That mysterious pile of dirt by the front steps.... I've shoveled that dirt back into the hole at least half a dozen times now. An animal cannot be trapped inside the hole because the pile of dirt is always tossed up from in front of the hole, not pushed out from within. (A little Nancy Drew deduction there.) Whatever animal uses that hole as its hiding place is just as stubborn as I am..... I keep filling up the hole, he keeps digging the dirt out again.
The back porch buffet.... to date, the Meow Mix has been enjoyed by three raccoons, two foxes, our own Gatsby and Mickey, sort of our own Orange Kitty, a small beige cat with a brown tail, and one possum. I also saw an armadillo out in the yard but I don't think it would have been able to climb up the porch steps to get to the cat food. The barn swallows who have made their nests above the porch columns have also made use of the bowl of water that I keep out there for the cats. I've seen the birds perched on the rim of the water bowl, taking a sip now and again when the cats are sleeping. I think Gatsby watches the birds through sleepy eyes.... that cat usually doesn't expend energy chasing after something he's not likely to catch.
The little beige cat with the brown tail.... he's a feral cat who has been around here from time to time. As soon as he sees one of the other cats, or me, he takes off across the yard. Definitely doesn't want either feline or human company, and that's fine with me. Orange Kitty still meows his way up the porch steps, and is trying his best to make friends with Gatsby. In Gatsby's world, he's King of the Cat Kingdom here, and he howls his displeasure at every stray cat that comes along. Mickey, on the other hand, doesn't seem to mind other cats coming around.... he'll hiss and carry on the first time he sees a stray cat, but if that cat comes by again and again, then Mickey is more than willing to share the Meow Mix.
Orange Kitty has definitely forgiven us for the air horn my husband used to scare him from the porch. That orange/white cat is out by our back door before the sun comes up every morning, and he waits there patiently till either me or my husband puts out a bowl of Meow Mix. (We don't leave food out there at night anymore, to discourage the foxes, raccoons, and possums.) When I put the dish of cat food on the porch in the morning, Orange Kitty will sit there and wait to be petted before he starts eating, which is a huge improvement over his non-involvement with us. When he first started coming up on the porch, he made it clear that all he wanted was to be fed, not to be touched or even spoken to. (Which is when the air horn came out of the closet.) Since we stopped with the air horn noises, Orange Kitty has been trying to make friends with Gatsby, and has made it clear to us that he's comfortable here.
In my mind, we still have three cats.... Gatsby and Mickey outside, and Sweet Pea inside. Orange Kitty belongs to the pastures, and to the barn.... he just lets us feed him and pet his head every day, but he's clearly a cat of the hills.
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you ever going to let me in the house?
(No. No. No.)
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