Living with Anteaters

Kamena's mummified body - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tamanduagirl/4338354825/

Posted the link only for those more squeemish, meaning squeemish can avoid looking that way.

I want to skeletonize him. I'd like to mount his clean skeleton once it's done and maybe replace one of his claws with a replica and use the real one for a pendant.

Yes it's weird but some people taxidermy their pets after death. I'd really like to have the skeleton.

I wanted to document this scientific endeavor as it progresses.

I dug him up early because it's been so warm all winter and someone mentioned the claws can decompose fast and I want those to remain in good shape. Other than the color starting to fad from the claws they are fine.

The problem was that he was buried which slows decomposition. It was slowed even more by being in the synthetic bag. So all that could happen was bacterial decomposition which is slow so we got a mummy.

Things should go faster now that he is above ground and protected in a cage from raccoons. Insects can get to him and they do the most when it comes to cleaning the bones.

Once the bones are mostly clean we scrape anything left away and soak them in water till the bacteria is done with them.

Then we soak them in peroxide so they get white and sanitary.

Last steps will be preserving and mounting them.

Photo set at moderate as a warning since it's not horrible like if it was a human body or bloody or something. But I think you can still see it if not try this if you want too his body http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4338354825_8a3b0e6728_b.jpg

For those who don't know here is his story www.livingwithanteaters.com/2009/10/kamena.html

Putting the corpse cage together

So for less creepy photos and news

Our new neighbors shared a photo they had taken of Stewie and me

We finally scanned in the ghost cat photo of Adolph
This is a Polaroid so you can't double expose them and I'm told it was taken 2 weeks after he died.(white cat)

How am I supposed to make the bed?

Quasi, Hyzzie and Jake

Pua listening to me make silly noises

I like watching her listen but she was pretty much done with me by the time I decided to film

Jake playing with his toy in a boot

He was putting it in himself at first then we put it in to get photos and video of him

Jake getting his toy from shoe take one


Jake getting his toy by sticking his head in the shoe


Pua having hammock time

Feeling sleepy

Have a nice nap Pua

Still feeling sleepy

Sniffing out the window

Quasi snuggled in the playpen