. Fine, go off and kill things, it saves me money having to buy you food all the time, but why oh why must you leave all the carnage around where I (by I, I really mean Royal) have to clean it up??? Why else would the bunny just be sitting in our yard, if it wasn’t dead or hurt. It wasn’t moving around at all. All the other bunnies we’ve had in our yard all hop around from place to place, and as soon as we go outside on the porch they scamper under the fence and back out to the field. But today, we managed to get outside on the porch to get a better look and the thing didn’t even blink an eye. I was getting prepared to have to explain to Jayden again that Scooter had killed something and the poor bunny was dead, but then I saw it’s ears go back, so I figured it was probably just hurt or something. So, I thought I’d try and scare it. I threw one of Jayden’s plastic baseballs that were up on the deck at it. It didn’t even budge. Oh great, I thought, it’s bleeding out into my grass. Awesome. So, because I was preparing to write a post about all the animals Scooter has been off slaughtering lately - she’s really come into her prime here! - me and the kids snuck down the stairs so I could try and get a better picture, maybe one with some guts or something in it to really keep you guys entertained, and the bunny still didn’t move. I was within probably 3 feet of the thing and it didn’t move. So, I raise my camera and the thing bolts, before I could even get a picture, darn it! And being that I was having to try and take a picture with just one hand, since I was carrying Willow, I couldn’t get catch the fast sucker as it bolted under our fence into our neighbor’s yard. Guess the bunny was fine.

We go back inside and finish our lunch and Jayden checks the window every few minutes to see if its come back, I think nothing of it. Then, I look out my bedroom window where I have a great view of my garden and I think, ‘hmmm, things don’t look as full or big from up here.’ Then I get mad. That bunny has been in here eating my vegetables before they’ve even hardly had a chance to grow! My sugar snap peas have been going to town and there were lots of them growing because gardening with Jayden means dumping all the seeds real close together. They were going to have to be thinned at some point. Not anymore. Now, they are a sad looking bunch. Most of them chewed down to the nubs. Bad bunny!

Leaves all chewed on with bite marks taken out of them.

Cucumber vines missing all their leaves.

Time to go to the nursery and find something to protect my plants from the bunnies. And time to put my hunter out in the yard. Go get ‘em Scooter! Just please leave the headless bodies somewhere else - the heads seem to be Scooter’s favorite because the trophies she leaves up on the deck for me to find never have heads on them. It’s pretty awesome.

When we got Scooter from the Wagners about a year and a half ago and brought her to our house in Olympia, we thought she was the dumbest cat, as far as defending herself or hunting goes. I mean, less than a month after we had her, we had to take her to the vet because she got attacked by probably a raccoon, and the vet told us that it looked like Scooter didn’t even try to run away from it, she had just turned her back on the raccoon and let it wack her. We watched Scooter numerous times eye a squirrel in the middle of the road, walk up to it, sniff it a little, and then lay down next to it. Royal had to climb up a tree to retrieve Scooter once because she got scared and bolted - at least she ran away from her attacker that time. So, we just decided Scooter did not have a very good killer instinct and pretty much couldn’t fend for herself outside. Kaylee used to tell me how Scooter would leave “treasures” for her on their doorstep, little animals that she’d killed and brought home. I just figured Kaylee had it mixed up and it was probably Sammy, their dog, that was leaving them presents. Well, it turns out Scooter has hit her hunting stride here in Wichita. A few nights ago, I swore I heard some animal outside and it sounded like it was screaming, but I couldn’t figure out what it was and I really didn’t think much about it. Then this weekend, while Royal and I were staining the fence, Royal looked under the deck and goes, ‘oh! it looks like Scooter killed a mouse or something’. I was like ‘gross, there’s no way i’m cleaning it up’. And then upon closer inspection, we figured out it wasn’t a mouse, it was the body of a small rabbit. Where was the head? We have no idea, I guess that is Scooter’s favorite part. So, Royal cleaned it up and threw it away. Then yesterday, while we were out staining the fence again, we found another dead rabbit under the deck. I was like, ’sad, those poor cute bunnies’. Royal of course had to clean it up, because I can hardly stand to have to get rid of spiders or anything like that, and really Royal’s around and I’m pretty sure it was in our wedding vows that he would take care of all that nastiness. So, last night, I thought I heard some more screaming from an animal, and I knew Scooter must of had another rabbit cornered. I tried to wake Royal up to make him go outside and distract Scooter so the rabbit could get away. Sadly, either Royal was sleeping too hard, or did a really good job ignoring my fingers poking him in the ribs, but he wouldn’t wake up. And today, I just had to call Royal a few minutes ago to tell him he needed to come home and take care of something. This time, instead of keeping it under the deck, where I could of left it for Royal to take care of when he got home, Scooter decided to bring up on the deck, where Jayden likes to hang out. Jayden was out on the deck and I was watching him through the window, when I see him backing up, eyeing something. Jayden doesn’t like big bugs or nasty things either. And he looks and me and says, ‘mom, what is that?’ So, I go to check it out. It is the leftover parts of whatever Scooter was snacking on in the middle of the night, there were rabbit ears, some nasty looking organ, what looked like part of a leg, and a bunch of fur. And Royal WOULDN’T come home to clean it up…what the heck???? Where are his priorities??? So, I had to do it and it was disgusting, but at least it’s cleaned up. Guess whose finding Scooter’s collar that has a bell on it? That’s right, that would be me. Scooter won’t be going outside without me providing some warning for the cute little bunnies. If Scooter can catch a bunny with a bell around her neck, well, I guess she probably deserves it.

