Time To Change The Straw

While The Hubby was cutting up the fallen Maple branch in the backyard the weekend, I decided it was a great time to replace the straw in The Cat Hotel and Mama's Place.  I swept everything out, made repairs where needed, added the warming pad to the bottom floor of The Cat Hotel, and tidied everything up again.  I also sprinkle a small amount of diatomaceous earth in the corners, to eliminate any insects that want to set up house too.

I do this twice a year, spring and fall.  In past years, I've worried myself sick, thinking the 'O' Cats might run away or refuse to use the shelters because I've messed with them, but so far, they've come right back.  You see, when Mama's House was built in 2009, no cat used it for years!  It wasn't until I was volunteering at a TNR class, when it finally dawned on me that straw was the reason; The Hubby had talked me out of putting straw in!  That day, I filled Mama's House with straw, and BOOM...cats inside that night. That'll teach me...

Mama's House, with fresh straw.
Notice the insulation sandwiched on all four walls.

Originally built in 2009, Mama's House was designed from
Alley Cat Allies instructions.  

Last year, one corner of Mama's House roof was broken;
Looks like a feral cat ear tip!

The Cat Hotel, with the second floor pulled out.
We originally designed this for three friendly ferals, but after
Sammy's passing, we cut a piece of insulation board to cover the
extra second floor entrance and removed the divider.
Usually, Patty takes the second floor,
while Sweetie uses the first, which is where the warming pad is.

Warming pad, with protective leg-o-jeans covering.
Always remember to make sure it's working BEFORE
filling The Cat Hotel with straw...just sayin'

Scratching and scratching

Patty, at rest between scratching his ears with his hind foot

See how he's worn off the fur on his ears?

Can you see the white stuff in Sweetie's fur?

Diatomaceous earth on Patty's back

Patty's been scratching at his ears.  I have dosed him with Revolution, but he was still scratching hard.  I do NOT find any fleas on him, but the veterinarian who checked him over earlier this year said he probably has an allergy to flea bites.  As a good measure, I rubbed a very small portion of diatomaceous earth into his fur, and even managed to get some on Sweetie too, before she could dance away.

Diatomaceous earth looks like flour, but it has remarkable drying abilities. Bugs that come in contact with it will dry up and die.  I've put it in their food, and sprinkle very small amounts in the corners of The Cat Hotel.  I do NOT want them (or me!) breathing the stuff in, so I rub it into their fur so there would be no dust.  Now Sweetie has big 'ol white handprints on her black furs, and Patty's bright golds and browns are a bit grey.  We had just had a rain shower, and both of them were damp from running through the wet grass when I came out to visit with them.  Seemed a good time to powder them!

If you are considering the use of human food grade diatomaceous earth, please read up on it first!  Yes, many holistic websites will extol the wonders of it's effectiveness, but it's dangerous because of it's drying abilities, so inhaling it or rubbing it into eyes, nose, etc. is a HAZARD! The small bag that I purchased of the stuff has lasted me for years, because we use only tiny amounts.

Now, it's rained here for 1-1/2 days, so I'll bet both Sweetie and Patty have managed to wash themselves free of the stuff.  And it's cold!  Such crazy weather around here...

Cat Eats

Chuck and Angel, on the pool table

For Chuck and Angel:

Breakfast between 6:30 am and 7:00 am:

A spoonful of organic canned pumpkin

A 1/4 teaspoon of stool softener

A splash of flax seed oil

Careful measure of cat enzymes

Almost a full can of limited ingredient venison and green pea food

Enough filtered water to make it a bit soupy

Divided equally into two bowls

Always put Chucky's bowl down first 

A taste of the 'o' cats food called The Tax (Chuck stops eating until I do this)

Lunch between 12:30 pm and 1 pm: 

1/2 can of limited ingredient duck and green pea food

Divided into two bowls

They always beg for more; most of the time, I give it too 'em

Dinner between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm (depending on who's still napping and when I get home from work)

Repeat breakfast ritual

Sweetie and Patty O'

For The 'O' Cats:

Breakfast, after Angel and Chuck are served

A big scoop of Brewer's Yeast

Careful measure of L-Lysine crystals

Splash of flax seed oil

Almost a full can of (no fish!), or homemade cooked ground turkey (and sometimes I mix up all the canned leftovers)

A sprinkle of diatomaceous earth to combat fleas and worms

Enough filtered water to make it all mixable

Divided into two bowls, 5/8ths for Patty, 3/8ths for Sweetie (and a spoonful for Chuck)

A garnish of kibble (hidden from Chuck and Angel)

Lunch, after Chuck and Angel:

Leftovers

Dinner:

Repeat breakfast, after Chuck and Angel

Night snack before 9 pm:

A small serving of kibble

Sweetie eats off the deck, while Patty prefers to eat from a bowl

I have to guard the 'O' Cat's food from roaming neighbor Aries, who will run right up and push them off their bowls, and hiss while he's doing it!  I carry a kibble bribe, and feed him his 'treat' in the yard, to draw him away.  If he isn't around for the meal, he'll show up later and lick out their bowls.  No matter what I and the hubby do to get him to scram, he comes back or hides behind a tree until we are gone.  However, he gives great pets and purrs, so we just deal with him.

In the very cold part of the winter, the night snack is eliminated, because the cats won't show up.  Also in the winter, the canned food freezes too quickly, so I just give them kibble.  If the food freezes, Patty will keep licking until he pushes the bowl off the deck.  When Sammy was alive, I stopped feeding kibble entirely, because he could no longer chew it, and I had to heat the canned food to counter the cold.  Today, we emptied the bag of kibble that was purchased this spring, but it's lasted so long because of Sammy.  We bought a new bag this morning, and I had a moment of sad in memory of Sammy.  I went to watch the kittens in the adoption center to counter the sad, until the hubby discovered my location and dragged me away.  He then escorted me to the hardware store, where we purchased more duct insulation to complete the Cat Hotel's ceiling/roof, before it gets really cold.

I feed Angel and Chuck only new food; any leftovers go outside.  We segregate the two sets of food bowls from each other, and from our human bowls too.  We use oblong Pyrex heating bowls for Angel and Chuck; they are ceramic and are low and wide.  The 'O' Cats get flattish old earthenware bowls found at resale shops.  Patty breaks a bowl by pushing them over the deck edge about twice a year.  I use old iced tea spoons to mix their food; the handle length helps me stir the concoctions evenly, and then dole it out proportionately.  Angel and Chuck get the same amount each meal, but I give Patty more because he eats his food so fast, and Sweetie can barely get a full meal before he's nosing in on her bowl...or Aries is mooching around.  Sweetie always backs off first.  

Sweetie at lunch today

Patty today, showing off his widebody in a sun puddle