Noms

For Sweetnesday, here is a photo of Sweetie actually eating!

Nope, it's not a fancy, well-staged image, but the sight of it makes me happy.

Sweetie won't eat more than a few licks for days, then miraculously digs into both her wet food and the dry kibble again.

One never knows what she'll do next.

Thankfully, her weight is good, and the fretfulness of making sure she eats may be all in the mind of the food-giver.

She gets a dab of appetite stimulant once a day, rubbed into her ear.

So, let's take a look at Outside Cat Sweetie, from June 2012.

I was already in love with her back then, before she'll allow me to touch her.

Look at that face!

😻

Visitor

Am NOT thankful, to have a new cat wandering the yard in the bitter cold.

We pulled The Cat Hotel out from storage in the garage...

...added heaps of fresh straw, and set it on bricks.

Cat tracks!

And a pic through the window of our visitor!

 Thankful that we have a comfortable shelter, straw, and water bucket; the remains of Sweetie and Celestial Paddy O'Malley's outside life.

Should this fine kitty choose to hang around, we will put out food.

And if said kitty becomes a regular at the food bowl, then our humane trap will reappear, for no cat wanders our yard without TNR some day.

Let's Hop!

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Memories

It's Sweetnesday!

Memories of Outside Sweetie

Sweetie could glare!

Teefs!

❅Snowflaky❅

Shy Willie

We are thankful today as less snow fell than was predicted!

Here are two videos of Willie, the long-haired cat who visits us once in awhile.

'He's' named Willie, after a character in the "Outlander" series.

And a video of Celestial Paddy O'Malley (listen to him squeak!) made during a similar snowfall years ago.

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More 'Hood Cats

There are always cats to be found on my neighborhood walks!

Oops!
Cat paw prints in fresh sidewalk cement.

Guy and I nuzzle.
His caretaker put him in a wee coat.

Judging Window Cat.

Very unsociable runaway cat!

During the Thanksgiving holiday, a visitor had this great decal on their car.

We have visitors to our yard!

The cats are seen daily, drinking from the little pool of water that comes out the discharge tube from our basement sump-pump.

In this photo, both are in the neighbor's yard.

I've placed a water bucket on our deck, hoping to convince them to drink clean water.

They run away when I appear, so I have my work cut out to habituate them to my presence.

Challenge: accepted!

I sat on the deck...

The Hubby has removed The Cat Hotel, The Stairway to Heaven, and The Feeding Station.

I am thankful that he did this while I was unaware; I would have cried.

He's tucked it all away, ready to be used again should a new stray cat come to stay.

I sat on the deck, alone, and remembered.

Below are the first photos that I have of all of our backyard cats:

Hobo, in February 2009.

Sweetie at the top of the stairs, with her guardian Hobo, in Summer, 2009.

Sammy, April 2010.

The PO'M's photo was shown on PO'Monday's post this week.

Hobo was the trailblazer, and I am thankful for the day he wandered past our open back door.

Once we noticed his behavior, we set out food.

And so it began.

Yes, I am thankful, as these outdoor cats taught me how to love at a distance.

Then, when Paddy O'Malley showed up, we were bowled over by his friendliness!

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Roscoe!

Rollin' round Roscoe!

"Why are you taking photos when you could be petting me?"

I first met Roscoe in June, post here, but hadn't seen him since.  How lucky I felt when he ran to me yesterday, like we are old friends!

Please don't tell The PO'M, Sly, or Sneakers that I have a new boycatfriend!  Guess I like them a bit CHONKY!

This time, I remembered to keep my hands away from that BELLEH...it's a trap!

Truth!

***

More 'Hood Cats

See the little grey kitty?  He is very shy.
My guess is that he's a stray, but he's often
sitting on this person's front porch.
Trust me, I've got my eye on him!

This kitty came running up to me, and flopped onto
the sidewalk, so he could get more lovin'.
And then he followed me down the street!

"Oh, kitty...go back home!"

This sweet kitty has soft fur, and seemed
to enjoy having a fuss made over her.  She is owned.

Sly, my new boyfriend...

"Oops...No, Patty, you are still my main squeeze!"

Sly and Sneaker's human mom and I had a long talk the other day.  The next day, I was walking the 'hood again when it was already dark out.  I didn't see Sly outside so I stayed on the opposite side of the street.  Lo and behold, Sly meowed LOUDLY, and upon hearing my name being called, I swung around.  Sly came out from the bushes and flopped down for me to worship him.

And right then, his human mom drove up from grocery shopping, and she said, "It's you again!"  I told her that I'd been summoned, but now she probably thinks I'm some creepy neighborhood stalker or something!  But look, cats find ME...I'm not doing nuthin'!  Just keep my eyes open, and if I see a kitty, I make smoochy sounds and kneel down while offering a hand, and blink nice and slowly.  See...I am NOT a creepy cat stalker...nope.

Sad Kitty

Sad Patty O'Malley

As I jumped into my car this morning, I snapped a photo of Patty O'Malley, as he gave me a forlorn look while sitting in the garden next to the driveway. Yes, it stormed last night, and I have been cutting back on meal sizes...and Patty has been itching, itching, itching so much...but he looks so sad!  Now you know why I am on fire to coax him inside, even though he doesn't want to come in.  Patty, I love you so...please come inside and live with me!

My birthday present

Angel inspects

Yeah, yeah, it's my birthday but a really groovy gift that I received is for the 'o' cats!  It's a super sturdy wooden crate, that hubby and I are going to fix up with insulation, silvery mylar and/or duct wrap, and even a second floor!  Am thinking of summer and winter living quarters.  The thing is massive, and weights a ton, but that's perfect since I won't worry about blowing winds or downpours.  The cats will have a warm and sturdy sleeping place, plus they will enjoy jumping on top too.  I am grateful to Paws for the Cause Feral Cat Rescue for this terrific crate!  I'll post more as the construction proceeds.

For my big day, I used a vacation day from work and went shopping!  I also went to the salon, to get a hair cut and manicure.  The hubby and I ate out at a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Royal Oak, and I won't need any more food to the rest of the day because I stuffed myself!  Yummy to the tummy, and when we arrived back home, the inside cats and the 'o' cats wanted their dinners too.  Am thinking it's nap time around here now!