Cats of the Farm: The Pride Goes On

[dressagetraks]

A walk in the woods with my cat.

Her idea, too. She didn’t accompany me on my walk this morning, as it was negative brrr. This afternoon was better, 40, snow melting some, and she wanted a walk. I was working on fence at the edge of the woods during my project hour, and as I was finishing, she kept walking into the woods, then stopping and looking back at me. So we walked down to the spring and back. That last picture was much better in person, even. The sunset behind me was radiating off the woods. That is pure sunset adding the color. The golden hour.

[Marla_100]

beautiful!!!
Who is that gorgeous healthy kitty?

[dressagetraks]

That’s Rascal in the last post, if that’s the one you mean. She’s the only outside full tortie. Mary is a full tortie but is inside, as is Solo, the dilute tortie.

Rascal went with me on my walk in the woods this morning. She doesn’t always go, flips a coin to allow for feline independence, but it was warmer this morning. I think she wanted to go along yesterday morning, but it was too cold for her liking, which is why she insisted on a supplemental walk last night to make up for it.

And yes, the outdoors are in excellent weight and have fur like polar bears. They are doing fine. Satin came to breakfast this morning with a mouse in his mouth; jumped right up on the porch with it as I was pouring cat food. But then Bagheera tried to take the mouse. Bagheera is smaller than Satin but has much more dynamite in him. Bagheera is the most intense, tightly coiled cat on the farm. Satin recovered his mouse and jumped back off the porch, deciding to go eat it elsewhere instead of in front of Bagheera.

[dressagetraks]

Atticus multitasking on this cold winter day.

Mary making sure I fully unloaded the Amazon monthly delivery of cat food.

[ravenclaw]

How is Des? I hope he’s still there and getting more tame.

[dressagetraks]

Des is still hanging around. I don’t see him every meal, but at least every other day or so. And he has started arching up a bit when I pet him. He didn’t do that formerly; he was pettable, but it was like petting a rock. He didn’t react like most of them do.

[dressagetraks]

And, sigh, I caught a quick glimpse of something orange rapidly departing around the side of the house last night. Very quick glimpse of a moving target, but it was much more russet than Cotton, pumpkin orange, and moved like a cat. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.

[dressagetraks]

Today’s Offense: I stepped out of the house with food containers in hand to do evening chores. The entwining pride was on the porch waiting, the horse whinnying and stamping at the gate. I greeted everyone and was almost ready to pour when what to my wondering eyes should appear but the UPS truck turning in.

I always try to go meet package folks immediately, to compensate for the fact that my house is 200 feet from the driveway because the new house was put in a few years ago, and the driveway is still located for the old house. Eventually, it will be extended and circled over, but at the moment, there is a sizeable walk for delivery people. I try to respect this and meet them promptly before they have to trek the whole distance to get rid of my package.

But everybody was waiting acutely to get fed. I dispensed the water I was carrying quickly into the bowl, but the food was a different matter. Several feeding spots were established, to make sure that no one cat could get shut out of the food. I couldn’t just dump one portion of food and then walk away. The pasture, meanwhile, was entirely in the wrong direction. I couldn’t set down the food containers, either; the cats would spill them (both cat food and horse grain) trying to self serve before I got back.

So I headed across toward the driveway, food containers still in hand. The cats were incredulous. Did I just walk off right in front of them with their food? They followed and tried to trip me to remind me of my sins. The horse was aghast and turned the volume up on his whinnying over by the gate. The UPS man finished rummaging in his truck and stepped out, and the cats gradually fell behind, uncertain of the stranger. I walked on to met UPS about 3/4 of the way to the driveway and took the package, with several ruffled cats in the distant background, the horse going into ever-higher drama at the gate, and food containers in my hands. “Feeding time,” I said needlessly. He nodded and didn’t prolong the chat, which they do at times.

Juggling package and food containers, I turned back toward the menagerie. The cats glared at me, tails forming annoyed sinuous question marks. The horse started canter pacing by the fence.

Rule #1 of farm life: There is no excuse, none, for a delay in feeding the animals. UPS, phone call, illness, death, apocalypse, etc., it’s all irrelevant in their eyes. I simply should have fed them on time anyway.

[dressagetraks]

Hope this works. This was from Tuesday morning, from my morning walk, with Rascal along. We’d been out for about 20 minutes, ending at the spring as always. I love this cat.

Rascal at Spring Video 1422

[shiloh]

She’s an intrepid little guide - so cute.

Your property is gorgeous. You and your gang are very lucky.

[dressagetraks]

Des is still hanging around. Bagheera is the slowest to forgive. I told him Des has paid the price surgically for starting fights, but he still isn’t sure of this. No fight here, just some impressive sound effects.

I had a bonfire this morning. Have to pick the days carefully for those on windy ridge, but this morning, it was both still and frosty. Perfect! The cats had to supervise, of course.

[Janet]

Cats are good at supervising.

[dressagetraks]

Fill in the blank.

1. I came in from my morning walk, and several of the cats, including Brio, the Teddy Roosevelt of felines, came to greet me.
2. I took off my farm boots at the boot tray just inside the door.
3. I twisted my sock while removing my boots.
4. While still wearing my whistle on a long cord around my neck (emergency measure while going deep into the woods, in case I need to guide help to me), I bent over in front of the cats to straighten my sock.

5. ---

Self, why didn’t you see that one coming?

Here’s Cotton in a tree. I didn’t ask him to get in this one; he was already there, tucked in a crook, and mmm’d at me as I came by. I love the crossed paws.

And while working late last night, I suddenly got the feeling that somebody was looking over my shoulder.

[Marla_100]

…Brio grabbed the whistle and cord to play with it and almost choked you. ??

[dressagetraks]

Checking the fit of my new snow and ice shield before tomorrow’s storm, with supervision from a few of the farm cats.

I confess to buying this brand specifically just so that I could get pictures. I’ll count the few extra bucks higher from others in the search results as a charge for entertainment.

[dressagetraks]

The cat hut. We’ve melted down some today from yesterday, but it’s definitely being used.

[dressagetraks]

Lead us into Temptations.

Clockwise from eyes: Pharaoh, Solo, Brio (in mid treat scramble; he plays with his food), Pilgrim, Atticus, Mystery, Mary, Psalm.

[ravenclaw]

Did you go through a whole bag?

[dressagetraks]

Ah ha. I knew I saw an orange flash one day last week. This one has a collar. I had put out extra food today in case anything wandering around out there needed some, as it is negative brrr outside. The birds have already been by.

Update: I took out a fresh winter drink after spotting this one eating on my porch, and Pumpkin bolted but now that I’m back in, he/she is over in a patch of sunlight curled up with Cory, who apparently is acquainted. (Yes, they have shelters and straw. They are voluntarily sitting outside on this frigid day.)

I swear, I do not try to steal people’s cats. I once had somebody working down at the little gas station 7 miles away (nearest civilization) complain that every time she tried to have a cat, it ran away to either join me or join the Homesteader nearby. His spread literally dates back to the Homestead Act in the 1800s. He has 13 cats (latest total heard). That’s one difference between dogs and cats. A dog will remain loyal to any owner, no matter what. Cats who aren’t fully satisfied will case the neighborhood, seeing if there might be a better offer around.

[dressagetraks]

Amazon sells a six-pack of Temptations for about $9 if you have it on subscribe and save. We get one monthly.