Vivian K. Perry – Page 2 – Jennifer's Journal

On the Mend

Published on June 30, 2019June 30, 2019 by J. Kelland Perry33 Comments

Our dear little Vivian is recuperating from a coyote attack. At least that is our best guess, after her vet in Gander said the wounds under her tail came from four large canine teeth, too large to be another cat, weasel or mink.

There are no roaming dogs in the vicinity, but there have been plenty of coyote sightings around the shore and right here in Newtown. Needless to say, our cats will never go out in the evening or night again. After almost nine years of outdoor escapades since we moved here from the city, this is the first time anything like this has happened. Darn coyotes!

Chelsea the vet sedated her, stitched her up, and administered an antibiotic dose good for two weeks. We gave her anti-inflammatory medicine for seven days and oodles of TLC.

Her sutures come out on Wednesday, and we can’t wait. The past eleven days have been tough, mostly due to the joys of the Elizabethan collar. Vivian was depressed at first, but a few days ago she snapped back to her old silly self, chasing Maisie around the house. So funny to see Maisie run away, apparently spooked by the contraption on her sister’s head (she usually play-fights back).

Everything will work out, Vivian. We’re so grateful we didn’t lose you.

And I’m sure you have at least five or six lives left in you yet.

**A little sisterly moral support from Maisie**

Morning Hunt

Published on October 14, 2018October 27, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry

Cat hunting for rodents — “People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life.” – *Faith Resnick*

Cats, even the cutest of kittens, have a killer instinct. It’s an inherited and hard-wired behavior put into practice by the time a kitten is barely a month old. Mother cats will teach their kittens to hunt by example using trilling and other sounds to indicate the type of prey brought to the den. When kittens are about four weeks old, she brings dead prey to teach identification of prey species and later live prey to teach how to catch and kill. Kittens soon learn to swat, pounce and scoop with their claws extended. They learn to bring the prey home to share as their mother did for them and to play with the prey.

As adults, cats will bring humans (mother substitutes) their bounty as a shared offering. Depending on what’s available, it could be an actual mouse carcass or perhaps a toy mouse in your shoe.*

*Excerpt from Cat Wisdom 101 – Cats: Hardwired to Hunt in 6 Steps

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“Our Mutual Friend”

Published on September 24, 2017March 7, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry17 Comments

“And he glanced at the backs of the books, with an awakened curiosity that went below the binding. No one who can read, ever looks at a book, even unopened on a shelf, like one who cannot.” ― Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend

Photo Prompt: cozy ~ wheresmybackpack.com
Photo originally posted here: Is There Room In Your Book For Me?

Concerned: Part Two

Published on September 14, 2017February 27, 2022 by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

Welcome back for the Big Reveal.

On Sunday, I asked “What has gotten Vivian so concerned?”
Scroll down to find out!

On an especially gorgeous Saturday last month, Paul and I decided to go out for a row in the Serendipity, a lovely little punt built by our late neighbour, Ben Perry.

We came up with the ‘brilliant’ idea
to try to take Vivian along.
We did everything we could to coax her aboard,
but she was having no part of it.