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Saturday is wash day
Posted on | August 27, 2007 | 15 Comments
For fleece, that is!
My friend Karen came over Saturday and brought a fleece she’d had in her closet since last spring’s shearing. We washed it in four loads and most of the dirt and grime came out easily.
I talked Karen into spreading some of it on top of the hot tub and by the time she left, it was almost dry. I couldn’t believe how big the fleece was, I kept saying “this sheep must’ve been HUGE!” Poor Tree Climber (that’s the sheep’s name) isn’t with us any longer (having made his way to the farmer’s table), so this fleece was extra-special to Karen.
And now the fleece is special to me because Karen generously left me with a table-full!
I pulled out a staple length, which measures almost 6″. Some parts are crimpier than others, and it’ll all need to be carded or at a minimum, combed, but it’s very soft and lofty and I think it’ll make a wonderful yarn.
Thank you, everyone, for the nice comments and sympathies last week! Sometimes life is like that, right? You have to take the bad with the good.
Speaking of both bad and good, Mack the Cat left us a present in the back yard this morning (if you’re squeamish, look away!).
A rat. I didn’t measure it, but it was about as long as my hand, not including the tail.
The proud hunter surveys his domain. I’d like to know what the City of Birmingham plans to do about the rat population once the new cat leash law goes into effect! I’d alert our councilwoman, but there’s a man in the neighborhood who has threatened to personally enforce the law by killing every cat that ventures onto his property, regardless of ownership status. He has the councilwoman’s ear and I don’t want him to know where Mack lives! We’re still debating what to do once the leash law goes into effect on October 1st. We’ve looked into a Purrfect Fence, but it’s $900 for a very small area. Making Mack stay inside all the time isn’t an option – he loves to be outside and not only would it be cruel to him, he’d make our lives miserable! And who would keep the rats in check? Cat leash laws have become more common across the country and while most cities don’t enforce them or pick up mostly feral cats (which I agree are a problem and I am a huge supporter of spaying and neutering pets), knowing that this evil person just blocks away from us has a true hatred of cats means we can’t take any risks with Mack. I’ve written to the Cat Fancier’s Assocation, but they didn’t have any practical advice, especially now that the law has already been passed.
Anyone have any ideas? Have you dealt with this or know anyone who has? I’d appreciate any thoughts on the subject because I just don’t know what to do with my kitty.
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15 Responses to “Saturday is wash day”
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August 27th, 2007 @ 10:50 am
Don’t know what to tell you about Mack and the rotten jerk down the block. I believe in inside cats, no matter how much they wanna go out, because even though I’m in the city, I’ve seen coyotes on my block, and know firsthand what happens to a cat’s face when the neighbor hits it with the bumper of a car. I would just leave him inside and tell him to get used to it.
I suppose you could put him on a leash and attach it to a clothesline so he could run back and forth, but only if you’re going to be out with him, so he doesn’t jump on something and strangle himself.
I hope that schmoe down the street gets reincarnated as a feral kitten.
August 27th, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Hmm, no advice re a cat fence. Cats that like to go outside really get upset when they can’t go. I have mixed feelings about cat leash laws. While I can acknowledge that cats are safer inside, I think restrictions like that are more a response to increased human population density and people’s lack of tolerance for anything “wild” (i.e., uncontrolled.) It’s just another way we’re getting further and further from the natural world. :(
And I’ve got some fleece that needs washing too!
August 27th, 2007 @ 10:54 am
The fleece looks so full of potential.
I had a cat (also black) who loved the outdoors, too. It would have been impossible to keep him in. I can’t tell you the number of rats, grasshoppers, birds and other things he brought to my door as gifts. He was a great cat. I’m sorry I have no answers for your problem.
August 27th, 2007 @ 11:01 am
Legally speaking, aren’t cats property? If that crazy guy does harm or kill someone’s pet, it seems to me he’d still be looking at a lawsuit, leash law or no leash law. (As an analogy, you can’t take a bat to someone’s car because it’s parked illegally, it’s the job of the police to enforce the law.) Maybe you could build a large “cat run” like a dog run? Hunting would be hard for him, but at least he’d be able to hang out in the yard.
