You go, girl!!

After Timbit spent hours cleaning her toes, sharpening her claws and honing her climbing skills, she got chased out of the tree.

Well that's just fine!!

She overcame a fear of heights only to have her confidence destroyed.  She did climb the wrong tree, but anyone can make a mistake.

Little do they know, but Timbit is about to make up her own game, on her own terms and SHE will select the team and the coach.

Go for it!!  TIMBIT RULES!!

No!! Throw in the towel!!

We're off to the races.....but we knew one day this would happen.  Big Kitty threw his hat in the ring and decided to race up the tree!!

We've all heard the saying:

"You're too fat to fly!!"

Well Big Kitty, that concept applies to you and tree climbing races.

Big (FAT) Kitty made it 2' up the tree before he turned around and plopped to the ground.

Leave the racing to the athletes, Big Kitty!!

You can see it in their eyes....

 

 

Knowledge

and

Innocence.

Paparazzi! Go home!!

Sid wasn't happy when we placed her on the horse blanket and even less happy as we put her baby there with her.  Before she calmed down, she picked up the baby by the neck and tried to put it back.  If she put it back, we couldn't get a picture.  So, Sid put her arm around the baby to protect it from the harsh reality of having a photographer in your face day in and day out.

Lie still, Sid!  This will be over soon!

Alberta, the place we call home.....

This shot is labelled "Living on the Edge"...where the foothills overlook the Great Plains of North America.  Less than five miles east of Barn Cat Mansion, we have grain farms, dairies and feedlots.  Less than 20 miles west, the majestic Rocky Mountains rise high above scenic, rolling countryside called the Porcupine Hills.
We never get sick of the view!!

Hunger strikes!!

Well, Mama Cow saved Baby Cow by chasing the mighty Lion King under the fence. 

Poor Socks will spend another day without a delectable meal and Baby Cow will live to see another day.  The desolate plains and prairies can be harsh at times.  Maybe Socks could set his sights on something smaller.  Rumor has it, a gopher was spotted hopping, skipping and jumping across the field without a care in the world.  Don't spend your life pining for something you can't have, Socks.

Go out and get something you need!!

Saved by the fence!!

Mighty Lion King was about to pounce on the unsuspecting cousin of the Wildebeest when the  thundering hooves pounding against frozen ground got closer and a Mad Cow arrived to defend her Baby Cow.  Faster than you could say "Bob's your Uncle", Socks was on the run and found himself on the safe side of a barbed wire fence, trying to explain to Mad Cow that he was "only looking" at Baby Cow!

Scaredy Cat!!  You'll have "no beef" for lunch today!!

The Hunted!!

The cats at Barn Cat Mansion refused to race today, so we're checking in at Fox Farm:

And meanwhile, on the desolate plains called the Cow Pasture, a mighty Lion King named Socks waits patiently as a young cousin of the Wildebeest approaches.  Socks is confident with his hunting abilities and will wait for the perfect moment to attack the Baby Cow.

Wait!  The Baby Cow bellers!!...and from far across the desolate plains, thundering hooves pound the frozen ground in a desperate attempt to reach Baby Cow before the inevitable happens.

Will the Mighty Lion King prevail? and take down this unsuspecting Baby Cow?

Look out below!!

All of the yelling below, threw BP off his game.

.......and he went out on a limb....

a very small limb.

Far above, we heard the cracking and creaking of a tiny limb under pressure.

Get back on the trunk, BP

Quickly, he repositioned his front legs, grabbed the substantial bark on the sturdy tree and resumed the climb.

Tree Climbing is a dangerous sport and we must try to keep distractions to a minimum.

C'mon down!!

WHOA!!

STOP!!

HOLD YOUR HORSES!!

Timbit!  Get out of that tree this very instant!

Things were happening so fast, that we don't know if it's Flag or Black Panther up that tree, but we do know that Timbit is "out of order".

One cat per tree trunk.  That's a rule.

We know it's only a practise run, but rules are rules.

Form to function....

Timbit was busy cleaning her feet, so Flag rushed to the tree and pretty much ran up like he was on flat ground.

Everything OT taught him obviously sunk in!!

His form is perfect and his eye is on the top.

This cat followed instruction so well, I'm beginning to think Flag may be a girl.  We'll try to catch Flag and check that out.

In the meantime,

LOOK OUT, BP!!

You are longer the "fastest cat in the barn"!

Safety first......

Big Kitty oversees the task at hand.  Timbit is first in line for practise, but upon inspection, it's revealed that snow is lodged between her toes. :/

How could this happen!!?