Jayden is always trying to love on Scooter. He tries to kiss her, pet her, put her up on the bed so he can jump with her. He’s finally gave up on trying to carry her around, as he always ends up getting scratched and bit. Scooter doesn’t really love Jayden like Jayden loves her. Scooter really doesn’t like any of us that much. Today, Jayden wanted to share his favorite animal Horsey with her, or maybe he was showing Horsey just how much fun Scooter really is.

Looks like Horsey might be getting a little carried away…..eeek

I think Scooter is depressed. Yes, Scooter the cat. She just hasn’t been the same since we moved her here to Kansas. I don’t think she likes it. In fact, I think she might be suicidal. She hardly ever wants to come in the house, we try and coax her in and try to love on her a little, but she really doesn’t want to have it. And she can’t be outside (neighborhood rules), not that she wants to go outside anyway, the only place she wants to be is in the garage. So for now, since half our stuff is still in the garage and we can’t fit cars in, we let her be out there. But I check on her all the time because during the day the garage gets super super hot. And the crazy cat, I find her sleeping on blankets. She’s not even trying to cool off by laying on the cement floor. Suicidal I tell ya, I think she has a death wish. Today I forced her to come inside because Jayden wanted to play with his toys in the driveway and I couldn’t have her running down the road. She immediately ran and hid under my bed in our room and refuses to come out, after she did some major scratching damage on some of my furniture to let me know how unhappy she was that I made her come inside. Jayden is adjusting way better than the darn cat.

I believe the saying ends…the mice play.  But really this has nothing to do with mice, it has everything to do with poor little Scooter.  Yes, I figured it was time for another installment of Scooter’s Scary Life.

Royal’s off in Boston for a couple days at the American Chemical Society Convention.  Yes, say it with me…NERD ALERT!  He is pretty darn proud of the t-shirts he picked up Jayden and I.  Jayden’s says something to the affect of “Chemistry is Everywhere says the Mole” (get it mole? pay attention in class next time!)  and mine supposedly says, “Experiment with your Chemist”.  Royal thinks it’s pretty hilarious that America is sexing up chemistry now.  But while he’s away, I’m here defending the roost.  Jayden and I have had a pretty uneventful time so far, until just a few minutes ago… 

