Musings on a Small Life

Nicki got his fur in a flap over another cat on the other side of the fence, just a short time ago.     Trouble is, Derry tends to lose fur when Nicki gets all territorial and aggressive. Fortunately not today. Here's the visitor:    Love the warning sign on the utility box behind my fence...I'm not inclined to open it, thanks.   Her name is Carla and she was adopted last summer from our shelter. I chatted with her human, he lives just below me, has been here for years. Lived with his mother until she passed away a couple of years ago, I'm sure a mercy for all concerned. He used to feed the neighbourhood and roaming cats because his mother wouldn't let him have one of his own. He's probably in his 40s, this man, and though he owns and drives a car and works, there's something "off" about him, which is obvious right away. No idea what and it really doesn't matter. I asked him if Carla was deaf, but he says she's not. He...

The neighbour just came to apologize for her two crazy dogs barking almost ceaselessly Saturday afternoon, evening and well into the night. I had put a note on her door at 10:15PM, indicating they were upset and wondering if they had run out of food and water. Turns out she was away in Ottawa and her 29-year old cousin (old enough to be responsible) was supposed to have spent the afternoon/evening with them (i.e. the dogs), but of course didn't. So while we were chatting on my front step--and I can only think it must have been terrible for her to even knock on my door, given that we're not chummy neighbours--I asked if Niko had gone to "cat heaven," because I hadn't seen him since Thursday morning. No, no, Niko's okay--he's in her basement, having 6 days of dewormer meds. *Whew*! I really was leaning to her having had him put down, but I'm so glad he's fine, and I mentally apologize for thinking that she could be that callous. Presumably I'...

Niko got another bird today! At least he ate the head this time, so I had no doubt the poor thing was quite dead before I scooped it up into yet another plastic bag and tossed it into my garage. But I really do have to wonder how dumb the birds are. He's declawed , for heaven's sake! I guess he's just a hunter-extraordinaire. ****** Derry's vet called this afternoon. As expected, the culture and sensitivity test came back negative. So there's nothing further to be done except finish off his pain meds. Which mostly have been ending up on my hand or on the counter anyway. I'm going to ask about Cosequin (for both boys, actually) when I'm there with Nicki on Thursday morning. Derry's still peeing normally, but obviously this will be a "one day at a time" thing. I really hope he doesn't have another bout, but if he does, I'll be calling the vet pronto and we'll go from there. ****** Still lots of pics from Halifax, these were snapped...

So I got home and found that Niko, the neighbour's declawed mighty hunter, had caught another bird and left it, uneaten, on the ground by my shrub. This is what, the fourth or fifth bird now? Plus that one rodent he had for breakfast by my welcome mat one morning in the late spring or early summer, leaving the entrails for me. I debated leaving the bird for him to gnaw on at his leisure, but then realized it would attract vermin.  Off I went to fetch a plastic bag, and I scooped it up, a bit disturbed by the vibration from the bag. Gaaggh , I thought, was it still alive? But the neck looked broken. I put the bag down on the step, crossed my fingers the poor bird truly was dead, then opened up the garage door. Picked up the bag...and heard a buzzing, felt another vibration.  OMG, I freaked out! Screamed my fool head off, at the top of my lungs, and threw the bag up in the air and away from me, to have it land half way down my little driveway. Two big flies flew out of the ...

I got home to find Niko had caught himself another robin. Lots of feathers strewn about, but the robin was intact. It's now in multiple bags in my garage, awaiting garbage day. Poor Niko! All that skill and effort for naught.   Doesn't he look pleased with himself? (I snapped a pic of his kill, of course, and of him!) My Nicki, meanwhile, had a hissy fit when he saw Niko on my step through the door, and promptly turned and went for Derry, as he typically does. So he got scolded for it, even though I know it's  instinctive redirected aggression. So Derry got lots of cuddles from me, which has only pissed Nicki off more and left him jealous and sulky this evening. (And anyone who thinks cats can't be jealous and sulky obviously never has had any. LOL.) There's nothing quite like kitty drama, yes?  :-P

I came home from work yesterday to find that Niko, the neigbhour's declawed cat, had caught a robin and had eaten its head. Yum. The body was in "his" space at the base of the evergreen shrub that's by my front step. I did take a pic, but no, I'm not going to post it. Poor thing, covered in flies. Ugh. Yours truly had to dispose of it, of course. It's currently in the garage, wrapped in three plastic grocery bags and awaiting Friday's garbage. I'm sure Niko wonders why I'm stealing his food, when he went to so much effort to catch it in the first place. I'd leave his prey if he didn't like to eat and store them around my townhouse, of course. Why can't he store his "food" at his own home? Just to clarify re: still being hypo-thyroid: I'm not sure this is the reason for all of my current issues. Some perhaps. I think it's exacerbated certain things, definitely. But I don't think it can explain a couple of other t...

