Frank Zappa and the Girl who loved Noodles

Frank Zappa was a loud, charismatic and over the top musician who put the song “Catholic Girls” in my head for years.  Frank Zappa is also a flea bitten clump of fur that is currently licking unmentionable parts of his anatomy at my feet.  It should be obvious to you that the lyrical genius behind the breath taking lyrics “Why does it Hurt When I pee?” is NOT the subject of this blog, and the brown and black striped Fancy Feast machine is.

Frank

Frank

Frank Zappa, aka Frankie aka Frank (pronounced “Fronk”) is a pain in my ass, and while he is currently plotting my undoing, I am sitting here wondering how high the “Kitty Copter” could launch him. We have come to an understanding over the past 2 years that I am the human around here, and he is to obey my every command-once he releases my ankle in his bear hug.

This handsome boy, destined to become a thorn in my sock, started out in a less that desirable way. He came to me in a box, and from the looks of it, from a person who wanted to just get rid of the kitten. (But used the story of “finding this kitten on the side of the road.” to tug at my heart strings a bit.)

I was living alone in the western side of Los Angeles, and as the manager of a pet supply store, I knew that having a little kitty around was exactly what I had wanted.  Long story short, this was my first apartment without any traces of man or beast living along side of me.  I was a free woman with just a job, and internet connection, and not a TV or social life in sight.  Then came this kitty in a box, and my world suddenly became about it.

Funny thing about working at an animal supply store, is that one tends to not question when people tell you the sex of their pets.  The thought was no different as I blindly took the man’s word that this little kitten was a she.  My staff at the time put in suggestions for names immediately (as kitty spent my shift in the office) and the name Stella came about.  (after the raw diet we promoted for animals.)

Stella went home that night with a purple collar, heart shaped tag, and all the kitty necessities.

Over the next few weeks, she seemed sweet until one day she discovered how to knock over a coffee cup, thus ending my cream colored carpet for good.

After the first triumph, it was over for any cup after that, until Stella graduated to change, plants, and anything else sitting on a surface.

Baaad Kitty Stella!!

OOPS!- Remember the guy who gave me this girl kitty?  I guess he (and I) were too stupid to check under the skirt of this little kitty.  Stella, the vet announced, is a boy!

Damn!

I again had to choose a name for this heathen in fur, and my boyfriend came up with the name Frank, after the legend, and after the moments we had shared listening to the pee song (long ago) in his car at the park.  Frank Zappa it is.

About a year later, I flew Frank to Oregon where he has since become an outdoor kitty (and indoor, and in my bed, and on my chair, and on my ankle…) He has bonded well with my guy, and I am under the distinct impression that Frank has finally decided to get rid of me. Right before moving day, the sweet little kitty took a massive chunk out of my arm, actually causing nerve damage.  I guess he wanted to play…or kill me. $100.00 later for the doctor, and another $100 to the airline (plus the cost of my ticket) and we boarded the plane to Oregon.  I got Coach, Frank got cargo.  PFFFFFTTTHHHHHHHH!!!!

Frank fights with me over the lap of my guy, and even tries to steal my food (buttered noodles, cheese, ANYTHING.)  I would steal his, but Fancy Feast is just NOT my cup of tea- which too gets knocked over by the cat once named Stella.

Heeere kitty kitty…I got a present for youuuuu!!

It seems that Mr. “Fronk” is not a fan of the spray bottle I use to add humidity to the spider tanks.  Mr “Fronk” is also not a fan of the spiders, as he sits and plots away at how to knock them off the surface once used as just a desktop.  Like the change that went flying off my tables in LA, 1..2…3..plop plop plop, I could see the mini deli cups hitting the floor, rattling the tarantulas that will soon become bigger than the flea bag himself.

Oh, how I can’t wait to see the day 😀

Frank and I simply manage, and as the war progresses, I will keep you up to date.

Related Articles

• Frank Zappa: Greasy Love Songs (pastemagazine.com)

New Spiderling Pictures!!

Zero the Tigerrump and Buddha

Nhandu chromatus spiderling

Aphrodite the Brachypelma boehmei

Annabel Lee the Lasidora parahybana

These are just some of the pictures I have of the new spiderlings.  I am now in possession of Serj photos (A. chalcodes sling), which I have been lacking and will post later.  There are also some Hissers I will be posting.

