Friday, November 03, 2006

It was cold today...brrrrr

I left Daisy outside too long today, so she went and hunted up herself a warm place to lay. I don't know where she went, but she came home as soon as she heard the car pull in the driveway. Wherever her secret little warm spot is, I hope she doesn't return to it again...wishful thinking on my part.

Look at my little sweet Daisy all covered in black soot!
Well, she's not little, but she is sweet.


At least she makes an effort to clean herself up. I'm guessing that she went under someone else's house and cuddled up to their warm furnace pipes...But to look like Daisy, the pipes must be separated and heating the outdoors instead of the indoors. Last year she did the same thing...came home all sooty and I remember the neighbor complaining about how cold their house was and when they opened up their crawl space, under the house...it was toasty warm. One of the vent pipes had come loose. No wonder the cats loved it under there.

We have a neighbor who likes our cats to crawl under his house, so he leaves an opening for them. He says it keeps the mice out of his house and we told him that the cats will tear up his insulation and that's why we don't let them under our house. He said he doesn't care...He'd rather have torn up insulation than mice...fine.

I don't think that Daisy was under his house though...I think she went to someone else's house...She came from the wrong direction...the direction of the previous dislocated vent pipe. I think I'll ask them if their furnace is heating the house tomorrow or if they think it feels a little 'chilly' in there. I'll suggest that they take a peek under their house...I know the spot...and check for a loose pipe. They wouldn't know about it because they just moved there in the summer.

Below is what Daisy usually looks like...nice & clean and white with orange spots. I really don't know why she's so fat because she's such a playful cat and starts her morning ritual at daybreak by waking me up by trying to take the phone receiver off the hook. Then she's off to run around in circles while chasing a plastic ball around a large round blue plastic ring. She's really very noisy when she plays.

If seven cats wasn't enough...another neighbor, two doors down moved and left these two cats behind. (Picture below) I thought they were both tomcats, but now I'm not so sure...one has pom poms, so it's a tom...but the smaller cat has nothing, yet. Of course our cats wouldn't let them in the yard, so we fed them by the fence. The larger tom has learned where the hidden cat feeders are and sneaks over to eat, but the smaller cat is still shy and gets chased when it tries to venture near the feeders. But the other cats are slowly beginning to accept them a little at a time...especially when they see us holding and petting them.

They almost look identical except for their size. Does anyone need a cat? These cats will eat ANYTHING and are very friendly. They love children.

Jimmy likes to spoil them with canned cat food. I had all the cats weaned from the canned food and they were very happy with their dry food and the vet & I were also happy that they were eating healthy. There was no more early morning meowing and tripping you up as you walked...You could even walk out the door without being attacked by a flock of meowing cats...I know they aren't a flock. It was really nice & peaceful. The cats would just wander on up for petting every once in a while and, sometimes honor you by sitting in your lap. BUT NO MORE!!! Thanks to my wonderful husband.

But I shouldn't make fun of Jimmy, because now he's taken over the chore of feeding our many cats.

Are you sure you don't need a cat? or two???


9 comments:

Motherkitty said...

Awwww. Poor kitty. She was just trying to find a nice warm spot to wait for you guys to come home.

You are too nice to continue feeding those who cute tigers. BTW, better get the little one fixed pronto before you are inundated with a little of babies.

Love your new roof!!!

doubleknot said...

My Moocher also has a warm spot somewhere - he isn't dirty when he comes in. We have had a time getting him to stay in the house and get some petting - we need it. Since I started giving his can food and dry food he doesn't cough with hair balls hardly any. I think he goes out and then wants back in so he will get more food. How nice for you to take in two strays. That is how we got Moocher the people left him behind and he just sort of adopted us.

Carole Burant said...

I can never understand how people can just up and abandon animals:-( These two kitties are very lucky that you're feeding them and giving them some cuddles! Oh dear, Daisy certainly does look like she had a run in with some soot! lol Hopefully your neighbours aren't starting to freeze yet! hehe

Rachel said...

Ohhh, they are cute. They look like my cat!! I'm glad Jimmy and you (not proper English I know!) take care of the cats!! I spoil them with canned food too, but not every day. There was a stray that usually stayed more at my neighbor's house but since I've been giving him canned cat food he has moved onto our porch.

Alipurr said...

1 have 6 too many right now....and 2 of them look just like your new ones

Susan Tidwell said...

Does Daisy let you give her a bath? I know most cats really hate that. Sounds like you are a good neighbor, telling them about the furnace pipes - or let Daisy show them!

Hunter said...

"Pom poms?"

Thank you for the permanent addition to my vocabulary. I can hardly wait to say my new phrase to Dear Mate.

It'll probably end up in my NaNo writing, too.

Thank you Sandy. :)

Darilyn

P.S. - It's 86 in my living room. Your frosty pictures were quite a contrast.

Kerri said...

Do we need more cats? I was going to ask you to take some of ours! :)
Pom poms...that made me chuckle too :)
You're a good neighbor and Daisy is a good separated furnace pipe detector!
Your cats are so sweet. I especially love the 3rd pic down. She's looking sqeaky clean there :)
Those poor abandoned kitties are lucky to have found you two. You have big hearts. I can relate to being tripped up as I walk and being attacked by a 'flock' of meowing cats :)

Katie said...

Cats are so smart and will find the warmest place to sleep. I miss not having a cat but sorry, one dog is all I can handle now.