Cats of the Farm: The Pride Goes On

A friend at church had asked me Sunday if Toccata (the horse) likes pumpkin. She had read about putting your jack-o-lanterns out in the woods for critters to eat, and she was about ready to retire hers. I told her I’ve never given him a pumpkin, but he likes watermelon and cantaloupe. So last night at choir, she brought me her pumpkin to try out.

I presented it this morning. Toccata decided after due consideration that he did like it. What was funny, though, was that a few of the cats came up to taste test it. Of course, they were not really fans. Not enough meat in there.

4 Likes

After feeding critters, I walked over to the sugar maple to try to get a shot I was seeing mentally.

Cotton left the meal and came over unasked to join me. “Excuse me, what are you doing at a tree without me?”

7 Likes

Ice cream, a rare treat for me. I only buy it maybe twice a year. The cats will not go for it. Food in my possession is mine, period, and they know that. But boy, the looks!

And popping up in memories this morning from many years ago, this is Tenuto watching sunset.

Tenuto Watching Sunset

I miss Tenuto. She was my second Siamese, a neat character with a sense of humor but not a diva. She became the official cat to go visit Mom at the nursing home precisely because she was pretty unflappable. She gave Mom (and other residents) a lot of pleasure over the years.

Mom with Tenuto

6 Likes

From last night, at the point I shut down the computer, turned on the lights (I type in the dark), and prepared to evict the cats before shutting the office door. They know they are about to be evicted, too.

From top down: Pharaoh (invisible but in the uppermost basket; you can see the lump), Brio, Atticus, Mystery, Psalm, Mary.

5 Likes

Christmas decorating, 2021.

Do you see what I see?

Ooo, interesting.

With dangling things. (Note: This is one reason why Mom collected musical instrument ornaments, which I took over after her departure. First, she loved music, but second, they were unbreakable.)

Finished product.

5 Likes

Psalm studying the tree.

Brio on the skirt.

Mary on the skirt.

I just got home from church. After my absence all morning, things are relatively peaceful. The tree was still standing. The drum ornament was in the floor.

5 Likes

And all the faces were innocent, right?

1 Like

Aaargghhh! Just finished an ‘okay’ Christmas Hallmark movie, A Fiance’ For Christmas. Ends with (spoiler alert) female lead (obstetrician) going to a pet adoption event to make up/apologize to male lead (veterinarian). She went there pretending to be looking for a second cat. Of course, she makes up with the vet, and they decide, too, to adopt the cat—“him”, “Buddy” (that’s what the vet calls the cat)—a decidedly, no doubt about it TORTOISESHELL cat.

I mean, they (the writers) couldn’t get THAT right?

Good grief. Typical movie accuracy.

Rascal intently supervised the power company today from a safe distance throughout their visit. They were dealing with a storm issue from Friday night. Fortunately, all I lost were some branches and my security light, which they were replacing today (the security light, not the branches). Rascal made sure they did a good job, although she thought the “beep, beeps” really were unnecessary.

4 Likes

Here’s a pic from memories that cracks me up. This is the indomitable HRH Rosalind playing with their new Christmas feather toy many years ago. Note the audience. Rosalind did NOT play with other cats, and nobody would dare attempt to take a toy from her. They are just waiting with interest for her to run down. Tenuto is the seal point, Cory is the pinto (she’s still around), and the calico is L’Chaim. Cats of yesteryear. But this moment absolutely captures the dynamic between Rosalind and those OTHER cats that I forced her to share her household with.

Rosalind Playing while Other Cats Wait

4 Likes

Yesterday morning, the power was off when I woke up. Off, off, off for hours. We have occasional country electric blinks, but it’s very odd for hours of outage. The report line just said they were working on it. It was off the whole morning up until I left for dress rehearsal. Per the clock on the stove, it came back on two hours before I got home.

Anyway, here, I was on the couch feeling chilly and feeling sorry for myself and wishing it would get daylight enough that I could at least sweep/dust. The cats commiserated. They make nice warming packs.

Then today, I bought myself an office chair for Christmas when I stopped at Walmart for food on the way home. It occurred to me last night, as I adjusted my multiple supplemental cushions, which adjustments took place several times a day, that the old chair probably was at retirement age, and a new one likely would pay for itself in more comfortable work and less cushion adjustment. So I bought a new chair. Cats helped with assembly and here are giving it a cat scan.

9 Likes

Wrapping things for the family shindig tomorrow. I don’t know how I’d do it without them.

8 Likes

Brio looking very Brioish. I gave them the paper bag that had containers of leftovers from the family thing yesterday. I did cut the handles on the bag first; they can’t get hung up in it.

And a new applicant, following the others as they came up to eat this morning. This isn’t a feral; quite tense, but I did work up close enough to scratch ears. Not relaxed enough yet to do a gender inspection. Most likely dumped, sigh.

8 Likes

oh yay a new Christmas present for you. Tame enough to pet yet someone dumped it?
Poor kitty. How did someone know to pick a cat friendly farm out in rural area?
Nice looking cat, though. Seems in good shape.

2 Likes

It was probably dumped out on the highway. Within a mile is the country highway. I have often thought that if anything gets close to here, there must be progressive feline signs that will lead it in, like those attraction signs we see along people highways. Joe’s Diner, 5 miles. Joe’s Diner, 2 miles. Joe’s Diner, next right.

I did post on the local animal lost and found, just in case it took a ride in an engine, but nope, I think it probably was dumped and then this morning saw the breakfast line heading for the porch.

5 Likes

Why I get so down on people…

1 Like

A Christmas kitty! I agree that he/she was probably dumped or maybe it left another nearby place. It looks well fed and fur looks in good shape. Doesn’t look rough enough to be a feral or a stray.

Still hanging around. They are having discussions, which are quite musical. Not actually seriously fighting, but weighing each other up. It’s like adding a new horse to a herd. The farm is big enough that nobody will be cornered; plenty of escape/avoidance room.

I haven’t yet determined gender. The other cats are much closer today, and things are not relaxed enough for me to feel comfortable checking under the hood. This cat is not yet relaxed even with me, definitely not with the other cats yet, but I can talk my way up to it and scratch ears. Just haven’t made it to the backside yet. This is definitely a socialized cat but has had occasion to reconsider humans since then. He/she will come around, I’m sure.

I’m also betting that whether male or female, it hasn’t yet been speutered. I’m not that lucky. So once it’s relaxed enough to restrain and stuff in a carrier, we shall proceed to the vet.

Not a flicker of response on my post on the animal lost/found list in these parts. I’ll put a word in at the country gas station tomorrow. That place is so much the center of what’s happening that literally, the little township posts public notices there the few times a year they have something to tell us. As in official, legal public notices, notices which I have never seen elsewhere as well, so it isn’t just multiple sites. It’s apparently the case that putting it at the gas station is equivalent to informing the community. :slight_smile:

P.S. Hey, you can select multiple files for upload instead of one at a time! Probably everybody else knew that already.

5 Likes

A new kitty always upsets the apple cart. :apple: :smile:

I think it looks like a boy.