Cats of Colonia de las Rosas

Originally Posted by katie=^..^=

[size=+1]THE CAT AND THE MOON[/size]
[size=-1]by: W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)[/size]

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    HE cat went here and there And the moon spun round like a top, And the nearest kin of the moon, The creeping cat, looked up. Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon, For, wander and wail as he would, The pure cold light in the sky Troubled his animal blood. Minnaloushe runs in the grass Lifting his delicate feet. Do you dance, Minnaloushe, do you dance? When two close kindred meet, What better than call a dance? Maybe the moon may learn, Tired of that courtly fashion, A new dance turn. Minnaloushe creeps through the grass From moonlit place to place, The sacred moon overhead Has taken a new phase. Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils Will pass from change to change, And that from round to crescent, From crescent to round they range? Minnaloushe creeps through the grass Alone, important and wise, And lifts to the changing moon His changing eyes.

A beautiful night tonight. When I went out the sky was indigo blue and the moon was just a sliver short of full and silvery with little Venus right next to it.

All my cats showed up tonight! Mamie was sitting on the rooftop silhouetted by the night sky, looking very catly and beautiful.

Red has undergone quite a change. Lately he not only comes almost every night, but he runs to the bench with the other cats and when I call their names he does a drop and roll like Louie-Louie. I always find that so charming. Then he shares a pile of food with the other cats instead of hanging back and waiting till everyone is through. I wonder if our encounter in the parking lot before he skittered into the storm drain made a difference.

No vet visits today. I thought my daughter was going to call me, but didn't realize my house phone ringer had gotten turned off and my cell needed charging.

Graycie will have to wait again.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 11 Total.

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Yay! All the kittes were there!

Thank you kluchetta and wanderer. I edited the poem to make it in poem form with the proper line endings. I hope you all enjoy it. It was the beautiful moon last night that made me think of it.

I went out early because I am very tired tonight. All the cats found me before I got to the feeding bench. Mamie was sitting on the rec bldg roof again. There is a peak that the cats like to sit on. They can look down on the rest of us from there. Only Red failed to show. Too early for him, I guess.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar, Sneakers. 10 Total.

I went down to do some laundry at 5pm and there were Blackie and Oscar, my two black guys, sitting and looking through the front door. When they saw me, they started talking to me and then Alfie and Henry came up.

I ended up taking their food out early. I couldn't face them everytime I went to the laundry room! It's rainy today, although it hasn't rained right here where I live. I left half their food in the little place by the rec bldg where it usually stays dry. The other half is by the feeding bench.

It's supposed to stay rainy and chilly through the weekend. Glad my little cats have the four shelters I managed to put out.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Sneakers. 9 Total

Katie, its so good to hear about the shelters, when bad weather is threatening. Here it has been so cold! My little cats of the colony do not ALL use their shelters - but SOME have been used, as I see round nesting spots made by kitties curled up!

I know at least one or two of the cold nights they came tumbling out of their boxes - at least on had straw on her fur!

I have made more shelters for some with a colony very near me - its where I trapped Baby the feral Maine Coon at the begining of the year.

Its not a good place, but someone leaves food, so I help out, and I've
made her some rubbermaid shelters - this especially cold spell I checked, and TA DA, one of them has a "nest" sign in it - looks like someone went in it -

Gosh that felt so good to think about - sheltering during the coldest part of the night, from the wind while waiting for food lady to come in the morning... I felt good I had done that.

and even the feral that comes to my deck was here yesterday am, he had been sheltering in one of my yard's shelters. I put it up for him, tho he seems to not use alot, but I've seen him in it in the morning when I go to feed round 8 am... so he must be coming in during the evening hours to
sleep/rest before I feed... Again, makes me feel REALLY good!!

Anyway, I love hearing your stories... and its nice to know someone else is keeping up with me in cat numbers, LOL. (I have about 8 "steady" ferals - 6 I see all the time, and 2 that come and go)

Hi opilot, good to hear from you. It's wonderful when you know you've kept some of them warm and dry isn't it? You are so kind to help your fellow caregiver out with the shelters. I haven't checked mine in a while, but I put food in them all to see if anyone went in to eat it, and they were all empty. That wouldn't work if it was so cold I needed to use straw, of course.

Tonight it is rainy. I thought maybe it was going to rain here, soon. I looked out my windows and the sky was dark with clouds. When I got outside, though, there was some clear sky on the other side.

I still left most of the food in the little dry spot by the rec bldg and the rest by the feeding bench.

