Fantastic Beasts -- And We Were Happy to Meet Them!

We're all done hunting Fantastic Beasts for this term.  Thank you so very much to our contributors:

Pumpahkin
PurplePigwidgeon
Kaos127
Allysonpickles
Kaypendragon
Gazebogal
s2five
knotmagic
Caranam
Kadiddly
Xamonster

for introducing us to the creatures that live in your houses. It was so much fun meeting your Ravenpets!

Fantastic Beasts - And We Live With Them!

This week's Beasts have been found in the home of Xamonster!

Names: Demetrios and Burgy. Demetrios has been Xamonster’s beast since he was a wee kitten; he was named after a bus driver on a study abroad trip to Greece. Burgy, though older than Demetrios, is newer to the Monster Collection of Beasts; she came by way of a friend. Her name comes from the color burgundy -- legend has it she pawed at a burgundy-colored painting when she was initially adopted from the Animal Rescue League by the aforementioned friend.

Species: Demetrios seems to have several traits of a Russian blue feline (aka, “potato on toothpics”). Burgy is … something else. Another feline, certainly. Though sometimes Xamonster thinks she may be an animagus that got stuck.

Skills: Demetrios’ main skill is napping, and hiding from the unknown. He is nonplussed when presented with the great narwhalrus.

Burgy frequently tries to convince any human in the vicinity that she is starved for food and attention -- even when the food bowl is mostly full. She has been known to assist with shawl knitting.

Both Beasts mostly ignore yarn and projects that get left out. Only on rare occasions has Xamonster had to re-wind yarn that someone decided to play with. Sometimes Burgy will try to Occupy The Lap, and will bat at the end of a circular needle, if Xamonster allows it to fly freely at the end of a row of shawl knitting.

Likes: Demetrios enjoys long naps, food, catnip, long naps, and cat treats. Also long naps. Burgy is perpetually “hungry” and loves to be fed (despite her wee stature). She enjoys naps, and also caterwauling when she feels lonely. Sometimes they enjoy a good Cat Battle, with many leaps and bounds, if they’re both feeling frisky.

Dislikes: Demetrios will hide from intimidating creatures, be they Beast or human. Burgy, when confronted with a large dog, has been known to find higher ground, and then smack the dog in the face a few times. (The dog in question eggs this on, because she actually likes it.) Burgy also doesn’t like cat treats, which is baffling.

Thanks for letting us know about these Fantastic Beasts, Xamonster!

Fantastic Beasts -- And We Live With Them!

The Fantastic Beasts are spreading, fellow 'Claws! This week, we find one in the home of Advanced Studies team member Kadaddly!

Name: CiCi, aka Ceese, aka The Licker

Species: Theoretically canine (the shelter thinks she’s a Basenji/rat terrier mix) with feline tendencies

Skills: Taking up an entire Cal-king sized bed by herself, tripping humans by laying on the stairs, licking her humans’ faces/hands/legs/feet (particularly T’s), finding patches of sunshine to lay in, and chewing up the Imps’ blocks and other wooden toys.

Likes: FOOD. She’s constantly on the brink of starvation. PEOPLE! Snuggling with The Imp. LICKING! Jumping into T’s lap and licking any visible skin. She also literally follows him around the house, trying to lick his legs, feet, hands. NAPS! Sleeping under blankets. WALKS! Is it time for a walk yet?? DOGS! Dog parks. Definitely dog parks. Did I mention she loves to lick T?

Dislikes: BATHS. Totally unnecessary, although the brushing afterward is nice. Strangers around the Imps. Cold weather. Brooms. Brooms are very frightening, apparently. Even more frightening than vacuums.

Thank you, Kadiddly, for that profile of your Fantastic Beast! We will be on the lookout for more like him!

Would you like to see YOUR Fantastic Beast(s) profiled here? PM Omeletsmom or s2five and tell us about him. Or her.  Or them!

Fantastic Beasts -- And We Live WithThem!

