Narrowly escaped #15!

Hey all,

As I mentioned a while ago, Joe has made a couple of cat sightings on the driveway this spring so far, but as far as I can tell, no newbies have made it onto the farm yet. With Billy and Footsie both patrolling the territory all day every day, I don't know that it'll be terribly easy for strays and ferals to wander up here now as it has been in the past. I expect my boys make a pretty unwelcoming team.

I did see a small black cat (or older kitten) scoot across the road just before our property line when Joe and I were leaving to go to a movie. We stopped the car and I got out to call to the feline, but (s)he ran off into the woods and couldn't be coaxed out. A short-legged, veeeeeery long-backed, long-haired black beastie. I don't think Joe's seen him/her for the last couple of weeks.

And then there was last Sunday. Our friend, Fran, had offered to come over and take care of our 4-leggeds while we were gone on Monday, so she came over on Sunday to learn the animals' routines and schedules. After she got all of the caretaking instructions, she left to go home, and I went back to my normal activities. Within two minutes, she was driving back into the yard, then walking up to my door with a ginger tabby and white, 3-4 mo old kitten in hand. "Is this one yours or mine?" was all she asked. I answered, "That one would be yours. Congratulations!"

Not only that, but I also made it very clear to her that any more new felines she found on our road the next day when she was tending to our animals would ALSO be hers! She told me she'd be driving in and out with her eyes shut!

Fran found the youngster just beyond the property line, right about the same spot we saw the long-haired black. Fortunately, this baby was EXTREMELY happy to be rescued and would NOT stop purring and crawling all over her. When I called her after we got home Monday night to check on how he was doing, she told me he hadn't stopped purring since she found him, he LOVES her dogs, and he's already been "adopted" by one of her male cats.

So, I'm still holding at 14, but Fran's up to 9. WHEW! That was a close one!

Laurie