Reflections of katlupe: cats

Showing posts with label cats. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 03, 2018

On My Walk Yesterday

Snow melting in the forest

On my walk yesterday in the forest I visited my critters' graves. It is not as well cared for as it once was. My husband took good care of it, but in the last few years not so much. I guess he got tired of it. The land behind it was bought and made into a hunting camp. He does not mow the path to it anymore or go out that far now. It was promised to be sold to us but the guy who owned it, a local politician, did what all those people do. He sold it real cheap to someone else, but for us he put a high price on it thinking we would want it so bad we would pay any price. No, I refused. Now it doesn't really matter to me as I am not going to be staying.

Peaceful Forest Cemetery

Regardless, my beloved pets, Cinders, my black cat, Pepper, my other black cat, Lil' Red and my treasured pet, Rhode Island Red hen, are all buried there. Then in 2013, Nikita, our dog and best friend in the whole world died at at age 15 and she is buried there. She still does not have a stone on her grave. The next year, 2014, Callie Cat died at age 13 and she doesn't even have a marker yet. I need to take care of those two stones this year, as soon possible.

Nutmeg

My last Siamese cat, Nutmeg, is buried in the backyard with a very nice stone, but I never got her name put on it. I would like to do that this year, if possible. She was 17 years old. She had been through a lot with me and lived in Florida when we moved there. On the road in an over-the-road truck as hubby took us on his job, we got to see the whole country. It was fun for her and me.

Cinders

In 1999 we moved here with Nutmeg, Nikita and Cinders. Cinders was a male cat that had been neutered, but he still wandered out into the forest. His hunting instinct was sharp and he always brought back something to share with Nikita. One time he went out and never came back. While he was out, I heard a gunshot and for some reason my immediate thought was, "Cinders"! Well I never saw him again. I loved him so much and looked for weeks for him. I felt so bad about losing him. I guess it was my choice to live here and that meant my pets were at risk. In my previous life, I would have never allowed them to be outdoor cats. That was my fault in moving here.

Lil' Red and Nikita were best friends

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Patches Was Murdered By A Bear

Patches 2000-2017

My cat, Patches, was murdered in October by a bear. I never thought I would be writing those words. Living surrounded by the forest, I guess I should have expected something like that happening. I hadn't seen any bears here personally, but we did have something knock over our composter. It was secured to the ground so whatever did it had to be strong. My husband always though a bear did it. Then in 2015 we found bear scat right next to our truck which is not far from our front door or the barn! If that didn't give me a start! I was cautious at first, but then I relaxed because I didn't see any more signs of it. I should not have become complacent about it though.

Nutmeg & Cinders in happier times.

I have always let the cats go in and out as they choose. In the day time it has been fine because we are in and out all day, so it is not like they are in danger. I had indoor cats most of my adult life, but when we moved here I started letting the ones I had, Nutmeg and Cinders go outside. I admit that I didn't feel they were completely safe out there. Cinders was a neutered male but he loved to hunt. He was killed by a hunter in the woods and it broke my heart to lose him. He was so loving and Nutmeg loved him dearly, as did our dog, Nikita. He would go hunting down the road and when he got a chipmunk or something he would carry it back to the house. He would be calling to Nikita the whole way to see what he had.

Cinders loved hunting!

The question of whether to allow them to go outside comes up all the time. People who have farms or homesteads want them to kill the rodents that seem to overrun your property unless you kill them. Cats are good at that job but they need to be outside to do it. I wrote a previous post a number of years back, Should Cats Be Allowed To Go Outside?

Patches in her favorite spot.

I had a rule that my cats had to come in before it got dark. Most of the time I had to go find them and bring them in. It was rare that Patches or Hobo came in on their own. I really stuck to that rule for years and years. Then when Patches and Hobo were the only two cats left and had become old, they resisted coming in. Finally I gave in. Big Mistake! In winter they of course came in on their own. Too cold. If I heard an owl or a coyote, I'd be out the front door in the middle of the night to collect at least Patches. Patches mostly slept on the deck so I would look out there and there she would be. Hobo slept at the top of the barn stairs on the porch into the second floor. I could shine my light up there see her.

