Officer Mittens arrests a wild one

 

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A post shared by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm)

Officer Mittens report

 

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A post shared by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm)

The Official Report from Officer Mittens

Officer Mittens has been busy. It is me who has failed to record all the warrants and citations, I just can't keep up with him. So here is a breif summerary of just the past few days. 

Saturday, June 24. Franklin Muffinpants was given a citation for a Violation of a Protective Order. The Protctive Order was put in place by Mrs. Dunn because Franklin Muffinpants thinks her bare toes are fair game in nightime play. 

Sunday. No arrests. 

Monday, June 26 Franklin Muffinpants was arrested in the refridgerator for accosting a cabbage. Charges were dropped and he was cited with a Silly Kitty Brain In Fridge Again warning. 

Mrs. Dunn was given a warning for being overly grumpy. She talked back to Officer Mittens and he tried to cuff her but her ankles were to big for his cuffs. 

Many speeding and reckless running citations were handed out to Buddy. Buddy does not understand fully what this meaans so Officer Mittens has requested funds to start a Safety While In The House Program. 

Tuesday June 27 Buddy was also arrested and placed in solitary after he ate one of the remotes. Bear tried to take the blame but Omar and Oscar witnessed it and ratted on Buddy. Charges were dropped several hours later due to Buddy's Lack of Grown Brain, and big brown puppy dog eyes. Officer Mittens has now placed a protective order on all remotes. 

Officer Mittens arrested another grocery bag for Failure to Have Doughnuts. 

Wednesday June 28. Officer Mittens requests a larger uniform. He is now 14.4 pounds and his pants must be worn well below his waist which is against police officer academy policy. He also requests old fashioned doughnuts or glazed.

Brreaking News: Officer Mittens arrests himself!

 

If you follow us on social media, you know that officer Mittens takes his job seriously. You can hear all about his arrests and citations he gives out on Facebook or IG, but I had to share this one here for my blog readers.

Officer Mittens has arrested himself! He had jailed Bear for eating the cat food but in thoroughly questioning the subject he realized Bear had been the victim of entrapment. Charges for both are pending review once Officer Mittens can consult with his supervisor and consul.

{Officer Mittens now has T-shirts for sale with sales going directly to Apifera.}

Officer Mittens makes his first animal therapy visit

Officer Mittens stole the show yesterday at his first FaceTime therapy visit with our elders friends! This is him napping after the hour or more visit.

He really put on a show ...zipping and zooming all over the house. Omar and Oscar and Bear (who was a pup when they last saw him) were also hits. We also visited the front barn. Brought such a break from reality for them. They’ve had their first vaccinations though! One of the residents loved walking around the house with me,  and at one point when she saw the cats and blankets all over -she said it was just like her old house was. A bittersweet comment. I wondered if the visit would linger with her as a nice memory or make her more sad about missing an old life of independence?

Next Friday we will Facetime again, starting in the house. I hope to bring Harry in on this one. And, I thought it would be fun to introduce them to my puppets! I've been wanting to let my puppets get involved with our elder visits. My activity director at the facility is game for anything so it is a lot of fun working with her. We really had fun.

Even though the animals are a hit with them, I know too just sitting and letting them see something, anything, from the outside world is good for them. We looked at photos on my wall and paintings. We laughed at a dried up cat barf on the wood floor. They noticed the open wine bottle in the kitchen from last night and we laughed.

We have to just keep showing up. We enjoy them, I hope they know that, I hope they feel that. And Bear made me proud. He was so calm, just like in the days of his first visits back in January. We talked about that, how long ago it seems, how little Opie and his Opie Love Mobile would come and we remembered some of the elders that loved Bear but have passed this year.

We talked about how cats sometimes wonder off to die. We all commented that might be nice if we could do that.

The Teapot gets her wish from Santa

 

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A post shared by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm)

 

A couple weeks ago I posted Letters to Santa from the barnyard, over on Facebook and Instagram. The Teapot had asked Santa for a cape because she thought she would look fabulous running in it.

Well, last night after chores, and I was in a very down mood, I checked the delivery box and a follower had read about Teapot's letter. And she made a little cape. I mean, how cute! Now, I told The Teapot it was Santa, the delivery delayed like many packages this year, and she had no doubt.

I just hope nobody sends Pickles that chemistry set she wanted [do not send Pickles a chemistry set].

I am so glad that...

 I'm so glad we brought Officer Mittens into our world. It could have been a disaster, a kitten roaming the small home built for elves, with a decorated tree and two other cats and a large dog. The only kitten we had in our home was out West when we found Itty Bitty on the rural road side and she became a fixture-that all worked out, I thought, why not this kitten. But we had a bigger house then, with more of a flow. 

