Archive through January 17, 2014

[cmcleod]

well David, I guess if I look hard with my troubling eyes, I can see the grayness to her white coat. She does have a fan club, for sure. How old is she? is she the momma to any of your indoor kids? It seems like you can get your kids to " pose" on a moments notice..BJ and Princess seems to be HAMS in front of the camera. I do love her pose here..yes, with the like what you are doing look.. lol
cath

 

[wshytle]

Well, I haven't seen ole Gary the stray for a couple of days now. Barney and Millie were giving him hell the other night through the storm door as he came to feast a bit. Heck he might have tried to get fresh with Graygirl and she sent him on his way. I have put food out every night after all are in but the light goes out on the porch and the door's locked at bedtime. I have quite a few possums that I've been running off so the food bowl comes back in. He can either figure the time when food is available or go without. I've seen him there a few times now so he knows.

I let Miss Lynda out with the guys at daybreak this morning and she stayed out several hours. It's funny how she comes back to the door and meows loudly for me to let her in. She's found out how to get on the roof of the house so there's a ladder there for when she recognizes she can't get down easily. I've had to get her from a half dozen trees now. The guys have really accepted her well and have helped her find the "good" spots around the yard. I just can't wait until she eats what they eat. Keeping them from her food and vice versa is a chore at times.

Barney leaves in the morning and is gone for a few hours now and I hope it's just a phase. I use to call and have even gone out looking but I figured out that when he sees a bird or a field rat he simply ignores me so I don't think he goes really far. He also heads north away from the road and into the woods.

I'll try and get some outdoor pics soon.

 

[cmcleod]

Wayne, its great to hear the kids are all settled in and getting along. I suppose Gary will come and go being a feral guy. Maybe Lynda will get wise as she watched you go up and down the ladder and in time use it herself? lol..like Davids Pricess does. That would be nice, ey?

thanks for sharing on the kids ..

cath

 

[wshytle]

Cathleen-

Lynda doesn't actually use the ladder. By the time I get up the ladder she's either scared a little or bored. Anyway, she comes over to me and I just grab her. She immediately turns into all-claws until I get her to the ground. Those back feet can be just as mean as the fronts.

Today I cut down a small maple tree and made the guys a ramp so they can go up and down on a front shed I have. They get up there anyway and will jump down but it's a good drop (would kill me) so again I get the ladder and they come right to me. I guess I'll eventually have ramps or steps everywhere.

I still haven't seen Gary now for 4 days or so. I guess he's ok but I would like to know for sure. He may be traveling on because there are so many possums here. I still put the food out at night after Graygirl comes in and I'm still running off the competition for the food. He's not sterilized and there are probably cats in heat near by so...

 

[wshytle]

Today is recycle day and the facility is only 1/2 mile away. About 50 yards from my drive I noticed some buzzards interested in one spot. I went on and finished my chore and on the way back they were still there. I decided to park in my drive and walk down there thinking it might be Gary the stray and sure enough it was. I brought him to the house and just finished burying him down at the graveyard. He hadn't been dead but a day or so and it looked like he did no suffering. He was all there too. I left him out in the yard for the guys to see and know he's gone and they did.

It's a shame. If he was Lyndas brother I guesstimated them to be born last June putting them in their seventh month. I guess he's better off in certain ways. I was sort of looking forward to getting him neutered and returned here to live out his days as a feral.

I imagine what killed him ultimately was a sex drive since he was showing so much interest in Lynda when she was in heat. My driveway is 1/4 mile long and he had food here every day so why else would he be traveling.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Wayne, sad to hear about Gary the stray.

 

[cmcleod]

oh gosh WAYNE, I am so sorry to hear about Gary.


Cath

 

[mfrade]

So sorry to learn of this Wayne. Someone wiser than me once explained it as the "circle of life" and we are all participants.. But it doesn't make it any easier!

 

[cmcleod]

Wayne, well it sounds like the furkids are keeping you busy with bulding ramps, etc for them. That is just to funny and to think you were a DOG person..seems the kitties have stolen your heart.. Your'e a good daddy. ((smiles))


It was good of you to let the kids see Gary upon passing. They too understand that cirle of life, and mourn just like we do.

