Our animals
The cast of characters, continued...
BONNIE & four feathered friends
In February 2014,we adopted five chickens from the same barn Ophelia the pig was seized from. We named them Bonnie, Julie, Debbie, Lemay, and Carol after some of the women who work at the SD&G OSPCA. Then one day Carol crowed and became... MR. Carol!
GRACIE
On September 2, 2016, we adopted Gracie the pot-bellied pig from the SD&G OSPCA.
Gracie was born in 2010. She was surrendered to the OSPCA. She apparently spent some time living in a house, then was banished outside to a filthy, junk-filled pen.
She had been living on Ol’ Roy dog food, Triscuit crackers, and reconstituted pea-soup mix when we got her. We are hoping that she won’t suffer long-term health effects from this completely inadequate diet. Fortunately, she polished off her first bowl of pot-bellied pig food in no time.
Gracie was very overweight when she arrived, which can lead to blindness in pot-bellied pigs, and is also very hard on their joints. Her weight on arrival was an estimated 275 - 300 pounds, and to move her from the OSPCA truck to her pen (in a crate), we had to use our tractor with a pallet and forks. Fortunately Gracie has now slimmed down to a perfect size, and is currently the most athletic of any of our pigs! It is a joy to see her run around the pasture without getting out of breath after a few steps.
Gracie is a prime example of how animals can suffer when people obtain pet pigs without doing thorough research into their needs. Gracie is living a happy piggy life here, with
appropriate food, four acres of pasture, and lots of rooting around and rolling in mud baths.
OLIVE
Olive arrived from Rimouski, Quebec with her friends Lillian and Lloyd on December 5, 2017. They were in a bad situation in their former home, and needed a new place to live. Soon after the three goats arrive, we began to eye Olive and her friend Lillian suspiciously. When the vet came to do their vaccines, we had him do ultrasounds on Olive and Lillian. No buns in the oven for Lillian, but Olive was preggars. The vet guesstimated that she might give birth in two to three months. Instead, she had twins on January 5, 2018, in the bitterly-cold goat house on a day with a windchill of -38C. She had two doelings, Anna and Elsa, who would soon have frozen to death had my farmer helper Stephanie not stumbled across them in time.
Olive is not only an excellent Maa-Maa, she is a sweet, quiet, affectionate goat. We are so glad to have her and her little bundles of joy!
JAMES POND
James Pond is a magnificent little duck who arrived here in the summer of 2021. He was living in Cornwall, but the by-law people said he had to go, so now he lives at the farm! He is best friends with Sheldon the goose.
UPDATE: Turns out James is actually Jamie, and HER relationship with Sheldon goes beyond friendship, although lately she has set her sights on Daffy the Runner duck!
GEN
This lovely bay roan quarter horse mare took up permanent residence here in 2019. She had boarded here for a while before that, but her previous owner wanted to find her a new home, so she was given to us in return for a promise that this is her forever home.
Gen was born in 2010 and suffers from heaves, but does well with medication, and is a lovely riding horse with a beautiful floaty trot. She excels at western pleasure riding but is also gorgeous in dressage, and she’s a good little jumper, too!
Her boyfriend is our quarter horse Roo, and the two of them are at the top of the herd pecking order. Gen is a sweet-natured, gorgeous girl and we’re so glad she’s here to stay!
MARLOW
This little character came to the farm on November 4, 2019 after a vet at my clinic asked if I could help find him a home. He had been brought in as a stray, and introduced himself by biting my vet, which resulted in a two-week quarantine. The people who found him on the street wanted him to be euthanized, but my vet saw his, um, potential, so I took Marlow in.
He certainly was quite a bitey cat, but as long as you put him down when he first grazed you with his fangs, (politely, I might add!), your skin would remain intact.
After many long months, one brave couple decided to take a chance on Mr. Bitey. However, as thanks for this kindness, Marlow repeatedly bit his new adoptive mom. Eventually we threw in the towel, and I took Marlow back for good.
I have a theory that his behaviour was all an act to ensure he was returned to the farm, where he does as he pleases, when and where he chooses. Initially I tried him as a barn cat, however now he is an “everywhere” cat! He frequents the house, the barn, the garage and the granary, often scoring bonus meals in the process. (“What, Daddy? Mummy most assuredly did not give me breakfast yet!”)
