Well, It Happened Again

Cats Arrive Just In Time For Fall

The sweet little mommycat who I semi-rescued years ago disappeared the week before my surgery. She was one of the longest surviving outdoor kitties I ever had here. I am not sure how old she was, but she did have a litter of kittens in my carport soon after she arrived. Luckily, I was able to get a cat rescue group to take them and all of them were adopted to good homes. Mommy traveled back and forth from my house to my neighbors for a good long while. When my neighbor passed away earlier this year, she came back to stay with me. Ever since I took her to get spayed, she would not let me touch her, but she certainly "talked" to me and kept me company out in the barn.

With her gone, the world outside was a little more lonely.  But, I was pretty sure sooner or later another stray would show up.

Well, it happened in multiples. Once again, apparently some rude, irresponsible person decided my little horse farm was the perfect place to dump some unwanted pets.

My horse sitter, Debbie, reported seeing a cat a few days ago. She thought it was Mommycat, whom she had never seen. But this cat was light gray, perhaps with some tan. That night, when I went out to do late night feed, there was a sleek light gray tabby cat in the barn. It ran off as soon as it saw me, but I was pretty sure I was the cat Debbie had seen. I put cat food out in the cat feeding station and in another dish closer to the house. Somebody cleaned it all up, but it might as well have been the raccoon or opossum, but I am hoping it was the cat.

I saw the gray cat in the barn the next night, again skittering off when I came in. OK, one new cat. I can handle that.

Then, last night, at late feed, I turned on the barn light and saw a little dark kitten at the end of the aisle. It ducked under cover and disappeared. So, now there were two.

Tonight when I came home from an errand, I saw the little dark kitten near the food dish. It bolted for the barn when I drove up the driveway. Lo and behold, there was a little light gray shadow still at the food dish. As soon as it saw me, that kitten raced off to the cover of the barn as well. Now I am up to three.

Just before dark--I put more food out in the meantime--I saw kittens playing on the fence by the corner of the barn. They were a bit too small to make out clearly, and it was dusk by then, so I really couldn't see, but I am hoping it was still only two, but I can't quite be sure.  *sigh*

Now begins the hours of patience it will take to try to tame the little critters so I can get them neutered and decide what to do.

The selfish lowlife who tossed these little guys out probably figured, "Oh, there's a farm. They always need cats. And the cats will have plenty to eat with all the mice. I want to get rid of them, so here's the perfect spot."

Trouble, is, like most the horse owners I know around here, I am one of those responsible animal lovers who cares about animals of all shapes and sizes. That means I need to spend money, time and effort trying to see that these little ones are taken care of. That means food, shelter, and vet care.

Hey, you lousy excuse for a person who abandoned them here...may your car have two flat tires on a cold, rainy night and may you have to change them yourself and walk a dozen miles to a gas station for help because you have no cell service and only one spare. I hope you are wet, cold, hungry and miserable by the time you get the car fixed and my it cost you a ton extra because it's on a weekend.

Or, better yet, perhaps, somewhere in your life may you gain the wisdom and compassion you so sorely lack.