Albert, Cookie, and Tiggy. My babies!
Tag: cats
Albert, Cookie, and Tiggy (almost)
I ALMOST managed to get a shot with my 3 kitties in the same frame. Couldn’t get Tiggy to cooperate. He came over by the kittens and me for about 3 seconds. I just couldn’t get the camera turned on fast enough. He is showing signs of getting used to the kittens. One of these days he WILL make friends with them.
Tiggy and the new kittens
Tiggy and Cookie
Albert and Tiggy
Tiggy is not impressed
So Tiggy has not been happy about the new kittens. He is not aggressive towards them, not even a little bit. But he does not like them being around. He has not been in the barn much the past few days. But when the weather is nice he usually doesn’t any way. I’ve just been worried that he will be jealous of the kittens. I have been trying to make a big fuss over him whenever I see him. And if the kittens are around I try to include him in the luvin’. Tonight I had him sniff Albert, then Cookie, then put them back on the floor and focused my attention on him again. You can see the look he gave me. Hopefully he will get used to them in time.
Albert
My friend Pam saw my post about Cookie yesterday. She had a stray kitten that had been hanging out at her house. She is allergic to cats and wanted to know if I would take him. So I did.
He is much bigger than Cookie, several weeks older. Still, I think he will be good company for her. I put him in the kennel when I got him home. It was my intention to leave him in the kennel for today until he became accustomed to being here, then let him out to play when I let Cookie out tomorrow. Well, he ate Cookie’s leftover food and then took approximately 15 seconds to figure out how to escape the kennel. “Well aren’t you a real Einstein?”, I asked him. Hence the name Albert.
He kept heading outside and up the barn path. Pam lives just up the road from us and I was concerned he might try to go back to her house. I shut the bottom of the half-door. He then seemed content to hang out in the barn. There are several other less obvious ways out of the barn. Tiggy and the hens come and go as they please. He will find those ways eventually. For now I just want him to get used to the idea that the barn is now his home.
For the most part he gets along well with Cookie. He did not really play with her, as if he thinks he is too old for such nonsense. He did butt heads with her and follow her lead as to knowing when to beg for food or attention. He does not mind her laying next to him. However, when she tries to nuzzle up against his belly he growls and swats at her. I think she is looking to nurse. Albert wants none of that.
I introduced him to Tiggy. As with Cookie, Tiggy showed no signs of aggression towards the kitten. Mild curiosity then ran away when Albert tried to engage him. I feel confident that I can trust Tiggy to not hurt the kittens. Sissy stopped by with Levi and June. Little Cookie’s back arched and her fur stood up. She hissed her tiny hiss at June and June respected her space after that. Albert just laid in his sunbeam. He didn’t even seem to care. Clearly he is accustomed to dogs.
When I finished chores tonight I put Cookie and Albert in the kennel and fed them. They ate together peacefully. Then Cookie curled up in her bed. And Albert calmly squeezed through a top opening of the kennel and was perched on a beam when I left the barn. Sigh. I hope he will still be in the barn tomorrow. We shall see.
Tiggy!
Oh, no! Tiggy found a new catnip patch. Totally zoned out!
Uh oh!
Casey has relapsed!
Casey and Tiggy
Casey, looking fierce!
Tiggy just wants some lovin’!
Keenday Photo Session
Levi and I had planned on a Keenday picnic for our lunch, then a trip to the village pool before chore time. The weather, however, had different ideas. The rain started just as we had our food ready to head to our planned picnic spot. (Naturally.) So, we decided to have our picnic on Sissy’s front porch. It actually turned out to be an enjoyable meal. Sissy’s porch is deep enough for us to have plenty of room to be comfortable and to stay completely dry. At the same time we had a full view of Sissy’s flower bed, her front yard, along with the birds, chipmunks, snails, etc. that were out and about during the storm. After eating I wanted to get some shots of the rain soaked flowers. It was perfect. My camera and I were dry under the porch, yet the flowers were right there on the other side of the drip-line. Levi had just gotten fresh batteries in his camera that morning, so he was snapping lots of photos of his own. June, Levi’s dog, and Thomas, one of his cats, were also enjoying the rain from the dryness of the porch. It was cozy, cool, comfortable, beautiful, relaxing. Not the day we had planned, but a good Keenday none the less.
Walk in the woods
Went for a walk in the woods with my nephew today. June, the dog, and two of his cats, Mr. Magoo and Thomas tagged along.
Happy Anniversary, Tiggy!
Post from 6/30/2016
My new buddy, Tiggy!
I’ve been wanting a barn cat for a while, to help keep a check on the rodent population. Over the past couple of years there have been a few transient cats who’ve stopped by the barn. They stay for a while, usually completely wild and unapprochable. If I see them more than twice I put food down for them in the haymow, hoping they will stick around. A couple got hit in the road. Some of them just move on. One was so sick I had Dad shoot it because it was suffering. Haven’t been able to touch any of them, except the sick one when it became too weak to run away.
But this guy has been hanging around for a couple of weeks. He has crouched and flinched away from any contact, although I did manage to pet him a little bit once or twice. He was nothing but skin and bones. Since I’ve been putting food down he has been gaining weight, strength, and confidence. Tonight when I took his supper up to the haymow I called to him and he answered me! He came to me of his own accord and eagerly leaned into my hand when I petted him. Looks like he has decided to be my friend. Such an awesome feeling to win the confidence of an animal! Now, if he will just stay away from the road…
These poor cats. People often “drop off” unwanted cats at farms. Happened all the time at the old farm when I was growing up. Most farmers don’t mind. But what about the poor cats? Being abandoned by their families. Thrown into a completely unfamiliar sutuation. Most are former housecats who have no skills to keep themselves safe outdoors, have never seen a farm animal. They are terrified of being outside, of sheep and cows, of the strange sounds and smells, of strange new people and activities. Most adapt after a while, but why put them through such trauma? Without exception they all show up cringing and flinching. What kind of “home” did they have before to be so terrified of humans? Some people have no business owning pets!
Here’s hoping Tiggy will come to enjoy his new life as much as I enjoy offering it to him!
Farmer Keen 