So I sleep in till about 4:15AM today. Really is sleeping in for me. Get up, head for the bathroom. Nicki always comes up and follows me in, and if I'm not quick enough, starts screaming at me to hurry up. No screaming today. I head downstairs, no sign of Nicki following me, but Derry's waiting. All of a sudden, I hear the sound of thundering hooves...paws...and Nicki comes tearing downstairs and heads straight for the patio door, wanting out, now . I flip on the back light, don't see anything, figure he's caught sight of a raccoon or something else in the tree behind my fence. I feed the boys, they eat about half their food, then demand to go out back pronto . Out they go, I fix my coffee. Notice they're both still very intent, at the back the of the fence. I go to the screen and look...and hear a tiny "meow." Not a kitten meow, just a tiny meow. I start chanting, Please god, don't let it be injured or dying , even though I don't believe...

So I was up around 3:40 or so, as usual. Fed the boys and Toby as usual. Left food for Niko too, though Toby tends to eat everything in site. Then later, just before leaving for work, I opened the door to water the plants and there was Niko on my step, happily chomping away on a mole or mouse (no feathers). Right by the welcome mat. Eeeww! I closed the door in a hurry and left him to his yummy meal. When I opened the door a few minutes later, he was right there, almost smiling, having left the entrails. Accck, gross, gross, gross! I had to go out and clean up the mess, pour water on the step to wash off the blood. Gag. I'm really glad Niko's such a mighty hunter, especially considering he's minus his front claws, but I really wish he'd eat his prey on his own doorstep. And now I know why he seldom shows much interest in the canned food I put out. He prefers the real thing! No pic of anything gross, just this sunflower I saw on the way home yesterday. I couldn...

All of the feline variety, of course! I got home to find not only neighbour cat Niko on my step (he lives in his "house" on my step while he spends the springs/summer/fall outside, though he would prefer to be in my house, I think), but also Toby waiting for an early supper. Usually I see him later in the evening and put food out, but today it was a rush to get in the house, feed my boys and feed the outside boys too. Toby is on his second plate of canned food (2 cans of Fancy Feast for entree #2), while Niko is begging me to let him into my house. (Niko lives next door. Right next door.)  Toby's not sure about me and definitely not impressed with the camera. Niko still hisses and growls at Toby, who ignores him. Toby's sole focus is food, though he'll let me pat him a little bit before he takes off. Nope, not impressed with the camera...and still wary of me. Toby always looks cranky, but he seems to have a very good disposition. He certainly doesn't show...

Partly outdoor kitty drama, partly home project drama. The abandoned cat I've been feeding for a year+ is not happy to see Niko on my door step now. He keeps coming to eat, then won't eat. I suppose that's because Niko growls and hisses at him all the time, though that's all he does. And to the credit of the abandoned boy, even though he's unneutered, he's not inclined to get into a fight with Niko. (Though I have seen him fighting many times with another unneutered male.) Niko's  "I'm not impressed with the interloper" face. Here's the interloper. He let me pat him today, was quite cuddly, even while Niko was in his "house" on my step. This is not a feral cat. Actually, it was the first time I've touched him, and I definitely was wary, but he didn't show any inclination to bite or scratch. He just wants to be loved, I think. He gave up and walked away after the umpteenth time Mr. Handyman went in and out of the house...

Nico was on my doorstep when I got home today, but by chance or universal design, the roommate with whom I had spoken a couple of weeks ago also was just arriving. So I asked her if she would come and take Nico inside and she did right away, said Jenn (the condo owner's name is Jennifer) had brought him in before. That must have been Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening, since Nico was gone for that time. I told the girl that I've been lying awake at 2AM and worrying about him and that I was relieved he'd be indoors tonight. She told Nico, as she was heading into the house, that if he'd just stay in the basement, the dog wouldn't bother him. So it is the dog he's trying to escape from. I took a packet of Whiskas and a can of Fancy Feast over, knocked on the door but she didn't answer. So I put both in a bag with a note that it was for Nico's supper/breakfast, to tempt him to stay inside where it was warm, left the bag hanging over the door knob...

Nico turned up Monday AM, was there at 4:15AM waiting for his canned food, but didn't get to eat any because the feral ate 2 packages of Whiskas (their "meat" and gravy), a full bowl of dry and another half a can of Fancy Feast I put out (for Nico). He (Nico) did get to eat canned yesterday afternoon when I got home, as the feral wasn't around then. Sometimes he comes in the afternoons too, but usually just the mornings. I think that grey and white cat might have been abandoned and now is semi-feral, perhaps not a true feral. He certainly won't let me get too close, but his hunger overrides almost everything else. He scarfed down all the wet I put out this morning, too, so Nico got none. There's only so much food I can put out and the grey/white guy seems to have limitless stomach capacity. Nico is using the shelter, but I'm concerned about the wind coming at him, when it blows from the southwest. Trying to figure out what to do about him; I'm ver...