After having been forced to spend so many months in the back of the granary (where the foster cat area is), and hating it, it is now his favourite place to chillax. He constantly pesters me to let him in there, then cries for food like he has been adrift on the ocean for six years. He is a lone wolf, our Marlow, with barely one kitty friend on the farm (Mimi, a fellow black kitty). though perhaps “friend” is too strong a term.
All this said, Marlow does not bite me or Gordon, and he makes us laugh every days with his quirky personality and obvious sense of humour. He is one of the smartest cats I’ve ever had, and I’m so glad he escaped euthanasia and ended up here.
Now keep your fangs to yourself, Marlow!
MIDNIGHT
This black beauty was born on April 15, 2012 and came to the farm on May 2, 2022 after her former owner’s health declined to the point that she needed palliative care. Knowing Midnight has a home for life has given her some comfort.
Before coming here, Midnight had been having some issues with inappropriate urination and at first, her owner and I thought she might be suited to life as a barn cat at my friend’s beautiful barn. But we found out Midnight has a grade 5 heart murmur, which made her a less than ideal barn-cat candidate. At first the vet wasn’t even sure he would be able to anaesthetize her to spay her, but fortunately he was able to go ahead with the surgery. Midnight’s pee problems have mostly dried up since her spay and treatment for a UTI.
She’s a confident little house panther with a very sweet, inquisitive meow. She can be a bit bossy with the other cats at times, but they all take her in their stride. She likes our cat Meadow, and they both enjoy hanging out on my exercise mat when I am working out. We’re very to have happy as a member of our kitty crew!
JEREMY
Behold our bantam rescue rooster Jeremy! We adopted him through the OSPCA in 2019. When he arrived, we were concerned he wouldn’t be safe with the bigger roosters, but he moves so fast, he has never had any problems. He’s adorable, too!
Jeremy is so unspeakably handsome, he has been immortalized in an acrylic painting by Gordon, and has also been featured on a fund-raising mug for the farm!
Jeremy wants to remind everyone that good things come in small packages.
PIERRE
This cute little dude is Pierre, born to Bambi along with his sister Emmeline on March 21, 2016. He is a gentle little guy who likes a good scritch between the horns. He has a calm personality and would prefer munching on alfalfa to locking horns with big Kevin.
This goaty fellow is named after my friend and beekeeping mentor, the human Pierre. Look into his eyes and you'll be mesmerized!
HAWKEYE
Hawkeye was born March 16, 2016 and is one of Genny's twins and the brother of Emma.
Hawkeye and Emma had an interesting birth. We were on high alert for their arrival that March because Genny was hugely pregnant, but we didn't know her exact date of conception. So on the morning of March 16, I asked Gordon to check Genny carefully before letting her outside with the other goats (she was spending her nights in a kidding pen.) Gordon let Genny out, then left for work. Half an hour later, I went outside with her car keys in hand, ready to dash off to an appointment, when I heard... a baby goat crying!
Yes, sometime in the 30 minutes that elapsed after Gordon released Genny, she dropped her twins in the mud with an audience of curious goats and pigs looking on. I scooped up the screeching babies and led Genny inside, eyed the blood and afterbirth splattered all over my clothes, then cancelled my appointment.
I no longer trust Gordon's opinion on the ripeness of a pregnant goat...
ELSA
Elsa and her sister Anna came along as excess baggage in Olive's tummy when we adopted three goats from Rimouski in December, 2017. On January 5, 2018, Elsa and her sister Anna surprised us by arriving a couple of months earlier than the vet had predicted. Because they were born in the frigid cold, the two kids take their names from the characters in the movie Frozen. Elsa looks a lot like her beautiful Maa-Maa. Elsa is a polled goat, meaning she was born without horns (unlike her sister Anna!)
FANNY
Fanny came to the farm as a foster cat on November 23, 2017. She was not supposed to stay. She was supposed to be adopted out to a wonderful home that would make her forget her past. She was rescued from a hoarding situation. The two other cats that were living with her were euthanized due to their poor condition. Fanny was removed from that home, then spent weeks living in an empty condo, hiding in a cupboard, while a place was found for her. When Fanny finally arrived here, she hid in a box for a couple of weeks. It turned out that she has a mouth full of rotten teeth and sore gums. We took her to the vet, where she had several teeth pulled. Later we had her spayed and vaccinated. She is somewhere between 5 and 12 years old, according to the vet, so who really knows? Now that Fanny is free from pain, she is the most friendly, affectionate, wonderful little soul. And yes, she is a foster-fail. Fanny lives in our granary and is a wonderful addition to our farm. And she doesn't hide in boxes any more!