My N. coloratvillosus likes to hide in her deli cup, so she was MIA for photo time.  I even have a second L. parahybana named Raven that will be featured later.

STOOOPID ROACHES :|

I fed the spiderlings this morning, and it seems that while I have had pretty good luck with the food cooperating with me, this morning proved to be different.

All 3 times that I tried to gather roaches with the film container, at least 2 tried to escape!  The mother, who is humongous, was the first to make the daring attempt!  I had to scoop her into a temporary container while I gathered the other escapees and fed them to the slings.

This is why I always use a long gift box bottom to handle my bugs in.

SidNata-1

Roaches-0.

Feeding Chart*

Isis-3

Tank (Darwin)-3

Serj-4(accidentally)

Stoopid Roaches.

Sharing a Banana With Tara

I eat a banana or 2 almost every day.  I love them!  They are awesome for the quick sugar pick me up, as I am very prone to hypo-glycemia.  This morning shows no exception, and as I went to the bunch that I have sitting by my coffee pot, I remembered that there were some other folks in the house that might also enjoy a banana with me.

The first thing I did was pick out a medium sized banana.  I didn’t want to eat a big one, so a medium one worked well.  I then went to the cutting board to slice my banana, and made 2 small cuts at the tip (after I had taken a bite, of course.)  I took both slices and cut them into quarters.  One of the quartered pieces went onto a napkin, and the others I just carried by hand.

The little ones in the deli cup got the napkin slices, and Tara, my remaining female hisser, got the free slices.

Tara hasn’t eaten at all since I brought her and her mate home.  I am very thankful that she didn’t eat the orange I placed in their tank, as I think that’s what killed my male.  (I forgot to wash the fruit before I put it in the tank :*(  The male went to town on it, but Tara ignored it.

I am hoping to have more success with the banana.

On another note:

Tank (my A. unnamed sling) has become even more anti-social, and has dug deeper into her jar.  The really cool thing is that the burrow is by the glass so I can see her!  Serj is also still visible in her jar.  I almost feel like I have an ant farm with spiderlings!

I have been taking suggestions from various forums that I post on, on how to feed the slings.  Using tweezers is the latest suggestion, so I will try it this weekend.

Jars and Societies

I have just relocated the slings again.  This time, to sturdy jars.  The deli cups seemed a bit flimsy when compared to the weight of my cat, Frank.  Over the past couple of days he has taken a real interest in the desk where all of my tarantulas sit, and I didn’t want to take the chance that he would jump on top of them while I was at work.  He did that to a few crickets a couple of weeks ago (squishing 2), but luckily I was home to save the rest.

The jars are made of glass, and the lids are made with thick clear plastic that I was able to make air holes in with a drill.  I added a film cartridge to each jar (another fine use for this item), and 3 different levels of coconut substrate to suit each sling. Now, they are safe, easier to feed, and easier to peek in on.  They seem to really like their film holders!!

My older T’s have sturdy lids on their tanks, and Nata is also covered with a book on spiders (fitting, right?)

I will attempt another feeding tomorrow, as Tank has definitely not eaten yet.

In other news, I am now officially a member of the American Tarantula Society!!  I am stoked to be getting their magazine, and am waiting confirmation so I can post to their forums.  Happiness!!

Day 5: Sid and the Web/Feeding Time

Sid’s web has been destroyed.  I noticed it this morning during my daily Tarantula check.  She has been hanging out on the sides of her tank for the past week or so, but I had no idea that she had destroyed her home!

EEEEK!! All this after I threw 3 deliciously plump crickets into her lair. Humph.  She hasn’t been eating well, and has not seemed to care about the roaches i was trying to give her.  She just molted, and isn’t due for another one for a couple of months.  I guess I will wait and see what happens.

Isis, on the other hand, fully enjoyed a roach last night.  I had the idea to use the nifty 35mm cartridge to rattle the roaches up a bit.  (For some reason, this seems less horrible than cutting them up..)

Serj also seemed to notice her roach, but just sat by it for a while.  I couldn’t tell if she had eaten it or not.

Tank-well…….  no luck yet, as far as I saw.  She just sits on the side of her cup.  I think she is not liking the coconut fiber substrate.  Oh well….it’s all we have for now.

