Cats vs Dogs

Cats and I get along very, very well. We don't have any socialization issues or soiling issues, which is often the same thing. However, I just got a teeny, weeny 11 week old female Chihuahua named Zena. No problems just yet, but from all the dog socialization websites out there it would lead you to believe that a cat lover would be more alpha with a dog than dog lovers are. Humans failing to be "alpha" is what appears to confuse dogs. This lead me to think about the cat lover's way of life, in contrast.

My old roommate had a Chihuahua who seemed fairly tolerable, not yappy, but he was completely in charge of being let out and being walked. On the order of 20 times a day! Oh, no we don't! My Chihuahua will be using a litter pan! LOL

Cat's only require a few simple things. Peace and quiet, cleanliness, a scrupulously clean litter pan or two, food and water available at all times. If you socialize your new kitten or cat properly with those conditions, you won't get bitten, scratched, or mauled, and you won't find eliminations in the wrong place.

Bring your new kitten or cat home and have a quiet room prepared that has a clean litter pan, food, and water. Make sure it is a clean room with nothing left on the floor. If you don't respect your space, they figure anything goes. It's rugs, laundry, paper, and boxes left out that get special kitty attention at bathroom time.

So, for a few days, confine the cat and all interaction to the one room. Play with your cat by using a fishing rod type of toy, never, NEVER directly with your hands. You don't want them to think that it's ever ok to engage you with their teeth and claws. I have six cats, two who were feral, who never hiss, scratch, or bite. They got nail clipping attention early and often, and were not bothered unless they wanted to play.

Limbo Waiting Projects

It's been awhile since I felt like updating my blog. The problem is that I want to take this in a new direction while I'm torn in so many other directions, caught up in my old dramas and projects. I've recently commited to finishing up several work projects, several home projects in the trailer, and two personal projects. I'm trying to convince myself that the projects are part of the larger plan to live a mobile lifestyle, supported by the technology I crave and the peace of mind I require. I can convince myself of anything, apparently!

And a storm blew through it

One of the joys of living in Missouri is wating for the weather to change. A friend of mine came out to keep me company and help me with my downsizing, and after less than a week here he enjoyed the Missouri pasttime of watching the weather channel and news stations for clues to where the softball sized hail and the tornadoes planned to land. Of course, being based in a tiny little metal box, a little bigger than a Class A RV, barely tied down to a muddy hill that threatened to slide into Highway 63, makes the weather news just that much more interesting. Fortunately, we made it through the night.

I have three cats at the vet getting surgeries today, and was disappointed that I couldn't grab the feral mother cat running around like a drunken harlot in the trailer park. I want to get her fixed, ASAP! I have two of her cast-off youngsters in my RV and I'm not happy about it. Once Batman (friend's AKA) helps me with the cleaning and downsizing this weekend, we'll make some videos and post them to help me find homes for everybody.

I have a Spike and a Kristi Belle Belle, plus a Loki and a Nikki. I do not also need a Thor and a Pongo. And to top it all off, my new guinea pig just had SIX babies. Guinea pigs simply do not have that many babies and I don't think anyone will believe me. They are less than a week old and growing daily, all except for Ru-Runt, the tiniest guinea pig I've every seen in my life. He's just itty bitty and I have to hold the momma down for him to nurse several times a day. When I pick up the cats today I'll take Ru-Runt and one of his bigger siblings to show the vet and staff. They may be as amazed as I am.

Simply Living

It's been awhile since I posted last. I've been snuggled in the RV for the past two weeks instead of traveling around in Rocky, my van. And according to plan I've been continuing to downsize while just simply living. The past year or so of ramblings in my blog have been about all my stuff. Egads! Even while musing on it all I knew it was simply ridiculous. Now that I'm simply living instead of living large, I wasn't sure what to post.

The everyday activities of survival and van dwelling are what interest me the most. And if I'm distracted from that in any way, I don't have that much to share. I work as a software engineer and have been focused on finishing a project for general public release. So attention to detail is vital. Add to that the six cats I now house in the RV, and things can get a bit hectic.

The RV is a very small mobile home I bought last summer for $2500. It is next door to a dear friend who watches the place for me when I travel, and it serves as a base address for legal purposes. At the moment, I have custody of two big kittens I brought with me from Pennsylvania, two adult cats I've had for years, and two kittens that I trapped under my RV just before Christmas. My cuppeth runneth over, as does the litter paneth. Oy, vey! Sometime today, between producing a software release and prepping for an ice storm that's coming, I should steam clean the living room carpet and put the place back into shape.

See, no matter how much you downsize there is always something that needs to be done.

Voluntary Simplicity

I'm now officially part of the Voluntary Simplicity Movement. Once I decided upon this course of action and then got going, it was a much simpler matter to ensure that my lifestyle choices veered towards less clutter in both the material and the mental worlds. I'm working on the spiritual world so that I can get the spiritual side of life less cluttered with "me".

At this point I've gotten the income producing side of my life under control. I've acquired the barest necessities to survive living out of my van, as well as gathered all my excess items into one geographical place in order to review them and make them work for me. I'm working towards intelligently converting the remaining assets I have control over into cash for items I may need.