Happy May Day & welcome Rusty!

I love spring!  

This crabapple tree is ugly the rest of the year and will have dropped most of its leaves by mid-August but in springtime, it is spectacular. And smells SO good! 

The lilac is right next to the crabapple and just adds to the aroma in the yard. 

Tulips are just happy flowers. 

Bare feet in the cool grass!  Ah!  

Saturday was the big day!  We went out to my sister's house to pick up the new addition!  He must have known something was up, since he walked right into the house with the dogs. 

Meet Rusty!

We took him straight from Laurie's to the vet for his checkup and vaccinations. Since he'd been a barn cat for the past 2+ years,  I didn't want to risk him inadvertently bringing some disease in and giving it to my kitty girls. 

He wasn't happy in the carrier, so we let him out and he snuggled with Jack on the back seat.  He was always to mellow that it surprised to me to hear just how loud he could meow! 

He was very good at the vet until they tried to draw blood.  They ended up having to lightly sedate him so they could do what they needed.  He's got earmites, but that's not really unexpected.  The vet gave us some drops to put in his ears for a couple days.  Once we got him home, we kept him in the bathroom with all the necessities for a couple hours until he could rest and wake up up fully.  

Such a pretty boy!

He now appears to consider mine & Randy's bedroom to be his "safe place".  He eventually ventured out into the rest of the house and found the usual place for food (in the hall bathtub so Jack can't get into it) and also found and used the litter box. But then he went right back to the bedroom. 

He didn't sleep at all Saturday.  He hid under the bed off & on.  Spend a lot of time looking out the window and occasionally pawing at it.  He slept between my feet that night - sideways of course, to optimize my discomfort.   Sunday he did a lot more catnapping on the bed.  

He's really laid-back & mellow.  He is perfectly comfortable around Jack and hasn't made any fuss at the girls.  He just ignores their hissing & goes on about his exploring.  And for having claws, he's very careful with them.  He likes to knead but makes sure to keep them in.  Which is good, since he curled up on my pillow and had his paws on my face - like really close to my eye!

Random SnapChat of Randy & I. 

As for the girls?  I was surprised at their reactions.  I thought Maddie would be the most upset about him.   Nope.  She just looked.  And I've seen them touch noses briefly thru the babygate in the kitchen.  And she's already napped on the bed with him - altho on opposite corners. 

I got this look from Maddie right after she saw him for the first time.

  It's like she's saying "Really?"

Daisy is the one who surprised me.  I'm actually feeling sorry for her.   

She is spending a lot of time with this look or terror / horror and she hisses & growls whenever Rusty so much as looks at her.  And when he's not around, she just looks sad.  So I'm making a point of spending time with her so she doesn't think I'm ignoring her.  She's been my little hemorrhoid so this is a big adjustment for her.  She was really offended when she was on my lap and Rusty dared to put his paws up on my leg, looking to get up there, too.  Apparently she forgot when she was little & demanded her share of lap while Chester was there first!

The vet gave us this diffuser of stuff she said she swears by.  It's called Feliway and it's supposed to be similar to the hormones a mama kitty puts off to calm down her kittens.  So we have that plugged in in the bedroom so hopefully Daisy will accept Rusty and stop with her hissing & growling and go back to being her adorable happy-go-lucky little self.  I wish is spread thru the whole house but it mainly will be concentrated on the one room with the diffuser.  

He likes his belly rubbed!

I'm linking up (belatedly) with the lovely ladies at the Peaceful Posse.

oh wait - my 10 things that make me HAPPY list.....

1.  Cats demanding attention & loud purrs

2.  Patient dogs

3.  Spring flowers (both smell & sight!)

4.  Having the horses meet me at the fence for petting.

5.  Plans for my roadtrip to Houston are progressing!  24 days!

6. Knowing the hubby values my opinion during car shopping for him.

7. Official dance pictures next week (one of my favorite days at the studio)

8.  Goofy SnapChat filters

9.  Both bosses being out of the office - woohoo!  

We only have the self-proclaimed "VP of Stupid Shit" in charge.

10.   Rainy nights = the best sleeping weather!