Help!

How are you my friend? So glad you came by for a visit. 

Can you believe how fast June has flown by! At this rate summer will be over before I know it.

Every day I keep wanting to write a post and tell you what's going on out here on the North Forty but by night fall I am too tired to get on the computer.

Tonight I am needing your advice again. You are probably thinking when do I not ask for advice.

Living out here in the country I have two outside precious calico cats and no where to keep them at night.

The ole farm house I live in does not have a garage or building near it to let them stay in at night. Last winter I bought the neatest insulated cat house from Amazon and put it on my front porch. They loved it but to hot for them during the summer.

Browsing a magazine I found  neat chicken coops and I wondered would they work for cats.

Who knew chicken coops were so popular. I goggled chicken coops and found some really cool ones. These I am sharing with you are plain Jane's compared to most of them. 

When I get an idea in my head  I over think it and research it. I also pick the brain of everyone that comes near me while I am trying to make a decision. 

Like me most are worried that building a cage for cats is possibly building them a death trap. 

We have coyotes out here and so far I have been fortunate enough not to have seen them real close to the house but then I am not outside during the night.

If you build something for them I do know from research you must use hardware cloth and a way for them not to dig under. I have heard though from some ranchers that if a coyote wants in they will find a way.

So what do you think? Would I be putting them more at risk putting them in something like this or would they be safer on their on. I know my Momma Kitty has managed to survive for over five years. 

Aren't these

neat coops?

Since I started this post a few days ago I had both of my out side cats fixed and kept them in my back bathroom while they recuperated. They were anxious to get back out side so after a week I let them out.

The first night Momma Kitty wondered off and as far as I know was gone most of the night. When I woke the next morning I see her playing with something small and grey. I freak out thinking OMG she is playing with a rat. Well I take a closer look and she is licking a kitten. Yep just had her fixed and then I find her with a kitten. I go outside and not only was there the grey one but a white one too.

I wish you could of seen the look on my face because for the last month I have been finding homes for five kittens and did a happy dance when I found prefect homes for all of them. So finding two just days after the mother was fixed was almost too much for this ole grandma. haha

The kittens looked to be about two weeks old so I called the pound to see if they had a cat there that could nurse them. They did and much to my regret I took them there. I knew Momma Kitty did not have the milk to nurse them and I knew I probably couldn't save them. I pray they find good homes.

Anyway I know you think when does this story end. Well I get home from the pound and find that Momma Kitty want let the other outside cat near her. She hisses really loud and bares her teeth. This started yesterday and the bad situation has not changed.

Now the little one scared to death stays on the front porch hiding from Momma Kitty who is now staying in the back yard. Guarding her territory I suppose.

What would make a cat turn on another cat she has been with for a little over a year plus this is her daughter. I now am feeling lost on what to do about them. I called the vet and ask if having her fixed would of done this. They said usually a cat won't act like this unless their hurting. She doesn't seem to be in pain.
Her surgery area looks okay so I think she recovered okay. The days they were recovering they were the loving two cats that I now miss. This all happened after I put them back outside.

I am begging all of you cat lovers to tell me what to do? I hope I don't have to give the little one away but I am afraid this might lead into more than hissing and showing the teeth.

You always give me such great advice and I appreciate any help you can throw my way.

Hope you are well and enjoying these summer days. It is raining here this week. We could use the rain so can not complain. It is keeping me from finishing the paint job on my front porch. I will share some photos when I ever finish it. haha



Thanks for coming by I love it when you take the time to visit with me.

Love to all
Maggie


 

Scared Out Of My Wits!

So happy to be on here today checking on you. I have missed you but your always in my thoughts and prayers. 

Thank you for coming by and checking on me. I am tickled pink you stopped by for a visit. 

Life on the North Forty has been super busy with one project after another to work on but as always

God has helped me to stay healthy and to complete most of them. I have everything mowed and weeded.

It's so nice to wake up and know that I am not climbing on a tractor today. I had to laugh though when it rained earlier this morning because I thought I could hear the grass growing. 

I wanted to share with you the kitties I have been finding homes for this week. Aren't they just the cutest babies. 

By Thursday I found four sweet families wanting kitties. Their Mom is going to be fixed next Friday so no more kitties at my house. 

These two loved climbing inside my storage binds in the bathroom.

Look at these two! It was hard giving them away but this ole grandma has enough cats.

This cutie was the only solid gray one. Her new family named her Patsy.

You know how they say never say things out loud because those words will come back and haunt you.

The last two weeks several friends of mine mentioned having trouble with mice.

 I opened my big mouth and told them I have lived out here eight years and never have seen a mouse in my house. I figured it was because of the two cats outside and of course my Tinkerbell inside.

 As you can see with Tinkerbell in my home and always on her toes why I felt safe against nasty intruders.

Well a week ago Saturday night I reached over to turn off my lamp to go to sleep and there running  on the baseboard was a tiny creature that sent me screaming loud enough to be heard for miles and jumping out of my bed putting as much distance between the two of us possible.

I ran out the front door grabbed my two outside cats and put them inside my bedroom and shut the door. I stood a good distance away trying to listen for the hunt and kill I just knew would take place.

Thirty minutes of anxiously listening for the cat and mouse chase and surprised that all  I heard was the two cats scratching on my bedroom door so I reluctantly carried the two back outside. Needless to say this old coward slept on the couch that night and several nights later.

Then thinking my mouse problem was over I heard my cat Billie Sue who now lives upstairs because for some unknown reason she is avoiding Tinkerbell and myself. Sad but I keep hoping that will change soon. Anyway sorry I tend to drift off the subject. Well she was running the length of the room and knocking things over. I was downstairs freaking out because I was pretty sure what was happening with her upstairs.

A few minutes later she comes prancing down the stairs and something dark is hanging out of her mouth. I screamed to high heaven and she politely drops it right in front of me and the dark thing runs right toward me. To say I lost it is an understatement.

I then run back to the bedroom I had been avoiding for days and let Billie Sue capture the darn thing again.
My guardian angels were watching over me because my brother Gary shows up during all this and he takes care of the mouse that Billie Sue had caught again.

Of course I google everything I can about ridding my house of mice. I think this happened because hay was cut and baled about 30 yards from my house and the next night is when I saw the first mouse.

I went to Home Depot and bought those electrical things you plug in that are suppose to make a noise that will deter mice or bugs. I had those years ago so I thought I would give them a try. Seriously I have one in almost every plug in this old house. I sat out traps that you can't see the mouse if you trap it but so far after a week I haven't trapped any.

Of course I am being told by a few friends they don't think these electrical things work but I feel better knowing I am doing something. Everyone says throw out moth balls but not sure that would work either.

Do you have any suggestions for me besides firing Tinkerbell? haha  I pray I see no more nasty rodents any where near me for the rest of my life. This experience has almost caused me to have a stroke.

My friends have reminded me that I have stood up to hundreds of harden criminals and yet when it comes to a mouse I run and scream. I realize that is true and how foolish that is but who can explain the terror one has for something so small. hahaha

Enjoy your week! I need to paint my porch floor since it was replaced a few weeks ago but not sure now because it is raining again.

If I listen closely I hear the grass growing and the tractor calling me. At least it's not a squeak I am hearing.

Sweet Dreams and Love to all
Maggie