Feral Cat Fridays: The Dynamic Duo (And A Joker)
I was leaving our driveway one day and noticed some movement in the weeds. When I investigated I found two tiny black kittens. With a little cajoling and some canned cat food Loretta and I got them into traps. We brought them into the house, planning to determine their ages the best we could, arrange for spaying or neutering if appropriate, and introduce them to the colony. The kittens had other plans. Meet Swiffer and Sofia, our house cats for the last 7 years.
Swiffer is the smaller of the two and was likely the runt of the litter. (Our guess is that someone dumped them in the weeds by the road after the rest of the litter was adopted out and only the black runt and black female were left.) Swiffer got his name from his short, bent tail that is always in motion and reminded us of a Swiffer Duster. He’s a charming, needy, stubborn, and outgoing boy that is a pro at finding a way to get into trouble and charm himself out of it. Give him a lap, a treat, and an occasional ride in his chariot. You’ll have a friend for life.
Sofia is the queen of the household, and she makes sure that everyone knows it. She has strong opinions on how things should go and is a stern taskmaster when the daily schedule is at issue. She has a love for lettuce, but it has to be the right kind of lettuce (butter lettuce is best) presented in just the right way–carefully released into her teeth at the proper angle.
And the Joker? You’ve already met Turk. He arrived a year after the dynamic duo and moved in after being neutered. He was so affectionate that he won our hearts against our better judgment. Sofia has never quite forgiven me for letting Turk move in, but she has adapted and even seems to like the guy. Turk is the perfect counterpoint to Sofia’s bossiness and Swiffer’s devil-may-care attitude. He just rolls with the punches and purrs. As long as he gets his bandana with a hint of bleach odor on laundry day he’s a happy guy. He prances around the house wearing that bandana like a prized saddle blanket.
For more photos, see Loretta’s photos here and here.
I’ve introduced all the cats that came to us on Dry Creek Hill and I’ll be taking some time off from the internet for a while. I’ll be back after my recharge.
Enjoy your time off — and those kitties!