Our animals
The cast of characters, continued...
ARCHIE
This is Archie, a delightful, cuddly tabby boy. He and his sister Annuk were born in July 2014.
In April 2015, I went to Greece to visit my friend Joan, and also to bring home a quartet of abandoned kittens (nine months old then) that Joan had rescued from the dump. ( Joan runs a cat rescue operation on the beautiful island of Syros. These four were all supposed to be fosters until I adopted them out. Well, I managed to find a superb home for two of the Greeks, but Archie and his sister Annuk ended up staying at the farm. You can read more about the quartet on Joan's blog.
Archie has a really gentle nature. He loves to bug the girl cats! He can often be found sleeping cuddled up to one of us in our bed.
MIMI
Our first black cat! We took Mimi in in on November 3, 2015. Our friends Tim and Arja found her in their backyard, skinny and hungry. Because of allergies, they couldn't keep her, so they asked if we could help. I said sure, I'd foster her until I found her a forever home.
HAHAHAHA! Baaaahahahahahaha!
Needless to say, Mimi is now a permanent member of our family. We are proud to have such a beautiful "house panther." She fit in here like it was meant to be and gets along great with all the other cats. She LOVES yogurt and pesters me every morning until I let her lick the yogurt spoon from my breakfast.
Mimi was most likely born in the fall of 2013.
KATIE
This beautiful grulla paint miniature horse came to us in August 2021 from StoneRidge Stables & Rehoming Centre with her tiny buddy Dante. She’s just a gorgeous little gal who is good with kids and can be ridden or driven, but mostly she enjoys hanging around the hay pile with Dante, and evading capture by Joseanne!
SAMSON
This gentle giant came to us on February 7, 2022 from StoneRidge Stables & Rehoming Centre, along with his Percheron pal, Ella. He’s a 17hh Belgian gelding. They saved Samson from being shipped for meat. After 20+ years hard labour as an Amish work horse, his reward was being sent to the sale barn, virtually a skeleton of a horse. We are doing everything we can to make Samson’s retirement here as happy and healthy as possible!
Sweet Samson was grossly underweight when he arrived here, and promptly suffered four episodes of choke, requiring two days hospitalization at the Prescott Large Animal Hospital. But we put him on a good diet of soaked feed and forage, and he slowly gained weight. He was about 545 kgs when he got here, and needed to gain several hundred kilograms! We're pretty much there now. His endoscopy revealed scarring from previous episodes of choke, which may be why he ended up at the sale barn.
You could not ask for a sweeter, gentler horse! He is an absolute gentleman, and he likes to be brushed and snuggled. After all he has been through, he remains a calm, well-behaved, loving guy. We are so happy to have him here at the farm. He likes to play with our blind horse Apollo and they have become buddies.
EVE
This beautiful Simmental cow was my Christmas gift from my barn helper Joseanne! She was born on November 24, 2020 and arrived at the farm on Christmas Eve 2020 as a one-month-old calf. As the twin to a male calf, she was unlikely to be fertile, and so she ended up here instead of leading an exotic show-cow life.
Initially we thought Eve would be our only bovine, but in 2021 her half-sister Juliet joined us.
Eve is stubborn as a bull and hard to lead, but we figure that’s just a sign of her independence and intelligence! She enjoys scritchies from humans, chewing her cud, and accidentally-on-purpose broadsiding you when she goes into her stall at night. She won’t reach her final humungous weight until she is about three years old!
GUINIVERE
This beautiful bun with the floppy ear arrived from the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry OSPCA on December 9, 2022. She was meant to be a bun-wife to Fernando, but after Winnifred unexpectedly passed a way, she was in there like cream cheese on a bagel, and immediately took over as Albus’s bun-wife. She’s a pretty gal who has also been known to sandwich herself between Albus and Fernando on cold nights.
ELIZABETH aka Lizzo
This sweet sheep arrived from Topsy Farms on July 24, 2022 with her best friend, Mary Inez the blind lamb. She was born in May 2022, and has back-end mobility issues that have been helped with laser therapy and physiotherapy by Sophie of Playbow Animal Rehabilitation Clinic. She can now get around without her Walkin’ Wheels, but still uses them when the terrain is good!
Elizabeth is a gentle, patient girl who is about to get an indwelling catheter to help with her urinary scald issues. Because of the curve of her spine, she tends to pee on her back legs, and it’s particularly hard to bath her and keep her clean in winter. So our farm vet Dr. Russ came up with a great plan after consulting with the experts at the St-Hyacinthe large-animal hospital. This procedure should make her life a whole lot better. She’s worth the effort!
ANNUK
This is Annuk, a sweet little wild thing who has the most pitiful meow imaginable. She milks it for all it's worth! She and her brother Archie were born in July 2014.
We adopted Annuk along with Archie in April 2015. I also found a loving home for their sisters Abbie (formerly Aggie) and Amber. You can read more about the quartet on Joan's blog. Abbie and Amber lived in Ottawa until their recent move to Nunavut, Iqaluit. They are well-travelled kitties.
