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Saturday, November 21, 2015

My Cat Posse

It finally got to the point that we needed a cat. Being on a farm grain is everywhere and those nasty rodents eat about as much as the cows. Yuk!

It started out with does anyone have a good mouser they are willing to give up? Our nutritionist from the feed mill had two kittens that could do the job. Someone on Facebook that I used to work with had two kittens they were helping someone who was relocating get rid of. I ended up with all four. My dog, who is notorious for killing cats is old and crippled with various joint problems and a lack of energy so she finally just lives with them and they tolerate each other. Yay! Not old and sick part, of course, just the doesn't kill cats anymore part.

The first two little ones took to killing those mice right away. They are a real force to deal with. One, a male, is black and white and I named him Zorro. The other, a female, is a tabby so of course I named her Tabby.

The other two are male (long haired- not really a good thing) and came from an apartment. They have NO IDEA HOW TO KILL A MOUSE! One that is solid black is named Smokey. Originally I was going to call him Voo Doo after another black one I had, but he just isn't scary enough. The other one is a tabby and I named him Whiskers. They are all into being held and stealing the other two's food. My husband does not like these too "moochers". They are jumping machines, like flying squirrels. I get great comfort and peace in holding all of them though. He will have a hard time getting me to get get rid of any of them.

Yesterday, I came home to find a small, brown, long haired ball of fur on my sidewalk in front of my back steps. It could barely get around as it had been hurt somehow. The night before I heard a strange noise like something getting caught in the fan of the furnace and then loud meowing. I checked out the basement since it sounded like that's where it all came from and found nothing, although the furnace did start up when I was down there. I looked outside around my bedroom window and saw nothing as well. It was dark since there were heavy clouds blocking out the moon and the outdoor light doesn't shine there. Coincidence? If someone was out there, they should know better. We are loaded for bear and do not appreciate trespassers, especially around our bedroom!

That poor tiny kitten was injured. I took it inside and cleaned it up and dressed its wounds. Its front leg had the skin peeled off (and gone) almost the entire length of the lower part and one eye was gooey. I cleaned the eye with a cotton swab and discovered it had not lost it (whew!) but it was swollen around it. I put antibiotic ointment in the eye and it looks a lot better today. I am not sure the kitten was weaned. I got it to eat, but not drink, even milk. Wow, fresh from the cow milk could not get it to drink. I think I'll try a syringe to feed it milk tonight. I has a potty problem too, like it doesn't know to move when it goes so I find myself bathing it often. My husband didn't even bat an eye when I told him I found it and had it in the pet carrier in the milk house. He just looked at it when I got it out and said, "Yep, it's small." I named it Sable. Sable is dark brown, right? I have never seen a solid brown cat before. I also cannot really determine its gender. I keep calling it a her but it might be a him. I'll have look it up or ask someone better at it!

                                          Smokey and Whiskers, cuddlers- not mouse killers.
                                                    Zorro - awesome mouse killer and cuddler
                                  Tabby, kills mice like a champ, lets you hold her when SHE wants.
                                               Sable, the foundling. Needs to learn some things.

They are all real good at purring and cuddling. Tabby has to be in the mood, although she is getting better about it. My husband actually won her over with of all things Cheeze It crackers .He says he doesn't like cats, but Zorro (whom he usually refers to as 'Roscoe') is an okay cat. Zorro sits on his shoulder when he sits down in the barn. He won't even pet Smokey and Whiskers because they won't go after mice unless they take them away from the other two. He wants them gone. Hmmm.

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