Nov. 21, 2002 ~ Cats
We are suspicious that One Eyed Blackie is a pregnant female. That, or he's a male who's quickly put on a lot of weight around the middle. Could be. If she/he would just let me get a closer look, I'd know for sure. But my money's on kittens in our near future. She wants to be friendly; you can tell. Other barn cats have behaved this way in the past, as part of the process of developing trust. They come close, just out of reach, and kind of prance and dance. Blackie does that, and she rolls around on her back, paws playfully up in the air. A couple of times she has nearly brushed against me. And I've touched her a few times, though she doesn't seem to like it. She quickly runs away. I would like to be able to catch her and tame her down a little so I could take her to the vet. I COULD trap her and take her, but pity the poor vet who has to try to handle a wild critter! I've done that in the past, and the vets didn't complain, but sometimes they did get badly scratched or bitten. Knowing that it might cause harm to a friend, it's hard to take an animal in. So if I could just make friends with her, I could take her to visit Susan and have her eye tended to.
Blackie's a tiny thing. She's made friends with a couple of the smaller barn cats, and when she rubs against them, she looks like such a baby. She's filling out a little, in addition to that stomach pooch, but I hope I'm wrong about the kittens, because she is probably very young.
Star Cat, the one who had that really nasty bite in her side, is recovering nicely. I really didn't expect her to do so well, so this is a pleasant surprise.
Misha is hanging on, and is back on a low dose of insulin. He's getting very thin, though he is eating more.
The barn cats, for the most part, seem to be bulking up. It's natural for them to get thinner in the summer, but it's always a surprise to see them looking so thick and hefty, this time of year. Part of it is fur, but they're also just plain bigger. I like big cats. But I also like little cats. And baby cats. You get the idea.
We are still interviewing for a dog, but we only seem to come across big ones. We're in the market for a smaller one. Susan only seems to have german shepherds and big labs and such, and once I would have taken them all home. But at this point in my life I need a dog that I can pick up and carry, if need be, to the vet. Learned that when my last dog, a chow, was sick. No one could touch her but me, and she was pretty heavy. I can't imagine having another one-person dog (that one was inherited), and chances are that someone would be available to help lift a sick animal. But things don't always work out the way we plan, so I need a dog who's not too heavy for me to lift.
No recent word from Soldier Boy. We will try calling him tonight, if his phone hasn't been disconnected.
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