For those of you who are cat fans and frequently ask about how the outdoor cats are doing, I thought it was time for another update. (You can get the background on this post or this post.) I like it that so many of you are animal lovers, like me.
We have a few neighbor cats that think our deck is their daytime home. Mocha came first. He’s beautiful and likes to sit on the railing of the deck, sunning himself in the mornings. He’s probably going to be in for a shaving again soon. Despite my best efforts at brushing him, there are mats under all that fur again. I just hope his owners wait until it’s warmer this year. Mocha usually comes by several times a day.
Then James, the other cat that lives at Mocha’s real house, started following him over to our house in the mornings. James is a big goofball. He has no attention span – very easily distracted by new and shiny things. James has no predictable schedule. See previous sentence. He comes over as often as he remembers we’re here.
Al used to come by first thing in the morning for food, and then left for the rest of the day. This past fall, he started staying longer and longer, and now he lives on our deck day and night. He is huge and has the thickest fur coat ever. Even on the coldest nights, he seems to stay warm. Plus, we have that heated cat house for him. (Did I tell you the Elves bought me a heated cat house for the outdoor cats for Christmas? They are all big softies when it comes to animals, too. It was the best gift ever!) Last week when we had 14″ of snow, he sat on top of his house on the deck, getting covered. He didn’t seem to mind in the least.
After awhile, the other cat that lives at Al’s house started following him over here. (Do you see a pattern here? One cat discovers us, then soon brings a second cat along with.) Little Jackie was scared of us, but absolutely starving to death so her hunger overcame her fright. Soon, she was hanging out with Al on the deck but she was always freezing cold and trying to snuggle right up to Al. She has very fine fur, unlike Al’s thick, plush coat.
The week before Christmas was so cold. One evening (with below zero predicted), I called the number on their tags to talk to their owners. I wanted to make sure they had a place to go inside. The owners told me that they had put Al and Jackie outside over a year ago because they couldn’t have them inside any more. They assured me there was shelter and food set out for them (“unless the dogs eat the food first”). Knitting Daughter and I carried the cats back over to their house that night, feeling guilty the whole time, knowing they were keeping them outside in that cold. They were both back on our deck the next day. 🙂
We brought Jackie in the house on Christmas night. It was 4 degrees outside and she was camped out in the heated cat house, shivering. Al, on the other hand, was happy as a clam in the cold. Long story short (kinda), after keeping her inside for a few days, I asked her owners if we could adopt her and make her a permanent inside cat and they agreed. She is so happy inside, and so sweet. She and Al see each other through the glass door, but they don’t pay much attention to each other. Jackie shows no interest in going outside. Knitting Daughter is moving into her apartment next week and is taking Jackie with her. I’m so glad she has a safe, warm home and is now well-loved!
Of course Al continues to be well-loved, too. We leave him outside because that’s where he wants to be and he seems well adapted to being out there. We do give him plenty of attention every day, and I know he loves that! And Mocha and James continue to pop in regularly, and go back to their house (inside) at night. I’m really hoping no other cats find us. We’re full up.
Sheri whoprobablyshould’vebeenavet
You’re doing a great job, Sheri. All of these babies need you. Such beautiful cats. Love that heated house. : )
Awww, such a sweet story, kitties are so sweet. I have two very spoiled indoor ones myself.
I was really hoping Jackie’s story would turn out this way! Yay for you!
They are so sweet! And you are even sweeter for taking such good care of all the little creatures. We used to have a neighbor that kept their DECLAWED cat outside all the time. She used to come visit us all the time and was just as skinny as can be. We fed her and watched over her, but there’s only so much you can do when it’s not your ‘real’ pet.
Wow. It seems so wrong for an owner to force their pets to be outdoors all the time. I mean, if I am not up to walking my dog, he goes into the back yard, but that is for 20-30 minutes tops in the winter. And I feel guilty about it. I cannot imagine just having him live back there without people for company and friendship.
We’re softies for animals at my house too – I come by it honestly from my Mom, and it’s rubbed off on my husband. We currently have 2.5 cats (two fully adopted always-inside cats & a sociable stray fella who can’t commit to being indoors all the time that we took to get neutered & vaccinated) and a dog, all of which are rescues.
As soon as you started writing about Jackie, my inner dialogue started up… I was hoping that she’d get to come in & be adopted. Whew! So glad she’ll be going with Knitting Daughter. 🙂
The cats in your neighborhood certainly know the right house to go to for good care! It’s wonderful that Jackie living inside & will go with Knitting Daughter.
I agree with Seanna Lea. And on top of that, cats don’t do any favors for the local wildlife. They should be kept indoors.
