The Central Clowder
About a week ago, one of our feral cats, Dapple, decided that temperatures in the teens are not fun. We sometimes hold the door open for her, and she'll cross the threshold, then run back out again - this time, she stayed! In fact, there was no getting her out again. The first thing I had to do is trap her in the bathroom (after drugging her like I did when we got her fixed) and haul her off to the vet for shots and a check-up. Dang, these cats are getting expensive! Here she is with Romeo, in a rare moment of quiet:
Usually, Romeo is trying to ride poor Dapple like a rodeo bull, dang cat. She just puts up with it until she's really annoyed, then make all kinds of noise - especially really late at night.
And here's the whole clowder - Romeo at the left, Jenny on the center table with her head and paws hanging over the heater, Dapple in the basket on the right, and Bashful outside the window. I built a box for the de-ice buckets, and carpeted the top for him to sit on.
The only one missing is Dopey - he's just a peripheral cat - he actually belongs to someone, he has a collar with a bell, but he comes onto the porch and says hi now and then. We'll see how Dapple feels about being an indoor cat when it's spring.
Usually, Romeo is trying to ride poor Dapple like a rodeo bull, dang cat. She just puts up with it until she's really annoyed, then make all kinds of noise - especially really late at night.
And here's the whole clowder - Romeo at the left, Jenny on the center table with her head and paws hanging over the heater, Dapple in the basket on the right, and Bashful outside the window. I built a box for the de-ice buckets, and carpeted the top for him to sit on.
The only one missing is Dopey - he's just a peripheral cat - he actually belongs to someone, he has a collar with a bell, but he comes onto the porch and says hi now and then. We'll see how Dapple feels about being an indoor cat when it's spring.