Well, she sat too long in one spot and ice formed on her foot, thus trapping snow and debris between the toes.

Big Kitty ordered her to stay out of the tree until the matter is resolved.

Sharpen those claws!!

More continuations........

and the final one before practise begins:

12.  Once you reach the branch line, back foot 
       position will make or break your race.
13.  It may be a lot to think about, but claws
       have to be out and ready to grip allowing
       spring loaded back leg muscles to 
       suddenly push your big fat cat body 
       upward.
14.  While thinking of leg placement and
       muscle control, don't forget you have a
       head that will inadvertently crash into
       branches above.

Be safe, young kitties!!

Don't purr......ROAR!!

Back to the task at hand:

7.  Carry on up the tree, pushing with back legs and
     grabbing with front!
8.  Note: My belly never touches the tree.
9.  Here you see correct head position with mouth
     half open for better air intake.
10.  My nose is zeroed in on the target which is "as
       high as the sky".
11.  Climb fast and never look down.

If you look down while going up.....well there's no telling what could happen!!

Another note:  Tail position will determine speed and balance.  Never close your eyes or you'll run into a branch. (that really hurts)

Do as I say, not as I do!!

OT says:  "OK, let's talk about technique!!"

1.  Grab the tree bark with the claws on your front
     feet.
2.  Never look sideways, as I'm doing here. 
3.  Never stop to talk about climbing technique when
      you're in a race to the top.
4.  Use your back legs for power to propel you up the
      tree in the fastest manner possible.
5.  Your tail is for balance, so don't start wagging it
     like some over-zealous dog.  You'll fall out of the
     tree!!
6.  Sharpen your claws before joining a race!!

.......to be continued

Pay attention!!

OT takes charge.....

"OK.  Listen up!  I'm only going to say this once....or twice....or maybe three or four times.   We've been over the "ready, set, go" thing, but we haven't covered technique for the actual climb"

"Are you listening?"

Nope!  No one is listening.....

Is 6:30 too early??

The call came in at 6:30 AM

ALL HANDS ON DECK!!

Tree climbing practise begins in 5 minutes on the Sports Field outside of Barn Cat Mansion!!  8 cats jumped out of bed, full of life, happy to face the day get their game on!!

2 cats stayed in bed and calmly said:

"Don't call us, we'll call you!!!"

OBS gets a job!!

There's Orange Blossom Special,

sitting on the hood of the Nissan.

If she really wants to be a "bauble head",

she'll have to come in and sit on the dashboard.

On second thought, maybe she could be

a "hood ornament".

But the fact is, OBS is so "special",

she can be whatever she wants to be!!

$250 worth of extra work!!

After a couple weeks of tying up the cow, restraining her in the squeeze chute and doing everything we could to get her to accept Jake, we finally gave up.

Why?

She just didn't want to be a foster mother.  When she jumped over the gate and ran to the field, that was the last straw.

As for Jake?

He's happy to be rid of her!!  At least when he gets a bottle, he doesn't get kicked in the chin like he did with the cow! :/

Anything but a barn cat! :/

Penelope Pepper Face is a bit too beautiful to be a plain old barn cat.

She should move to the city where she could get a job in a cat food commercial.

Or, she could lounge around on a couch while old ladies drink tea with their pinkie fingers in the air.

Or, she could be walked on a leash and possibly growl at small children when they try to touch her.

Make it a party!!

It's April 8th here in not so sunny Southern Alberta.

It's -10 C and should be 10 C.

There's 3" of snow on the ground and there should be none.

Big Kitty says he's having "ground hog" for lunch today.

You're welcome to join him.

Sitting on the balance beam...

Toes and Tails is over for now at BCM, but stay tuned for the next episode featuring Fox Farm Cats.

For now, we'll slip in one feature of Paws and Lips, but don't expect too many of these because we'll soon start the 2013 Tree Climbing Competition.  If we wait too long, the leaves will be out and we'll never know who wins!

What a "girlie" cat!!

The most difficult Toes and Tails yet!

Sitting sweetly on a dry clump of hay, directly adjacent to snow in front and snow behind, we find a BCM feline enjoying the early morning sun.
  
This cat has small, delicate toes, a sad face and never causes a lick of trouble!

He's usually happy, but....

Back to Toes and Tails!

For the first time in this series, somebody got it wrong.  The last episode featured the easiest I.D. job ever and no one guessed the correct cat.

Compare this tail to the last tail and see what you come up with. 

BTW, this cat is not a happy camper!!