When Marlin told me about Garys passing, the first thing that came to mind was that he was poisoned. Odd, I know, but it was so strong in my thoughts. He looked to healthy to die of natural causes and I dont think tomming around would do him in? am kind of feeling like Gary was poisened. That is what immediately came to mind

The bad thing about kitties that are outside, stats say they die 3-5 years earlier then house kitties. I suppose to do being on the roam and coming into contact with preditors, or other factors. Its been like 5 years now since Fancy was shot in his own yard, no less, and to this day he is still very leary of any car that goes by our drive slowly. poor guy. He loved being out in the yard just being Fanc, but that shooting put him in the house and with winter now, he will has SAD

well continue to take good care of your kids. We know you do.!! Mr. CAT MAN..!!

cath

 

[wshytle]

I don't think Gary was poisoned. His body had the signs he tried to cross the road at the wrong time. He was down in a watery ditch out of sight except to the buzzards. I hated taking the buzzards food source away but after seeing it was Gary I felt the least I could do for the lad was give him a burial. The buzzards were just doing their job.

It was a sad time but not at all like losing one of the guys here. I knew Gary about 3 weeks and he was a feral for sure. I wrapped his body and laid him on some pine straw I put on the bottom of his grave and covered him up. The whole thing took about an hour once I got everything together.

It doesn't matter now but had I trapped him as soon as I discovered him I'm sure things would have turned out different. North of my house there's about 2 miles of woods before a major road. He just went in the wrong direction.

Sh%t happens!

 

[sshaff]

Wayne, I'm very sorry to hear about Gary. Thanks for all you do to improve the quality of life for our feline friends!

 

[wshytle]

On a happier note, here's a cat meaning business. Lynda is stalking a dove moving about four feet in ten minutes or so in 17*-18* temps here in sunny, central NC. The dove simply took flight and there were ten minutes she'll never get back.

She's in my lap right now along with a laptop.

Do cats eventually stop purring loudly?

 

[wshytle]

BTW, Thanks for all of the kind words for ole Gary. I'm sorry for his loss too but he was destined for a potentially hard life as a feral. I really don't need any more cats either.

I don't think there were any real close feelings for him here at this point...he was very much a stray. Who knows, he might have eventually had one of the guys follow him into harms way. Right now only Graygirl and Barney go down the driveway to hunt and I feel sure they don't go over half way where a barn use to be. I also believe the noise from the passing cars keeps them from going any further.

I have forgotten to mention that the other night a big cat showed up with markings similar to Gary but overall much darker. He got about a mouthful of food before Barney showed him what a yellow Halloween cat looks like through a glass door.

Haven't seen him since but I'm sure he'll show up eventually.

 

[mfrade]

Wayne writes, " Do cats eventually stop purring loudly?"


Nope, and I hope it never does!

 

[mhomrighausen]

Wayne, always enjoy your posts about the kids.

Purring Kitties only purr for the benefit of we humans. They dont purr for one another. Intresting huh? I read that somewhere.


Cath

 

[dschwandt]

Wayne, Tough about Gary,that sucks! But at least Ya didn't have big buck$ invested in vet bills for him yet.

We went through that last month w/one of my sons cats, got hit by a car.

 

[wshytle]

Lynda likes to get in my lap whether the laptop is there or not. She always starts "making biscuits" then the purring starts. She is so loud and I feel like I'm being vibrated out of my chair. I can usually slow or stop the biscuit making because I don't like ten hypodermic needles messaging my thigh or gut.

There all outside now and have been for most of the morning. They seem to like the extreme cold.
They do come in and out like children and Lynda will take naps in a heartbeat.

In the first pic she's in my lap making things difficult. In the second she found my heavy winter coat in the chair by the door.

She really has it rough.

.

 

[mfrade]

You call it "making biscuits" we call it the "paw paw dance" or "batter mixing".. LOL.. and isn't it funny how they can twist their head into crazy angles and sleep like that!?!?

Meoa Meow sticks his face in between the couch cushions and he ends up snoring! When he gets to loud I shove him onto his side, then he ends up staring at me with such a look! I can only imagine the thoughts he'd like to say!! HAH!!

 

[fcurrier]

Marlin: It must be true!

 

[cmcleod]

Wayne, that was a cute pic of Lynda stalking the dove.!!

the making biscuits come from their early years and working on momma's belly for milk, and it seems they continue that trend when they come into contact with something soft and cushy.

Well, Mike, it was ME who was right about the purring for humans. i didnt realize I was signed onto marlins acct.!! no big deal. ''Purring lowers our blood presssure, relaxes us, and allows us to hear how much our kitties love us..they are verbal with their purring.

Mike, Fancy loves to bury his face too, but its usually into my face, chin area or his daddys. He loves to sleep with his head butted into my face. I guess that is caled togetherness. He loves to be close..as close as he can get. lol

I had to laugh with your talking about meow meow Mike. I wsa envisioning the looks he gives you when you wake him up when he's snoring..how rude is that. lol..

Cath