Unwinding with the animals

[Gazrok]

Funny pic my daughter took last night.
Most nights, I come home from work, kick back in the chair, and immediately have my bird on my shoulder, a cat on my chest, and a dog in my lap (and usually a bigger dog at my feet, etc.)

 

[jimLE]

good pic..chances are,the dog is a barker as well.my dog barks about every thing that shows up outside

 

[Gazrok]

the little dogs only bark when we swap out the big dogs (we alternate them as to who is outside, and who is inside), when a guest comes over (they shut up when the guest sits down), or someone is at the front door.
(the one in my lap though, barks if she isn't sitting with a human)....
the big dogs only bark when they need to go out, or if someone is outside by the front door (they know to ignore the business door).

The bird is a Malucan Cockatoo, and she has quite a vocabulary, though her signature phrase is "Hey baby!" or "Hi!"

 

[jimLE]

what? it don't say,hey good looking! what ya got cooking? LOL

 

[Gazrok]

She usually says things like "Let me out!" or "Time to feed the damn bird!", or often, "I love you!".
She mimics us calling the puppies (she whistles like we do, then says, "Puppies!"), and loves to laugh when others are laughing. (or often, just at the right time).
She sounds completely human when she laughs.

 

[jimLE]

bet that can be ery at times when she laughs..

 

[Lindy]

It sounds like fun at your house!

 

[Gazrok]

Fun is one word for it. (and yeah, can be eerie when she laughs, but usually funny, as she has good comedic timing)
Let's see:
4 Chihuahuas
1 Boxer/Pit mix
1 Lab/Chow mix
4 outside cats
4 inside cats (+1 kitten who will be adopted out soon)
1 Cockatoo
1 Lovebird
3 Horses (stable)
3 Rabbits (outside hutch)
So, 23 animals that are ours (soon to be 22, once kitten is gone)

Then, we board:
1 Mini Horse
1 Pig
4 Horses (and by the next couple weeks, total of 7 Horses boarded)
At that point, we'll be at full capacity board-wise (11 stalls between 2 stables), which is nice for the pocket book, but a lot more work to ready.
Of course, this is on some acreage too, but the house is like a zoo.
Still, we're very fastidious about ensuring the house is always company ready, and well kept, and everything clean, even with the inside zoo.

 

[jimLE]

there was one time.we had..
10 dogs..mostly pups
12 cats.mostly kittens
50+ gerbals and hamsters
1 gunine pig.
1 paraket
11 white mice.
1 checken snake..tempary
1 lost mule.owner came n got it
1 snaping turtule

 

[Gazrok]

Wow, and I thought I was bad, lol.
A while ago, I told the wife that if we ever had land, she could have animals, just didn't know what I was getting myself into...
(and she's trying to convince me to buy another horse!)
It's true, there are 5 of us now, and 3 of our horses, but I rarely want to ride, and one of the boarders doesn't mind us riding theirs (good exercise), so typically, there are at least 4 available to us....

 

[jimLE]

OH!!! i'd be rideing horse back when ever possible..be it my horse or someone else's horse

 

[Gazrok]

Mostly a matter of time. We all got some riding in this past Sunday though. On the weekdays, I work. On the weekends, I'm usually doing some project or other around the ranch, fixing something, improving something, etc.
Plus, the weekends are the only time we have to get out and do fun stuff, etc.