My Feral Friend Hobo

Hobo, last weekend

Took a walk down the street to see if my old friend Hobo was out and about, and was delighted to see his furry face again!  I did not bring any food (Note to self: ALWAYS stuff some kibble in your pocket if you are out visiting cat friends!), so after regarding me for a moment, he turned back to the door of the home where he's currently residing in the yard.

I so wish I could sweep him into my arms and muwa, muwa, muwa on that boy, but he's never allowed any touching.  Since he's 'living' with someone else, I guess I just have to visit from the other side of the fence, and send warm, loving thoughts as the temps begin to drop.

Hobo, when I was his mama

Hobo was responsible for bringing Sweetie to our door.  Now, since 2009, Sweetie is a full-time resident, while Hobo wandered down the alley to someone else.  Probably he gave up his territory to Patty O'Malley, who'd just appeared as a young unneutered male in 2013.  Hobo stopped visiting us before I was able to TNR Patty.  Not that neutering Patty has changed him much; he's got an abscess from a bite wound on his back that appeared over the weekend.  You know I'm watching him like a hawk!

As much as I love my Patty O'Malley, Hobo will always reign in my heart, and I hope to stay in touch with him, even if it means being a weird stalker cat lady to the guy who feeds him now.  

Cookie

Not only does the camera love Angel, but everyone who meets her does too!  Her nickname these days is 'Cookie', because she's so sweet.

Wet and Rainy

The 'O' Cats's Frozen Waterbowl

Chucky's under there!

Visited with family on Thanksgiving Thursday, and stayed away from the crowds on Friday.  The photos below are from my neighborhood walk, when it was misty and chilly.  But the colors of everything seemed so alive!

As much as I prefer Spring, Summer and Autumn, there is no denying that cold and dreary can bring out beauty too!  And the tree dogs were barking and carrying on, and they made me laugh and laugh; such big woofies, trying to show me that they were toughguys.  They are too adorable!

The Hubby Says...

The Hubby tells me that I am a negative person, always seeing the downside of things.  When I told him that Aries was rehomed, he told me that I should be happy instead of worried that the cat may not be in the perfect place.  Whaaaayall...maybe The Hubby has a point, but he's not exactly Mr. Sunshine either!  Who told me that I'd never get Patty O'Malley and Sweetie up The Stairway to Heaven?  Huh...who was that, dear?  I had Patty in the door last night; he made a couple of turns around then out he went again.  That's farther than he's been before!

Okay, I acknowledge my control-freak nature, and I may not be very trusting sometimes.  The world is a weird place!  I am grateful for my family, my job, and my friends.  I am grateful for the blog community that I've come to know and love.  I am grateful for libraries, books, and newspapers, not to mention THE INTERNET.

I am truly thankful for the cats in my life; those who are here, and the ones that have left for new homes or for The Rainbow Bridge.  Each one has left pawprints in my heart.

Sir Chucks-a-lot

Sweet Angel

Pattus O'Mallus

Sweetie, Yard Munchkin

Hobo, the feral who lives down the street

And to Sammy, George, Honey and Sneakers...and the neighborhood cats and dogs that I regularly see, pet, and talk to.  Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Two Again

These are the last photos taken of Aries, the neighbor's cat who lived with us all summer long.  See me smooching and hugging on him? About a month ago, Aries disappeared.  When I caught up with my neighbor last Sunday afternoon, she told me that both Aries and their other cat Persephone were now living, "...where they won't be living outside anymore."  She had rehomed them.

So a fond Farewell to Aries, with whom I spent a lot of time.  Since 2009, he was a staple in our backyard; only a resident this year.  I wish him and Persephone the very best, and hope that their new caretakers bring them to the veterinarian regularly, feed them the best they can, and love them both as much as I have.  Bon Voyage!

Sweetie and Patty O'Malley prefer playing duet, and it's easier to carry two food bowls rather than three.  However, both The Hubby and I tend to keep looking around for Aries, even though we know we won't see him.  Habits like that take time to change.

Who Is It?

