Cherokee the Miniature Poodle

We got Cherokee in 2008 and he was already 2 years old then. His owner got rid of him because they had kids and didn't want to take the time out for him anymore.

He's a dirty blond color. Cher is a miniature poodle, which means he's about the size of the largest cats, and is purebred, though badly bred. He has many of the common issues that purebred poodles have, and is a perfect example of why purebred does necessarily mean an animal should be bred. Cherokee is a fixed male though, so no little screwed up poos.

Not that he could do much nowadays anyway. He can no longer hear or see, and he has arthritis. Mainly he just sleeps at this point. He was never a brainiac, but he may be developing dementia as well. Sometimes he'll go get a drink of water and lose his way even though it's always kept in the same place. He's still clever enough though that if he gets turned around he gives a couple sharp barks so we can come and sort him out.

Hairy the Cairn Terrier

Hairy was rehomed to us in January 2018 because his owners were feeling overwhelmed with too many dogs and we wanted a companion for Cherokee. Not that Hairy turned out to be that. The hairball doesn't really care about other dogs, cats, people, or anything. He's a bit like a giant, hairy bump on the floor.

He's supposed to be a Cairn Terrier (or as they're often called, Cairn Terrors), but he's almost knee-high, so I'm not sure if he is. They don't usually get that big. And he's not just tall, he's rather extremely...rotund.

Hairy is a cutie, but not a great pet in some ways. As a terrier breed it was expected that he might be nippy, but rather he's a biter. If he gets too pissed off he'll attempt to bite and get his way. It's not generally a problem, but it makes me glad we got him instead of someone that might have had him put down.

Motley Moppet the Mop

Okay, since there isn't really a breed of mop that looks like a dog, I suppose the Moppet is probably some sort of Shih Tzu mix or something.

Motley is a sad case. In December 2018 we found him wandering the streets with gnarled dreadlocks hanging to the ground. He wasn't walking well and looked both thirsty and hungry. He'd obviously been out there for a long while.

When we took him home we found out it was even worse than we thought. After removing sticks stuck in his fur and shaving him down we found out he was rather crooked. That's the best way to describe what he looked like.

His delicate face looked like it had smashed into something. Based on the damage we're convinced he was hit hard by a car on his left side. His leg on that side and his face are distorted out of shape by healing crooked.

He also has some mental issues. Sometimes he gets really anxious. He paces back and forth for hours, which is normally a result of a dog being bored, but it doesn't matter how much exercise he gets, it doesn't temper it at all. He just gets in a fixated state of mind. And understandably, he's also very clingy at times. He can be a velcro dog to the extreme.

He takes medication for his pain but it can be hard to groom him regardless because he it can hurt and make him bite. So, we usually let his hair grow out for the season, then shave him so he has to endure it for less time. It does leave him look very mop-like though.

Almeda

Almeda was a stray at my bf's work. In March 2016 he brought her home, where we discovered she was pregnant. She had three kittens. One died right away, the other the next day, and the final one was a little dilute tortoiseshell, Kern, that we still have.

Alameda is a bit of a spaz. Once she determines a path she is going to take it, usually at full speed through whatever is in her way. This means she'll suddenly race out of nowhere across my keyboard and up the cage next to my desk, down the back and into her bed, leaving knocked over drinks and a closed laptop behind.

Butte

We got Butte and his brother, Marin, when they were being given away in front of a Walmart in 2007. They were screaming in anger and fear, and no one wanted them, so the owner was going to leave them in the woods behind the store. Of course when we overheard them discussing this we got the kittens. It may have just been a manipulation, but we've seen thrown away pets far too often to believe they wouldn't do it, especially considering the extremely loud screaming the kittens were doing.

Butte is dignified attitude. He's probably the closest to a traditional cat as I have. Petting must commence when he demands it, but stop the moment when he's done and not one second more.

I call him my Black Butte-y because he's always had a gleaming black coat that reflected all the lights. Though lately his coat has gone downhill and I've had to groom him a lot more as he seems to have given up doing it himself and he keeps getting all clumpy.

Butte is getting older and once cats hit senior age they don't always live much longer, so I'm worried the clumpy fur is a bad sign. Though he hasn't given up on his demands nor attitude.

