Meet Polly and Be-Bop (tales of a country calf and cat)

Brett got a call a week or so back about a little baby calf that was just lost as it could be.  The neighbor had spotted it and noticed it was trying to eat from anything that would let it, desperately looking for its mama.  Something a lot of people might not understand  (because I sure didn't before I became a semi-country gal) is that losing a calf is a bad thing for several reasons.  Obviously, it's sad.  If you have half an ounce of compassion in your body anywhere at all, it's just sad to think about a poor little animal knowing it's hungry and NOT knowing where to get fed.   The other reasons it's too bad is that money is lost when a calf dies.  Our cows are sold at the local auction so each time you lost a calf you lose an opportunity to make money. Lose, lose.

Anyhow, one afternoon Janice and the girls and I, piled into the farm truck to look for the baby calf.  Oh...it was so, so sad.  It was walking around with it's tiny little tongue sticking out, going in and out, trying to suck on everything!  It even got kicked to the ground by some of the bigger cows.  So, something else had to be done.  

Later that evening Brett ended up rescuing the calf, and putting it in the passenger side of his truck.  He took it back to the barn and his mom has been bottle-feeding it.  I decided I wanted a try too.  Brett's pictures aren't making me look too good I'm afraid because the bottle isn't fully in the calf's mouth in most of them!  I promise you though, I got it fed-at least for a few minutes.  It's harder than just sticking the bottle in there and standing there.  The calf is used to sorta head-butting it's mama, so it does that to the bottle also.  Plus, it's like feeding a baby...a big, strong baby!  It spits the bottle out every  now and then and you have to chase the little calf around and get it take the bottle again. 

We named the calf "Polly".  

The girls (Anna Ruth especially) are quite taken with Polly.  Her eyelashes are so long and cute.  I love that our girls get to have experiences like this on the farm!  It's a rich, rich life we live and I'm not talking about the $$ either. 

And this little ornery thing is Be-Bop.  The cat that WON'T go away. Ever. Not even for a second! 

He's a boy cat and been hanging around for a few months. After countless attempts to get him to go away (because he rubs on us endlessly when we're outside) we just decided if can't get rid of him we might as well feed him.  So, we have a cat now.  Anna loves the cat, until he rubs on her constantly.  Betsy is part fascinated/part terrified of it.  It's hilarious to watch her watch the cat! 

Did I ever think I'd be bottle-feeding a baby calf?

Nope. 

Did I ever think I'd be this happy and feel this at home among the country animals, sight and sounds?

Nope :)