Looks like some kitty has decided to hide,
between the sweaters on the chair...

...but that kitty did NOT pull their tail in!
Around here, both cats have black tails,
so who is it....?

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It's Angel!
Stay nice and toasty curled up under
the sweaters, Angel...it's freezing cold outside.

Magoo Sends A Present

Pretty!

I received a package from my darling sister, with whom I'd visited recently. Magoo, the cat that loves my BIL but also loves ME, sent me a lovely pair of cat earrings!  I know my sister addressed the package, but Magoo and I KNOW we have a 'thing'.

My handsome!

Until we meet again, darling Magoo! 😻😻😻

Thank you for the lovely earrings!

Black Cat Comparison

Sweetie

Chucky

Chucky is a long cat.  Sweetie is much more compact.

Digging through my photo collection, I found these two images: both cats on the same set of steps in the backyard.  The steps are about 36" long, and you can see that Chuck (with his talio) is easily that long.  Sweetie looks like a kitten compared to him!  She, however, is fluffier in her winter coat.

We are lucky to have two beautiful black kitties in our lives!

Phew Wednesday!

Cleaned, sanitized, and ready for the next round

Chuck, the housepanther, guarding the food supply

Angel cannot BELIEVE that I'm posting about this!

My first household chore each and every morning, is scooping out the litter boxes.  We have four boxes, and I figure the routine of my scooping is good for Angel and Chuck, and for me too.  I don't forget!

Let's just say, that sometimes this process is aromatic.  And, often my scooping chore is followed immediately with my feeding-the-cats-their-breakfast chore.  And...um...the smell is kinda the same.  Oh, I know that's kinda gross, but it's just the truth.  After all, the stuff in the cans is what is deposited in the litter boxes (or should be, Chucky!) Not many folks would understand.  As much as I love and enjoy the cats, not everything smells like roses, if you know what I mean.

Ridgeback

Can you tell that I've been stroking my hand down Sweetie's back?  I took these photos to show; 1) that Sweetie gets as much lovin' from me as Patty O'Malley does, only he'll hold still for photos while I have to sneak up on her, and 2) Sweetie has speckles of white in her black fur.

I tricked Sweetie for this photo,  
by using the selfie function.

Leaf Me Alone!

The backyard before...

...and after!

There are 15 total of these leaf bags,
and they are HEAVY!
Pick up is Tuesday morning

Patty O'Malley was not afraid of The Hubby's
lawn mower. My job was stuffing the leaf bags
after The Hubby emptied the mower's hopper

Oh yeah, Patty and me!
In the sunshine and being goofy

'Tocktober

Chucky

Patty O'Malley

Okay, I know it's November, but we all need a bit of silly after the last few days, am I right?

"The tree I had in the garden as a child, my beech tree, 

I used to climb up there and spend hours. 

I took my homework up there, my books, I went up there

if I was sad, and it just felt very good to be up

there among the green leaves and the birds and the sky." 

Jane Goodall

Many of us are looking for our own beech trees right now, Jane!

For more about Jane Goodall, please visit Athena Cat Goddess today, to read her post about Jane Goodall and Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick.

Lesson: The Fur Pull

How to explain the Fur Pull?  It sounds harsh, yet it's not.  Humans and kitties love it!  It starts as a petting process, then the human pulls at the kitties fur a wee little bit.  Sometimes there is a back-and-forth movement between the two hands, which makes the kitty wiggle a bit.  I can assure you, both the kitty and the human end up purring together, in a symphony of yumminess.  

Here are action photos, as The Hubby practices a lying down Fur Pull on Angel:

I personally prefer the two-sided Fur Pull, when I place my hands on each side of a standing cat, and grab ahold of fur on either side of the cat's back. When I push-pull with both hands, the kitty's purrs start going up in volume, and the smile on my face gets bigger!  Sometimes the cat's head is toward me; other times it's away.

The Fur Pull is a big hit around our house, with both the inside and The 'O' Cats.  I practiced it on Magoo while visiting him a few weeks ago.  Try it!