The barn cat

My parents don't have any house pets. We had a dog and a cat when I was younger, but they both went to the bridge. It was very painful for my mom, and they want to travel, so no housepets.

They still have my horse, kept near some woodland property near their house. The barn has attracted several cats over the years. The first was a big white cat that they found dead one day. They suspect poison. The second was a little tiger cat who got feline leukemia, they took her into the house until she also died.

Last winter, a cat started coming around. My mom wasn't going to feed him, but he was too cute and she loves animals. But they were just going to feed him, until he came limping into the barn with a big cut on his hind leg. He went to the vet. Isn't it funny how they creep into our lives?

Here's Barney:



He is so friendly, we walked into the woods and he ran along with us like a dog, occasionally looking at us as if to say, isn't this fun? He loves to be petted and curls in and out of your legs when you keep still, and when you walk.

He's adorable! what did they vet say about him???

What an adorable face!

He has gorgeous markings and eyes! His face is very expressive. He's lucky to have your mom as his furmom!

He's soooo adorable and what beautiful coloring!!!

BTW, this paragraph about him reminded me of something I wanted to share:

Last winter, a cat started coming around. My mom wasn't going to feed him, but he was too cute and she loves animals. But they were just going to feed him, until he came limping into the barn with a big cut on his hind leg. He went to the vet. Isn't it funny how they creep into our lives?

Click to expand...

Strict, Unbending Rules For Dealing With Stray Cats
1. Stray cats will not be fed.
2. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food.
3. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with a little milk.
4. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with warm milk, yummy treats and leftover fish scraps.
5. Stray cats will not be encouraged to make this house their permanent residence.
6. Stray cats will not be petted, played with or picked up and cuddled unneccessarily.
7. Stray cats that are petted, played with, picked up and cuddled will absolutely not be given a name.
8. Stray cats with or without a name will not be allowed inside the house at any time.
9. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except at certain times.
10. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except on days ending in y.
11. Stray cats allowed inside will not be permitted to jump up on or sharpen their claws on the furniture.
12. Sray cats will not be permitted to jump up on, or sharpen claws on the really good furniture.
13. Stray cats will be permitted on all furniture but must sharpen claws on new $114.99 sisal-rope cat-scratching post with three perches.
14. Stray cats will answer the call of nature outdoors in the sand.
15. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the three-piece, high-impact plastic tray filled with Fresh n Sweet kitty litter.
16. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the hooded litter pan with a three-panel privacy screen and plenty of head room.
17. Stray cats will sleep outside.
18. Stray cats will sleep in the garage.
19. Stray cats will sleep in the house.
20. Stray cats will sleep in a cardboard box lined with an old blanket.
21. Stray cats will sleep in the special Kitty-Komfort-Bed with non-allergenic lambs wool pillow.
22. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed.
23. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed, except at the foot.
24. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers.
25. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers except at the foot.
26. Stray cats will not play on the desk.
27. Stray cats will not play on the desk near the computer.
28. Stray cats are forbidden to walk on the computer keyboard on the desk when the human is
asdfjjhhkl;ljfd.;oier puyykmm4hbdm9lo9jmdskdm,. USING IT.

Oh my god that cat is GORGEOUS. I'm glad you guys are taking care of him.

Wow, he is a looker! (Even hubby said so, and I didn't even MAKE him look at this thread. He just glanced over and said "Pretty kitty!" )

You know, it does sound amazingly like that Stray Cat poem.

My mom says she's not bringing him into her house. We'll see. They didn't get a chance to talk to the vet when they picked him up. He was neutered at the same time the vet bandaged his leg. They don't know how old he is, but the vet did tell them the wound on his leg looked like a scratch, it wasn't a bite. He still appears to favor that leg a bit.

My parents are planning on building him some sort of insulated area for the winter. He can always go into the upstairs part of the barn, which they just built, if it gets really cold.

Lorie, that is so funny and true. I wonder if the next time I go to visit they'll have a house cat instead of a barn cat. I kind of doubt it, but I'm not betting against it either.

Brenda, it sounds like Barney is going to have a good life with your parents!

Oh wow, he is sooo beautiful. I'm glad your family is giving him love and attention, as well as caring for him. He is very captivating.

What a great cat! Someone didn't know what they were missing when they let him go.

What a beautiful cat!

Lorie, I loved your 'rules for dealing with a stray cat'! So true!