Patches getting a drink

October 6, 2017, was the night Patches was killed. Never heard a thing. No sign of her body or anything. She was 17 years old and kind of hard of hearing. All I could imagine is that she left the deck to go to the bathroom which would have been to the garden area. Hopefully she didn't see what happened. I hope it was an instant death for her. She did not deserve this. Patches was a gentle sweet cat, but she was a good hunter and could kill with vengeance. I miss her terribly. Every morning she sat on my lap while I had my coffee in front of the wood stove. She was my last link with my parents because I took her as a stray that had been at their house.

Patches

The reason I know it was a bear that killed her is because in a way, Hobo told us so. We both looked all over the woods thinking she had gone off to die due to her age. That is what animals do or want to do. Even though the night before she bounded out the door after she ate and ran and jumped off the porch fast. Not like a cat that was going to die any time soon. I knew when we could not find her that she was dead. Hobo was acting scared of being outside. She would sleep on the deck or porch during the day and not wander the yard at all unless we were outside too. Not like her at all!

Patches & Hobo

One evening she was sitting on my husband's lap in the living room by the window. It was dusk, barely able to see outside. She jumped quickly to the window and was looking out on the garden area at the side of the house. Her tail was moving back and forth pretty fast. I looked out to see what she was looking at. I saw a big shadow on the ground where one of our garden beds used to be that my husband had removed a few weeks before. At first I thought it was my horse, Tawny. But if she got out she would have never been laying down in the yard. I went to the bathroom window which was closer and shined my flashlight out there on it. It looked right up into the light, it was a big bear! It just stayed there laying there like it was comfortable.

The spot where the bear was laying. I think it is where Patches was killed.

My husband went out on the deck and the bear stayed right there. So he started yelling making a loud noise and the bear jumped up and took off through the woods. We could hear him running in the woods behind the horses' paddock. That got them running and bucking too. As far as I know he hasn't been back since. I know they are not known for killing cats, but if you have an old cat and they are easy to grab, I know they will. They do eat meat and will kill chickens or small animals from time to time.

Hobo is staying closer now.

After this incident, Hobo stayed even closer to the house. After time had passed she started going out to the wood line but not wandering too far. At night she comes in on her own. She will ask to go outside to the bathroom sometimes in the middle of the night, but comes right back. She never was one to use the litter box though she now does. So my rule of coming in at dark is now back in force. but too late for my little girl, Patches. I blame myself for her death and will never get over it. Now Hobo is my last cat and I will not be getting any more. Rabbit, my pet house rabbit, will be my very last pet of all. I am tired of the worry and care of pets and at my age if something happens to me, where would they end up? So this is what I have decided to do.

Last picture I took of Patches

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Winter Time Blues Known As Snow

We have had our share of snow now, even though we had very little in the beginning of winter. I am pretty much used to snow every winter, but I do not have to work in it or shovel it. In the country snow is a big job. My husband is able to do this time consuming job much faster and easier on him since he bought the Snow Wolf. It is a great tool and using no gas or batteries you can be pretty well started on your job before your neighbor has started his snowblower. My husband likes it a lot and that is saying a lot for this tool since he HATES snow shoveling.

We had a few days of reprieve with warmer temps and no snow. This morning we woke up to hearing the snow plow going by. Back to the endless snow clean up for my husband. I can usually count on him being in a bad mood most of the morning till he is finished. I don't blame him since I feel the same way about my kitchen work. I used to love the kitchen and didn't even mind the cleaning up afterwards. Now I try to come up with food that doesn't use many pots and pans or bowls or dishes. I just don't feel like doing it anymore. Must be my age. I want to be retired and do the things I really like doing. Not cleaning.

Even our cat, Hobo, is depressed over the weather. She is normally an outside more than an indoor cat. This winter though, my son and his cat are here and she hates his cat. Being an old lady, she does not care to play with him and he chases her and causes her to scream like a bobcat. So she is staying inside and using the litter box, which she never liked to do. I always had to get up during the night and let her out if she had to go. Not this winter. Must be her age has caught up to her. The other cat is locked in a kennel when he is in the house. I can't have him chasing after her, after all, it IS HER house. If I let her outside during the day when it is sunny, I put him in the kennel till she comes back. I feel bad about him in the kennel, but I have no choice. She is old and she is our loved cat. So we are trying to keep her happy.