TONY
This sweet guy came to us on January 16, 2022 from Amherst Island, with his friends Kyle and Betty. Tony is a Border Cheviot/Suffolk sheep, and he is also completely blind! After bumping into the walls a bit, he soon learned his way around the barn. He loves to hang out with his friends and eat whatever is on offer. He is cute and curious fellow with lovely soft grey facial markings. Tony doesn’t let his blindness stop him from living life to its fullest! He was born around April 2021.
LILY GOTHMOG
This unique sheep came to us on January 31, 2022 from Amherst Island, to rejoin her pals Betty, Kyle and Tony! Lily was born with a broken front leg (which healed after being splinted!), front legs that point outwards, a skull and jaw that curve to the left, and top of that, her ears did not develop properly and are consequently very tiny! She’s a ball of fluffy cuteness, with a soupçon of sass. Lily enjoys attempting to escape her enclosure at any opportunity, hanging out with her bestie, Betty, and trying to figure out how to get into the bin of lamb starter pellets.
ROBBIE
This special little floofball arrived here on December 18, 2021. He was a stray that had been frequenting my neighbour’s yard. She already had a full complement of cats, so asked if I would take him in and find him a home. I loaned her a live-trap to capture him
At first I thought this guy was fully feral; he was definitely very afraid, and would rake his claws across my hands if I got too close. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to adopt him out at all, and figured maybe he could be a barn cat.
We had him neutered and vaccinated, and then to my surprise, Robbie slowly began to crack. When we first let him out of his foster room into the back of the granary, he would only eat high up on top of the foster rooms. I literally climbed a ladder to feed him. Over time, I tentatively began to stroke him as he ate. Before long, he was asking for attention by gently patting my hand.
At first Robbie only trusted me, but as time went on, he let other people into his circle. As this point, I’d become so attached to Robbie that I decided to let him to stay, and he became a full-time resident of the granary.
Now this beautiful, affectionate boy greets visitors with a little caution, but it’s not long before he’s demanding snuggles and love. He is an absolutely beautiful soul, inside and out, and while we didn’t need another cat, Robbie needed us… turns out we needed him, too.
MARVIN
This handsome guy was born in 2019, and came to our farm in 2022 along with his adopted sister Meadow, to whom he is bonded, after they were both unceremoniously dumped at another rescue by their callous former owner.
Marvin is a smart, outgoing, no-nonsense guy who is afraid of exactly nothing. Sometimes he’s bossy with the other cats in the granary, which is why he always seems to have a few scratches on his nose! But for the most part, he just likes to play and hang out with his sister and their kitty friends.
He reminds me a bit of our dear, departed tuxedo kitty Keaton. It is great to have this lovely guy here at the farm. He makes me smile every day. Marvin is very loved, and has a home her for life. He will never again be tossed aside.
COUSCOUS THE GOOSEGOOSE
This bodacious goose goddess came to us for Big Sky Ranch Animal Sanctuary on December 21, 2022. We thought she might be a mate for our widowed goose Sheldon, but he has taken up with a duck named Amy II. So Couscous remains single. She is also the MOST noisy bird in the aviary! Couscous GooseGoose is loud and proud. She’s a plump feathered beauty with gorgeous blue eyes. She loves a good bath!
Emma
Emma was born March 16, 2016 and is one of Genny's twins and the sister of Hawkeye. She looks a lot like her Boer/Nubian cross maa-maa. She has a beautiful face with pretty markings and stunning eyes.
ANNA
Anna and her sister Elsa came along as excess baggage in Olive's tummy when we adopted three goats from Rimouski in December, 2017. ON January 5, 2018, Anna and her sister Elsa surprised us by arriving a couple of months earlier than the vet had predicted. Because they were born in the frigid cold, the two kids take their names from the characters in the movie Frozen. We have no idea who her daddy is. Anna is growing a nice little set of horns, unlike her sister Elsa who was born without horns.
