MY GARDEN IS PROTECTED !

[susieqz]

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.

 

[Redbert31]

Sounds like a good deal to me! They are working cats doing their job well and that's a great way to be [emoji4]

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[susieqz]

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.

 

[Doug M.]

You represent safety and well-being to them.

 

[mdf9183]

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

 

[Trooperdan]

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

 

[susieqz]

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.

 

[susieqz]

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.

 

[Redbert31]

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

 

[vonn]

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

 

[susieqz]

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.

 

[susieqz]

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.

 

[susieqz]

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.

 

[les.b]

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

 

[mdf9183]

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

 

[susieqz]

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

 

[mdf9183]

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.

 

[susieqz]

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.

 

[les.b]

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

Best Regards, Les

 

[susieqz]

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.