I hope spring comes early but I am not counting on it. I think my winter has been the worst I have ever had, but not due to the weather. Personal things going on are having a big effect on me, which has me stressed out. Little things that never seemed to bother me now are irritating. I suppose I am like Hobo.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Tom Cats Are Hard To Control!

Nose is all scratched up!

Spots came here at the end of August last year. He is a tomcat and I had every intention of having him neutered. The biggest problem was that he is not the kind of cat to be in a house or contained in any way. I had won his trust and he was seeding into our family. But as an outside cat. Around the end of December, he just was gone. We looked and looked for him but he never came back.

He is different than when he was here before.

About two weeks ago, I got up early to turn the coffee on and who do you think was sitting on the raised bed out back? Yes! It was Spots! I was so excited to see him that I ran outside and never thought he'd be scared of me. He ran into the woods and was gone. I was bummed out to say the least. So was my son, Jeff. He had really gotten attached to Spots when he was here before. As you can see in their photo on my blog post here.

I won him over with food!

A day or so later, he showed up again. But he acted like he didn't know us. He was very timid around us and I had to win him over again. Now he goes away, and when he comes back he is battled scarred. As soon as I can, I will get him to a vet to get him neutered, and hope he will stay around here after that. But I am not sure. He might not trust me after that!

He doesn't look too timid here, now does he?

Monday, March 11, 2013

Time Passes At Peaceful Forest Homestead

Our backyard!

Today, was three weeks ago that my little girl, Nikita passed away. It is also seven months ago today, that my father passed away. Both are missed and thought of every day. My father of course, did not live with me. When he was in the hospital dying, I did not have the time to properly grieve for him. I was the one making all the decisions for him and trying to do the right thing by him. My niece was causing me so many problems, as was her boyfriend too. So I spent my energy on senseless problems. Instead of what mattered.

The horses playing in the snow!

Animals basically live their life only focused on today. Not what might happen tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. Maybe they are living for the moment or maybe not? We see the birds planning ahead when they first arrive back to our home in the spring. They are expected any day. They will rest those first few days back. Often we spot the first robins resting in the tree tops around our homestead. Singing their familiar song, which is what usually alerts us to the fact that they are back home. Soon they are onto family planning and building nests.

Hobo hanging out last summer in a planter!

Our cats here live the way they want. They come and go all day long. In and out, in and out. Push me toward their food dish, even if it isn't empty, which it never is. Get on a lap if possible. Sleep all day. Go outside if they feel like it. If it is cold, they might go out to go potty and then come back in. Or they can use the indoor litter box if they so choose, which Callie does. Their whole world is right here. They are not wanderers and stay close here. They are all older cats now, Callie and Patches are both 13 this year. Hobo is younger, but I am not sure exactly what her age is.

My husband on Dark Shadow, in 2003. Nikita was never far behind!

Just like a garden, our life passes by too. It is important to pay attention to each and every member of your family. Including your precious pets. Their lives are so short. Take lots of pictures and tell everyone what you want them to know. I have no regrets there. Nikita spent almost every hour of her day with me. I talked to her all the time. She understood me perfectly. My husband was "her" person. She loved him so much and showed him constantly, just how much. He, and my son, both. gave her a lot of attention. Maybe she was an "old lady" in dog years, but she was dearly loved and knew it. Now life goes on..........

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Winter Time Blues

One of our daily visitors to our deck!

Winter is pretty bleak around here and it is easy to get depressed or sad. Maybe because the amount of sun we get is so limited right now. I know I kinda miss those long days. It is staying light longer. Here it is 5:10 PM and it is still light out. It kind of sneaks up on you, I guess.

Callie and Patches under the stove!

