This blog started out being a place to share my horse book: The Horse That Wouldn’t Trot, and other equine news. Next, it encompassed dog information, now it is morphing into just about anything, as I add cats.
Last year I saw a listing in a horse lady group for folks willing to give a home to some “trapped, neutered and need to be released” cats. I offered and as soon as I emailed Sherri, I had 2 “teenage” ferals. She loaned me a cage which they lived in for a month in the barn. Our house cat, Molly, is an “inside/outside” cat, but always IN at night (unless she outsmarts us). She promptly took up residence outside the cage and let the newbies know she was the queen lady cat. When the youngsters were freed, they found good hiding places in the barn, and we seldom saw them. They were fed regulairly, and had a litter pan, which they used as well as the dirt around the barn area. Life was good, but Molly kept them hidden during the day by staking out her claim to the barn by sitting on the hay or a high perch. Still, life was good for the little black male and the black and white female.
I saw them outside during late evening or very early morning, then back into the barn to hide during the day. This was a good plan as we have large dogs who chase the cats all in great fun, whether inside or out. Our house is a “gated community” with numerous gated guarding bedrooms and hallways. Cats can go through a space or jump over.
This spring I offered again to take some kittens, but wanted them younger so I could tame them enough that when or if they went to the barn, they could be “barn cats” and not true ferals like the other 2. I also thought if one tamed enough to keep in the house, I would, as Molly the 15 year-old cat police, was older and Charm who was 17, even older. So a kitten or two might make things interesting again. Of course, there are numerous cats/kittens in the various shelters that are tame, but I wanted to do my part to help the cat community. I could and do donate money, but as Sherri said, “we need people who know something about cats and are willing to take the animals.”
I am NOT a cat lady. I consider myself educated by personal experiences to be an equine and canine gal, so this will be a learning experience. So many friends asked for the continuing saga to be shared with them, I decided to do that with my blog.
Today they arrived. Five, but I will keep three, the other 2 have a true feral home awaiting them and will leave in about a week. There are 3 black ones, including the ONLY female, a tabby and a feisty long haired gray one. He will surely be leaving! They are maybe 10 weeks old, and she was able to have them neutered just before she brought them to me. We set up a nice inside pen with liter pans, water, dry food and 2 hiding boxes.
Of course the 3 dogs were beside themselves wanting to see, but were not allowed. They already used the litter pan, ate a little dried cat food and went into hiding. I plan on waiting until Feisty Gray Boy leaves before I try to do much because he is telling the others that life is dangerous. The little tabby seems to be the tamest. Sherri said one was vocalizing and that can mean it is friendlier, and he did when he got in the pen. He was the only one that did not dive into the covered box when let loose, but sat on top of the box. I got a picture of him sticking his head out of the hiding box, so maybe he will be a house kitty.
I wish Ava Brewton, my 9 year-old granddaughter was here to help me! She would surely love that, but will have to settle for helping name the ones that stay.
Anything Equine & Canine 
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