Sheppard

I was offered a position as a chief dog here at Maifrin in 2009. They were so desperate that my good heart just could not turn them down.

To be honest, even though it is hard work, and turning this place into a dog runned place take a little longer than I first though (OK, a lot) I like it here, and it is the best place I have ever lived.

I am somewhere between 2-4 years. Somewhere in my best age I say.

My life didn’t start that good, and I don’t like to think too much about it.

Maybe I was chained to a short leash and had to beg for everything, and maybe I was hit rather a lot, but this is in the past now. Today I don’t panic when people touch my collar or my ribs. I realize that I don’t have to fight for my food anymore, and that actually not all food is my food (but that is still a little difficult, I just have their very best in my mind, as I want them to keep fit). What I still can’t handle tough, are male humans with a naked upper body. I am sorry but then I just can’t keep the panic in bay.

One day I managed to get away, I do not recall the details I am afraid, so I don’t know if I escaped or if they tried to kill me by shooting. Maybe that was two different episodes, I don’t know and I don’t really care. The important thing is that I got away.

I was hit by a car, and yes I was hurt rather badly. I went to hide myself so I would bee safe. But some human found me after a couple of days. That was a very strange experience, because this was kind humans. This was a completely new experience for me. They brought me to a vet, and this vet treated me. I soon felt better. Still my tail went limb, and the the vets have told me that when I get older they most likely have to remove it, in the meantime and I happy with it as it is.

After I got better I was transferred to a very nice dog shelter. I moved into an apartment with a nice older fellow and when I was not there I was down by the river having a bath. I played with the other dogs and life had never been better.

One day this old dog and one of his human appeared. They wanted to interview me for the position as Chief Dog. They interviewed several candidates, but off course I was the best one. After several conversations we agreed that I should move in and start the work.

I arrived here at Maifrin, and I liked it. There was no doubt, this was my new home. I have decided that I am going to stay here for the rest of my life, and in the meantime I am working on some small improvements. Like dogs should be the boss of everything. Chickens need to be herded. Etc etc etc. In the meantime, life is good.

Many years have gone since my last update. I am now 7 or 8 years old but still fit as a fiddle. Well, if you overlook the athrites in my back area and a knee acting up ever so often. My tail is still here, so I am a happy camper. 

I know work harder than ever. Beauty has become totally senile, and watching over him takes so much time that I have actually got myself an assistent. Vagabond moved in almost a year ago. He is annoying most of the time, always just want to goof around, but he is good with Beauty and know how to herd the geese, so I kind of like him a bit as well. 

Still going strong, and planning to continue to do just so!! 

Seniora

La Seniora

Hello I am La Seniora and I am a retired street cat.

As a retired street cat I have been around the block more times that I really care to remember, and I have been there and done that and that and that and that. Oh yes and that and that. What can I say; I have a long life experience, and until recently I had no problems taking care of myself.

Together with my brother Café we ruled the street next to the local bar. We were young, we were smart and actually quit lucky for street cats. Because the family who run the bare made sure we had food, and we used their huge garage and backyard as our shelter. So we weren’t that hungry and we didn’t freeze to much either. Whenever we got tired we just cuddled up next to each other. Actually life wasn’t at all bad when we were young.

Unfortunately we grew older. Nature can be cruel that way. Suddenly we did not run that fast any more. Jumping to safety got harder for every time and the heat in the summers got even warmer and the cold winter really froze up. Still Café and I were happy the way we where.

My teeth started to fell out. Eating wasn’t that easy anymore. Some other cats even tried to take over our property. We fought back, but this got harder as well.

Café got ill. I took care of him as best as I could. Together we still managed to keep it going, but it wasn’t easy anymore. Café got more and more sick. Something about his pancrites I was told. And humans that like to measure everything in years said we were old cats, more than 10 years old, so they said it didn’t look good for him.

The hottest summer I can remember arrived. It was to hot for Café. He didn’t manage to fight both his old age, illness and the heat. He fell asleep for the very last time.

I was alone; my best friend had left me. Life wasn’t the same without him, but I kept going. I missed him so much, but life goes on.

After the hottest summer arrived the coldest winter. What happened? I don’t know. When I woke up in the hospital I was filled with frostbites all over my body, even a part of my tong fell off. Most of my claws had also broken off. The worst thing though was that my sight had left me as well. I had become blind!

The vets told me that I had been found one morning after one of the coldest night in local history. I had been found almost frozen to ice in a bucket of spilled wine from the bar. They hadn’t thought I would be able to survive. They said I was more dead than alive and almost frozen stiff.

The vets said that my loss of sight was the result of a trauma to my brain. Whether I fell in the bucket due to the loss of my sight or if I lost my sight as a result of the accident, I will never know.