August 27th, 2007 @ 11:22 am
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Besides this proposed law being absolutely ridiculous, you think the city counsel would have more pressing matter at hand. But the pains it would take to enforce this law….I don’t know if cats will respond to this, but perhaps you could try to train Mack to stay within the boundries of your yard. Start with an invisible fence-type apparatus and eventually remove the shock that goes along with it. It sounds horrible, but when you compare Mack’s livelihood out of doors to a minor shock I think he’ll live with it. (p.s.) I worked at a Vet’s in high school and being a dumb high schooler I have shocked myself with a invisible fence type collar on the neck. It’s more startling than anything.)
August 27th, 2007 @ 11:30 am
Lovely fleece. I have an indoor only kitty so I don’t have any practical advice on what to do about Mack.
August 27th, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
Oooo look at that fleece. I am sure that it will make a yummy yarn.
As for Mack. There is a product out called Liquid Fence http://www.liquidfence.com/. I know that it will keep deer and such out of a yard because of the smell. It might work to keep Mack in. If you do the run idea I would reccomend that you use a harness instead of a collar. He would be less likely to be able to get out of the harness and if he did climb something it shouldn’t strangle him if he falls. I know that where I live and where my mom lives (2 different states) cats are considered wild animals, so if there is a cat problem the SPCA or any other people will not come out and get them we are told to shoot them. So you might want to look into that. Plus you might want to look into the law on guns in your area. A lot of areas you can have a gun, but are not allowed to fire it unless you take it to a gun range aor somewhere similar. Our 2 cats stay inside and are scared of outside, so I don’t have the problem. Heck he might be ok in the house if you took him for a walk once a day. Who knows.? Hope you can find a happy solution for all of you. Oh yeah you might want to try somewhere like the spca or a pet store they might have better ideas. Also has Mack been fixed? I know that they will roam if they haven’t.
August 27th, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
As for advice???? Perhaps you could collect all the “varmints” and “deposit” them on the JERKS property….good GRIEF….the level of Stupidity just never ceases to amaze me….Cats on a FREAKIN LEASH?????? Give me a break…this guy needs to GET A LIFE!!! (Remind me to send Mac some kitty treats!!)…
Ahem…O.K. settled down now…..any plans yet for the fleece???
August 27th, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
Oh wow, that fleece looks gorgeous! I wish I had some good suggestions for Mack, but all I can think of is some sort of special cat run built for him, or a transition to being an inside cat with lots of good kitty dope (catnip, feliway & maybe vet prescribed stuff for the beginning).
And perhaps someone should remind this person that there are laws regarding killing an animal, laws that will be enforced, and if there is an offleash cat on his property, it is not his right to kill it. I don’t like solicitors on my property, and we have no trespassing laws and laws regarding solicitors, but for some reason, I’m not killing them just because they don’t seem to know the law or be able to control themselves.
August 27th, 2007 @ 7:06 pm
Well, if it were me, I’d just let Mack out just before bedtime, if he’ll cooperate. That way, he gets to go out, and hopefully at a relatively safe time, as the cat hater has to sleep sometime.
August 27th, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
Oh! And you could put a very small, very light leash on Mack before you let him out. Is the law specific to having a human attached to the other end?
August 27th, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
I think you should put your nasty neighbor on a leash.
August 28th, 2007 @ 9:53 am
Is something like this practical? http://www.catsplay.com/kittywalk_lawn.php3 Or maybe a homemade version of it? And that guy needs to be hunted down and shot because he’s clearly flashing his ass in public, which is probably also against the law.
August 28th, 2007 @ 11:58 am
I suppose moving to the country is not an option? :)
Seriously, I think the idea of a cat run with a harness on Mack attached to a long clothesline is the best idea. Mack will probably fight the harness, but perhaps will get used to it. Don’t let him run wild, though; even if it turned out that the law was on your side, Mack would still be just as dead by the actions of that a$$wipe of a neighbor. Really, some people are just control freaks with no sympathy for anything out of their control.
btw, your Mack is the spitting image of our Hannibal. Or maybe it’s the other way around?
August 29th, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
Obviously, I have the wrong type of friends. None of mine ever come over and leave me a tablefull of fleece.