The Cat Colony

Review

March 2, 2021

After thirteen years, the group of at least twenty feral and stray cats that my ex and I managed has dwindled to just four. Some we found homes for, a few were taken by animal control, and I suppose some just reached the end of their lives. Because we captured most of them and had them fixed (as well as getting them a medical checkup with shots), there were no new kittens. There were, however, some kittens to begin with and two of them grew up and still live in insulated cat-houses beside my garage. They won’t come in the house even when it’s twenty below zero.

It might be a case of PTSD because after going to the Vet when they were very little, they convalesced for a week in my music room and heard me play the piano.

Everyone’s a critic.

Presently

Those two original cats, Dex and Rooney, are the picture of health, and are three times older than the average feral cat. As you can see, they are difficult to photograph. When they see an iPhone they think of it as a trap. They’re right.

There are also two semi-regulars. An orange male named Danny and a tuxedo male we call Adam. Danny seems to respect the food situation. 

Leave the food and shutup

Adam, though, is a miserable cat with an attitude of self-entitlement. He waits by the porch for me to bring out the food, then he hisses at me. It’s always the same. I give him a lecture on manners and appreciation, and he’s fine for a while as I take the trash to the garage and check the mail. Even if he’s finished eating, he’ll wait a while and hiss at me once more as I go inside. 

He’s a saber-rattler, trying to be a tough guy and failing miserably. One time I sat on a porch chair and purposely delayed setting the food down. He stood about four feet away with his mouth wide open like cats do when they hiss. Only nothing was coming out. He was too lazy to make the sound. Oooh, very scary cat.

The Old Order Passes

When I talk about respect for the food, I’m referring to the pecking order. 

For the longest time, Rooney ate first. I remember feeling sorry for Dex as she waited. Then I started noticing her giving Rooney a claws-in paw slap when it was taking too long. It was like she’d read a self-help book on assertiveness. Rooney began to defer to Queen Dex. She controls the food now. Danny waits until later when they’re both full. Adam, as I said, likes to get me just as I come out the door but won’t argue with the Queen. 

They pay their way by entertaining my girlfriend (Jeanette, more on her in an upcoming post) and me.