ELEANOR & THEODORE
These two adorable lambs came to the farm on January 8, 2022, a birthday present from our barn helper Joseanne to Natalie! They were born on January 3, 2022 and required bottle-feeding. We never thought we’d have sheep at the farm, but these were the gateway ovines that led to four more sheep!
Theodore and Eleanor are sweet and spunky and full of fun. The gorgeous photos were taken by our friend Debs of Deborah Wilson Photography. Eleanor is pretty much pure white, but Theodore has black and grey spots on his cute little face.
KYLE
This adorable lunatic came to us on January 16, 2022 from Amherst Island, with his friends Betty (RIP) and Tony. Like Tony, Kyle is a Border Cheviot/Rideau Arcott cross sheep. He never misses an opportunity to run through the barn like a complete maniac. He is not above stepping on his friends to get to the feed pan first. But he’s also funny, charming, and sweet as some kind of pie! Possibly a cow pie. He was born in April 2021.
Kyle is boss sheep and a benevolent dictator. He enjoys throwing his weight around, and occasionally ramming humans just hard enough to hurt, but not hard enough to knock them over or fracture a hip. It’s not easy being king.
CHASE
This handsome guy arrived at the farm on October 22, 2019. Chase was born on February 2, 2019. His owners asked me to take him in because he was apparently peeing in the basement. But he had no such issues here, and in the end, we grew too attached to this lovely guy to adopt him out. He is one of our granary cat crew.
He’s super sweet and mellow, and as a result, has turned out to be a fabulous therapy cat for visits to seniors’ residences. He also has a whole collection of fancy hats he is happy to wear for these visits. He’s just the nicest, most easy-going guy. His best friend is Jim.
MEADOW
This sweetheart was the last straw for me in cat rescue. I had been edging towards quitting for a long time, but when this girl came back to me, I knew I was done.
I first adopted Meadow out as a kitten in early 2018. I thought she had a loving home for life, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. In 2022, she ended up in another rescue, along with her buddy Marvin (who had come from another rescue.) Despite the fact that her adopter signed my contract stating that all cats must be returned to me if they are ever unwanted, Meadow was dumped at another rescue, where her former owner actually stated that I would never find out, as I had blocked her on social media (which I had, for some very valid reasons.)
Apparently Meadow’s owner had some new cats and a dog that she preferred to her old ones, so she booted Meadow and Marvin out. Luckily, they both made their way to me (because not everyone is unethical.) After four years, Meadow was back where she had started. She came to me as a kitten and was one of the very first felines I ever adopted out, so it was fitting to close my cat-rescue chapter by taking her back.
Meadow is absolutely delightful and I will never understand how she could have been given up. She has the sweetest little meow! She’s a little shy but very affectionate and loving. She likes to hang around my mat while I do my workouts. I have apologized to her repeatedly for making such an awful mistake when I initially adopted her out, and I try to make it up to her every day. I did not have the heart to adopt her out again after she came back, so she and Marvin have a home here for life, where they are both very loved and will never again be dumped like trash.
RASMUS
Rasmus the Khaki Campbell duck came to the farm in 2022. His beak has been deformed for a long time, but it doesn’t trouble him at all, and he loves a good swim!
ALFIE and HAROLD
Handsome Alfie is a leucistic Peacock. He came to us for Big Sky Ranch Animal Sanctuary on December 21, 2022 with his friend Harold the guinea fowl. They are lovely additions to our flock! Harold is enjoying his new guinea fowl friends, and Alfie enjoys looking gorgeous.
(Baby) DILL
Dill’s mother, the Silkie chicken Pickles, came to the farm a couple of years ago from our neighbours across the street. Pickles was being bullied by the other chickens there, and our neighbours thought this might be a better place for their sweet and quiet rooster. They were sure that Pickles was a guy, but this spring, we were suprised to find this “guy” sitting on some eggs that looked suspiciously Silkie-sized. Sure enough, on March 17, 2023 Pickles the HEN hatched out baby Dill. Because Pickles is in a polyamorous relationship with Peach the hen and Romeo the rooster, with no contact with other males, we know that Romeo is indeed the daddy! Dill looks much like mama Pickles, but only time will tell if Dill is a layer or a crow-er. Whatever - she’s damn cute, and Pickles is an excellent mother!