His latest trick is to literally drag himself into my arms by clawing into my side and pulling himself up. His huge, very curvy claws easily get snagged in flesh too, making him tug and tug to try and rip them loose. So it's not my favorite thing he's ever come up with.

Fluffy

Fluffy is just fluffy. It was the name she came with, but I couldn't change it. What else would someone name a fluffy white cat with a pink sparkly collar? Angelica would approve.

We got Fluffy in October 2018 as an adult. She is a fixed female.

Fluffy is very loving and wants lots of attention, but a loner about the other cats, so since she's figured out no one is allowed on the kitchen counter and she is too cute to yell at when she goes up, she hops right up and gets all the attention anytime someone is in the kitchen.

Fresno

Fresno was another kitten being given away in front of a grocery store. We got him when he about 6 weeks old in August 2011.

He's a good boy. It took awhile for him to bond with us humans because I went to Burning Man right after getting him, and by the time I got home he was bonded with the other cats instead.

As he's aged he's gotten a lot friendlier to people, frequently walking in front of me then tossing himself down so I'm forced to stop walking and perhaps will pet him.

He's a big boy, only a little squishy chubby, mostly tall and long.

Fresie and Pudding have quite the bromance going. Everywhere Fresno goes, Pudding must follow, and Pudding will probably curl up and demand attention wherever Fresno ends up laying down. But since Fresno usually starts giving him a bath immediately, I don't think he minds all that much.

Imp (Imperial)

Just before Halloween one year there was a post essentially stating that they had two pure black kittens and would give them to whoever wanted them and got there first. It's a common practice to never rehome black cats close to Halloween because some people do bad things to them, so this post was inadvertently playing straight to those people who would hurt black cats with their repeated claims that there were no white hairs on them and their willingness to give them to anybody who showed up.

Not wanting anything to happen to the kittens, we decided to go get them, then rehome in a better way after Halloween was over. Predictably, it didn't quite happen like that. We got Inyo and Imp. Inyo was a couple weeks older, but Imp was far too young to be away from his mother, he seemed like he had barely been weaned. Imp cried for his mommy the entire way home and Inyo was clingy too, afraid of going to another new place. Imp bonded to the other cats and Inyo bonded to me, and that was that. It was too cruel to change things around them again after they finally felt safe.

Kern

Kern is Alameda's daughter, the only kitten that survived from her litter. She was born on April 3rd, 2016. She's a bit of an opinionated girl. Since she's a dilute tortoiseshell and an attitude, some might say she has tortie-tude.

Her and her mother's fur is the most unique I've ever seen, it changes day to day from long and thick to short and thin. I think there's some undercoat magic going on. Kern's fur is also exceptionally plush, like an expensive stuffie. She's also unique in her tail position. Even when she's happy it curls underneath her. It has ever since she was born, so I think something happened to it before birth.

There's a reason that they call female cats queens, and Kern perfectly exhibits why.

Lulu (Luis)

Lulu and his brother Obi were named for San Luis Obispo. I got them and their sisters, Priss and Gremlin, along with their mother when a neighbor decided to move and didn't want to take them with her. They were one day old and their mother was terrified in the crate the neighbor brought to our front door, though at least the neighbor did that much.

His early life was spent with a terrified mother cat, which I believe affected his personality. Well, all the kittens to differing degrees. Lulu has always been a bit neurotic and anxious. He lives in a constantly state of alarm, waiting for whatever hammer is going to drop. The only thing that soothes him is being close, and if he gets really frightened by something he'll race over and demand to be held so he can stick his face in my armpit and knead.

Madera

Madera and her sisters, Mateo and Mariposa (Maddie, Mattie, and Mary) were given to us after they were discovered abandoned as kittens at a rest stop in the middle of Nevada. Somehow they survived the owls and bobcats and coyotes long enough for someone to spot them and catch them.

Most cats thrown away are thankful and gracious after the threats are over, but not these sisters. They were all demanding attitude. All three would demand one's sole attention every moment of the day. Which of course won't work well. So each one is a people cat who wants every other cat in the world to disappear.

Madera's demands for attention usually revolve around being held so she can rub her head on your nose. Again and again, leaving tiny hairs stuck up your nose (which isn't great if you're allergic like I am) and drives you nuts eventually because she won't stop. She's just so happy and loving that she wants you know by rubbing on you and drooling.

