Adopt a Kitten in Jacksonville Florida

Allow us to introduce you to six cute kittens that will be put up for adoption beginning at 8 weeks of age. Today, they are a bit over 4 weeks of age. They are currently located in the suburb of Mandarin, Florida. Please note that this original blog post was published in June 2014. The kittens and their mommy were picked up by the Jacksonville Florida Animal Care and Protective Services. All of the kittens were adopted with the mommy cat entering the Wild Whiskers program in Duval County. If you are interested in adopting a kitten or adult cat, please check with your local animal care or rescue facility.

MEET THE SIX KITTENS

The pictures of these sweet little kittens show them at 3-4 weeks of age. These six kittens came into our care on June 20, 2014 when we found them. We first spotted the pregnant white mommy cat on May 20, 2014. By June 1st, it was apparent that she had given birth to kittens. We couldn't believe such a beautiful cat could be a stray. After observing the mommy cat for 4 weeks, we were determined to find the kittens and rescue them and the mother cat.

MEET MOMMY CAT

Pregnant White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida
Photo Taken May 20, 2014

We photographed the pregnant white mommy cat on May 20th. You can probably see that she is a petite cat and relatively young. She is possibly still a kitten herself and most definitely is under two years of age.

White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida Nursing Six Kittens
Photo Taken June 24, 2014

It is important that kittens stay with their mommy cat for as long as possible. These kittens have the benefit of mommy 24/7 in a clean and safe inside environment.

White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida
Photo Taken June 22, 2014

The mommy cat is quite attentive to her kittens and nurses them several times a day. I surely couldn't imagine trying to provide the same kind of care to six kittens throughout a day.

White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida
Photo Taken June 24, 2014

When you compare the photo of mommy cat taken on June 24th with that photo of May 20th, you can see she is pretty much a kitten herself. She is a beautiful cat with a sweet disposition. She has a fabulous white fur coat with orange and black calico markings on her head, face and tail.

SUPPORT MOMMY CAT AND HER KITTENS

The mommy cat and kittens will be in our care until they are adopted. It will be another four weeks before the kittens can be put up for adoption. July 25th would mark approximately 8 weeks of age for the kittens. We are hoping to raise enough funds so that we can provide the spaying and neutering of the kittens and mother. Won't you help us? Please help to support the mommy cat and six little kittens during their care. Give through their GoFundMe page.

ADOPT A KITTEN

Would you like to adopt one of the six kittens? Or, maybe you would want an older kitten like the mommy? We think these are some special kittens. They are cute in disposition and have beautiful markings. If you are interested, please leave me a comment with your contact information.

Found White Cat and Kittens in Mandarin

Since the middle of May, I had been noticing a pretty white cat, with calico markings, in my backyard. On May 20, 2014, I snapped a photo of her looking like she was definitely pregnant with a litter!

Pregnant White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida
Photo Taken May 20, 2014

As I watched the white mommy cat come and go daily, I did wonder a number of things, like:

1. Who might have lost a white cat?
2. Why wasn't she spayed by her owner?
3. Where was she sleeping at night?
4. Where did she stash her babies?

In early 2012, I had seen another white cat in my backyard which surely looks a lot like this white cat. I'm thinking they are definitely related. Check out the white cat in my post on the Stray Cats of Mandarin.

Pregnant White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida
Photo Taken June 1, 2014

The next photo I have shared of the white mommy cat was taken June 1st. I was reasonably sure she had just delivered her litter. But, I'm not sure of the actual date. What I found odd was the strange behavior of the two male cats when they came near her. Take a look at the next two photos to see what I am talking about!

The male orange tabby cat was peering at the behind of the female white cat as she ate. That photo was taken the morning of May 29th. It makes me think she probably had delivered the babies already. The black male cat seems to be peeing on the female white cat! That photo was taken the morning of June 1st. Very odd behavior! I believe these are the two daddies to the litter of six!

FOUND SIX KITTENS

At 8:45am on Friday, June 20, 2014, I followed the female white cat after she came by to eat breakfast. She virtually led me directly to the baby kittens that she had stashed in the bushes up against a neighbor's house.

