And Lilium makes three - three Persian cats at Cantitoe Corners.
If you follow my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48, you may have seen photos of my newest resident feline, Lilium. She's a brown Persian longhair I adopted through Rock 'N Rescue, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Bedford Hills, New York, not far from my farm. Lilium traveled all the way from Doha, the capital city of Qatar in the Middle East. She joins Magnolia and Dahlia, also beautiful Persians. All three are doing well and getting to know each other. No doubt they will soon be good friends.
Here are some photos.
When I received the text and photos about another pretty Persian at Rock ‘N Rescue, I knew I wanted to meet her right away. This is Lilium.
Lilium is about three years old with beautiful facial expressions and markings.
She’s independent, confident, very friendly, and so far loves the attention from everyone here at the farm.
Persian cats are well loved for their regal appearance and are often referred to as the “aristocrats of the cat world.”
Lilium is not only regal, but playful. Here she is rolling on her back for belly rubs.
Of the three Persians, Lilium is the largest. Males and females are medium-to-large-sized cats with round, flat faces, known as brachycephalic, and long, flowing coats.
It’s great to see her feel safe enough to nap anywhere in my home. Kittens six months and older, and adult cats, sleep about 16 to 18 hours a day on average. And, kittens have a similar routine to adult cats, napping throughout the day. They are usually most active at dawn and dusk.
Lilium is an excellent eater and drinker – a sign of good health, especially when acclimating to new surroundings.
Lilium is getting more comfortable in my home every day. I think she’ll be a wonderful addition to my menagerie and family.
Here is Lilium being “watched” by Magnolia, who was the first of these three to come live with me. She also came from Rock ‘N Rescue.
Magnolia is a lovely silver shaded Persian with beautiful golden-copper eyes and a friendly disposition.
Magnolia is quite curious – roaming from room to room, upstairs and downstairs keeping an eye on everything that goes on.
Here is Magnolia looking out of the big floor to ceiling windows of my enclosed porch. I wonder what’s caught her attention. Cats have a wider field of vision than humans, but need to be closer to see things in the same detail. Felines have much better night vision than humans too.
And as serious as she looks, Persians are known for being laid-back, charming, and very affectionate.
Magnolia is also full of personality.
And the youngest in my Winter House is Dahlia – just about a year old.
Dahlia is extremely friendly and wants to be wherever the action is.
She is a dilute calico Persian, meaning her calico coat colors are softer. She is so gorgeous with her long, flowing coat and tail, which must be brushed every day to prevent matting.
Dahlia is a favorite at the farm – and comes when called.
I am sure all these cats will love living here at Cantitoe Corners. And don’t worry my two stable cats, Cinco and Mayo, as well as Blackie in my greenhouse, are all doing well too.
There's always lots to do here at my farm. Among my latest projects - creating a shadier paddock for my donkeys.
I have several large pastures - enclosed spaces where my Friesians, Fell pony, and donkeys are turned out to exercise and graze every day. For the summer, I decided to move my donkeys to another paddock under the shade of some tall pines, where they can view farm activities from a different location and be more comfortable during these hot summer months. Doing this meant we needed to build more fencing and a gate, move their hay mangers, and connect an automatic waterer.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here in the Northeast, summers can be very hot and humid. Donkeys are able to regulate their body temperatures and do have sweat glands all over their bodies, but they also seek shelter during extreme heat. I decided it would be more comfortable for them if they were turned out in a shadier area during the day.
This space under the shade of some tall white pines was perfect, but a proper paddock needed to be created.
The area was already half fenced, so my outdoor grounds crew needed to put up two more sides of fencing. I instructed them where the fence would go and then all the necessary antique fencing rails were carefully delivered to the site.
Stakes and landscape twine were secured to make sure the fence was perfectly in line with the adjacent pasture.
Fernando begins the job of digging post holes using a post hole digger, a hand tool used to manually dig deep and narrow holes in order to install fence posts.
Each hole is more than three feet deep. The new posts will be very secure here – and no cement is needed.
Once the posts are in place, Pete and Fernando secure the horizontal railings.
The nails used to secure the railings are quite long – four inches. These are long enough to go through the railings and into the corresponding posts.
My pasture fencing is made from 100-year-old white spruce railings I purchased in Canada. I have lots of fencing here on the farm. This antique fencing surrounds all my horse paddocks and various trees. The railings are sandwiched between two cedar posts and attached to the inside of one of them. The other supports the railings from the other side.
My five donkeys get turned out into a paddock every day, so it is important to ensure they are all in good condition. This new enclosure is near my chicken coops and a flower cutting garden.
