If You Name Them .... They Are Pets!

 As I sit here, I have to admit that I may have overdone it today. I sort of ache all over. But the day is just so lovely to be outside, and I had a lot of pent-up energy to get rid of.

This is the first completely dry day in quite a while. The grass is tall, and the garden needed tending. But most of all the porch needed a lot of attention. There was the usual mess that I make when I am starting my seeds, and I fully expected that I would need to deal with my mess. But what awaited me was so much worse!

You might recall the feral cat population in our area here on the side of the mountain. You also might recall that I had said we should tame one of the kittens that would show up on the deck on the embankment. And I know you will recall that my husband looked at me like I was insane and said with all the authority he could muster that we would have NO MORE PETS.

I am allergic to cats, although it has never stopped me from having a cat around. But I do have my canine companions, so I left the cute little white kitten alone, as well as the tortoise and black one. There was also an orange one. I let them be, I did not sit quietly with treats in my hands and wait for them to venture close to me, then carefully stroke their fur and introduce them to my crazy animal attraction. I would say that I am an obedient wife, but we all know I would be saying something untrue!

He started out leaving small dishes of dogfood for the cats to eat, then graduated to buying the giant bags of cat kibble and feeding them every night before bed. Like I wouldn't notice. I warned him that they would come to expect food from him on a regular basis. I warned him that cats can be spiteful if you cut off attention suddenly. He just looked at me like I knew nothing about the ways of felines.

We went north to haul my car to my son's house for his youngest daughter, and we were gone about 10 days. He worried about his cats and got out one of the self-feeders that we used to keep full for the dogs. We stopped that when we realized how fat my Eddie was getting.

I am not sure just how many cats show up for the nighttime feast, but I knew the self-feeder would not hold 10 days' worth of kibble. He stores his cat kibble in the back of his truck and feeds them in the carport. We keep the dog food in a big heavy-duty trash can. They eat a special formula to manage their weight. Toni Louise has teeth issues, and she gets a soft food that is also stored in the big plastic trashcan.

In our absence, the feral cats gained entry to the back porch and CHEWED through the lid of the trash can!! They pulled the bag of kibble up through the hole and ate about 10lbs of the dog food before the level was too low for them to reach! Chunks of plastic and bits and pieces of the bag that held the food was everywhere. 

Initially I did not intend to clean this up. After all, I am not the one who encouraged the cats to hang out here where the supposed master of the house had declared that we would harbor no more pets. I hinted a few times that I should not be expected to clean up this mess, then my back knocked me down for two weeks and I forgot about it. The rains came and the master was back to providing food for his contingent of feline intruders. I ordered more dog food in a 40lb bag and left the big box holding the bag on the porch next to the defiled trash can. The feline demons chewed through the box! 

His solution was to secure the door that we usually leave open for the dogs to get to their back yard. No, he made absolutely no effort to clean up his mess! I tackled it today. It was so much worse that I knew. I ordered a metal can, to replace the plastic one. Let's see them chew through that! 

As I was picking up the debris of the invasion, I kept catching a whiff of something unpleasant. I knew that smell! Cat pee!! They peed on my porch and on my table where I play with seeds and such. I told you cats are spiteful.

Furthermore, he has named them! If you name it ... it is a pet!