Harvey's Daily Hat Trick

Harvey is still stealing and dumping his huge ceramic water bowl at least four times a day. Jason made a copper band to hold it to the wall, similar to the clamps you use on a dryer vent. Harvey still manages to take the heavy crock out of the band and play hockey with it, dumping water everywhere. I think we're doing at least one additional load of laundry each day, just for the towels we use to clean up the water.

He's so big and clumsy, his coordination hasn't caught up to his size yet, that we can't let him dump water because his feet get wet. Then he slips when he tries to run or jump from the furniture to the floor. Dangerous for him. Nerve-wracking for me.

Next thing we're going to try is to invert a large plastic cooler and cut a hole in the bottom, the diameter of his ceramic water crock, just below the lip. We'll put a concrete block, maybe two in the bottom of the cooler and latch it, still upside down. Then we'll set his heavy ceramic crock into the hole we cut and resting on the lip. He shouldn't (ha!) be able to lift the crock out, or be able to push over the cooler since it will have concrete blocks in the bottom.

Shouldn't... but he's extremely intelligent and extremely large and does what he wants. He's still a kitten and plays like one. Just that his toys are larger than everyone else's.

We're surprised he hasn't taught the others to dump water. Everyone else puts toys in water, or stands with front feet in the dish and splashes water out. But no one dumps the water dish. And no one plays hockey with the heavy ceramic crocks. Just Harvey.

Jason just asked me to weigh a crock to give you an idea of Harvey's strength. Empty, the crock weighs 4 pounds 2 ounces. With water, 2/3 full, it weighs 6 pounds 12 ounces -- almost SEVEN pounds -- we should get him a bowling ball, but then he could do real damage. We've never caught him taking the crock out of the copper band, but we've sure cleaned up his spills!

The joys of living with an F2B Savannah... he's worth it, he's also rotten. And thank goodness he's better at creating mischief than he is at teaching our other Savannahs how to misbehave!!!

Stranded in Charlotte (just doesn't have the same pizazz as Stranded in Vegas!)

Duplicate from the AJSavannahs Family Blog.

I'm in Ontario, CA, delivering Jimmy and Terry. I left Friday, but missed my flight in CLT due to weather. Couldn't get me out til Saturday at 5:50 p.m. (same flight I was supposed to be on Friday). OR I could leave at 6 a.m. and fly all over the country with the boys. No way.

So... I locked in the Saturday late flight. Texted Andrew (Fina, Isis, and Zeus) who lives 25 minutes south of CLT. Told him stranded. He texted back that he was on his way. We got the boys settled in Zeus's old bedroom upstairs away from The FIZ (what I named his three, initials). AFTER I vacuumed (Jason wants to know the secret, claims I never vacuum at home!), Andrew changed the bed, we had stopped at Target to get a new litter box, we got food and water out for them. Got them all settled in and they exploded out of their soft bag and started playing as if they were home.

After being Stranded in Vegas with Harvey and him bonding to me, I did NOT sleep with them in the guest bedroom. I slept on an air mattress in the upstairs family room. SO glad Andrew was in town, because of the germs if we'd had to stay in a hotel room -- and the possibility that they'd bond to me like Harvey did in Vegas (scroll halfway down for the Las Vegas story).

Jason called and reminded me to not let them bond like Harvey. Deborah texted that Ken said to stay away and not let them bond. Andrew reminded me. And David was happy to hear that the boys were quarantined safely at Andrew's and that I was keeping my distance, poor babies.

Andrew went above-and-beyond, taking care of us. And I got to see the FIZ again and they remembered me... of course, Zeus/Aaron just went home in June -- but it's been a year since I'd seen Fina and Isis.

Andrew took us back to the airport yesterday, stood as close as he could get as I carried one boy in each arm through security. Like Jason, he would risk a felony conviction busting the line if one got loose. What else can you do? I had no choice but to carry them through for a second time, much more stressful at a larger airport. They were good, but then, I did have a death grip on each and had my boarding pass and ID in my mouth. Am sure the screener loved that.

Got through safely, I was exhausted worrying that they'd get away from me with all the commotion and noise. Waved to Andrew that we were good-go-go and headed to the gate. Got into ONT at 9:35 local, 12:35 eastern after traveling nine hours, and actually two days. Then it was an hour-and-a-half drive to David's home.

Boys were fantastically good. Watched everyone, didn't talk, cry, noise of the planes did not faze them, and they had three flights over two days with one stranding and two security checkpoints. Just wonderful travelers. They did want to take some kids' toys at the PHX airport. Boys were watching intently through their bag and every time the toddlers would move their stuffed toy, the boys would do a small lunge like they were going to get it. Kept everyone entertained.

Wish the two screaming kids on the CLT to PHX flight had been as good as Terry and Jimmy. Horrible little brats and mom not much better...

We finally got to David's home, got the boys fed and settled in, and I got to bed at 5:30 eastern. He's in love with both boys and Jimmy is being his normal daring self, while Terry is doing his best drive-by headbutting routine. David can't believe how stress-free they are, or how well they traveled, or that they seemed at home 20 minutes after arriving.

We've already made one trip to PetSmart and their vet appointment is at 9 Monday. I was supposed to fly out today, but had to delay when I missed the Friday flight. Kboo will NOT be happy when I'm gone so long.

My flight leaves Monday at 12:30 p.m. and I get in at almost midnight.

David's Bengal Tibby (Tiberius) likes me. I've petted him and hand-fed him and he talks to me. David says he's never done that, not even come out, for anyone else -- and he's 12 years old. So I am honored.

Thank you, Andrew, for coming to our rescue! And isn't everyone else HAPPY you don't live at a major hub where you could be subjected to pitiful cries for help from the AJSavannahs Traveling Circus???