pets

Huskies and Cats + Back Patio Progress

One of my biggest worries before we brought Niva home was that she wouldn’t get along with Malcolm. I’ve heard that Siberian huskies and cats aren’t a good mix because huskies have a high prey drive for small animals. It was definitely a gamble to bring Niva home to a cat without knowing how she or Malcolm would react, but we had a few things going for us:

  • Niva is a very submissive dog
  • Niva is a puppy
  • Malcolm is a very friendly cat
  • Malcolm has been raised with dogs

Siberian Husky and cat sitting together

It’s totally true that Siberian huskies have a high prey drive. They are also pack-oriented dogs. I think Niva saw Malcolm as part of her pack when we brought her home, so she doesn’t hunt him. 

If you’re considering bringing a husky (or any breed of dog, really) home to a cat or vice versa, I would take into account each animal’s age and temperament before making any decisions. It’s definitely possible for cats and huskies to live together, and it’s amazing to watch them play and live in peace and harmony when they do!

Okay, onto our back patio renovation progress. I wish I had more before pictures, but I snuck into my archives and found this one below from a post I wrote in 2014(!). Our back patio area had wooden railing and a canopy with wooden beams and a ceiling made out of…. I don’t know?!

We eventually took the old canopy down and would put up the one below when we had gatherings at our house.

Lighted pop up canopy at night

Jimmy took down the old railing and posts and put up steel beams. 

Back porch with steel columns and porch swing

He then painted the beams, made and painted new railing, and added some landscaping.

Back porch with black steel columns and black steel mesh railingsBack porch with landscaping, rocks, and mulch and steel mesh railing

Then, it was onto the canopy! It looked like this on Saturday before the boys got to work.

Steel beams for canopy in backyard

It looked like this last night while we ate dinner outside for the first time in a long time!

Black steel canopy for yard that looks industrial and modernSteel canopy painted black

Next, we will be working on a little outdoor kitchen area. Can’t wait!

Tell me about your latest project!

Noodle Hair Confession and Harvesting Vegetables from the Garden

Thank you to everyone who sent well wishes for Sadie’s nose to heal up. She is looking much better and is her happy-go-lucky self! The swelling has gone down and she just has a cut and a tiny bit of bruising by her eye. She’s a champ, lol.

Toddler painting Abeka homeschool craft

We spent some time painting a picture from her arts and crafts book yesterday and she was loving it. We also went out to the garden.

We harvested two different varieties of yellow squash and some swiss chard, micro greens, and arugula. Later on, we also picked the first cucumber of the season!

Yellow squash and greens from vegetable garden in Pittsburgh

We have a few watermelons, green peppers, and jalapeños coming in, tomatoes are beginning to ripen, and the strawberries are being eaten by birds before we can pick them. They must be good 😉

These two behaved fairly well yesterday. Sure, Niva stole sweet potato fries off my dinner plate when I turned my back while Malcolm went for the chicken, but that’s child’s play compared to their usual antics.

Siberian Husky and black cat together

Sadie, on the other hand, went on a little breaking spree.

She broke the hanging succulent Jimmy gave me as a Mother’s Day gift when I was pregnant with her and the coffee mug my sister-in-law gave Jimmy for performing their wedding ceremony.

Broken coffee mug and glass succulent holder

When sentimental things like that break, I try to remind myself that they’re just things. Material possessions are nice and a blessing, but I never want to be so attached to something that when it breaks I flip out, you know?

I’m sure it’s easier said than done with it’s bigger and more important than decor and a coffee mug, though.

In the evening, we headed to church and I found a noodle in Sadie’s hair when we got there. I have to confess: I took the noodle out of her hair and gave it to her… and she ate it.

Noodle in toddler's hairFamily picture of mom and dad and toddler taking a selfie

Have you ever found something random in your hair? (True story, I once found a mini drone in my hair.)