Six Baby Kittens at Three Weeks of Age
Photo Taken June 20, 2014

The previous Monday, I was talking with another neighbor who asked if I had seen the white cat. I told her that the white cat was coming by daily to be fed. She said she had her kittens in her bushes at the front of her house. Well, she also told another neighbor and pretty soon mommy cat moved the little kitties. Their location was a mystery for the next few days until Friday morning when I put on my explorer cap and went a-looking.

When I found the six baby kittens, I brought them into my Florida Room. I then started wondering, "what am I going to do with you?" I had researched the local organizations in Jacksonville, Florida. Virtually everybody said the same thing. Do not take baby kittens away from their nursing mother. And, try to be a foster mother to the mommy cat and her babies until they are ready for adoption!

Also, it is important to spay and neuter these cats so as not to add to the pet population. When the time is right, I will be putting the baby kittens up for adoption. That should be when they have reached eight weeks of age. The mommy cat will need to be spayed as well. She looks pretty young to have been a mommy already!

HAVE YOU LOST A CAT?

Could this be YOUR cat? You don't need to be shy about it or embarrassed that I am providing care for your cat. Please, if this is your cat, let me know! She is a beautiful cat with a lovely personality. I am contemplating keeping her after I adopt out her little cuties.

White Mommy Cat Nursing her Six Baby Kittens
Photo Taken June 24, 2014

ADOPT A KITTEN

Would you want to adopt one of these baby kittens? In a future blog post, we will profile the little rascals and let you get to know them better. These baby kittens are fortunate that I found them. I've previously managed a feral colony of cats in Deercreek Country Club. I've also nurtured another set of baby kittens from Precious the Cat. After finding good homes for Precious's kittens, I adopted Precious.

Over the course of several years, I worked with First Coast No More Homeless Pets : FCNMHP in Jacksonville, Florida. This organization is a lifesaver helping to spay and neuter cats throughout Northeastern Florida.

If you are interested in adopting one of these cuties, just let me know! You don't need to wait the full eight weeks to contact me. I am doing my best to ensure that these will be the best pets possible. Mommy cat is staying with them and nursing them several times daily. Already I am seeing some pretty precious little personalities emerging for these baby kittens. Perhaps one of them will be your pet?

As you probably can tell, this is a story from June 2014! The mommy cat went into a program with the City of Jacksonville called Wild Whiskers. They wouldn't tell me where she was going, but I was assured that she would do well. Also, all of the six kittens were spayed and/or neutered and put up for adoption in Jacksonville. As it is now several years later, I pray that all are in loving homes and doing well.

You too can adopt a kitten and provide it with a loving home. Your city should have programs that you can check out.

Cutting the Sunflower Heads from the Plants

On Friday, June 20, 2014, it was the 98th day of my second DIY sunflower garden. And, that was the first day that I began to cut off the sunflower heads to harvest them for seeds. I probably cut around two dozen of the larger heads. I checked the back sides to see that they were yellowing and indented and that the petals had already fallen off.

White Mommy Cat Inspecting Cut Sunflower Heads
Photo Taken June 20, 2014

Last year, it was closer to the first of June when I was harvesting the seeds from the sunflower heads. In 2013, I was able to use my Florida Room for the drying of the sunflower heads. This year, things changed significantly when I located the six baby kittens that the white mommy cat had stashed in my neighbor's bushes!

White Mommy Cat Inspecting Cut Sunflower Heads
Photo Taken June 20, 2014

Now the mommy cat and six baby kittens are enjoying the pleasures of my Florida Room. So, I am using my garage for the drying location. After cutting about two dozen sunflower heads, I put them in the lid to my 55-gallon trash can. That seemed to work quite well for supporting the heads while they dry. I placed the lid on the top of the garbage can in the garage and have left it there for the right time to harvest the seeds.

Today, June 24th, is the 102nd day of my sunflower garden. I have filled a second lid with the cut sunflower heads. I have also been cutting the smaller heads and placing them at the foot of a crepe myrtle tree at the back of my property. Yesterday, I found a squirrel had actually climbed to the top of one of my taller sunflower plants to chew off one of the heads! So, to keep those squirrels happy, I have cut several dozen sunflower heads to keep them happy.

