It's St Pat's and Darby's 16th Gotcha Day!

Darby here today...St. Pat's and  Thankful Thursday to boot.  We are so very grateful for each and every one of you.  Knowing you care  helps us get through the ups and downs of life with 15 formerly feral cats!

Sweetpea with her paw

Before we get to my party - we had a serious vet visit for 17 year old Sweetpea this week.  She had not been eating and was losing weight.  It turned out to be a few things - she is hyperthyroid, had an infected tooth which was removed and she had an infected claw on her right front paw which was cleaned up.  All things have been taken care of  - she is hobbling along on a bandaged foot and sequestered in the master bedroom/bath for a week.  She needs to have shredded paper for litter until her paw heals over to keep it from getting re-infected.  Thanks so much for all the purrs for her.

Me not long after I was caught and spayed.

 Now for me - hard to believe it has been 16 years since Mom and Pop took me in.  I was living under their house in a crawlspace with a possum!  He would come out at night and I would come out during the day.  I was so feisty to other cats, protecting my territory, Mom thought I was a boy and named me the Irish male name of  Darby!  Oh well.  A lot of feral cats lived in this neighborhood and I just showed up all by myself  in the winter that year.  She figured I was born in the fall of 1999.

Early shot of me

I was tough to tame and Mom spent months working with me and an animal behaviorist to get to even pet me.  I would smack her hand with my paw.  I was scared and didn't know what was going on.  Even now I get rattled easy and can still smack the beans but they still love me.  I really bonded with mom since she spent so much time with me in the beginning.

Me at our old house.

Anyway, I am so happy to have been gotcha'd by the beans.  I have had a great life - I lived in their shop with Minnie for a few months until we all moved in one house together.  Then we all moved to where we are now  with all the white cats and I love it.  I enjoy looking out the window at goat, pony, turkey and bird TV, helping Mom on the computer, hanging out with Pop when he watches TV.  I don't even mind all my many brothers and sisters.  It sure beats living on my own outdoors.  Feral cats deserve love too!

Helping Mom

So put on some green and help yourself to the nip snacks and green munchies in honor of St Pat's and me!  Thanks for coming and for being our friends.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy 15th Gotcha Day to Darby on St. Patrick's Day!

Me as the St Pat's Day Queen

It's me Darby!  Mom has not done a blog post about me in a while.  I am 16 this year and this is my 15th Gotcha Day.  Wow - I guess I am getting up there in years.  It has been a fun time living all these years with this gang of cats. Everyone is wearing green today to help me celebrate!

Snowball looks dapper in his hat.

Smidge is trying to pretend that mug is not hers.

Even shy Woody dressed up for me.

If you are new and would like to read my Gotcha Day story - go to Introducing Darby.  The second part is here.We have some fun treats to thank you for coming to my party - nip wine for those old enough to imbibe, (nip for those who can handle it) cookies and a rainbow cake for all.

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
~Irish Blessing

P.S. UPDATE on Lily - she is perky and doing well considering the lump in her mouth.  We hope to have her with us a bit longer.  Thanks for the good thoughts for her.

Happy Gotcha Day Darby!

Me, Darby Queen of St Pat's Day!

Welcome to my 14th Gotcha Day.  I will be 15 years old this year since I was most likely born in November of the previous year.  My how time flies! "St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time -- a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic" says Adrienne Cook. . I am really happy I got gotted on St. Pat's.  Make lots of wishes today  - cuz you never know ...they could come true!   This year we will show some of us wearing the green  along with me, the Gotcha Day Girl Darby!

Ivy looks so dapper with her hat and garland of shamrocks!

Georgie wonders why she has a funny green hat on her head!  hehehe

Only submitted to Mom putting the beer mug chain around his neck.  Without our Chica, Yoko and Joey, Mom does not have anyone who will calmly let her dress them up.  She has to trick them or get them before they even know what is going on.

So cats, put your green on, hold up your nip milk shakes and let us toast today - "May the dreams you hold dearest, be those which come true. The kindness you spread, keep returning to you."  Thank you for being the dear friends that you are.  Kick back and help yourself to nip cookies, Lucky Charm nibbles (who remembers those?) and nip flavored cupcakes!  

Sláinte

Darby's 13th Gotcha Day and St Patrick's Day

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day and a Happy 13th Gotcha Day to our sweet Darby! We caught her all those years ago after she had been living in the crawlspace under the house we rented.  We put a kennel cage on the porch for her to use to keep warm and snug that winter and once she got used to it,  we made a trap out of it with a string tied to the door.  

Watching Darby

We set the kennel right outside the front door  and we all watched from inside the house - Chica, Yoko and Sweetpea too.  Once Darby went in, we pulled the door shut from inside the house.  Got her!  She was not happy but she was safe.  We got her spayed and tamed her - now that was a long story in and of itself.  She was one wild kitty.

Darby at her desk

But now she is a love bug and a Momma's girl.  All she wants is to sit next to Mom especially when Mom works at the desk in her office. As little as she is, no one messes with her much.  She can dish it out but does not like to get it back.  Mamacita  will hide and wait for Darby to run down the hall and then jump out to ambush her.  Poor Darby runs like the devil.  If it happens enough Darby checks all the hiding spots before she ventures down the hall so she doesn't run the gauntlet.

So enough of the stories. Since Darby is a BIG fan of nip - that is our theme today.  Help yourself to apps, niptinis and lots of  St Patty's Day foods.  Thank you for coming and for being our friends.

Thank you so very much for all the kind words, cards, emails and posts for our beloved Chica.  Your support helps us all thru a very sad time.

May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks.
May your heart be as light as a song.
May each day bring you bright happy hours,
That stay with you all year long.
For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to each and every one of you!