SOTK Report Summer 2020

A State of the Kitties Report: Summer 2020

by Tanner 

Well, it's been a while since I posted, but I've been busy. I work outside during the day with  Jim-Bob. We patrol around the house and part of what used to be the pasture.  Eleven-tear-old Jim-Bob is the boss. Here he is in his field. 

At seven, I am the second-oldest male cat. Sometimes at night, I work in the garage on rodent watch. Jim-Bob and Arlo often help. Other times, I sleep in with the others. That's me at the right.

Orville, who is in the front center of the picture, had to have ear surgery in July and again in early October. He had a polyp in his ear that was kind of icky. The first time it was removed, he stayed mad at mommy for a while, but after the polyp grew back and he had to have it removed again, he forgave her pretty quickly.

Two very sad things have happened this summer. The first sad thing is that our border collie Maggie crossed the rainbow bridge in May. She used to stay in the garage, and Alfreda liked to sleep cuddled with her. Maggie was fourteen and a half and was having trouble walking. Then she had trouble standing up without help. One morning she gave mommy the look that said she was ready to go. The vet came to our house, and helped Maggie cross the bridge very peacefully. She is buried in the pasture beside Melody.

The vet who helped Maggie was the same one who fixed Chloe's femur after Chloe got hurt real bad in some kind of accident last year. Even though Chloe is all healed up and doesn't even limp, Mommy won't let her go out anymore.

The other sad thing was that Alfreda vanished without a trace one morning in early August. Mommy called and called, but Alfreda didn't come, and Alfreda always used to come when she was called. Mommy  looked and looked for days but never found a trace of her. We have coyotes and a hawk in the neighborhood, so we think the worst might have happened. Alfreda and I used to hunt together, and I miss her. I am still sad.

Chloe and I are pretty good friends now. I like to wash her, and sometimes she washes me.

Even though she is eleven years old, Chloe still plays like a little kitty. She likes to whip up on Grover when she gets a chance, and he is learning how to defend himself. Grover is at the left of this picture. Otis and Charlotte are behind him; Jim-Bob is beside him.

Those four kitties that Daddy brought home last year are grown up now. Rufus really grew. He is way bigger than his sister and brothers. Mommy was worried that he was too fat, but the vet said he was just portly. Rufus likes to sleep belly up. 

One thing the kitties like to do is watch for the raccoons who visit the front porch every night to see if the cats left anything. (Mommy puts out a buffet on a table there so the working cats can have snacks when they get hungry. I usually visit the buffet a few times during the day. But I leave a little something for the critters that come at night.)

 

 In the afternoon, I come in the house where I have my supper. Then I have to watch the kitties and make sure they don't get into any trouble.

In this picture, I am sitting on Mommy's desk while Charlotte, Otis, Claudine, Arlo, and Grover watch for the raccoon family. When they see the raccoons, some of them want a closer look.

It's hard to get a real good picture of the raccoons, but you get the idea. . . .

Last month, one of the cats (Not me!) jumped onto the mantle and knocked off Mommy's plant. I think Charlotte caused the trouble.

Speaking of trouble, a little shy kitty started hanging around here a few monthis ago. At first he would come to where Mommy feeds the outside cats (Twiggy, Spotz, and Skippy) and wait for them to finish eating so he could have the left-overs. Then he tamed down so Mommy could pet him. His name is Cedrick, and I don't much like him, but Skippy does. Skippy is a big cat who will attack big dogs and chase raccoons. Skippy used to live down the road, but a few years ago he decided he wanted to live here when he wasn't visiting lady cats. Mommy told him that if he wanted to sign on here, he needed to get a rabies shot and get neutered. One day he came back neutered. Since the end of his ear had been cut off, somebody must have thought he was a feral cat and took him to the place that neuters ferals and "tips" their ears, and gives them rabies shots.  He has now met the requirements to sign on here, so I guess we are stuck with him. This is Skippy.

   

 

 Skippy's fur is exactly like Otis and Charlotte's fur, so it is possible that he might be their daddy.

 

 

This is Cedrick. Have I mentioned that I don't much like him?

 

 

 

He tries to act cute so Mommy will like him. I am not fooled by his behavior, but  Mommy is.

 

 

So, Skippy is raising Cedrick as his kitty. If I chase Cedrick, Skippy comes after me and I don't much like that.

I guess that is about all for this report.

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