great kitten entertainment

Throw a plastic jingly toy in a bathtub!

Luna palpated/New Kitty

Hannah and I took a trip to the vet yesterday with Luna for pregnancy palpation.  The vet believes she is pregnant. YAY!!!  It is hard to palpate Cardis which is why I don't even try.  While we were there we saw this young cat running around and I commented on how pretty and cute...Hannah and I have been wanting a kitten but the costs of spay, vaccines, etc. and David not wanting another dependant for the next 14 years...have stopped us.  We talked to David about this one barely a year old, already spayed, tested, vaccinated,*free* and he said "ok".
We are not set on a name but thought 'Drizzle' was good...then I wasn't sure and came up with 'Smore' since she looks like a toasted marshmellow with chocolate.  Anyway, here she is, but this pose did not last...she is pretty busy, also very sweet...purrs, licks, rubs...  Oh, her eyes are blue-very pretty.

Samuel in Japan

My son, Samuel, arrived in Japan yesterday!!!  For those of you who don't know, he was called to be a missionary to Japan at about the age of 13-14.  I am blown away by the fact that the time is here.  He has completed 4 years of college at FCC (Florida Christain College) and was blessed with financial support to be able to make his first trip which is an internship required by the college.  He'll stay 3 months and stay with 3 different sets of people.  He has already gone with 2 other men and helped the homeless on his first day.  This is something he did weekly at home too.
It's kind of hard to  grasp, but Japan is 13 hours ahead of us so their day has alread passed.  We always joke that they are in the future.
Also, since my husband,David, works for United Airline, Samuel was able to fly as family and no extra funds were required for him to fly.  THAT is a huge savings.
David and I joke (sort of since it is also the truth) that one of our ministries is supporting a missionary full time!
Please pray for Samuel.  Japan has only 1 to 2 % christian population. The problem with the thinking of the people in Japan is that they are completely open to many Gods.  So, they can accept God but just as another to add to the list of Gods and the concept of one God is a difficult to allow into their hearts. 

pet with option to breed??

A while back I wrote this post in response to an inquiry:  "We want a pet with the option to breed." Hopefully this will help some of the readers understand what responsible breeding means.  These people already own pet Cardigans.
Please understand that this is not being published to puff me up in any way.  I happened to come accross this post when I was looking for something else, and I thought of another Cardigan breeder who has been posting 'helpful' blurbs recently and thought "yes, readers may benefit from this"

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I have been involved in showing and breeding Cardigans for 21 years. I LOVE Cardigans. I LOVE my dogs. Have you been to my web site? (link below) Have you seen all the top accomplishments over the years? Do you see all the health testing and priority given to temperament?  It takes dedication and a lot of guts to be a breeder. Breeding is not for the weak at heart! Go read my blog (link below) about my last litter which was a bizarre disaster...starting with an emergency c-section. I used to be a Vet Tech and I have bred 42 litters to date...so, I know when something is not right. The Vet I had to use was a scramble to find because my Vet was out of town. It was in the middle of the night too- as usual...the vet said that if I had waited I probably would have lost the bitch too. (By-the-way, Nibbs carried 7 pups, I came home with 4 and in the end I had ONE surviving pup and that is with all my knowledge and being home all the time for my animals) Nibbs got spayed on the table-torn and torsioned uterus.

Even without bad stuff after a c-section you usually have a rough go of it for the first 2 to 10 days...sometimes the Mom doesn't have milk or doesn't want the pups since she is in pain...then you have a neonatal intensive care situation. Tube feeding or bottle feeding,keeping everyone warm and no one squished by a Momma that is out of it...etc.

Right now after a series of unfortunate events in my breeding career, I am in the hole financially $5,000. I usually hope to break even. I tell people that you better have about 3 to $4,000 set aside if you want to breed a litter.

Buying yourself another dog to breed, then you will have 3. Of course you keep one pup. Now you have 4. But what about the pups you have left over that people don't buy...or said they'd take and changed their minds.

I have a reputation to uphold as a breeder who does it right and well, works hard at it and continually strives for the top. I have a waiting list filled before I even have a girl bred....

