the neighbors are more than 3 miles away n he's fixed/
i kinda thot neutering stopped wanderlust but i guess i was mistaken.

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susie

Cud is like a steer. He can still try..

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Eccentric old coot

hahaha! i guess so.
he can;t do that here, because drifter would give him a facefull of claws.
the cats play together, but drifter lets no one take liberties.

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susie

Wandering never stops. My old guy would be gone for days. Also don’t underestimate their ability to learn how to survive without making ultimate errors.

i wouldn't mind wandering, but our coyotes are bold at night.
i keep drifter in at night, because of that.
anyway, his job is killing vermin close to my house n garden.
killing mice in the next county does me no good.

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susie

I sure wish up you well, susie!! I don't have the answer, but wish I did. We have coyotes here as well, but they seem to have a pretty wide range that they travel. I'll hear them one night, and then nothing for days. I keep Bella and Lucky inside here at the cabin, but at the house, some of our cats stay out at night, and some stay inside. So far we have not lost any to the coyotes or in the daytime to the hawks. Or for that matter, at night we also have large owls, which I think would be capable of taking at least one of the smaller cats. There are also foxes, although I don't know if they prey on cats or not.

I hope for the best for drifter and cuddles.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Kitties are by nature jungle critters. the Squeaking Evil Demon Kitty would hide in places that seemed to be far to small, and be almost in plain sight once located, but she loved to be the jungle kitty for most of her life. For many years, the only way I could count on find her was to send her Rott out - she almost always came to Mack.

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NHI, 10-8.

when i called drifter in for the night, i grabbed up cud forced him in the house. i'm gonna try to convince him that night means inside.
drifter knows this.
it won;t help if he takes off midmorning, but reduces the level of danger.
he wants to be out at night but being inside is no punishment. he has spent most of his life indoors n is comfy inside.more litter box duty for me.
sigh.

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susie

Yep!! This is "L.B."...(stands for "Little Boy") he is a big cat, and thinks he is a "jungle cat"!! He is big boned and although he looks slim, he is a heavy cat. He is 13 years old now, and thinks he is about 2. He lives at the house along with three other cats, and a dog.



Anyway, you hit the nail on the head with that "jungle critters" description!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

yeah, cat;s aren;t exactly cute unless you feel affection for them.
drifter's profile looks like she's smiling/
but if you look at a cat's face dispassionately, you see a mean killer face.
adorable.

LB sure looks like cuddles. same pretty markings.
you got a pic of squeak , doug?

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susie

These are the two easiest to find, from a couple of the Rainbow Bridge tributes. My wife probably has others.

The first is Squeak on top of Booboo, on a chair. I can't recall how they ended up like that, and I was amazed as they did not get along at all. Booboo was awful with her and all other cats.

The second is Squeak curled up to Sasha - two old ladies. Sasha was a RottXPit of some kind, looking like a scaled up Pit with rott colors. They got along well.

Attached Images

	9SqueakOnBooboo.jpg (19.8 KB, 39 views)
	10buddies1.jpg (27.6 KB, 43 views)

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NHI, 10-8.

very cute critters, doug.
i've noticed that family dogs tend to get along with family cats.
it's nice to have both.
i have work for a dog.
i've damaged my hearing with gunfire/
i could use an alarm system to tell me when someone comes.

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susie

The trip is probably too hard on you, and the cats would hate it, or I would recommend rottsoffriends. (Renee insists on personal visits, and that all family members attend. She is completely no nonsense, but very savvy.)I suspect Drifter would have a hard time with all but the most unusual dog. Cud is young enough that he would do ok if the dog was calm. There is a really great dog there named "Rhino" (I would have changed it to "Worf"). He's a good sized (about 125) RottXBoerboel who was affectionate with us but poor with our female, which was a real shame. I would love to see him get a home with the right person, probably a rural dweller with a need for a house dog who discourages the unwelcome. He probably needs to be an only dog, and I question how he would do with cats anyway.

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NHI, 10-8.

thanks for the tip, doug.
i don't need an inside dog. i need an inside/outside dog whose jo would be barking at strangers.
but drifter has the final say here.
cud is here only because she accepts him, unlike unrelated cats.
i let cud out after breakfast. he left at 10am n came back at 8:30pm.
drifter used to do this but it's long for him.
today, i let both out at 7am with no breakfast.
it was easy to get them in at 11am.
it was hard to let drifter in n out for her evening hunt. he wanted out, but i grabbed him up n held him.
being outside for 4 hours/day would keep him alive, but keeping a fast cat inside when i gotta go in n out is gonna be a problem.
spending all day out was fine when he stayed in the garden, but wandering far afield will get him killed.
eventually, he'll have to take his chances.
this is no prison.

