An Aside to an Aside

For those of you concerned about Ansa's pets, allow me to reassure you.

There is a situation up the road with a subsidized independent living series of cabins for seniors and mentally challenged citizens in that they are not allowed to have animals, clotheslines, outside picnic area, planting a garden, etc., etc. I know. Cruel and unusual for people raised on the land with animals and a high level of social interactions.

So what they do is: feed any strays that come around but can't risk losing their living privileges by taking animals indoors.

Mama cat is extraordinarily well fed and sheltered (obviously) in my barn and her three kittens are thriving and safe from coyotes.

I am not interfering with this process in any way. There are many feral cats around here generated by people who can't afford to spay or neuter (most) or are careless. Cute puppies are also let loose when the cuteness morphs into a 100lb mastiff and usually they wind up as roadkill. Tragic and awful but a problem us animal lovers can't solve. I do not condone such callous treatment of animals. The nearest shelter is over 100K away and it is inundated with animals after Christmas and it doesn't pickup.

I've had many cats over the years along with dogs. And may choose to adopt one of the kittens in time. Or not.

Together with Ansa, I keep an eye on the wee creatures and I will feed them if needed but up to now the residents of the home are doing a fine job.

Too fine as you can see!

Walter & Dolly

Portrait of Dolly. February 2011

I was born under the sign of The Cat - Leo.

I would have told you I am not much of a cat lover being partial to dogs.

But there have been cats that I have loved and ones who have loved me.

There was the king himself, Walter (named for the actor Walter Matthau of the sideways lurch) who was more canine than feline and came walking with me and the dogs every night, just about causing car pileups as the four of us would navigate pedestrian crossings, Walter in the vanguard.

Walter's best friend was not one of our dogs but a dog two doors down by the name of Bear who was a German Shepherd. They would roll over and around and under each other on the lawn in complete ecstasy. Walter was a big boy. Jet black. From a long line of genuine barn cats. By big I mean he looked like a panther and weighed close to 30 lbs. The vet and I would put him on diets. On one of the more extreme diets (we were concerned about his blood sugars) I was shocked when he was gaining rather than losing weight.

Until my neighbours dropped in on me one night and said, "You've got to see this, you won't believe it!"

I trotted down to their place where I was led down to their basement. There was Walter with Bear lying beside him licking him. Walter was chowing down on Bear's food. Bear was fed in the basement and had managed to slide open the basement window, put his paw through the screen and let Walter in. Walter had been coming in every day to top himself up on Bear food.

After that, I gave up on Weight Watchers for Walter.

I loved Walter dearly and miss him to this day.

And I'm also partial to Dolly pictured above who has her favourite spot on the back of a chair in a friend's house. And participates in all the conversations. A gorgeous and gregarious girl.

The Reign of Cats & Dogs

Medbh has introduced me to these wonderful pics and each one makes me giggle uncontrollably, even thinking about them does it to me!

Currently two cats and a dog are sharing space with me and I admire how quickly the hierarchy gets sorted out in such matters. One of the cats has elected herself alpha and won't allow the quite large dog into the family room.

The dog is puzzled as she is a total feline fan and allows my grandgirl's cat to groom her - face, ears, in other words the complete salon treatment.

One of my cats was best friends with my dog of the time. The cat always came for our nightly walks, much to the amusement of drivers and pedestrians, there were a lot of double takes seeing the cat and dog marching along together. They also slept together. I think it helped that the cat was huge and tough, he would always swack me one if I didn't get his food down first, before the dog's. I called him my Biker Boy and still miss him, he had a great personality.

Years ago, at my daughter's, I brought my dog to meet her two cats for the first time and we were astonished at how quickly they established pecking order. In one minute, the female cat sat on the stairs blocking it and balefully watching the other two keeping them in order. My dog was in the middle, sitting in the living room and not moving and the male cat was under the coffee table, the lowest wee creature on the totem pole. Harmony reigned.

I would classify myself as a dog person, though cats have wandered into my life and stayed there for lengthy periods of time. But I've rarely been without a dog and have suffered agonies when The Day comes and The Decision has to be made. But overall every moment spent with these four-legged wonders has been worth it.