The squirrels aren't the only critters climbing my sunflower plants! The female and male cardinal birds have been landing on the stalks and actually snapping a few plants. I've also seen the baby mockingbirds jumping around at the base of the sunflower garden. Numerous times, the hummingbird has made an appearance, but it doesn't stick around long enough for me to snap a photo!

By the way, yesterday morning I was working out at Bailey's Powerhouse Gym. Chatting with a friend for a while, she suddenly stopped and asked me, "you don't smoke pot do you?" I looked at her surprised and said, "no, but I was working in my sunflower garden this morning, cutting the heads." You see, I must have reeked of the pungent sunflower odor. When you are cutting the heads, you get a little sticky residue on your hands. And the sunflower leaves can impart a strong smell when you handle them! Don't be working in your sunflower garden the day of any job interview! They might think you smell like pot, or something!!!

P.S. Oh, mommy cat? Well at 8:45am on Friday, June 20th, I located the six baby kittens and brought them into the Florida Room. Next, I was looking for the right opportunity to bring in mommy cat. You can see she was hanging around when I was cutting the sunflower heads early in the afternoon. I didn't want to "grab" her because that might unduly frighten her. She had to be comfortable coming inside. Well, the opportunity presented itself at 3:45pm that day. Yeah, it took me six hours for her to be ready to be with her babies inside!

Red Rat Snake in Jacksonville Florida

Last night, June 17th, at approximately 8:18pm, I saw this red rat snake slithering through my grass in my front yard. It was serendipitous that I happened to glance out my front kitchen window and see something colorful in the bright green grass.

Red Rat Snake Slithering in Grass in Jacksonville Florida
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady, June 17, 2014, 8:18pm

At first, when I saw the bright reddish color of that snake, I thought it might be a Scarlet Kingsnake as I had seen a Florida Scarlet Snake in my side yard a few months earlier. I thought, this guy is surely the DADDY as he's pretty big - I'd say definitely more than 36 inches and quite possibly approaching 48 inches in length easily!

Red Rat Snake Slithering in Grass in Jacksonville Florida
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady, June 17, 2014, 8:18pm

I didn't know what kind of snake this was when I first saw it, so I was keeping my distance. "Could it be a coral snake?" was something that ran through my mind. As it approached the Drake Elm in my front yard, I came inside for a stick like object.

Red Rat Snake Coiled Up in Jacksonville Florida
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady, June 17, 2014, 8:19pm

See this picture of the snake rather coiled up? Look to the left and you can see its glaring eyes! I had a long deck brush and gently stuck the brush towards the snake to see if I could perhaps pick it up and move it. Holy Smokes, but that was quite the moment. The snake took a strike at the brush! I took the brush away and tried one more time. Same thing. It was quite the strike. I was wondering, is this a venomous snake perhaps? And, where the heck did it come from as my yard surrounding my house is immaculate and cleared of any hiding places. He must have slithered into my yard from one of the neighbors' yards!

Red Rat Snake Climbing a Drake Elm Tree in Jacksonville Florida
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady, June 17, 2014, 8:20pm

After the red rat snake had taken a couple strikes at my deck brush, I left it alone and wondered where would it go? All around the base of the Drake Elm tree are brick stones. The snake was checking out the various stones for a crevice to crawl into. Within a few moments, the snake was up over the stones and heading for the tree.

Red Rat Snake Climbing a Drake Elm Tree in Jacksonville Florida
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady, June 17, 2014, 8:20pm

Googling "red rat snake" you can find some interesting information. For example, the reference page from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says this is the best climbing snake in Florida! You can see the snake climbing my Drake Elm! Soon the snake disappeared up the tree and I came inside to Google a red snake in Florida to see what kind of snake this guy is.

Yep, almost immediately, I hit upon red rat snake or corn snake. I couldn't understand the "corn" reference and thought I'd have to research that more. I was really interested in what this snake eats.