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susie

Oh, I bet he would do ok with a fenced yard to roam now and then. Our dogs are house hounds, but they go out on a regular basis.

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NHI, 10-8.

i'm afraid drifter wouldn;t accept a big dog.
judging by her nightmares, some canine has tried to eat her in the past.
i can think of no other reason for nightmares.

cuddles came to call twice today.
i hugged him to pieces n gave him a snack.
the first time, he was very far away.
i called. heard a far off '' i'm coming'' meow.

i called n called, getting a meow in response every time, til he scaled the wall n came to me.
both cats came, both cats got fussed over.
this is great because i know they will respond to me.
the bad part is the day he didn't come.
these guys have remarkable hearing. i believe my shouts can be heard by them 200 yards away.
drifter no longer goes further than that, but cud does.
cud has never had anyone try to eat him. so he;s taking silly chances.
i won't let him out at night again.

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susie

I have 2 cats, they sometimes come in a night for snuggles and treats. Sometimes they don't. They can get in the shop no problem. I find them sleeping in vehicles at times. I know they spend time roaming the roofs over shop, carport and house. I find dead mice and birds in the shop and on the porch. I guess left for me to admire. I have also seen a fox in the area. They must know how to hide from them. I am sometimes gone for over a month and they always find out I am back quickly and come to welcome me back. Somebody fills their water and food while I am gone. Blue has been roaming my place for over 7 years now and must have outdoor survival figured out.

steel, were these house cats that learned survival skills?
if they were, that says cud has a chance.
i was thinking that a cat had to be born feral to have a chance
against coyotes/

got a pic?

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susie

iggy mentiond that i have my cat house in order n he's right.

cud now comes to call, but only if he's out of the garden.
he thinks, as do i, that the garden is part of the house n neither cat comes to call inside unless i tell them there's food involved.
both cats now spend nights indoors n roam in daylight/
this should keep them alive.
both these guys like routine. as long as every night is spent inside, they are happy with that.

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susie

I found Blue the older cat hiding by a bridge along the Missouri river in a small town. She was either abandon or lost there as she was very hungry and begging for attention. Left some food her. Locals said she had been there a while. She was still there 3 days later so I took her home. She was a house cat, butt I think the feral is pretty close to the surface in all cats. The second cat was kinda dumped on me by a nephew. It is very tame, but a real bird and mouse killer. Cats are never really tame. They are just smart enough to take the easy way if we give it to them.

i have no use for tame cats,
i courted drifter so she would kill for me.

i'm gonna show a profit on cats.
i'll post so;id numbers in a few months, but figs are a high value crop.
there are at least 300 out there, worth $150.
plus 12 bunches of grapes n some veggies.
if i amortize the neutering over 20 years, that's $12.50/year.
add that to food n litter n that's less than the value of the crops they protect.
people sometimes report 90% losses of figs to vermin, so my guys are making a real contribution to my household.

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susie

Sounds like a good deal to me! They are working cats doing their job well and that's a great way to be

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

i have no fear of catnapping.
had some plumbers over.
drifter was out, she never came in for her snack.
cud was indoors, but evaporated,
i have no idea where he was but
no one ever saw my cats,

i never did either, til i started screaming about supper.
drifter came in ready to fight or flee.
she slunk thru every room, expecting enemies.
i guess plumber smell lingers.
she didn't relax til she patrolled the whole house.
this evening they are the most loving cats ever.
drifter is between my legs n cud is tight to my chest.
they leave only to get a quick bite, but immediately return .
they always do this a bit, but never this constantly.
they are ignoring important cat business, to get some reassurance.

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susie

You represent safety and well-being to them.

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NHI, 10-8.

Here is a pic of one of my feral cats we call boots because she has four white feet.Boots1.jpg

Susie, are you going to have figs for sale? Will they survive shipping? I'm interested if so.

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Old paratrooper in NC

great cat, md.
she has a nice feral look, which i find adorable.

sorry, dan. figs don't ripen off the tree. they will start to ferment by the time you get them.
they are at their best refridgerated for no more than 8 hours.
that's why people all over the country grow their own .
if you have a yard, you can grow a tree inground where you are in nc.
or you can grow one in a big pot, anywhere.
in fla, you might find some at a farmers market,
if you wanna try growing some, i can send you some cuttings.

