Ferals …

We have a small feral cat colony around here – as far as I can tell, no more than about 5 cats. One old timer which I rarely see, 2 newcomers who may belong to someone who lets them out to roam the neighborhood (I don’t see them all the time and they look better-fed than the others). That leaves Kit and Cassie – the resident tomcat and a spayed (TNR’d after having a litter of kittens under my neighbor’s deck 2 years ago!) tabby female. I’ve been feeding both of them for several months and am slowly earning their trust. Right now, both are at the point where if they see me outside they come to check out the dish. And I can now put food down a few feet from them without them running away – the closest I’ve ever gotten to Kit is about 4 feet, Cassie is a little more tolerant, I’ve gotten to within 2 feet of her. She rarely stops by in the daytime so I have no pictures of her yet.

Kit the Cat

This is Kit – isn’t he handsome? I’m certain he’s some relative to my ‘Bika (as is Cassie, who looks exactly like her) because he has the same face and eyes as her mother (from the same feral colony). I’m convinced that in a past life he was a spoiled housecat, because whenever it rains I usually find him up on my covered porch, fast asleep on a patio chair cushion :). Poor guy doesn’t like getting his fur wet!

I’m back …

This has been one h*ll of a year and it isn’t even October yet!

Since this time last year I’ve had a bad shoulder injury, broken my toe and worst of all, said an unexpected goodbye to Sally – my dear friend and companion of almost 15 years. Seen below (center) in the last picture I have of her with Jayda (left) and Bryce (right) on Jayda’s birthday at the end of April.

Jayda, Sally and Bryce

So now Bryce and Jayda are learning how to be just “Bryce and Jayda”. They’re having a lot of fun together but it’s really strange – for the first time in over 15 years I’m in charge around here! Not that I wasn’t before, but there was always a layer of “middle management” taking care of everyday doggy decisions like “Should we bark at that neighbor” or “Should we play or take a nap now” or “Is the trash collector allowed to steal our stuff”? Neither of these two seems in any hurry to take control of those situations so they’ve been following me around CONSTANTLY and Bryce especially still seems a little “lost”. My money is on Jayda to emerge as the eventual leader – the cats seem to have already voted her into that role with ‘Bika now throwing herself against Jayda’s ankles in greeting the same way she used to greet Sally.

Jayda, Bryce and Ducky

(Jayda, Bryce … and Bryce’s “Yucky Duck”. When you see Bryce, you can be sure his beloved ducky is never far away!)

Jayda Bryce and the Yucky Duck


So slowly but surely we’re picking up the pieces – here’s hoping things get better from here!