Mateo

Mateo and her sister Madera are both plump little cobby cats. It's really cute. Super petite cats that are plump and cuddly.

Mateo is especially cute because she has tiny white markings on her toes on one foot, with the rest of her being traditionally tuxedo cat.

Plump and petite aren't the only adjectives to describe Mateo though, petulant is definitely a good word for her too. She is all attitude. Loving, but with an attitude while letting you pet her. All petting must be just right.

Menta (Sacramento)

We got Menta as a kitten in November 2017 as a companion to another kitten we had at the same time. The other kitten, Sol, was exceedingly skittish and we were hoping a companion would help bring her out of her shell. Nope, Sol is still afraid of people.

Menta turned into one of my favorite cats though. She's absolutely adorable with her little plump frame and tabby stripes and she's rather silly. I call her my blanket cat because she loves to burrow under blankets and curl up. It's important to always keep an eye when sitting down on a blanket, just in case.

Monty (Monterey)

Monty is...a character. Monty, brat, dork, twit, they all suit him, though terror is probably the most accurate. His mind seems to work in a unique way. He doesn't understand the word 'no', everyone else does, but Monty just sits and stares at me as if trying to figure out what I'm talking about.

And forget punishing him. He's afraid of the squirt bottle and will stare at it mystified if I pull it out, but while he runs away when he's squirted he doesn't get that it is punishment. There's some weird disconnect there. It doesn't matter how many times it happens either. Nearly every morning I shove him off of me as he's trying to do the claw thing on my face. Before my arm is down he's back. And he'll keep coming back no matter what. Again and again, no matter what. And as someone who really likes their sleep and probably stayed up till five in the morning, having him stand on my face or walk circles around my head on my pillow is not how I want to spend a morning. I literally shaved my head partially because he kept standing on my hair and ripping it out each morning.

For all his obnoxiousness, Monty is still pretty adorable. While typing on my laptop he'll lay on my arm and slowly crawl closer until he can knead my shoulder. Or he'll demand to be held and I'll need to grab him and swiftly flip him over so he can lay on his back in my arms and sprawl for a nap.

Other occupations include haunting the house looking for another cat to scare and make scream. Because apparently live creatures are all toys just for his amusement.

So, where did the little brat come from that he was pampered so much that he turned out this way? It's all him. Monty and his sisters, Sierra and Merced, were discovered when they were kittens living in our van. The engine cover was off because it wasn't running right and their feral mother went up and inside to have them in a safe place.

When we discovered them we caught them and brought them inside to tame and eventually rehome. His sisters were spitting balls of furry fury, but not Monty. The moment he realized we had hands for petting and all the food he could eat he immediately made himself at home.

The feral kittens went into a black wire dog crate we had set up. That way they'd be restrained and could have an eye kept on them while safe. At the same time we weren't sure how good our new dog was with other animals so were keeping him on a leash next to me to prevent any issues.

Monty managed to figure out the tiniest escape route ever. One of the wire squares was just the slightest bit bigger than the others and was covered by carpet, but Monts figured out he could just barely get his fat head through, and he was off running across the floor, across the dog, into my arms so I could pet him. The strangest feral kitten I ever met in my life.

Priss (Priscillia Placer)

As a kitten Priss was pure prissiness. Feeding the kittens wet food would result in her brothers and sister put their faces into it, but not Priss, she carefully would scoop some out with her paw then take her time slowly licking it off. So Priss.

Priss and her brother Lulu that I still have, as well sister Gremlin and brother Obispo that I no longer have, were dropped at my house when their owner decided not to take them and their mother when they moved. So, the day after they were born they were left at a place full of scary smells and sounds with their terrified mother trying to protect them.

I'm certain this influenced their personalities, because all four have quite a bit of anxiety. Lulu is the worst, but Priss is pretty nervous sometimes too.

When she relaxes she is utter relaxation though. She'll lay down and belly rubs will get her to sprawl out nearly flat in delight. She also likes being held, so will come over and get my attention so I can pick her up. Of course she does this by gently tapping me with claws extended. And if I manage to ignore her long enough she'll dig in to make sure I pay attention. For a squishy ball and cuddles, she can be surprisingly pushy about getting lovings.