I wasn’t feeling too tired, so I figure I’d just keep working on the knitting project I have going.  As I was sitting downstairs, I hear a rucus outside.  I turn down the volume on the TV, and I’m like, ‘dang, those stupid cats in the neighborhood are fighting right in the backyard’.  It quiets down, and then I hear it again.  Then it dawns on me.  ‘Oh crap, my cat’s outside’.  I forgot I let Scooter outside after dinner and I forgot to let her back in.    So I jump off the couch, run over to the door, flip on the light, and open up the slider.  There is the biggest of all the wild cats that roam around the neighborhood ready to eat Scooter.  I mean, this cat pretty much looks like a lynx.  Ok, not that big, but you get the point.  Scooter isn’t the biggest of cats, she’s kinda small, and let’s not forget she has a snaggle tooth and she drools.  I’m sure the other cats probably make fun of her.  I scare off the big orange cat and Scooter goes and hides under the BBQ.  She won’t come in the house from me calling her, so I slip on my shoes and go out to try and coax her back in.  She just stays there and growls at me.  Each time I get close to snagging her, she hisses and trys to bat my hand.  So, I go and get her favorite thing.  Food.  As soon as she hears the shaking of her food, she runs right into the house.  Well, not runs, sprints, she’s like a streak of lightening.  I pet her over to see if she got scratched or anything, crossing my fingers that she didn’t, because the last thing I need is another absess.  I didn’t find anything, but I’ll have to wait and see if anything develops. 

I have to say, I am pretty proud of Scooter.  When I opened the door, Scooter was standing her ground, even though the orange cat could of eaten her in probably two bites.  The last time we were at the vet after the last attack by a racoon, the vet said that it looked like from her injuries she really didn’t run away or fight back, she just took it.  So props to little Scoots!  She’s becoming a Lovingfoss!  Lovingfoss’ like to fight, and they only fight to win.  I don’t fight, I’m still alot McComb, but I married a real big guy and he can do my fighting for me.

This doesn’t count as one of her lives, right?  I mean, I saved her so she didn’t have to use one, right?  So, sorry Royal, it looks like Scooter still has 6 lives to go!

This afternoon Royal and I were out working in the yard and Scooter decided she wanted to come out with us.  Ever since Scooter got attacked by the racoon a few weeks ago, she’s real careful when she is outside.  She pretty much is only in the part of the yard that either Royal or I are in, she rarely wanders far.  Well today was no exception, she was resting in the shade under Royal’s truck in the driveway.   Our neighbors happen to be rebuilding their fence and had one side removed.  Did I mention our neighbors have a big dog named Daisy?  Well, Daisy was no longer fenced in and she spied our cat.  A few barks later, Scooter was gone.  I really didn’t think too much about it, our neighbors were right on top of their dog, so Daisy never even made it outside of their yard. I figured Scooter had run like a mad-cat to the backyard and would make her way around to the front again where Royal and I were.  About 20 mins later, we kept hearing this sad little meow, but we could not see Scooter anywhere.  Where did we find her?

Oh yes, here she is…

Oh, could you not see her? Let me give you a close up.

That’s right folks, Scooter had shot right up the tree next to our driveway.  We left her there for awhile, figured she’d find her way down, but she just meowed and meowed.  So, Royal, being the softy that he is, decided he would go rescue her.  He backs up his truck to the tree and puts an extension ladder in the bed.  Our neighbor’s son, Joe, who was helping his dad build the fence, says, ‘you want me to come hold the ladder?’  I was like, ‘Yes, I’ll take pictures!’  I obviously needed to document this, if for no other reason than to show Kaylee what her cat has been up to.

Here is Royal starting up the ladder with Joe’s help.

Here is Scooter’s reaction to someone coming up to get her.  Looks to me like she’s saying, ‘I can’t hold on much longer…’
 
 

Reach, Royal, Reach.   

 

Victory!!! Anybody else notice that Royal has a smile on his face?  Could it be because his precious kitty is safe???

I know what you are thinking folks…Why in the world would Royal try and resuce a cat with no shirt on?  I asked him the same question, he pretended like he didn’t hear me.  Luckily, he didn’t get too scratched up.  Scooter kept clawing the ladder and the tree, she never really turned on Royal, except for once…