I thought over the maggot food idea, and decided against the potential colony of flies.  Nothing against flies, but my apartment is not suited for a bug room yet, nor do we have a shed.

For now, all 5 tarantulas are living on my desk in the livingroom.  It is set into the wall, so they aren’t hit with constant bright lights.  (They wouldn’t be, anyway, due to the fact that we live like cave dwellers as it is.)

Day 3: Picture Day!!

Well, if my camera worked the way it’s supposed to (Cannon AE-1) I will have some awesome shots of each sling, along with my older tarantulas.

The flashlight that I was using to light the deli cups seemed to really annoy the little ones (which I expected) so I had to get as many photos as I could, VERY quickly.

Sadly, when I went to photograph my Madagascars, I discovered that my male was deceased-and he stank to high hell!!  Like rotting meat.  Odd for an insect…not sure if that is normal for this kind….

I did at least manage to get some decent macros of the deceased, and the living hisser.  I am pretty bummed about this though….

Sid was clinging to the side of (her) tank, so I did get some good shots of the iridescent  coloring on her legs, as well as a few macros of her fangs.  Nata, on the other hand preferred to stay camera shy.  She remained huddled in the back of her Dibs container-turned burrow.  I did get some pics of her back there, just nothing exciting.

Hopefully I will have the roll developed this week.  I am praying to the Canon 35mm gods that the camera worked.

We shall see……

Day 2: 2 Girls, one Deli Cup (Ea.)

I don’t know their individual sexes yet, but I am hoping they are female.

I did manage to get 2 of my slings into larger deli cups, but one of them- the Davis Mountain Rusty (Aphonopelma un-named) managed to hold onto my finger mid transfer, and was quite adamant about NOT going into her new cup.  I had to coerce her in with the nifty camera film holder- the same one that scoops mini feeder roaches with ease.

I gave each relocated sling 2 feeders.  I am unsure of what was eaten yesterday as feeder roaches apparently like to burrow.

My A. Chalcodes (Arizona Blonde) was left in her mini cup, as she is still too tiny to be moved.  I also have no idea if she ate her feeder roach yesterday.  I will give her a single roach in a little while, just in case.

New Spiderlings! (and some other goodies too!!)

Today I brought home 3 new slings!  An Aphonopelma (unnamed) “Davis Mountain Rusty”~who sits at a stunning 1/2″, an Alphonopelma Chalcodes (Arizona Blonde) who measured in at a whopping 1/4″, and last but not least, a Brachypelma smithi that comes in first place at an extraordinary 3/4″!!!!!

Now, these may not seem like very big tarantulas, but rest assured, they are certainly larger than the 1/8” slings I saw huddled in a cup at The Invert Shop.

David, the owner/keeper/feeder/breeder/builder/handler/temperature moderator/roach shipper and egg sack baby sitter was kind enough to spend a couple of hours going over his various species, and many roles as an online invertebrate dealer.  I had the privilege to see his shed-errr…shop full of critters that make up his hobby.

Everywhere I looked there were boxes and keepers and tubs and tanks and cups full of invertebrates lazily awaiting their next meal of captive bred cockroaches and other crawling goodness.

Looking at his shop almost made me embarrassed as I nervously went over the various species I had at home.  “An avicularia-Pink Toe, and a G. Rosea.”  2 Tarantulas, 2 tanks.  No need to label, as they look nothing alike-and no need to devote a whole room to them as their 10 gallon tanks take up little more than 3/4 of my livingroom desk.

I felt more like a wishful-thinker, instead of a full blown hobbyist.

After about 2 hours with David, all that changed and I am now a bit richer in knowledge, and a whole lot more excited as there is an experienced keeper not far from my home.  I am sure there will be many trips to the Invert Shop in the near future, or at least a few emails with progressive Tarantula photos, and the occasional plea for help.

I am now up 3 tarantulas, 2 Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, and a colony of feeders.

I am pretty confident in my ability to keep 3″ tarantulas alive….  so now what am I supposed to do with slings????

I guess that I will be figuring it out as I grow right along with them.

Tomorrow’s challenge:

FROM ONE CUP TO ANOTHER-WITHOUT LOSING A SLING

My new little one’s are in need of a bit more space, so we will see how it goes.