Winter Has Arrived

Some interesting developments in Kittyland since the cold weather has come. Obviously not the bitter freezing cold of places north, still for a kitty used to nightly lows in the mid to high 60s those low 40s and mid to high 30s nights are quite uncomfortable.

I have allowed Hairy to spend the night a couple of times lately and while she's so far been a perfect house guest, sleeping all curled up on my jeans or else all stretched out on a couch with that long belly hair standing almost straight up while on top of some old Tee Shirts I put there for her to lay on, sometimes when I get up in the middle of the night she will be ready to go back outside.

I should also note that when I go to the kitchen for a drink she doesn't budge. But when I make myself a snack here she comes for her one too. How she always seems to know I'm getting food and not a drink I don't know. Fortunately I have some cheap kitty treats (Pounce) and also her and Blackie just love cheese. So far Munster and Provolone to be exact. Brownie could care less about cheese unless it's in the 9 Lives Tuna & Cheese can. Go figure!

Meanwhile Blackie mostly takes his sleep either right on the front porch or just beyond it. That said, 2 nights ago he decided to try out Brownie's litter box with the Yesterday's News brand litter that nobody here in Kittyland seems to care to use for anything other than bedding.

So Blackie was laying in Brownie's "bed," if you will, and here walked Brownie from the back yard. Blackie jumped up and headed for the porch, thinking Brownie would be upset. Nope. In fact later, when Brownie didn't come to bed Blackie went back to the box and then later Brownie came and laid in the box too, fitting as best he could. You see Brownie is a bit large and will take up the whole size of the box all on his own.

Now last night Blackie decided to sleep in a cloth & padded yellow chair in the carport. This is of interest to me because when the kitties first started hanging around that's where either 2 or all 3 of them used to sleep, no doubt huddling together for body warmth. In the time since they almost never sit in that chair at all. Personally were I a cat that would probably be my spot to sleep because with it's design is is fairly protected from 3 sides, plus the carport protects from the wind in at least 2 directions. But to each their own, I guess. As a reminder when she's sleeping outside Hairy likes to sleep on a brown plastic padded chair that's open all around. But she used to like the yellow chair and was the last to abandon it.

Also worth mentioning Brownie seems to be trying to get into the utility room every time I'm by the back door. He almost never tries to get in by the front door. And of course Hairy tries to get in any way she can, any time she can. In fact yesterday afternoon I saw Hairy on the security cams sitting on the back door step. So I went to the window, which sits close to the ground, to waive high. That night I head this cat meowing and scratching by that window. It was Hairy begging me to open the door and let her in, which I did.

Then later in the night I opened the front door thinking Hairy wanted out. Again, since I have yet to find a cat litter they would actually use to relieve themselves I have to let her out to use the bathroom the old fashioned way. But then Blackie seeing the open door thought he'd come in and check things out for himself. He made a slow walk around all the living room, hall, and kitchen and then as I opened the front door walked out on his own with no hesitation. I don't think Blackie would ever adapt to full time indoor life, but it's nice to see that he has some manors at least and I am now more inclined to letting him sleep in the utility room in a pinch during especially bad weather.

Looks like I am coming full circle. I was never too much in favor of having cats in the house. When I was growing up mom used to have 1 or 2 cats at a time and would never let them outside for fear that they'd run off and get lost, injured, or bring back rabies or something despite having been vaccinated. Today I care for 3 cats which stay outside, aside from Hairy's visits, which just wandered my way one at a time and became their own family of sorts and seldom stray too far from home. And after all the grief mom's cats sometimes caused here I am thinking about letting these guys share my house. Well life just works out that way sometimes. LOL