Next, the crew works on digging the area to connect the proper piping for a watering source.
I have automatic waterers in every paddock and all my Friesians, Fell Pony, and donkeys know exactly where to find their fresh water.
Next, the hay mangers are placed inside the enclosure – painted my signature “Bedford Gray” of course.
The crew also inspected the area to make sure it was cleaned of any debris. This enclosure has some grass for grazing, but not too much.
And then on a warm day, the donkeys are brought in to see their new yard – lots of shade as well as room to roam.
… or roll, as donkeys love to do.
Next to Clive is a bowl of salt blocks. Salt blocks provide essential minerals, but they are also important for donkeys in hot weather. They help them stay hydrated and encourage them to drink water.
Here’s Truman “TJ” Junior testing his manger. I think he enjoys eating under the shade of the tall pines.
Jude “JJ” Junior is also happy resting in the grass nearby. This area will definitely provide more comfort for my donkeys when it is hot and humid.
Where one goes, the rest are sure to follow…
… and the next stop is the waterer – always filled with fresh running water.
It’s important to me that my donkeys and other equines are as happy as can be. I am sure these five will enjoy the change in surroundings.
What would you do if you found an orphaned baby squirrel?
Three months ago, my outdoor grounds crew found three baby squirrels in the trunk of a fallen tree at my farm. They were just days old, hairless, and each only about one to two inches long. When finding any baby wild animal, it's important to first wait and see if the mother is around - if she can, she will retrieve her young and care for them. After several hours alone, the kits were safely wrapped and handed over to a knowledgeable veterinarian and experienced wildlife rehabilitator, Dr. Shannon James, in nearby Brewster, New York, where they remained in great care until they were old enough to be released.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is the carriage road leading to my woodlands. This tree fell across the road after a late winter storm last March.
Here are three members of my outdoor grounds crew, Cesar, Adan, and Pesang. They were preparing to clear the tree when they came across something very special…
… baby squirrels. Three to be exact. Unsure whether the mother was still around, the three were returned to the tree and left alone for several hours. If the mother is near, she is sure to return and retrieve her offspring.
After it was clear the mother squirrel would not return, my property manager, Doug White, took the three squirrels to Dr. Shannon James, an area veterinarian and experienced wildlife rehabilitator. She has cared for many orphaned squirrels over the years and is equipped to house them until they are released.
Baby squirrels are completely helpless when born. Their eyes and ears are closed and they are without fur or teeth.
Dr. James keeps them warm in a crate for several weeks, feeding them every two to four hours.
Squirrel litters average between two and four kits – usually born in February or March. Mature females can also produce a second litter in August.
When they were first found, the squirrels were about 10 grams each. A week later, the babies are 30 grams each.
Squirrel kits are fed a special formula from syringes starting with 1cc or 3cc. Dr. James weighs the babies to regulate their feedings.
Here are the kits after a couple weeks with Dr. James. Their fur has started to grow and they now have whiskers.
Here, Dr. James examines one of the girls at 18 days old. Her heart rate is 300 beats-per-minute, perfect for a baby squirrel.
At this stage, Dr. James has named them – Maple, Magnolia, and Oak-ley after trees. All three are females.
There are certain growth stages for squirrels. At about three weeks of age, their teeth start to come in. Their eyes open at about a month and at six weeks of age, these kits are old enough to move from a crate to an indoor enclosure.
Baby squirrels sleep for about 14 to 22 hours a day. All the rest is essential for proper growth and development.
The squirrels are able to eat solid food at about five weeks of age. Dr. James starts them on avocados and cereal.
Here is one of the kits eating a Cheerio.
At six weeks, the squirrels have full coats and fluffy tails. They are now old enough to be in a larger indoor enclosure where they can safely practice climbing and jumping.
And at eight weeks, they move outside to a soft release cage where they spend the remaining weeks of rehabilitation. Here, they are exposed to the sounds and smells of nature and other squirrels in the area.
The last four weeks is also when the squirrels learn how to live on their own.
At 12 weeks old, the squirrels are released. They are now free to come and go through this opening whenever they please. Dr. James feeds all her squirrels twice a day all year round, so it is not surprising to see youngsters return at night for the first few days or weeks.
After the first day, the three did return and are still friendly and playful. Dr. James finds that females are more prone to return than the males, who love to explore and live on their own sooner.
The females have also taken up residence in this nearby nest – all three of them together.
It’s nice to know they are all healthy and happy and exploring the world around them. Depending on the species and genetics, squirrels can live up to 10 years in the wild.
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