And now it's 32 degrees...grrr!

Yesterday, Chucky greeted me with meows when I came home from visiting family.  The weekend was lovely; nice temperatures, and a chance to leave one's coat in the closet.

Today, however...whole 'nuther story.  Metro Detroit had snowfall, and now it's official: coldest winter on record AND the snowiest!  They should hand out medals to those of us who stayed in town from November to April!  My biggest concern all of this time has been my friendly ferals.  The top photo is the drop trap, taken this morning.  The trap is still snow covered this evening.  Sammy would not come out of his shelter for breakfast today; he too has had enough!  Looks like this cold will start easing away again tomorrow, then I'll get right back on my Trap Sammy Project.

It's 75 degrees!

Chuck in his cup bed

Where's Angel?

Where's Patty O?

Construction Continues

Just a quick note, so I can go back outside and ENJOY!  Hubby was sawing and nailing today on the 'o' cats crate, so Angel and Chuck missed their early beauty sleep, and now are napping in their favorite beds: Chuck in the bay window, and Angel in the front picture window, where she's curled up and almost invisible.  Patty O'Malley is sleeping in the neighbor's garden, nicely camouflaged in the dry leaves.  There is a cold front moving in later today, which will bring all kinds of wind and nastiness, but I am going out there to enjoy the warmth for now.

My head cold is better, yet I have a tickle in my throat that makes me cough.  I am drowning that with soothing herb teas.  Thanks for the 'get better soon' wishes!

I continue to open and close the drop trap on the deck each day, as an exercise in accustoming Sammy, Mama Mia and Patty to it so that they start ignoring it.  So far, Sammy simply bolts when I touch it, so we've got a ways to go with him.  He's a smarty cat!  But if he's so stubborn, then I'm stubborn too!  He seems livelier, and allowed me to brush his fur yesterday.  That's fine and dandy, but does not shake my determination to get him to the veterinarian.  Just going to take patience and perseverance.

And Now It's Missing

No Snaggletooth!

Broken Bowl

Yesterday, Sammy's snaggletooth disappeared.  He probably dislodged it, and I must say he's acting quite chipper today.  He appears to be eating more, and we see him licking his paws.  Hubby thinks that maybe we should leave him alone now, and shelve the quest to trap him for a vet visit.  I am of two-minds: of course, I do not want to upset these outside cats at all, but he did have a tooth sticking out of his mouth!  Something is not 100% in there, right?  So, while I think about this, I am going to keep the drop trap out, just to try to desensitize the cats to it.

And wouldn't you know?  The wind pushed the trap 'shut' and broke one of my bowls this afternoon!  Rats!  Although the trap is not very heavy in itself, when it falls down...ie closes...it can really pack a wallop.  Which is why it's so big; no one wants a kitty tail to get pinched.  The food bowl goes 'way in, so the entire cat body and tail are inside.  We are expecting more wind and maybe some rain tonight, so I closed the trap for the night.  Perhaps if I keep opening and closing it, for days, they may start to ignore it as a normal part of their territory now.  

Have had a touch of a sinus cold these last few days, which has caused some sleeplessness.  Hard to keep one's eye on the ball when it feels like cotton wool is stuffed in your head!  I try to let the cats tell me what they need, but that toof put a scare into me, and I don't want Sammy to be suffering.  And yet nothing is happening fast, that's for sure.  Guess I'll just see how this plays out.