I understand your desire to have puppies from a breed of dog you love. But to really love them is to do right by them. Make sure you are breeding for better dogs not just to fill a desire and hope for the best. Make sure that you don't produce puppies that will be a problem for the new owner....temperament test and match the right family to the right puppy. Make sure that you breed carefully and *(breeder/buyer choice) know if you produce any puppies that are at risk for developing DM (degenerative mylopathy) or PRA (Progressive retinal atrophy) or HD (Hip dysplasia) or high risk for thyroid or addisons or.....etc. Do your best, with knowledge trying not to produce pups with poor socialization or a poor rear or a poor front or? so you don't cause a less than good life for the dog and problems for it's owner by being unaware....

I assume you are thinking of breeding 'A' (their boy dog) to a blue girl(they are hoping to buy). What does the breeder of 'A'. think about this? Why don't you go to your breeder to ask what you have asked of me?

For all the reasons and explainations above and more, no, I do not sell pet pups with the option to breed....

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Izzee

This is Izzee.  We are co-owning her for a hopeful litter bred to Rio.

She has had 2 litters, both free whelped.  We will try for one and that will be it for her.

Very pretty front.

Wonderful temperament.

We've only had her for a few days and she is adusted.

She even showed us her darling little happy woo woos already.

Positive paragraphs

Hello All!  It has been a long while since I wrote.

Anyway, I DO want to say that things are looking up!  I am pretty positive about my future in Cardigans (even though I've been in the breed for 21 years).  I found myself having to re-group with my dogs.  I have had quite a few old ones and two passed away last year...another one is coming up soon and then I have 2 more old ones and 2 young adults to place. I know where I am headed and I know I'm gonna get there.  Life can be tough, but the best thing is to learn the lessons from those tough times (mine has been a year full of difficulties, disasters, sadness, accidents, illness ETC.).  I drew strength by knowing God was with me through it all and enjoying the positive that is always there.  There were plenty of wonderful people who lifted me up (sent by God I'm sure)-- you KNOW who you are : ))  

I had an awesome time judging the CWCCA Megan!  The three of us breeder judges got nothing but positive feedback.  The National is aways special.... I make a few new friends and see old ones.  I always 'stud shop' but seemed to be too busy when ever the boys were in the ring this year.  I can't afford the tapes right now so thought "oh well", it is what it is...then I was in the right place at the right time (there is God again) and saw a dog while at the Eye Clinic- he was perfect!!

Here are some scenes in our room at the National.  I have been sharing a room at the National with my very dearest friend, Pat.  So, she is in the photo and it is her very silly brindle boy, Billy, in these pics with my two guys, Luna and Fig.  (Those are our sheets covering the bedspreads AND we covered the entire floor with plastic! No chance of causing harm to something that doesn't belong to us.  Pat brought those supplies too!)

 I had to throw in a photo scene from the yard here at Merry Heart Farm.  It is just so beautiful here.  Everytime I pull in the driveway, I wanna pinch myself in disbelief that it belongs to me/us.

I have several things in the works (moving forward!)  Remember that perfect dog I mentioned at the Eye clinic?  And I am going to a dog show that I wouldn't have planned to do, which (God again) worked out because it is there that I will be picking up an addition to my pack.  Again, staying with Pat- thank you Pat!  And she is delivering my new Cardi to me!  I hope to post some pics of her, Isabelle, later.  She is an adult and I fell in love with her description, and then her face when I got pictures.  She is coming from Lynn in VA.

My husband, David, will be retiring and coming up here by Sept. 2. and most likely it will be sooner.  I can't tell you what a relief it is actually KNOWING a for sure.  The bible says in Proverbs 13:12 " Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fullfilled is a tree of life."

CHEERS!

Fig N Luna /Family photo

Fig at 8 months with Luna in the background.  I just did baths, nails and blow dry on these two.  They looked so nice so I took them out to the bigger yard to see what I could get on camera.

 Both of these guys just keep getting better.  I am especially pleased with Luna's mental progress.  I can say that she trusts me completely now.  No concerns that I will make her/force her into something she is not accepting or understanding.  She will do most anything for me now that she fully trusts that I will take care of her and that I understand what she needs. Fig is just plain wonderful.  No one can have a bad day if Fig is there.  Loving,loving,loving...a big sissy(well he is the baby here) with the most huge bark, but loving : ))

 This blur is the usual for the two of them.  I let them play and tried to distract them for a few seconds.  Considering I did this all on my own, I managed to get some cute ones. 

 This family photo was taken on March 4 at church.  I do not know when we may be able to all be together again so wanted a photo.  It was also Samuel's 22cnd. birthday.  He is in his last semester of 4 years in college.  His plans are to do mission work in Japan.