Meet the Tame Critters
Meet the domestic animals of Claire's Critters!
Rue in her old cage, when she was a bit younger.
Rue after recovering from her toe amputation.
Rue in her old cage, when she was a bit younger.
Rue
Rue is a Leghorn chick who was brought into Claire's Critters after being badly injured by another animal. She was found in the road and scared but still friendly. She loves her daily fruit and veggies! She is very chatty and likes to imitate a canary when she is relaxing at night in his cage. Rue now only has three toes on one foot due to a bone infection that caused her to have her toe amputated. She is doing healthy and well and that doesn't stop her from charging full force to her daily salad.
Lovey
Lovey is a young mourning dove who was found embedded in a grille of a large truck. He traveled many miles before he was located and removed. He cannot fly nor ever will due to his injuries and damaged wing. Claire's Critters' goal is to be able to find him a girlfriend for him to call his very own.
Dino is a Sulcata tortoise
Hanging out waiting for his new cage to be built.
Dino is a Sulcata tortoise
Dino
Dino (pronounced Dee-no), is a baby Sulcata tortoise that was found covered in mud on a residential driveway at a few weeks old. Due to his age, Claire decided to happily take on the little guy and has no problem with him growing big and strong. He eats plenty of fresh veggies including greens, zucchini, squash, and even cactus pear.
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He is friendly and has a very large cage he has plenty of time to grow into. He enjoys warm baths and socializing with his favorite human Claire.
Anja
Anja (pronounced "An-yah") is a German Shepherd that was found starving and roaming the streets with her sister Katrina at 1 year old. They were both picked up and dropped off at a shelter where her sister was quickly adopted but Anja was not due to her anxiety. She was adopted by Claire and trained as a service and guard animal where she lives happily with all the other critters. She eats a delicious homemade diet so she continues to be healthy and happy and she grows confidence in the world.
Worn to protect her eyes from the sun.
Anja gets a lot of exercise which leads to some killer naps!
Taking a nap on her comfy bed.
Worn to protect her eyes from the sun.
Close up!
Lovin' her Halloween tie.
She was hungry, dirty, and scared when she was discovered but she still followed Claire everywhere.
Close up!
Buttercup
Buttercup is an Affenpinscher that was found running along the side of a highway in Tonopah. She was skinny, scared, dirty, and showed signs of abuse. She saw Claire in the yard and followed her everywhere for several days. She got along well with Anja the German Shepard and became best friends with Oliver the cat. She had some medical issues when adopted, but they have all been cleared and she is happy and healthy.
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She loves Mommy's attention, cat food, and chewing sticks of lip balm she digs out from various places in the house. Buttercup is a welcome addition to the family who even cares for the kitten Mochi.
Mochi
Mochi is a female Maine Coon kitten that was abandoned in desert when she was no longer wanted. Claire took her in after finding her hiding behind a tire on a property vehicle. Mochi is a bit of a pistol and likes picking fights with everything else that doesn't pick one first. Luckily, most of the cats are understanding and Oliver is actually the best sport about it.
Mochi is getting big fast and is growing at twice the rate of other kittens. She will be one big girl! Mochi was going to be adopted out until Buttercup took a strong liking to her and followed her around everywhere in the house, protecting her. Claire allowed Mochi to stay where her and Buttercup and still friends to this day.
Mochi was only a few weeks old here.
Nap time!
Getting bigger every day!
Mochi was only a few weeks old here.
Sasha
Sasha is a rescue kitten that was brought down from living in a mountain by her mother. She is a very tiny and skinny little thing, just like mama. That does not stop her from having plenty of energy to chase her siblings around the house. She likes cuddles and ear scratches from her owner Claire in the evening and the occasional lick or two of a vanilla cupcake.
Monster
Monster is one of Claire's Critters most beautiful Calico kittens. Monster is a rescue along with her sisters Sasha and Smokey. Monster got her name due to her tendency to run and hide in various parts of the house as well as knock over objects out of pure amusement. However, Monster is always a brave companion who leads the other kittens into their feline adventures. Monster enjoys watching TV or funny cat videos with her sister Smokey and owner Claire nearby.
Smokey
Smokey is one of the rescue siblings and is the most quiet, but still playful. Her favorite game is chasing the broom around while a human is sweeping. Despite her size, she never stops fiercely protecting his family. She enjoys hanging out with her sister Monster and occasionally stalking the occasional fly or sibling. Smokey is one of the more intelligent siblings that learned how to use the litterbox and escape from the pen before the others.
Sammy
Sammy is a mixed breed shorthair cat with Siamese blood. He was a wild cat at 6 months and Claire was warned by the shelter about Sammy due to his behavioral issues. However, Claire saw the potential in Sammy and 12 years later, he is known as the gentleman of the family. He is shy and doesn't like strangers or company which has never changed. His favorite hiding place is the master bathroom cabinet. He does, however, appreciate morning cuddles and gentle back scratches.
Oliver
Oliver is a black and white tuxedo cat that was abandoned on the property overnight. He was very scared at first and it took a while to gain his trust. He was named Oliver since he was an "orphan" and begged for food for the first few days. Oliver had an injured foot and while that healed quickly, he had an abscess under his eye that got worse. After a combination of vet and home care, he is completely back to normal and healthy. Oliver was going to be adopted out but he ended up being so charming that he won the heart of Claire and is a permanent resident now of Claire's Critters.
Midna
Midna is a California kingsnake that was purchased when she was only a few months old at a shady reptile shop. She was kept in a small glass box with nothing but a single piece of astroturf inside. She was not popular because of her tendency to bite and have an attitude. While she bit the salesperson, she did not bite Claire so she got taken home. Midna has been spoiled ever since and is raised on pre-killed mice and her temper has calmed down over the years but she does occasionally chomp down on things. Kingsnakes can live between 15-20 years and Midna is now 15 years old!
Spooky
Spooky is a female Chilean Rosehair tarantula that is the oldest of all of Claire's Critters and is over 20 years old! She is beautiful and overall a mellow spider and has never bitten or shown aggression to Claire. She eats crickets and lives in a spacious home where she has shelter, tasty food, a large drinking dish, and heat in the winter. The last two pics on the slideshow are of her molted skin which tarantulas do in order to grow. They even shed their fangs! Female tarantulas can leave up to 30 years so here is hoping Spooky leaves for many more years.