I must be confusing my guys with the irregular hours I've been feeding them. I hope I can get them back to a more consistent time soon.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 10 Total

It's raining hard tonight. Of course my bunch were all scrunched under the rec bldg overhang. MIserable and getting wet.

I don't understand why that little corner isn't as dry as it used to be. I left some of their food there, then belatedly realized it wasn't all that dry. I hope they eat it all before it can go bad. I left the rest under the porch, but they didn't follow me there. I tried to pick up Blackie, but he dodged me and I was walking in mud puddles and getting us both wet trying.

I'm not even sure of the roll call because I hurried out and back.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar. 7 Total

Originally Posted by katie=^..^=

It's raining hard tonight. Of course my bunch were all scrunched under the rec bldg overhang. MIserable and getting wet.

I don't understand why that little corner isn't as dry as it used to be. I left some of their food there, then belatedly realized it wasn't all that dry. I hope they eat it all before it can go bad. I left the rest under the porch, but they didn't follow me there. I tried to pick up Blackie, but he dodged me and I was walking in mud puddles and getting us both wet trying.

I'm not even sure of the roll call because I hurried out and back.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar. 7 Total

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Was it windy? Maybe the roof to the overhang needs some repair - or has leaves in the rain gutter!

You might be right -- it has been windy with these rainstorms. I suspect my memory is also wrong. It's been three years since it was really rainy.

Tonight I was going out, so I left he food this afternoon. It is still dry under the overhang right now. It made me sad when I got home to see Mamie crouched under the feeding bench. It's not really dry under there. I suspect she doesn't know about the shelters. I have to get one on "her" side of the garden, very soon.

Either Blackie or Oscar were crouched by the rec bldg. What can I do? I've tried to let them know about the shelters,

At least I had a much valued Mamie signting!

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Josesito, Lady Day, Mamie, Oscar, Sneakers. 7 Total

Originally Posted by katie=^..^=

You might be right -- it has been windy with these rainstorms. I suspect my memory is also wrong. It's been three years since it was really rainy.

Tonight I was going out, so I left he food this afternoon. It is still dry under the overhang right now. It made me sad when I got home to see Mamie crouched under the feeding bench. It's not really dry under there. I suspect she doesn't know about the shelters. I have to get one on "her" side of the garden, very soon.

Either Blackie or Oscar were crouched by the rec bldg. What can I do? I've tried to let them know about the shelters,

At least I had a much valued Mamie signting!

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Josesito, Lady Day, Mamie, Oscar, Sneakers. 7 Total

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Have you put stinky tuna or KFC in the shelters?

Hi kluchetta -- I have been thinking of catnip and cat treats. Stinky tuna sounds even better!

We're happy here in southern California because it is raining. Everyone except the cats, that is. I had to leave most of their food in the little spot by the rec bldg again which does not make them happy. I put some by the feeding bench, though, to make them happy. As long as they eat it before it starts raining again.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 10 Total

Originally Posted by katie=^..^=

Hi kluchetta -- I have been thinking of catnip and cat treats. Stinky tuna sounds even better!

We're happy here in southern California because it is raining. Everyone except the cats, that is. I had to leave most of their food in the little spot by the rec bldg again which does not make them happy. I put some by the feeding bench, though, to make them happy. As long as they eat it before it starts raining again.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 10 Total

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I've heard that Kentucky Fried Chicken is irresistable!!

Originally Posted by kluchetta

I've heard that Kentucky Fried Chicken is irresistable!!

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I've heard that, too. The nearest KFC is at least two bus rides away, so that's not going to happen for these cats, I'm afraid!

It's supposed to rain hard tonight and I needed to buy cat food, so I went out to the store and got back around 4:30. I filled up their bowl by the rec bldg and left a little pile on the sidewalk by the feeding bench to eat in the meantime.

I hope most of them eat early so they can find shelter before it starts raining. Oddly, even though I called "kitty cats, kitty cats," many times only three cats showed up. I hope Mamie comes before it starts raining. I don't want her to crouch under the feeding bench waiting for me again. The rest all know where I leave the food -- even Red knows.

Roll Call: Alfie, Lady Day, Oscar. 3 Total

It has stopped raining, and as I'm typing this I can see blue sky from my window.

The forecast says it will still by rainy until at least Thursday, though. I took out the cat's food already.

One of the shelters was at the edge of a garden, where I did not have permission. This afternoon I saw that it had been moved a little because the gardner was trimming the cactus plants growing there. It was one of the two that the cat's didn't seem to be using much, so I moved it to another spot until this rainy spell is over. The new spot is closer to their feeding place so maybe they will use it.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Josesito, Lady Day, Mamie, Oscar, Sneakers. 7 Total

A beautiful day. Blue skies with cumulus clouds. It will be rainy for a couple more days though.