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susie

ARG! I GOT A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE!

i guess it's an escapee from kitty boot camp, living on cat food.
saw it last night n the house feels creepy.
this morn i woke up to see cud had it.
i was real pleased with cud, for a few seconds.
but this is a smart mouse.
it sat there unmoving, which confused cud.
then it made a dash for it n stupid cud let it get away.
he thinks it's a toy.
i;m wondering if he does my garden any good.
drifter can do the job by herself n i think she does.

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susie

Drifter probably does do the lion's share of the mouse and varmint duty in your garden and house, but Cud probably does scare a good number of them away before they do any damage to your figs. He probably does catch and kill the"stupid" mice that most of them are. Drifter is the craftier, quicker cat with the killer instinct who would have gotten this"smart" mouse more easily than Cud could, but he probably does do his share by limiting the number of mice so that she can concentrate on a mouse of the caliber you saw in your house.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Cats that aren’t real hungry often play with critters,next time cud may finish it off.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

i suppose i could starve the cats, but i can;t.
it works with drifter. she prefers mice, so she
limits how much kibble she eats.
when her hunt is good, she just snacks.
not sure about cud.
he may like kibble too much, but i can't feed one cat.
i put out food, they eat.
['m the only over weight one.

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susie

IT HAPPENED AGAIN!
cud caught that mouse. it was on its side, looking dead.
but, it has possum blood.
as soon as cud relaxed, the mouse ran off n made his getaway.
i'm gonna load my pellet gun n do the mousing myself.

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susie

IT HAPPENED AGAIN! this morn, cud caught that mouse for a minute, then it got away.
after noon, i saw the mouse huddled under a cabinet.
i grabbed up drifter n took her there, but i couldn't make her see it.
meanwhile, i was shouting MOUSE MOUSE MOUSE.

this brot cud over, but he didn't see it either.
at least that corner of the room was full of cats so mr rodent didn;t move.
i got the gardening trowel i use to clean up the litter boxes n stabbed the mouse to death.
2 cats in the house n i gotta kill the mice myself.
i thot i'd get twice the killing with 2 cats but i'm getting less than half.
drifter could have eliminated the vermin, but if cud is in hot pursuit, she lets him handle it, like she's still training him.
so, cud not only screws up, he stops drifter from doing her job.
then, when i gave the mouse to him, he didn;t eat it. he just played with it.
i feel stupid for spending all that money on cud.

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susie

susie....

He's still learning. He'll eventually be the mouser you hope for. I know how frustrating it can be. The best mouser we ever had was Sylvester, (who as I reported back in April), passed away. But he wasn't always that way. I have a picture of him down at my cabin in the eastern panhandle, laying in an easy chair, watching a mouse eating cat food nuggies out of his feeding bowl!! He couldn't be bothered to run that mouse away, let alone catch him. But he finally developed into a lightning quick (for an 18 pound cat) mouser. And he had patience!! He would lie motionless for hours, watching a spot where he felt a mouse might appear...and when Mr. Mouse would show himself, BAM!!!... it was all over.

So I feel that cud will eventually evolve into a master mouser!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I was finally able to get a pic of my other feral cat we call him Sunshine.

Attached Images

Sunshine.jpg (227.6 KB, 186 views)

thanks he's beautiful/
how feral are they?. have you tamed them much?

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susie

They are not tame at all. They will run off if approached but they seem to hang around most every day. I usually feed them in the afternoon and they always show up to eat. I haven't really tried to tame them I think they will live longer it they stay feral.

yeah, my drifter lived her whole life with coyotes roaming around.
ferals understand the world better than house cats.
drifter had a den that kept her dry in the worst weather n i bet it was too small for a coyote to get into.
i suspect she lived in an irrigation pipe that's only 9'' wide.
your guys are both males?

even now, she is invisible in the bush n completely silent outdoors.

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susie

mdf, he's is sure a handsome fellow!! Thanks for sharing him with us!!



Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

PLUMBERS WRECK CATS
ever since those plumbers came i've had problems with cud.
i posted how he;s worthless with mice. but since the plumbers came, e doesn;t wanna leave the house.
if drifter n i go out, he sometimes comes along, but cries to get back in within 10 minutes.
i'm not a cat lover like many of you guys .
i need no pampered house cat.
i'm gonna have to get harsh with this animal.