Annuk is lithe and dainty and tends to run around like a lunatic on amphetamines. She is fiercely independent but enjoys affection. Her favourite hobby is projectile vomiting on upholstered furnishings. But we adore this brave little spirit!
JIMMY
Jimmy the blue roan Shetland Pony gelding arrived July 16, 2016. His owners could no longer keep him, so he has come to live with us. He was born in 2001 and has a lovely temperament! He arrived with a two-wheeled cart and a child's saddle... as it turns out, he's great to ride and our friend's daughter has fallen in love with him. He has foundered a few times and still needs to lose some weight, but is otherwise a gorgeous little guy. He has settled in nicely with our herd and has bonded particularly well with Esme and Finney.
Jimmy is our smallest equine, but he has a large personality. His favourite expression is "Hell no, you are not putting that halter on me!" Personally I think he's just trying to ensure my physical health by making me chase him until I can finally get that halter over his head.
I knew we were meant to adopt Jimmy in because he has the same name as my Dad (Jim), who died in 1992. He has the same attitude as my Dad, too...
GEOFF
Geoff is another of the six goats we adopted in August, 2015. He is Kevin's younger, smaller sidekick, and he loses all the arguments! He has some really cute white spots on the back of his brown neck, and has a Buddha-like personality. He too lost his manhood in December 2015 to a scalpel-wielding man in a red-and-blue jumpsuit. (I'm looking at you, Dr. Smith!) Spay and neuter your pets, people.
Every time Geoff thinks he's about to score with a lady goat, Kevin pushes him away. Life is tough.
Geoff is named after my cousin, the son of my aforementioned Uncle Kevin.
GENEVIEVE aka GENNY (with her twins Grace & Hawkeye)
Genny is a pretty Boer/Nubian cross. She looks all sweet and innocent, but when we tried to get her to accept orphaned goat Bert on her udder, she bucked like a crazed bronco, and even with two of us, it was hard to hold her down. This is why Bert was switched to Bambi for a surrogate mama, even though Genny has a more beaudacious set of teats. I don't need more scratches and bruises than I already have!
We believe Genny may be psychic, as she will run like Secretariat if you even THINK about catching her for a veterinary exam. She is an excellent maa-maa to her kids, and has already taught them her human-evasion techniques. She's named after our wonderful human friend Genny.
ELLA
This gorgeous 20-year-old came to us on February 7, 2022 from StoneRidge Stables & Rehoming Centre, along with her Belgian boyfriend, Samson (they bonded in foster care!) She is a very special Percheron, standing at 18hh.
She’s kind and quiet, and is now the leader of our herd. She worked hard all her life as an Amish horse, and has come to Bee Meadow to enjoy her retirement! Although not as thin as her friend Samson, she did need to gain some weight, so we are making sure she gets the nutrition she needs.
She’s clever too! She quickly learned how to open the latch to let herself out of her stall in the mornings!
Ella was named after a wonderful teenager who tragically passed away in December 2021. Because of Ella the young woman, Ella the senior mare was able to be saved from the sale barn. We are honoured to have this amazing horse, and we hope her namesake would be happy to know that this beautiful equine had a second chance because of her!
Here is a tribute to Ella Dwyer from Stoneridge:
”Ella has been named as a tribute to Ella Dwyer, who left a legacy of love for animals and a passion for horse rescue. Ella Dwyer passed away at the age of 18 years on December 18th. Her wonderful family asked that memorial donations be made to Stoneridge. With these funds we were able to save this beautiful Percheron horse who has worked hard her whole life and is now able to retire to a life of loving care. Thank you to Springer Horse Farm and individuals who helped to honour Ella Dwyer by offering support to our mission in helping these horses.”
JULIET
Eve’s half-sister Juliet the Simmental, born on January 7, 2021 was initially just supposed to come to our farm for a summer of growing and learning how to be led on a halter. But she and Eve soon because best buddies, so how could we left Juliet leave at the end of the summer?
She has turned out to be an amazing addition to the farm, and we regularly take her to seniors’ homes to visit the residents, where she stands quietly and lets herself be loved.
When not snoozing with Eve or using me as a scratching post, Juliet likes to hang around with Samson the Belgian horse and share his salt lick. Like Eve, she’ll be three years old when she is finished growing.
MARY INEZ
This sweet gal arrived from Topsy Farms on July 24, 2022 with her best friend, Elizabeth the partially-paralyzed lamb. Mary is not only completely blind, she’s a little bit stunted and so will always likely be the teeniest member of the flock.
Her blindness does not faze her one bit, and like our blind sheep Tony, she gets around her pasture and sheep house with no issues.
She is quite cuddly and likes to visit seniors’ homes with us, where she loves all the attention she can get. She was born in May 2022.
SAUL
You can't really call Saul a rescue; he belonged to neighbours of ours down the road, and was loved and well cared-for there. They have a wonderful herd of donkeys. His owners would have kept him forever if necessary, but Saul and the alpha male donkey there weren't getting along, and it was a pain keeping them separated, so his owners had Saul gelded and were looking for a new home for him. We were happy to take him in! Saul was born in 2011. We paid a nominal fee for him; his owners were concerned about the possibility of him being sold at a livestock market. No worries there!