A neighbor was talking to me about the cats tonight. He wanted to pet them so he brought out some tidbits and tossed them on the sidewalk. He thought they would come to eat and let him pet them. Instead, of course, they just waited for him to leave then they ate his treats. He was disappointed.

He wanted to know why they did that. I explained their lack of trust and he understood.

I went down at 6 tonight and they were waiting for me. I put some of the food by the bench and the rest by the rec bldg. Soon everyone was crunching away.

Mamie was on top of the rec bldg. I wish she would come down. It reminds me of Bonita to have her up there too much or too long.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 11 Total.

It was another beautiful day. I still fed the little ones early, because again I needed to go out. I also sat on the bench for awhile and petted my sweet boy, Dude.

I brought in the rainy day bowl. I left the shelter near the food. I bought the tuna so I'm ready to start another program to get them to use the shelters. I want to move one of the shelters. Maybe tomorrow.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar, Sneakers. 10 Total

Once again, my little guys caught me going to the laundry room. Their cute little faces pressed up against the glass door when they saw me. Not to mention their little meows -- did I say LITTLE? Those meows can be darn demanding!

I came right back upstairs and got their food for them. When I realized how cold and windy it was I saw why they were being to demanding. They wanted to eat and get back to whatever warmer and not so windy place they had in mind.

Even Red was delighted to see me. He came running and didn't even back off when I got close to pour out the last pile of kibble. Instead he did a drop and roll for me! It was really cute!

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 10 Total.

My little ones were all waiting at the door when I got downstairs with their food.

Mamie was sitting on the rec bldg agan. It bothers me that she is doing that because that is what Bonita did for a month or so before she died. I think Mamie is much younger than Bonita but I'm a worrier by nature. Both of them, and Dude, were frightened by something that happened last May. I was never sure what it was, but a developmentally disabled man was hanging out in the garden at the time. He frightened me, so maybe he did something to frighten them, too. Dude recovered, but Mamie has never gone back to her old habit of waiting for me in the gardens.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 11 Total.

LOL I have a foster kitten at the moment (the last of my large foster pack, many meds and bottles of disinfectant later) and my cats all want her kitten food. They will sit outside the door forever and MEOW until I give them a kitten snack. Pudgies!

I love that you are chronicling your work with the ferals.

I actually have one foster cat now -- Little Guy -- a handsome orange tabby tuxedo boy. He's almost two years old. Two summers ago I was depressed and my computer was broken. So when a litter of four kittens and my loner, Little Guy were abandoned three ended up staying with me until last summer.

I actually found a home for two of them with a neighbor of a co-worker of my daughter's almost right away. So that left the three. Around a few months ago, one was adopted through Petfinder.com. Then the woman that took the first two bought a house and adopted the one remaining sister. Now I just have my Little Guy. I'm very fond of him after all this time.

My little ones outside were not there when I went out tonight. I went a couple of hours early because I wanted to run some errands. It was very cold, windy and overcast, so I took their food down in a big dog dish and left it by the rec bldg. I changed their water dish then, too, so I wouldn't forget. That's important on Friday because yard maintenance comes and grass cuttings always get in their bowl.

I only saw a few of them -- maybe they didn't want to come out in the cold weather. By the time I got home the wind had died down and the clouds were mostly blown away. Maybe it will be dry tonight.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar. 6 Total

Originally Posted by katie=^..^=

I actually have one foster cat now -- Little Guy -- a handsome orange tabby tuxedo boy. He's almost two years old. Two summers ago I was depressed and my computer was broken. So when a litter of four kittens and my loner, Little Guy were abandoned three ended up staying with me until last summer.

I actually found a home for two of them with a neighbor of a co-worker of my daughter's almost right away. So that left the three. Around a few months ago, one was adopted through Petfinder.com. Then the woman that took the first two bought a house and adopted the one remaining sister. Now I just have my Little Guy. I'm very fond of him after all this time.

My little ones outside were not there when I went out tonight. I went a couple of hours early because I wanted to run some errands. It was very cold, windy and overcast, so I took their food down in a big dog dish and left it by the rec bldg. I changed their water dish then, too, so I wouldn't forget. That's important on Friday because yard maintenance comes and grass cuttings always get in their bowl.

I only saw a few of them -- maybe they didn't want to come out in the cold weather. By the time I got home the wind had died down and the clouds were mostly blown away. Maybe it will be dry tonight.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar. 6 Total

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Just wanted to let you know I've been thinking about your kitties!