Pudding

Pudding sometimes seems like a throwback to wild cats. He almost seems like a tiger in a kitty cat's body. His mother was a feral and he was the only one out of his litter to survive. I think being unable to socialize with other kittens led to his unique attitude. He loves attention and getting adored, but care must be taken or he'll sink his fangs into your hand because you pet him wrong. And he never learned to hold back.

He's all rippling muscle covered in plush ginger fur, accessorized with wicked long claws and sharp teeth. He has the prettiest eyes, about halfway between the color of amber and carnelian.

For all that he can be scary, he's also surprisingly submissive. He is in love with Fresno and follows him around almost constantly. Their bromance is adorable, though Fressie can get fed up with his adoration and chase him off sometimes.

Wiggling my fingers usually gets him sitting back on his hind legs to get close for some petting. Puds loves to go up on his hind legs and claw at the wall to make sure everyone knows he's the big guy in the house.

He's a lover, but can be a fighter if you push him.

Sol Blossom (Solano Sunflower)

We got Sol when she was about 8 weeks old in September 2017. She is nearly completely wild whenever people might possible pay attention to her, but she often forgets to be afraid when she wants something and among the cats she can be a bully.

I've never had a cat so resistant to becoming a pet especially when started with so young. But she has her opinions and my behavior is certainly not going to influence them apparently.

Sol likes to cause trouble, then retreat back to my bed to look down on all the peasants from her perch. Her favorite things are playing with toys and walloping cats passing by.

Marshmallow Fluff

Fluff the Floof is a French Angora rabbit who was rehomed because she is a biter. Angora are generally very mellow rabbits because it's an important trait in an animal that has to be groomed weekly. But she's very cage aggressive (even over her large playpen) and will often bite hard enough to draw blood if you put your hand inside. No, she doesn't want her blanket straightened, no she doesn't want her food dish filled, and dropping in vegetables is risky too. She also bites when she is being groomed, though that has gotten better since she figured out I won't do it roughly, even if she makes sure to remind me every so often.

Sounds bad yeah, but rabbits are the one animal in the world that hate me, so it's not too much different than normal for me. Just a bit less spraying me with pee because she's a female.

Fluff is very intelligent and adorable. She's very, very white with red eyes and she looks just like a pile of fluffy creme when she hasn't been groomed in a few days.

Because she is a French Angora from a good line presumably, she's an easier Angora to care for than others. French Angoras aren't as cute as English Angoras (I want those furry ears!), but their hair naturally releases, allowing you to just brush it out, instead of stripping it or shaving it. A lot easier, but there's still hair flying everywhere.

She's a house rabbit, though has a large playpen to keep her contained when I not watching her. Angoras do better in the house because it's not a good idea to let them get dirty. That's another reason she's potty trained too.

Ferrets, All the Ferrets

While everyone else got individual posts, the ferrets are something else. It's impossible for me to get good pictures of the rolling, tumbling ball of naughtiness. Every time I try they skitter about and I get fuzzy blurs. And even in the two Critter Nations they occupy they're too busy looking for treats or spilling down the wall to get in a shot. It's chaos. So, we'll just do a group post.

I currently have 6 ferrets, and it is just as funny and overwhelming as you can imagine. Nipping little demons going after toes and trying to play pounce with the cats. I had 11 at one point but they don't live very long lives, so am expecting the other oldies to go soon too. A tip, if you ever get ferrets, they sleep like the dead. It doesn't mean they are dead. It just means shaking them in panic doesn't necessarily wake them up. Okay, it's terrifying.

Who arrived with who: Hansel & Gretel who we got in February 2019. Mama and Baby Bear arrived in January 2019. Then Aurora & Charming and Ariel & Eric in June 2019. Since they were mostly older adults when I got them they are still active but are starting to slow down. So now it's just bursts of bolting ferrets followed by 23 hours of sleep.

They're all adorable and special, but Charming is my favorite. He and Aurora look like properly bred ferrets, not pet store ones, and Charming has a very unique pattern in a maze of masks. He is not interested in interacting with any of the other ferrets. Neither is Aurora, but she's mainly just scaling walls looking for the tinies of escape holes so she can explore. Charming is cuddling close and trying to ignore the rabble.

