First Kittens of 2015

[equusmaximus]

The first batch of kittens for 2015 have arrived. Trixstir and I went out to feed the horses this evening, and as soon as we got inside the barn I could hear the high-pitched mewling of new kittens. They must have been born this afternoon, because they weren't there this morning when I fed the horses, nor around noon when I checked in after

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[equattraction]

I like having cats around the farm, but they can scare the barn horses with their playing. They are great for catching gophers and mice, but they are really tough on birds. We have one black cat from next door who visits now and then, but we haven't seen him around yet this spring. I hope the fox that hangs around here hasn't killed him.

[equusmaximus]

There are even more kittens now; Tabby had her batch this afternoon, adding another three black kittens and one tabby kitten. We shall see if they all survive or not.

[equusmaximus]

Actually, scratch that. This is what happens when you rely on other peoples' reports instead of checking the facts yourself. The kittens in question are Tabby's, not Spooky's, and there were only three of them, not four. Spooky hasn't had her kittens yet, and I'm afraid that Tabby has already lost one of her three. She's OK with older kittens as a rule, but she's terrible with newborns; as if she's unaware of what to do with them. I've never seen a mother cat with such disinterest in her offspring. :/

[equattraction]

The black cat that I hadn't seen for a long time was here yesterday looking for mice. He meowed at me once, but was not in the least bit interested in being scratched. I was happy to see that he survived the winter.