Another excellent online reference is from the FLMNH. It identifies this as the Eastern Corn Snake. This species breeds from April to June and will lay from 3 to 40 eggs during the summer. The newborns will then hatch from July to September. This snake can actually live up to 22 years in captivity! Could this be a neighbor's pet? Maybe.

Checking the Wikipedia reference on the corn snake - "Pantherophis guttatus is a North American species of rat snake that subdues its small prey by constriction." Oh my, constriction! I was thinking it probably strikes at the prey first and then squeezes the life out of it.

As I saw the snake disappear up my tree, he was surely searching for unguarded birds eggs! His diet also includes small rodents and lizards. I've had a mole in my yard which I would LOVE that snake to take out. I've also got plenty of the brown anole lizards and hope the snake doesn't eat too many of those guys.

Interested in owning one of these snakes? You'll want to secure yourself a copy of Corn and Red Rat Snakes (Guide to Owning A Corn Snake). I'm going to be on the lookout for this guy and see where he is coming from!

PS Do you know I have seen a LOT of snakes on the internet ... they are the Content Scrapers! Perhaps you have seen them too??

Sunflower Garden at 9 Feet at 90 Days

My sunflower garden finally achieved 9 feet in height on the 90th day! That 90th day was yesterday, June 12, 2014. A couple of days earlier, June 10th, I measured the tallest sunflower plant at 105 inches; that was short of nine feet by only three inches. At 79 days, my sunflower garden was nearly 8 feet tall. On the 81st day, the tall plant measured 8 feet 1 inch!

NINE FOOT SUNFLOWER PLANT

9 Foot Tall Sunflower Plant in My Sunflower Garden
Nine Feet at 90 Days on June 12, 2014

Take a look at the stem of that tallest sunflower plant. Pretty impressive, isn't it. It has a number of buds which will ultimately bloom into pretty sunflower blossoms.

The evening of May 29th and May 30th, I was busy installing 5 foot wooden stakes to my sunflower plants. I finished on the morning of May 31st. I installed 30 separate wooden stakes and two full spools of landscape twine to completely stake the plants right before the start of Hurricane Season!

My Sunflower Garden at 9 Feet at 90 Days on June 12, 2014

I must say it is mixed blessings that we had that stormy and windy weather the end of May. It was because of the initial damage to my garden that I got all my plants shored up. And, that has helped me to achieve the extra height in my plants.

CHARTING THE PLANT GROWTH

1. 23 days - 6 inches wide by 7 inches across by 6 inches tall = 0.5 ft.
2. 30 days - 9 inches wide by 10 inches across by 12 inches tall = 1 ft.
3. 37 days - 11 inches wide by 13 inches across by 18 inches tall = 1.5 ft.
4. 42 days - 24 inches tall = 2 ft.
5. 51 days - 38 inches tall = 3 ft. 2 in.
6. 56 days - 49 inches tall = 4 ft. 1 in.
7. 62 days - 3 plants at 59 inches tall = 4 ft. 11 in.
8. 65 days - 2 plants at 63 inches; 1 plant at 66 inches tall = 5 ft. 6 in.
9. 70 days - 2 plants at 73 inches; 3 plants at 74 inches = 6 ft. 2 in.
10. 72 days - 9 plants over 72 inches; 1 plant at 78 inches tall  = 6 ft. 6 in.
11. 79 days - 93 inches = 7 ft. 9 in.
12. 80 days - 96 inches = 8 ft.
13. 81 days - 97 inches = 8 ft. 1 in.
14. 88 days - 105 inches = 8 ft. 9 in.
15. 90 days - 108 inches tall = 9 ft.

My Sunflower Garden at 9 Feet at 90 Days on June 12, 2014

See if you can find the 9 foot tall sunflower plant in the picture above. Do you see it? If you look at the previous garden photo, it is not easily apparent which is the tallest plant. There are easily four plants that are similar in growth for being the tallest. The tallest plant is in the first, outside row and is just left of center. Look toward the roof of the house and you can see it rising above.