The Vets said I could never return to my beloved street. They were very kind to me though, and offered me to stay with them in their clinic. It was a really tempting offer, and I would have taken it, if it wasn’t for the other offer I got, to move into the Maifrin Retirement home for proud animals. It might not be vets there, but I would be able to walk around more freely and get to sleep as much as I would on human laps. Yes, I who before always had fought with everything I had when these humans tried to lift me had suddenly become a lapcat. So I moved to Maifrin.

Today I never go outdoors, but I have a big house I can roam around in. Not that I roam to much as that would seriously interfere with my new interest in doing nothing but sleeping, eating and getting cuddled. I am retired now, and that suites me just fine.

Oh yes, and the best thing of all. Some of my eyesight has returned! Am I a lucky cat or not?

Big Daddy

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Hello I am Big Daddy, and I am a minipig. Not the smallest minipig in the world, but when you are a minipig of my amazing hugeness, honestly you need a big muscular corpus to frame it. Oh yes, and just let me say this at once, I really can recommend foraging to everyone who really wants to stay fit, like me!

When I  hear all the complaining from some of the other animals around here (I do not want to mention any names, but I would like to point a trotter in the direction of the cats, dogs and rabbits if you get my drift here) you should think it was an requirement to have a baaad and painful lifestory. Let me at once put you straight, you don’t! You just have to be lucky enough to be born a divine pig, like for instance, like well ME!

Before I arrived here I was a happy little pig, I spent all my time playing with the other piglets, eating and sleeping. Humans were only there to feed us and clean our barn, which was all. Actually we did not though humans were capable to anything more advanced than that.

Needless to say I wasn’t to happy at all when these two strange looking lumps (as we call humans) arrived and very unpleasant lifted me up and put me in a cat carrier, yes a cat carrier! Let there be no doubt wether I told them what I thought about it, I did, I most certainly did!

Then we arrived and I was the only pig there but I wasn’t alone, my new home was filled with all kind of strange looking lumps, which I soon learned was cats and dogs. My of my was my presence needed. I immediately started to befriend them all, even though I must admit the dogs could be really grumpy sometimes.

Life as only pig wasn’t to bad, but you know, watching the behaviour of the other living here, it honestly was like looking into a parallel universe. However much I tried to teach them it was obviously that none of them have the possibility to maximize the output of their brain capacity. Therefore I was very happy when a new cat carrier arrived and out from that one DJ sQuil arrived. It was finally somebody who understood me and actually lived in the real world. We have been together ever since and as the good pig DJ sQil is, he listen and do exactly as I tell him. Bless him he is actually rather cute.

Later on hens started to arrive as well. Like the others they don’t really live in the real world, but at least they have the same taste in food and foraging. Together we have used a lot of time foraging around and had a lot of fun doing so. Actually we have so much fun together that when the days started to be a little too cold for outdoor camping we decided to move in to the chick house. Off course in our very own apartment!

The years went, and our little condo actually shrinked, so we needed to find ourself someplace bigger. Not an easy quest, but by time we managed to come over a nice green cottaged than we moved to our new property. We now had our very own house, not even a hen. They do off course pay us visits rather so often, which is not really fare, as we have been loocked out from the henhouse. or heavens sake, we were desperate for food since we bothered to break in at al. 

Then the tradic arrived. DJ sQuil became sick. e would not eat, and his feet swelled up. One morning he started to bleed, a lot. In the afternoon he left me. I was devestated. My best friend had left me. Life was just so rotten. I hated it. I did not even eat. The only thing I wanted to do was mourn. Everybody tryed to lift my spirit, but to no avail, I was sad, and knew I would continue to be so. 

One day a new cat carrier arrived. Out from that the most naughty and annoying piglet arrived. I did not like it at all, but work had to be done, and it had to be done now. At least teaching him gave me something to do. He wasn't all bad either. is foraging skills was really good, and off course he said I was the coolest pig he knew. Yet again life become rather pleasant. I even let him move in with me. 

Then it happend again. It might not have been a good idea to break out an early Sunday in the hunting season to go eating in the hazelyard, but why on earth did they have to shoot him. Yet again I was devestated, but not only that. I hadn't been shot myself but trying to get back home I had an seriously incident. I twiseted a trotter and my forehead was ripped up. The pain was tremendous. My friend had left me, and what used to be my forehead was now hanging our my eye and snout. If it hadn't been for my isolation I would have died as well. For 7 weeks the wound had to be cleaned several times a day, before it gradually got less and less. Now I only have a scar left, but that is OK, that remind me of my good friend Mr. Gourgous who left me so early. 

That was it, I said I never wanted to get a new friend again. They only leave me I said. The silly humans did not listen. So one day yet another cat carrier arrived, and out of that Mr. Gorgous baby brother escaped. I did not want anything to do with him. I tried to avoid him as much as possible, but he was a stubborn one, so he kept trying to be my friend. So one day I decided to show him some of the ropes. Not beacause we would ever be friends, but beacause then at least he would learn to do thing the right way, my way. I am not sure how it happend, he is fare from ready with his education, but I have actually grown to like him. I have even let him move in with me. It was easier than listen to him begging, and afterall, the nights can be a bit chilly when you sleep alone. 