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susie

cuddles is one perceptive cat.
yesterday, i decided on a kill or cure remedy
to stop his desire to be a welfare cat.
i was gonna cut his food in half n bar him from the house for a couple weeks.
somehow, he sensed this.
when i called him in for his last full meal, he came
with great pride, carrying a baby mouse.
he threw it in the air a bunch of times,
then, he ate it.
a baby mouse isn;t much of a challenge.
he killed one that drifter brot at 9 weeks old.
but, he caught, killed n ate evil prey.
he;s clumsy, but willing, so i told him all was forgiven.
i loved him to pieces all evening.
he even got a little milk, which is reserved for killers

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susie

The black cat I ended up with is a killing machine, birds, mice whatever. Thats all fine and good, especially the mice. But, I am tired of him dragging them in the house, in the shop or leaving them in front of the door. Other day I was cutting a piece of 1/2" aluminum plate up to make a griddle that covers the whole strove top and milling grease grooves around the perimeter. He brings a mouse and drops it at my feet. Hooray for you. Next day, I ended up with a bird flying around the house, because he caught it, then brought it inside to play with it and it got away and took wing. Then, I had cat and dogs after it. Don't need the excitement in the house. 3rd time I ended up with a dead bird and a bunch of feathers in the house. NO. If Blue cat didn't deserve the use of the cat door, I would lock it closed.

CONTEST OF WILLS, DAY 10
cud has decided to be a house cat. he never wants to go outside.
i suspect something scared him, but he had no injuries.
anyway, drifter would tell me if something bad was around.

it used to be, if i said OUTSIDE, cud would gallop to the door n stand there quivering til i opened the door.
now, i have to hunt him down n toss him out bodily.

i/m trying to put him on a schedule to go out with drifter.
they go out at 7am, til a 10am snack.
then out with me from 12 til 2.
finally, they go out with me in the eve. i go out at 6pm n let them back in at 10pm.
this isn;t lots of time, but i think it's the minimum to do their work.
drifter likes this schdule, tho yesterday she was out 12 full hours.

i thot cud would get used to this, but he's fighting.
this is not a case of bad weather.
i keep them in if it's nasty out there.

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susie

My cats have never been very trainable,they know what I want them to do and if they feel like it they might humor me and do it but rarely will they do it twice consecutively. Mine are very nocturnal and like to lay up all day in a nice comfy spot.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

drifter isn't nocturnal.
she mostly sleeps at night/
i think this is a defense against coyotes.

cud is nocturnal, so maybe this is my fault.
when he started roaming i worried he would get killed at night, so i kept him in.
perhaps i should let him take his chances outside at night.

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susie

Maybe let cud out a little longer into the evening gradually with drifter (if she'll go). But like you said, he may have been severely scared by something and just about escaped luckily. It's hard to say... Just maybe start while it's still warm. Those coyotes probably get real hungry when the weather turns colder and you done want cud to be their snack

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

well, i guess it was my fault.
i started going out more.
drifter always comes with me n when cud saw both of us leave, he would accompany us.
but last night, i called them in for the night.
it takes drifter 5 minutes to come up the 4 steps.
as i waited, cud came in n got his ears scritched.
then, he went back out n refused to come in.
he spent the night outside.
he wasn't even very hungry when he came in.
i guess i have to accept the fact that cud is nocturnal n
won't be happy unless he stays in days n works nights.
i hope he can keep himself alive.

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susie

I hope he can too!!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

How's the fig harvest going this year?

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

this is my first year with a good harvest. i will get 300 figs before frost. next year it should be 1,000.
potted figs have crops faster. when you put them inground, they spend years working on roots before making big crops.
i'm gonna throw drifter in the washing machine.
she was nice n brushed, laying between my legs.
i was just stroking her as i watched tv.
my hand came away black.
brushing doesn't remove the dirt ,
she rolls in the dirt every day n i see no way to stop that.
cud the clutz is much cleaner.

cats draw mice.
i used to get a mouse or two when the weather turned cold.
now it's all the time.
cud caught a baby mouse yesterday.
lost it.
found it 10 minutes later.
lost it.
found it.
lost it.
found it.
no excuse for losing it because a baby is so slow.
finally, i got up n stepped on the mouse.
only then did cud throw it in the air a couple times n ate it.
that baby could not have got in the house.
it was born here.
that means the mother n the rest of the litter are roaming around.
disgusting.
i think poison works better than cats, but i can't use it without killing cats.

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susie