My Sunflower Garden at 9 Feet at 90 Days on June 12, 2014

OK, it should be easier in this last photo to identify the tall plant. Look to the middle of the garden and then just left. See that yellow sunflower plant reaching for the sky? An optical illusion shows it about a foot and a half above the roof. You also get a great idea of how many plants I have and how many blossoms. Probably a couple hundred plants and several hundred blossoms counting all the multiple ones per plant! Amazing sunflowers.

It has been incredible to experience this sunflower journey. I owe it all to Burpee Sunflower Seeds! That's all it took for my first garden in 2013. I had a little more than one hundred plants from 5 packets of seeds. Now, my 2014 garden is all from my harvested seeds from the first garden. This year, I have held off cutting off the sunflower heads for harvesting the seeds. Since my plants are staked, the stems can support the weight of the heavy heads. Now, let's hope that the windy weather doesn't take out any more plants. It's 2:24pm here on June 13th, and some really windy weather has just rolled in. Fingers crossed!!

I just stopped to chat with our mail carrier. I had given him several packets of sunflower seeds from The Sunflower Project. He gave a few packets to a coworker at the local USPS office; she had planned on planting them in front of the facility. He said his plants are around 3 feet tall since he didn't plant them all that long ago. "Boy, they are really growing ... they love all this rain!" I said, "Let me know when you have flowers, I want to see pictures!" Stay tuned.

Oh ... and I want to see pictures of YOUR own sunflowers and sunflower gardens. Please feel free to share YOUR own photos with me. Don't take mine. You know? Be authentic. Be original ... be the best that YOU can be ... stop trying to be me.

DreamWalk in my Chinese Laundry Platforms

Recently, as a #BzzAgent, I #GotItFree and got to test drive a pair of Dr. Scholl's DreamWalk High Heel Insoles. What inspired me to participate in this campaign was the fact that I have had three separate foot surgeries on both my feet. For me, wearing a pair of shoes, other than flats, can pose a real issue.

Dr. Scholl's DreamWalk High Heel Insoles
[JaguarJulie sporting Pucci-licious Color Club Nail Polish]

When my package arrived from BzzAgent, I noticed that the package stated these fit women's shoes sizes 6 through 10. I was wondering if I would need to cut them. However, once I opened that package I saw that they weren't the complete length of the shoe. You can see that they are the palest of pink colors. I might have suggested a light nude, like skin, color instead.

Feeling the insoles, there is a nubby texture which is the wicking fabric which helps to wick the moisture away from your feet and keep them dry. That is a good thing since I don't wear panty hose and my feet do tend to perspire here in Jacksonville, Florida.

IN MY CHINESE LAUNDRY PLATFORMS

Chinese Laundry Silver Metallic Platform Heels

I dug in my closet to see what high heels I had left since I have been selling my shoes on eCrater and donating quite a few to Goodwill. Hmmm, when I pulled out the Chinese Laundry Silver Metallic Platform Heels, I didn't realize that I was going to be extremely trendy with my old pair of shoes. You see, the Miss USA Pageant outfitted all the contestants in Chinese Laundry metallic platform heels. Did you see that?

Chinese Laundry Silver Metallic Platform Heels
Sporting Dr. Scholl's DreamWalk High Heel Insoles

There you have it -- my pair of Chinese Laundry platforms with the DreamWalk insoles. Good thing the back of the insoles wasn't any wider -- it just fits in my heels!

Chinese Laundry Silver Metallic Platform Heels
Sporting Dr. Scholl's DreamWalk High Heel Insoles

Looking at the side of my platforms, you can see how well the insert fits this shoe. The shoes have a 1 inch platform with a bit over 4 inches of heel. Since the insoles are designed for heels 2 inches or higher, these are great for testing the product.

Chinese Laundry Silver Metallic Platform Heels
Sporting Dr. Scholl's DreamWalk High Heel Insoles

When you put the insoles into your heels, you peel off the plastic and place the sticky side down, aligning with the back of the shoe. I like how the insoles stay in place.