Next year we are getting a new piglet, I shall never be alone again, or so I hope. 

Life just isn't to bad. 

Favourite hobbies: Foraging, eating, teasing the dogs, foraging, eating, give a helping trotter wherever it is needed, foraging, eating, sleeping and did I mention foraging and eating?

Confidenza

Hello! I am Confidenza and I am proud to be a chick!

I was the first hen to arrive here, and therefore I feel obligated to be the chief hen. Somebody has to teach the new ones the ropes, right?

As a child I grew up at the same breeder as the Rooster. It wasn’t exactly free range, but spite the so-called breeder I managed to keep healthy. You can say the combination of luck and luck really worked out for me.



When we got here we were allowed to go where we wanted. Whaw that was great. We even got to fly! Several times a day we therefore went up to the old hayloft and one day I flew and flew, almost 10 m. JUHUUUU! It was fun. Off course now that I am a little older I am more relaxed, but I still take the occasional flight.



Off course I am the Roosters right wing, so to help him out I make it my business to be everywhere something is happening. That way I can let him know as soon as something is happening, you know like the pigs getting fed or such.

Favourite hobby: Laying eggs, and just not average egg, but the special on of the kind type!

Rooster

I am the Rooster. My job around here is to take care of all the hens. To be honest it is the dream job, and especially with my girls, which truly are the best chicks in the world. The truth is that I could not have done my jog with out the amazing support I get from my beloved chicks. You see I am a disabled rooster, as one of my legs stopped develop before the rest of my did. I also kind of get easily ill and therefore I am a frequent wing at the Maifrin Animal Sickbed Housing (MASH).

I arrived here together with 3 chicks, and we where the very first birds to arrive here at Maifrin. We where bought from a breeder that had been recommended from several other humans. This only shows that humans don’t know much.

I was so tired when I arrived here that I could hardly keep my eyes up and I felt rather bad to be honest. The human though this was a little strange, but since he had no experience with us bird she did not want to take any changes so she brought me to the vet. The vet said I was very ill indeed. Something about a nasty bacterial infection and being completely filled up with worms. Luckily the hens only suffered from worms! So I went into the MASH for my first time, but not the last. Because I did survive, but my health never got back to a 100%.

When my human went back to the breeder to complain and ask if he would like to take any responsible at al, the answer was a very clear “NO”. If she wanted to have chicks she had to learn that they got sick and died, and he also said the rooster was fine when he sold it. This wasn’t an option off course, as we where the first chicken there, and nobody could have passed it on to us there.

I don’t mind being disabled though, as it really doesn’t slow me down much. I love jumping around with my chicks and find tidbits for them to enjoy. Then I keep watch while they eat. Oh I love one and every one of them. They are my pride and joy. Did I mention that they are the most beautiful and most amazing chicks in the world?

Favourite hobby: watching my beautiful chicks and make sure they are well off, prune myself so I can look almost as good as my beautiful chicks, brag about how beautiful my chicks are to everyone who can hear it, and especially the rooster next door.

The Rooster has now left us. All his illnesses (all a result to a breeder to wich money were more important than the welfare of his animals) did in the end result to his all to early death.

He might have had a short life, but my did he do the best out of it. The Roosters spirit will always be with us and an insperation to us all.

Thank you for letting us get to know you!

Snow

Ciao!

I am Snow, the rabbit around here. I was the last one to move in, and it was a good thing I was free, for may was my services as a rabbit needed.

I am about 2 years old, but I have only lived here for a couple of month. The reason for this is because I used to live somewhere else. I think I use to live with some people, but I am not sure, because I never saw them. I spent my time being bored in my cage, and that I did day in and day out. You may say I was bored. Always being alone wasn’t the best solution for a social rabbit like me.

One day got tired of feeding me the odd meal, so the humans took me out of my cage and placed me in a road. I was so confused! I didn’t know what to do! I had spent my whole life in a cage, and suddenly I had to fend for myself. How where I suppose to do that?



Luckily somebody saw my, and before I knew it I was on the way to the local vets. They checked me out, but luckily for me I was not hurt from being dumped. They called me beautiful though, which is true, I think.

The vets called these humans they knew. They had a lot of animals, but no rabbits to look after. The vets meant that was wrong and that I would fit right in. The vets were right off course, and I was picked up by my new humans the next morning.

My new home was a big cage in the living room. They called me and I grew more and more beautiful after all my fur mats (I am an angora rabbit) was removed and my never before cut claws was well, cut. They were cut by more than half and still they are couple of cm long.