But from the moment he arrived, officer Mittens has taken not only to us and the animals, but to his home. He is clearly very content. He went from living in filth and overcrowded conditions, infested with worms and parasites, to being fed three times a day [he has gained over a pound since his arrival three weeks ago].

Sometimes you have to jump in with faith and it worked with Officer Mittens. It didn't work with Uncle Wally but I know he is in a better fitting home for his personality and needs. I have to admit that, I think our life here, in this smaller house with more cats inside, is more suited for the labs, and I love my labs and I miss having two. I suppose that might seem odd, a smaller house more suited to labs, you say? Bear is a year now and I do feel he grew up a bit quickly when the pug came for a week. I've been working with Bear on short training things-like sitting at my side and staying before I kick his soccar ball, or sitting by my side while I get ready for the day...just boundary and manners things. Bear wanted a pup of his own for Christmas, but the timing isn't right and I told him he has a bit more maturing to do so he can be a teacher to the new puppy, just like Huck was to Mud, and then Mud was to Huck. And I need time with him too, he needs me right now.

Officer Mittens makes me joyful. He is a muse. I miss Mister Mosely of course, what a cat he was, my dream cat, as I've said repeatedly. And one should never try to replace a pet, but be open to the new personality of the new one. Sometimes we fail at that, or we get a new pup or cat and it takes awhile to accept their true personality, versus what we had before. 

Mister Mittens is funny. He likes to nibble my toes at night if I stick them out of the covers, which I do. He likes to come sleep right by me. He likes to be loved, but he is independant-most Officers are.

I did this portrait of him, my first of him and think I somewhat captured him. Black animals are always hard to do, for me anyway.

There's a new Officer in town

This is a four part story.

Part One

My contact from the shelter was here dropping off a very old cat [Hermann who passed very soon after] and she knows all our cats since they are all from her shelter. She knew how much Mister Mosely met to me, and at this time, Mosely was in his final days or weeks but I still had hope it would be longer. I told her to keep in mind instantly if a Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest kitten or cat same in no matter the age. She pulled out her phone. She had just taken a bunch of kittens to her home to foster them. She fosters many, many animals. And there on her screeen, was a mini Mister Mosely, same coloring. He and a litter mate were part of a big rescue they did. The person was an animal lover who had helped many cats over the years, but, as can happen, things got out of balance, and there was breeding going on out of control, poor conditions, etc. She tried to fix it, but eventually she needed help and many of the large quantity of cats were taken to the shelter, including the two little Maine Coons. I told her I seriously might want the mini Mister Mosely. And then I put it out of my head, because I had to care for Mose and enjoy each second with him. I figured the universe would orchestrate the next cat.

 

Part Two

Mister Mosely did die, as you know. I was crushed, just so sad. That night, my shelter contact sent me a picture, of the little black Maine Coon, hoping it might cheer me up a little. My first thought was, 'stinkin' cute' my next thought was 'where's the mini Mosely?' I told her I was interested and asked about mini Mose and she told me he was gone, or something. I took it to mean he was spoken for. I figured maybe it was better to have one that looked different and opend my heart to the black/white kitten, and went and met him.

 

Part Three

My first encounter, he pushed his little head into mine. He was so tiny, and he had been through a lot already. he was loaded with various worms and due to the situation he was living in ...well it was very hard on his tiny body. But my contact care took him and he began to perk up, and become less scared and shy. She did wonders for socializing him too. I again asked about the other Maine Coon kitten, the mini Mose-he had died. His little body just couldn't take the stress of the worm load and other variables. Hearing that almost felt like losing Mose again. So that was one reason I was so cautious about his surgery last week for neutering.

 

Part Four

I truly believe that Mister Mosely was part of this. If I had not acted quickly to go see that kitten, he would have been gone. If I had gone a week earlier, I would have picked the mini Mose and been heartbroken when he/she died. I have never known a kitten to be this personable., at such a young age. I know I'm acting like a kid who just got her first pony under the Christmas tree, but that is what he feels like to me...a special gift.

 

And today, some five days after arrival 

He settled in so fast. he is alert, active, mischievous, busy, but also so loving. He began sleeping amongst us right away. He comes to me when I come in. he eats like a draft horse. He's gained 1/2 a pound. And he now has a name. Officer Mittens. As Officer Mittens he will undoubtedly be handing out a few citations around here. And eating doughnuts with his coffee.

You can see millions of photos of him on IG.