You can tell Saul had been loved and treated well because he's very gentle with an incredibly sweet nature. And even though he had a thing for chasing cats when he arrived, Saul has now been charmed by both Emerson and Buttercup. When Emerson and Saul see each other across the paddock, they run to each other, and much nuzzling ensues. Buttercup loves to hang with Saul too.
Saul enjoys tipping over wheelbarrows that have just been filled with manure, stealing hats, and nibbling gently on the tails and ears of his feline friends. He is definitely the brain-trust of the paddock!
THE GOAT STARTER-PACK
On August 31, 2015 we adopted six goats in various states of pregnancy (two got pregnant here before the bucks were neutered... long story!) from the SD&G OSPCA. At the time we knew absolutely nothing about goats. Now we can't imagine life without them!
FERNANDO
Formerly know as DEVIL RABBIT after he took a chunk out of an OSPCA worker’s leg, this floofy young man is now neutered and 100% more genial! Fernando came to us from the SD&G OSPCA on December 7, 2021. He has fit in well with the other three bunnies! He’s still not a fan of being picked up or cuddled, but he’s becoming more sociable as time goes by. He enjoys spending time with his goat roommate, Squiggly.
Squiggly the goat and Bun E. Carlos the Lionhead rabbit came to the farm on June 19, 2021 after their owner sadly passed away. Squiggly was 9 years old and Carlos was 3 when we adopted them. They had previously lived at a riding stable, where Squiggly was the only goat. He free-ranged in the day, then spent the night in his stall with his friend Carlos. They are truly the cutest bonded pair ever!
Squiggly does not consider himself to be a goat, and he free-ranges here at the farm during the day, then goes back to his bunny buddy at night. They can often be found cuddled up together. It’s such a unique friendship!
Carlos doesn’t mind sitting on laps for cuddles, and has visited seniors’ residences with his bunny pal Winnifred.
Squiggly is a holy terror… if you make the mistake of leaving your vehicle door open when you visit, he will not hesitate to jump right in! He also enjoys ripping open trash bags, head-butting anyone who comes into his stall when there’s food in it, and generally being a complete ass. That said, he’s not all devil! He has a soft side and likes to be scratched on the side of his neck. He is our new mascot and loves to greet everyone who visits, including the mail carrier and the courier drivers!
Sadly, Bun E. Carlos departed for bunny paradise on September 1, 2022. He is sadly missed by all of us, but especially Squiggly. Our rabbit Fernando is doing his best to console Squiggly, using him as a heated bed the way Carlos did.
DANTE
This teeny-tiny 4-year-old miniature horse (with Dwarfism! He is 30” at the shoulder!) miniature horse came to us in August 2021 from StoneRidge Stables & Rehoming Centre with his beautiful friend Katie. Dante knows how to pull a (tiny!) cart. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in boldness… he was not afraid to nose his way into the hay feeder between the draft horses when they first arrived. Our vet Russ nicknamed him “Diablo.”
Despite his occasional attitude, Dante is great at visiting seniors’ residences with us, and will happily put up with all the love you can dole out. He is a tiny but mighty force at Bee Meadow Farm.
SHELDON
This handsome Swan goose came to the farm with his girlfriend Amy in October 2021. They were seen swimming on the Ottawa River, clearly an escape or release from a farm. A caring couple finally managed to catch the goose, and brought them to the farm. Sadly, Amy came down with botulism soon after, and we had her humanely euthanized, but Sheldon lives on, and he now hangs around with his pal James Pond the duck, and bevy of white duck girlfriends! (Sheldon has no qualms about interspecies romance!)
WHISPER
This lovely Clydesdale mare has one of the saddest stories of all the animals at our farm.
Whisper was pregnant and on a transport from out west when she had her baby. Her foal died and Whisper was brutally trampled by the other horses. When Stoneridge Stables and Rehoming Centre took her in, she has major flesh wounds, bad teeth, deep infections and pneumonia, and was very underweight, not to mention traumatized and mistrustful of humans. She arrived at the farm on May 16, 2022, and since then, her healing has continued. The wound on her hip has finally healed, leaving a scar, but it will take longer to heal the scars on her heart.
Whisper has fit in well with our herd and is enamoured of our geldings Roo and Flash. She has come a long way in terms of letting us touch her and catch her, but she’s still very hand shy and is unsure around new people.
Our wonderful farrier Steve has finally Whisper’s formerly-terrible feet back to where they should be. When Whisper first arrived, she required some sedation to have her feet done, but now she trusts Steve enough that it is no longer needed!
Whisper supposedly had previous riding/driving experience, and we are hopeful that in the future, we’ll be able to start her again from the ground up. She is about ten years old.
We feel blessed to have this special horse at our farm. She has been through so much; now it’s time for her to relax and enjoy a happy horsey life.