In the beginning I found the cats a little scary, but as soon as I realized that they didn’t want to hunt me in anyway I stared to charm them. I must admit this is a work in progress, strangely enough.

Now I think I am a lucky rabbit, and I only jump by my cage to eat. The rest of the day I spend jumping around, but only indoors. If I need a rest, and I do that a lot, I just sneak under the human’s bed. Today my life is far from boring and I love it.



Favourite hobbies: Hiding under the bed, lifting things.

Boy Toy

I am the only citizen here that was actually born here at Casa Maifrin. I had lived here for 8 years when the cats brought the humans here. Even though I had never lived with neither cats or humans before I am so glad they arrived. The humans are great and the cats aren’t to bad either, and even though mom and I managed very well when we lived alone I do feel a lot better now. But please, let me start at the beginning.

I was born in 2000 by the best mother ever, the GodMother Dog. She was the strongest and bravest dog ever, and she did not only teach me every thing, she thought for me as well.

There were no people living in the house. The house used to be a summer house, and the owner though it was great to have a couple of dogs there, as she could brag about having dogs at her summer house, which was taken care of by here servants. The only problem with this story was that she didn’t have any servants. Obviously she did not believe in spaying either because she was a true catholic. Therefore I was the only one of many to survive, the other died as puppies due to the combination of malenutrient, inbreeding and parasites sucking up all there blood, so even though I am a little weak and they say my brain stopped developing at age 2 as a result of this, I was the strong one.

When I was born the Good Lady had just died, and here daughter removed everything she thought could be of any value. She didn’t look twice of the dogs. So when I arrived our only contact with humans was the food a local man gave us every second day. He did not have any room at his home, so we stayed here, but we run free and we thought having our fur and skin overgrown with ticks and flies was just the way it should be, after all we did not know anything else.

Then the cats and humans arrived. By that time we had been locked in the barn for several months. We were very ill, and my mother was almost dead. The humans was kind enough to break us out of the barn and they stated to give us food. We didn’t trust them no bit though, so as soon as a new morning arrived we went away, and I had to carry food up to my mom as she was too weak to go back and forth herself.

It took us 3 weeks to trust the humans enough to let them put a collar on us. I was so scared that I pied myself. They insisted on removing every tick I had, that took them 4 hours over 3 days. The human tried to count them, but lost count when she reached 300. The vets came and saw us several times a week, but after a while my fur grew back, my wound grew and I could finally use my time to something else than scratch myself. Truth be told, I had never felt better.

We started to notice that the human left on foot only to return about 1 hour later. Was she going for a walk? We took matters into our own paws and started to follow her. She was indeed going for a walk. Unfortunately the human didn’t approve of our need to tell all the cars off, so she insisted to have us on a leash! We fought it every way we knew but the humans stubbornness for once showed bigger than mums, so we lost.

The humans also liked to go away in a car. So we decided we wanted to check it out for us self. One day we insisted to with them, and we did. It was great, we loved it! Actually you can not drive to much. The first time we met up at the vets office we were all so proud, vets included. Our humans weren’t impressed though. It was something about us refusing to use a leash when other dog could see us. According to them they got some really strange looks carrying a 25 kg dog around. I only weight 12 kg, so that was off course much more normal.

In the end we got tired of being carried around so yet again we started to work on the leash. We wanted to go with them in the car, and if we had to go on the leash to make this happens, well it was kind of blackmail if you ask me. But when we started the silly leash thing, they brought us to the bar. Yet again we loved it. Let me tell you, very fast become regulars.

We started to travel a lot, and we even went all the way to the ocean. The cats might have travelled from Norway, but we, we went to the Mediterranean. Actually that was the only plce we disapproved of, to much water and all that noise!

It kind of snuck up on me, but suddenly I realized that my mom sometimes thought I could get out on walks with out her, and sometimes I even was allowed to go in the car with out her. The first times I hated it, I was terrified of being alone with out here to tell me what to think and say and do. Mom always knew what to do. It seem she did is this time as well. She was getting old (18 years) and she trusted that with the new humans I should be able to manage by myself. Then one morning she did not wake up.

Being alone was awful. It was the worst thing never to happen to me. It is now a half a year ago and still I just want to lie next to here in out dog bed. I got so scared I was gong to lose the humans as well, so I never let then out of my sight, never, I even slept in their bedroom.

After a couple of week we went to a dog shelter. There we met the Sheppard. We dated for 2 weeks, and then she insisted on moving in with me. She did. In the beginning I was a little disappointed of her maternal instinct, and she didn’t even want to sleep in the dog bed with me. She still isn’t mom, but she does her best, and today she is my best friend. She likes to tell me what to do just like mum, but now I have learned to think for myself as well, and sometimes we sleep together in the dog bed as well.

Life just isn’t to bad, it is actually quit good.

Favourite hobby: Sneak into the living room for a nap in the sofa.