This week's Fantastic Beasts have been discovered in the home of Caranam! They live with Caranam, her husband and Gizmo (a bunny that Conall is not allowed to play with)

Names: Dylan aka Sir Wigglebutt, and Conall, aka Squire Fluffyface; collectively known as the Boys.

Species: Dylan: Long haired dachshund plus several other dogs that happened to be in the area at the right time.

              Conall: Siberian Husky

Skills: Dylan: Vigilantly defending territory, announcing the presence of strangers, taking up large amounts of couch cushions, catching and killing rats, and leaping high into the air!

          Conall: Standing in the middle of your path for pets, playing chase in the backyard, adding a layer of white fur to every available surface, chasing birds that he can’t possibly catch, and adding excitement to an otherwise boring day with epileptic seizures

Likes: Dylan: Food. All food. Especially that food you were going to eat there. That looks good. Snuggles. Blankets. The couch. Being on the couch, on blankets, on a person. Playing with Conall or Caranam.

          Conall: Food. Laying in the middle of a room. Baby kongs that he can chew apart. The super cheap squeakers that last about two minutes in his possession. Watching birds. Playing chase with Dylan.

Dislikes: Dylan: Strangers. People near his territory. Small children. Large children. Loud things. Things in places they aren’t supposed to be. The cat that likes to tease him from the other side of the fence.

              Conall: Seizures. Daylight Savings time. Steps. The cat that likes to tease him from the other side of the fence.

We often call them Pinky and the Brain, because they have a lot of similarities. Dylan is small, smart and spends his free time trying to take over the world. Conall is large, fluffy and would say “narf” a lot if speaking was possible. Dylan frequently gets Conall to do things for him, like chase after bigger dogs or pick the hibiscus flowers from the top of the bush (they both love hibiscus flowers). Conall is on a lot of medication for his epilepsy, but for right now it seems to be under control and he’s a pretty happy dog. Dylan… wants to rule the world someday.

Thanks for telling us about your Fantastic Beasts, Caranam!

Would you like to see YOUR Fantastic Beast(s) profiled here?

PM Omeletsmom or s2five and tell us about him. Or her.  Or them!

Fantastic Beasts - And We Live With Them!

This week, SOS student KnotMagick tells us about the Fantastic Beasts that live in her home!

I usually sort Ravenclaw, but I’m currently SOSing this term. This is, in part, because I have taken over as campaign manager for my cat, Hermes, who has decided to run for president:

Hermes is a very talented kitty. Since I first adopted him eight years ago, he’s been acting as my editor:

Which is one of the reasons he chose me to monitor his twitter account for the campaign (@HermesCatbeast). Also, the lack of thumbs makes it very hard for him to tweet without help.

Hermes does have a younger brother, Loki, who lives up to his name a little too well. Loki is part dog, but he identifies as a cat. He enjoys playing fetch and tug of war, and frequently drools.

When we leave the house, Loki will wander around the apartment with his blankie, usually depositing it by the front door where he waits for us to return.

Unfortunately, his “bite first, ask questions later” attitude means he will not be Hermes’ running mate in this election, despite his natural charisma.

Loki is better known on Ravelry as The Yarn Eating Cat. There are many reasons why, mostly identifiable on my project page because they have his picture on the thumbnail instead of a picture of a finished object.

Thank you!

Thank YOU KnotMagick for introducing us to your Fantastic kitties! 

Would you like to see YOUR Fantastic Beast(s) profiled here?

PM Omeletsmom or s2five and tell us about him. Or her.  Or them!

Fantastic Beasts - And We Live With Them!

This week's beast has been found in the household of s2five!

Name: Gadget
Species: Definitely part Basenji, definitely part Jack Russell, probably some other bits of things

Likes: The Toddler. Snoozes in the human bed. Leftovers dropped off the high chair. Squirrels. Eating plastic. The backyard. Car rides.

Dislikes: The Toddler. The crate. The dog park. Sharing toys.  

Special Talents: Can climb trees if required in the hunt for the aforementioned squirrels. Sings "Happy Birthday" with a reasonable degree of in-tune-ness. 