Even our animals are dragging themselves around. Our cats are not very energetic right now and have put on a bit of that winter weight. Hobo, who is one to stay outside for hours, now goes out in the morning to go potty, then is back in to sleep. Every now and then, she will go out but come back in. Not spending much time outside at all. Patches does not even waste the time getting her feet wet or cold. She uses the litter box during the winter. Callie, well, she went outside twice today! That is a record for her, even in the summer. She sharpened her claws on the deck and came right back in. I think the chickadees visiting the deck got her interest.

Looking forward to their return this spring!

I hate to wish my life away, but I am definitely looking forward to spring. How about you?

Saturday, November 10, 2012

The Critters That I Love

My critters are all individuals. They each have their own idiosyncrasies and routines. We all know what to expect from each of them every morning and through out the day. Patches, has always been a little strange. I brought her home from my parents' home back in 2000. She came to their house with her mother, an all white cat. My father said every time Patches, who was a kitten at the time, would try to eat out of the dish of scraps he put out for all the stray cats, her mother would strike at her, and not let her eat. A few times she had gotten in my car. Then one time my mother told me my niece was going to take her home with her the next time she came up. That was all I had to hear! This cat was not going to live stuck in a city apartment with smokers and not being able to go outside. After all, she was a country cat! She is a wonderful cat and does all kinds of strange little things around here. I hate to think of life without Patches!

Callie is the "alpha" cat in our house. She maintains that position by never being afraid of anyone or anything. I don't think it even occurs to her to be afraid of someone, be it human, or beast. Our horse trampled her on purpose. And I still had to watch that she did not go back in there at another time. She was born in a horse barn and has no fear of them or dogs. In fact, she will chase the biggest dog right off our property. The thing is that most cats run when a dog chases it, and she does not. She confuses them. At twelve years of age, she spends most of her time sleeping or eating, inside the house. I guess she decided she'd rather be inside now.

Hobo is our littlest cat, but she is a tough little girl. She hunts in the paddock and the horses don't mess with her. She is a very good hunter and is always bringing her catch back. She came to live with us in 2003 when she showed up on our porch looking for a handout. Nikita chased her into the woods, but she came right back. I fed her and it was dark so I didn't see that she was bleeding and had a big hole in her skull. We believe she was thrown off the bridge. We heard someone stop on the bridge, and it looked like they threw something from the bridge. We never dreamed it was a cat, or I'd have tried to see the car and report them! Anyway, I nursed her back to health with a little Essiac tea.

Spots is our newest cat and the only boy here. He moved in and stayed. He is not an indoor cat, and kind of freaked out when he came in the door and I didn't know he came in. I guess he thought he was trapped. He will sit on your lap outside if you are sitting down, but he doesn't really like to be picked up. We had a man stop and ask about him because he looked like the cat that lived at their house a year and a half ago. Then one day he was just gone. They saw him in our yard driving by and stopped to ask when he came here. Of course, once the man stopped and was talking to my husband, we couldn't find him anywhere! Soon as the guy left, he came out from under the ramp! My son has become very fond of him, so I hope he doesn't just leave us one day like he did that man. But he is free to do what he wants. I won't make a prison for him. He is good, but loves to eat as much as Callie does. He has increased our cat food bill, that's for sure!

Nikita at fourteen years old, is old for a big dog. Every year, I say its her last. If she gets through the summer, I figure she will probably get through the winter. Winter is her season! She loves snow and cold. When she goes outside in the morning, after it has snowed, she rolls and rolls in it. Nikita is extremely intelligent and even other people notice that once they get to know her. Way too smart for an animal! For me, she has been the only dog I ever owned since I grew up. I was always a "cat person" and would not even consider a dog. I am glad I did as she is more like a sister than a pet. I love her dearly, and she will be the only dog I will ever own.

Our horses, Tawny, Georgie Girl and Dark Shadow, like to lay down in the paddock. They will lay down for hours. I have written so much about them, some of my readers seem to know these little girls. Georgie Girl was a race horse and was banned from the track because she was super fast on the "breezes" (test runs) but on race day, she said "no way!" Anyway, she is mine, and I love her and Dark Shadow and Tawny. They all came from the same horse farm, which Callie came from also.

Jeff and Spots

That is all the critters we have and will not get anymore, even though I said that before Spots moved in. I mean it this time!

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