You’re the kitty cat angel of Colorado!
First,
Thank you for giving love to cats that love to wander!
My neighbors once thought that I was a thoughtless cat owner because my Mr. Skitz would spend all of his time on their porch while I was at work. At first, I was worried that they would be annoyed by it, but they love him. They did once call me to inform me that it was going below freezing overnight & I should bring him in.
He has a cat door, so he comes inside just as often as he wishes.
He always has a good bowl of food, loves, and snuggles from me inside.
He eats the food that they give him because they feed him wet food which is bad for his teeth (per the vet), and I am the mean mommy who feeds him what my vet recommends.
He is also a total actor. He can act like he is super hungry and has no food when he’s sitting right by a freshly poured bowl of food.
I bring him to the vet regularly and have a backup supply of about 4 collars because he goes through that many in a year.
He hates staying inside.
I’ve tried.
It doesn’t work, he finds a way to get out into the world.
So I live with that risk every day.
Al looks very much like our 2 Norwegian Forest Cats. They thrive on the cold and even have long hair growing out between the pads on their feet. Al could very well be a Norwegian Forest Cat…. 🙂
Some people should have to live the life that they force on their animals…
Marilyn – thanks for the insight. I think you might be right! I looked up that breed on Wikipedia and it sounds just like him, including the fact that they are great climbers. Al is always racing up the pine trees in our yard to check out birds up there.
Leslie – yep.
Sheri, you sound like me! I can not be trusted around pets who need rescuing. I’m ok with puppies, if they’re at a rescue I can play with them and walk away. But cats/kittens? Nope. And I’m full up right now, too!!
It’s so great that you’re looking out for all these cats!
And now one of them has become part of your family. So wonderful.
We live in a really cat-dense area (on last count, I’d met more than 40 cats in a 1-mile radius), and sometimes they come to visit.
We have the opposite problem to you, so we provide shade and water to help with overheating issues.
Sheri, I think cats just love to sun on decks! Every cat around for miles, comes to our backyard to sun on the deck! They love it! I love cats and really enjoy hearing about your “cats” especially Mocha. When I visited last April, I thnk Morcha had been sheared! Poor Mocha. Thank you for your stories- they make my day!
It’s so kind of you to care for these beautiful kitties. I live in a rural area, and we maintain an outside food/water station. There are so many wanderers out here.
Kudos to you, Sheri, for caring for these darling cats. Just think what might have happened had you not been there to offer them shelter and food and love. I would love to just smack the owners who leave these poor kitties out to fend for themselves. One of my very, very pet peeves (pardon the pun). There is a special for you in Heaven!!
I’m sure the cats love your house- the word has spread on the cat-vine that there is a wonderful house in Ft. Colllins that takes care of cats that need love- you may need an additional heated house as words spreads to the surrounding communities! My cats were always indoor cats (rescued) and I always had a soft spot for the outside kitties that came around.
Oh my gosh! I love that Jackie and Al are sleeping with their paws on each other!
My very first cat that I had as an adult was a stray that found us. He was the best cat ever! Kudos to you all for taking care of all those kitties when others aren’t!
I cannot get past the fact that the owners put the cats outdoors in Colorado b/c they could not have them indoors anymore.! why didnt the owners move outdoors and let the cats stay in the house? So glad Jackie is getting the real home she needs/deserves and that Al is happy w/you guys. The former owners should NOT have pets at all. And Al and Jackie’s happy ending is the reason you moved to Colorado. if you guys werent there, I cannot imagine these cats’ fate.
I am so happy for those cats, and so happy you took them in.
I am allergic to cats but if I wasn’t would come to be known as the crazy cat lady who knits and had twins in her 50’s (which on its own is enough to classify me as crazy!)
Love is such a wonderful thing when it is shared! Thanks for the pictures.
Wow, it just floors me someone can so casually say they kicked their animals outside. Jackie is so lucky to have met people so kind and compassionate as your family.
Awwww! What a great story! I’m glad you adotped those kitties!
We’ve got three in a tiny apartment – so when we see the guy at the pet food store who has all the cats he’s trying to find homes for – we always donate some money because we can’t adopt any more.
So many people see cats as pests or don’t value their former family members as much as they could… I think it’s completely awesome how you’ve treated these cats.
I love all “your” kitties. That picture of Al and Jackie cuddling is one of the cutest things I have ever seen!
Thank you for taking care of Jackie! I’m glad to hear she has a good home.
I’ve always loved kitties! I’m so glad you’re taking such good care of them — I had no idea there was a heated outdoor house for cats!