Would you like to see YOUR Fantastic Beast(s) profiled here?

PM Omeletsmom or s2five and tell us about him. Or her.  Or them!

Fantastic Beasts - And We Live With Them!

Our own GazeboGal has spotted a rare and wonderful beast this week!

Who has the energy of Foxy, the tummy of a tumbleweed, and the sense of responsibility of an Auror?

Sgiobalta!

Pronounce her name “SKIPPLE-tah” and you’re most of the way to saying her name - a Gaelic word for “quick and neat and bouncy”, as said of the feet of dancers. She’s GazeboGal’s Little Buddy!

Sgiobalta (Sgiob or “Skip” for short) is an Australian Shepherd, a breed known for their brains and energy, and GG wants everyone to be clear that a 5K run every morning is barely a warm-up for an Aussie - they need families who will run, hike, climb, play, or give them a flock to manage!

Sgiob is happiest when she has a clear schedule of duties:

5AM - wake GG with kisses and take her for a one-mile walkies

6AM - snuggle The V then wake her up

7AM - herd everyone to the car so V gets to school on time

8AM - go for a run with The Sweetie

9AM - settle down to manage the house while The People are gone

Likes to take herself for a little swim when she’s hot or thirsty

Likes to sniff and bounce and kiss

Really, really likes to lick up people’s noses - Yum!

Loving Brother and Tisser!

Has very clear rules for Dog Soccer.

Playing soccer with Porcupine Snuggles!!

Can put herself to bed at night when it’s time

Can go tummy-up when GG points at her and says “Bang!”

Can recognize that special people with wheelchairs, walkers, and canes get treated very, very gently - and loves to rest her head on their knees for their soft hands to pat.

Does not like having swamp-foot, an itchy foot condition from having wet paws.

Does not like learning the “balance a training treat on your nose” trick.

Does not like Saturdays, when she’s not allowed to waken The V at 6.

Assimilating SarahtheEntwife into the flock!

Sgiobalta is five years old now, with a few grey hairs showing on the black side of her face. She wants everyone to remember an extra bag of dog food for your local homeless shelter when you make donations so that a loyal dog can stay with its family through the tough times.

Thank you GG for telling about this Fabtastic Beast!

Would you like to see YOUR Fantastic Beast(s) profiled here?

PM Omeletsmom or s2five and tell us about him. Or her.  Or them!

Fantastic Beasts -- And We Live With Them!

This week's beast has been found in the household of kaypendragon!

Name: Lady Catherine the Grey, neighborhood watch; and her consort, Tail, Lord of the Underbed.

Species: Domestic Short hair Cat
Lives at Pendragon House with Kay, Kith and Squid.

Skills: Monitoring the area.  (It's 'neighborhood watch', not 'neighborhood do anything about it'.)  Yelling at Birds.  (Mourning Doves are the WORST.)  Defeeting Bugs. (She has a history of removing the feet from bugs.)  

Likes: Food.  Especially Ice Cream, donuts and fig newtons.  Long Naps.  Boxes.

Dislikes: The Baby.  Crowds.  Outside.

We are so glad we got to meet Lady Catherine this week!

Would you like to see YOUR Fantastic Beast(s) profiled here?

PM Omeletsmom or s2five and tell us about him. Or her.  Or them!

Fantastic Beasts -- And We Live With Them!

This week's beast has been found in the household of allysonpickles!

Full Name: Mochi

Species: Satin Angora Rabbit

Likes: Apples, dried papaya, biting toes, squeezing into small spaces 

Dislikes: Hair dryers, vacuums, and any other loud noises

Special Talents: Mochi may look innocent, but he is an extremely smart and devious creature! He also has a talent for making allysonpickles and her husband laugh.

Did I mention he is also spoiled rotten?

Thank you for alerting us to the presence of this dangerous and adorable beast, allysonpickles!

Would you like to see YOUR Fantastic Beast(s) profiled here?

PM Omeletsmom or s2five and tell us about him. Or her.  Or them!