JaguarJulie in Chinese Laundry Silver Metallic Platform Heels
Sporting Dr. Scholl's DreamWalk High Heel Insoles

Ah, there I am in my Chinese Laundry platforms sporting Dr. Scholl's DreamWalk High Heel Insoles. Those insoles have an "ultra-soft gel arch" which cushions your foot and helps to shift all that pressure off the balls of your feet. Usually, in heels, you are pressing down quite a bit on the balls of your feet. Usually, after a long day on my feet, it is the balls of my feet which hurt the most.

The DreamWalk High Heel Insoles are "clinically proven to help prevent foot pain." That is a nice bonus for me because after a Morton's Neuroma surgery to my right foot, followed by a bunionectomy on the right and then another bunionectomy on the left, I know foot pain!! Another big challenge for me is fallen arches. I've gotten used to how my feet feel with no arches -- I surely have no idea how your foot would feel with arches! So, having an insole with a gel pad at the arch area, helps to cushion my step.

So? Where did I go with DreamWalk? I actually put on my shoes with those sporty insoles and headed for my local mall. I did my normal walk from one end to the other, stopping at Belk's, JC Penneys, Dillard's, and finally Sears ... and then back again.

Today, I got an email from BzzAgent -- they suggested "it’s time you pulled some fabulous pairs out of early retirement and hit the town." Well, I don't know if they knew that I myself have taken early retirement and don't usually hit the town on my social security income. However, I often go sightseeing at my local mall. It's a good opportunity to try out these insoles and get a little exercise too.

I survived the first go-around and I am contemplating a second visit to my mall in my DreamWalk high heel insoles. I've got another pair of black platforms which are similar in style to these -- I definitely would like another pair of the insoles to put in those shoes. I'd rather not pull the insoles from the Chinese Laundry platforms.

I must say that I did enjoy the cushion-like feel of the insoles. And, I'm glad I pulled those shoes out of early retirement to join me in my walk.

 Maybe some day, I will be dancing in them! A gal can dream ... first your walk, then you dance!

Ah, DreamWalk from Dr. Scholl's.

Adult Mockingbird Protective Behavior

Over the past week or so, I have felt blessed to be able to be an eyewitness to a nest of baby mockingbirds in my crepe myrtle tree. I have felt the pain of the mother bird when its baby was killed. And, I have experienced the joy of the baby bird taking its first steps toward learning how to fly. The biggest thing I have observed and learned more about is the protective behavior of the adult mockingbird.

Yesterday, I found myself totally wrapped up in keeping an eye on the baby and adult mockingbirds. It was nearly impossible to get any other work done. I normally would have spent the afternoon weeding my side and back yards ... but there was absolutely no way that the two adult mockingbirds would leave me alone!

When the baby mockingbirds were still in the nest, I found I could move around my backyard without being dive bombed by the adult mockingbirds. Once the birds were out of the nest and hopping around the yard, things changed. They become louder and more vocal and were shouting at me as I entered certain areas of the yard. Quite a few times, they flew at the back of me with some vengeance. "OK, OK!" I kept telling them.

So, I opted to spend a little time with the adult mockingbirds in the back area of my yard near the nest. I was talking to them all the while they answered me back in bird talk ... "Hit the road, sister!" "Scram." "Hey, get outta here!" And, then, probably after I snapped some twenty-two pictures ... "Stop taking my picture!"

Adult Mockingbird Protective Behavior in 22 Photos

Here is a sequence of twenty-two photos as I took them of the adult mockingbird exhibiting very protective behavior as I was too near the nest. You can view it like a slide show by clicking on the first one, at the left below, and then cycling through the subsequent photos with the right arrow!

Did you have a favorite photo of the adult mockingbird exhibiting its protective behavior? I personally can't pick just one, but have a few that are quite interesting. For example, in #11, I love how the mockingbird seems to look right at me, "What's the matter with you?"

In another blog post, I'll share more photos of the adult mockingbird pair that shows them when they were doing their mating dance!

Want to know more about identifying backyard birds? You might appreciate the National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America. I've long been a fan of National Geographic and yearned to be a photo journalist for them. So, I guess in a way I am a backyard bird photo journalist today!

In closing ... I want to personally thank each and every one of you who have enjoyed my photos and stories about the mockingbirds. I also appreciate those that do not steal copyrighted images.