We have cats, inside cats ( Mabon and Smokie ) and outside cats, Gracie (pictured above), Hootie, Marble, and Four. Roger was outside yesterday, trimming tree branches and weedeating. Gracie was helping, keeping watch as to prevent anything from attacking Roger, perhaps? More likely, looking for an unsuspecting insect or vole to pounce upon. Roger heard mewing, so he went to investigate. Ah. In one fell swoop, Four has doubled our outside cat population. They were definitely born on August 7, because she was still visibly pregnant, and very restless, the day before.
He keeps a camera at hand, and was able to get pictures to share with me when I arrived home from work. We name the outside cats, and feed them. They will come close, but are not amenable to being petted. They are excellent natural pest control, for us and the neighbors. No mice, moles, voles, or shrews to be found. When we first moved here, in 2002, a cat we named TC adopted us. We tried to have her inside, but she preferred the yard. Her favorite place to lie about ( Cats do so love to lie about! ) was the house roof. The current outside cats are her descendants.
The tree trimming yesterday was concentrated on the Tulip Poplars, we have three now, as well as Weeping Willow and River Birch, and various bushes and shrubs. We also have a Grape Arbor, in which the cats love to play, climb, and hunt.
Little Beaver Creek sings merrily along, and the cats drink from the quiet pools along the edge. They will eschew a bowl of fresh water and go to the creek instead to drink. The only time they will deign to drink from a bowl is in winter, when they shelter in the shed and the creek is too icy along the banks to drink from easily. We feed them in the shed during the winter as well. We have the most pampered outside cats ever. I purchase canned food as well as kibble for them, and they get treats on a regular basis. Roger made a pet door to allow them easy access to the shed, just big enough for a cat to get through.
We really do have an awesome life.
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