We had a Maine Coone mix for many years (he lived to be around 20 yrs. old) and he also spent a lot of time outdoors (his preference). I have a photo of him sleeping in the afternoon sun on the dog’s house with snow around our back patio.
We currently have a Siamese rescue who is 10, almost 11 yrs. old, but she is pretty much an indoor kitty.
Ok. We can all say we are big animal lovers here!!! Sheri, what a big heart you have to try and take care of the cats! I would have NO willpower at all and take every single one of them inside! For Mocha, have you tried one of those combs with the little blades and it’s shaped like an oval? I can’t think of the right name for at this moment, but I use one on Dora the Retriever and Zoe the cat to help with the hair!
Shame on those other people though for having these beautiful animals in the first place and then just putting them outside. Shame, shame, shame.
I am so glad that Knitting Daughter is taking Jackie to her new apartment. You have a wonderful family.
You have a great heart!
Thank you for being such a responsible and caring pet owner! those cats are so lucky, and obviously they’re spreading the word of your generosity to their friends far and wide!
Hey! Let’s have some dog stories! Equal time for dogs! 😉
Thanks for adopting Jackie. I can see from her picture that she is happy in her new home. And Al loves his heated cat house and his food dish and knowing his “new” people are therre for him even if he prefers to be outside.
It’s so nice to know there are such kind people in this world. Lovely to hear!
Stanley, who appears to live across the street, figured out how to use our cat door and started dropping by to have a nosh. He was really skittish and it was a long time before he would let us pet him. When I was home last December, recovering from surgery, he would come over and spend the day. I would wake up on the couch with him in my lap – lovely for both of us! Unfortunately, when the raccoons figured out how to use the cat door, too, we had to switch to a different one that requires a magnet on a collar. Since Stanley is collarless, he now comes to the back door, mornings and evenings, to come in and set for a spell 🙂
We used to have three outside cats when the kids were growing up. We had a dog house that my FIL had built for our dog who had passed away; so, we rigged a lightbulb assembly in it and the cats would go into it to stay warm. If it was really going to be cold, we’d bring them in the house, but they would want to go back out…so, it was kind of their choice on those nights.
I have fed many a neighborhood cats in my day, since our cats would eat outside too.
I miss having a cat. Maybe I need another cat.
I just love that picture of Jackie and Al all cuddled up! What sweetness.
Love happy endings. Wonder why those neighbors have cats at all?
You should put out a “Kitty Motel” sign and have the no vacancy light on. Those are lucky kitties, especially Jackie! Thank you for caring about them!
I love that you blogged about cats. We have 4 outside cats. They have a large cat house, complete with heat in the winter, big windows…They are happy guys. And we have one indoor beauty. She will be 15 next month. She is queen and we are her lowly servants. It breaks my heart when a neglected cat shows up at our home. We adopt and they become part of the family.
Just one (or 4) more reason why you – Sheri Queen of all things Loopy Ewe – totally rock! Love your little kitty family.
I can so relate to you – I live in the country and Mama cat from across the road brought 2 kittens to my house – I ended up bringing them in to join the two I already had. Then about 2 yrs. later she was able to get into my garage and had 6 kittens – it was two days before I found them – three survived. I brought Mama and babies into the back porch and kept them through the winter. They joined the family and now 4 years later I have 8 cats – all neutered and spayed. My sister-in-law says they know a soft touch when they see one. And two outside cats from across the road now visit. No more indoor ones however.
This is quite the Cats Tale
You all are a kitty magnet !!!
hugs
Oh! That picture of Jackie and Al!
*melts*
Bless you, my dear. I’m so glad Jackie has found a good and warm inside home with you, and now KD!
(Also, now I have Paul Simon in my head: “I can be your long lost pal.
I can call you Betty,
And Betty, when you call me,
You can call me Al!)
Sheri, thank you for sharing the beautiful stories re cats and the photos. You have such a lovely, kind heart and you have really cheered me up today! Thank you for caring for these beautiful beings.
Your an angel!
Bless you for taking care of those cats!! I’m trying not to cry thinking about Jackie being put out into the cold. I’m so glad you took her in. 🙂
Maybe one of the spare kitties could be a door prize at Fling… ; )
You are a nice person to care for them.
Al is gorgeous. He looks like our Higgs-Boson (8 month old kitten) will look when he’s full grown. Definitely some maine coon cat going on there. Thank you for rescuing Jackie and grrr to the previous owners. If you just can’t have the cats inside, rehome them darnit. Poor Al.
Mocha is stunning! And James looks like a big silly.