Hedley the Hedgehog

That's Hedley! Hedley the hedgehog!

Hedley is a very small, female hedgehog. She's got that hedgie personality, all huff and puff, but is secretly a sweetie.

Just like most hedgies she doesn't like light, but she takes it a step further and absolutely refuses to come out of her hide unless the lights are off. Once that happens though she'll be on her exercise wheel for the rest of the night. She really loves her flying saucer wheel. She's such an active hedgehog that it makes it hard to hold her because all she wants to do it roam around.

We got Hedley in September of 2020 because her owners didn't understand how hedgehogs were before they got her. They were prepared with supplies, though not all the right ones, but were unprepared for a spiky ball of grumpiness.

They cared about her enough to make sure to tell me her personality before I got here and make sure I could deal with it before rehoming her to me. Luckily, I find the hedgie chronic grumpiness the cutest part about them and reassured them it was totally normal behavior for hedgehogs. Surprised me then to find she's actually almost cheerful for a hedgehog once past her initial snark.

Sasha the Guinea Pig

Like many guinea pigs, Sasha and her mother, Sarah, were rehomed because their owner got tired of cleaning up after them. We got those two in 2018 to be companions to our other two guinea pigs, Sorcha and Squeaker. Sadly, since guinea pigs don't have long lives and they were adults when we got them, we have slowly lost them one at a time until Sasha is the only one left.

This is a problem because guinea pigs are so social that they have been known to die from being alone. Currently Sasha is living in a cage next to my desk so she can get extra attention, but I'm on the lookout for more guinea pig pals for her.

At least being close to me makes it easier for her to yell whenever I move a plastic bag, just in case it has treats inside it.

Casper the Rat

Casper is a white rat with ruby eyes. He has bad eyesight, which can be a problem with red-eyed animals. Having a hard time seeing made him a bit skittish when we first got him, but now he's pretty friendly.

Because we got him April 18th, 2020 and he was already 7 months old he's probably going to start getting old soon. Rats don't live very long lives, usually 2-3 years.

Remy the Rat

I got Remy and his brother Emile to keep Casper company because it's never a good idea to keep rats singly. Emile has since passed away as rats have very, very short lives.

Remy is a bit of a troublemaker, though friendly. The person I got them from said the pair were raised together and they did get along okay. They squabbled quite a bit like male rats do and careful allocation of treats was very important because Emile was a treat thief.

I got the pair of brothers on May 25th, in 2020 and they were already a year old so it won't be much longer before Remy passes too. I'm hoping to get another couple rats for my mischief because it's always a good idea to keep a revolving number and their need for companions combined with short lives can cause problems.

Chunk the Syrian Hamster

He may not do the Truffle Shuffle, but he's definitely a Chunk.

We got Chunk and his brother, Possum, in February 2021, so he's definitely still a baby for all his chunkiness.

He's a nipper, but is otherwise pretty mellow and easygoing, so it's like Chunk is a mellow bully. He loves his boat hide and running on his wheel, and spends a lot of time eating, though we tend to scatter feed him so he has adventures finding all the little pieces.

Chunk and Possum had to be immediately separated on arrival. That was semi-expected because they're Syrian hamsters and Syrians cannot be housed together, especially not male Syrians, which sometimes can't even live in cages in the same room. I was hoping they were young enough to have a week or two to comfort each other before separating them, but Chunk decided immediately that wasn't going to be the case and he wanted to kick Possum's butt.

Possum the Syrian Hamster

Possum looks like a cross between an Australian possum and an American opossum. Possum is Chunk's brother.

He is a bit skittish and tends to startle easily but is otherwise fairly friendly. He's still a baby as he was only about 8 weeks old when we got him in February 2021. But he's getting to be a big baby.

Possum's anxious personality has him fixating on trying to escape his cage. He won't get out, but the brat has managed to decimate the silicone seal in a couple corners by constantly trying to chew his way out. It took about a month, but he finally seems to be adjusting, but I foresee lots of issues with his anxiety and having to clean his cage in the future because no hamster likes having a too clean cage, but anxious ones can have major issues with it.