My Baby ~~ Winston

This is Winston. He's my only male among three females ~ all fixed and he's my Baby!

He is also quite a unique character...
 
 






Winston and his mother, Molly...
when she isn't reproving him with a bat to the ear or a whack on the head for some imagined offense or just because its Tuesday.

A winter days slumber on the old rocking chair.

This, I have no explanation for! 


He's just 'Winston'

 
Is it morning yet?  Or... What do you mean its Monday, what happened to my day off, Sunday?

Winter's day nap.

Back in March, we had a nice day and this was as far as Winnie was going to enjoy the great outdoors ~ and that, was that!

So, how many cats to you know who habitually lay like this?

 Winston, inquiring after butter for his morning toast. Where's my Toast??

 Winston strongly suspects someone, who is not a family member, is on top of the fridge...

I have a plastic covering over the window so Winston can't climb up. Instead he's investigating an unusually bright orb in the night sky. Oh, what can it be???

These are only a few reason as to why he's my baby!

Catspaw

Owls ~ The Other Birds Of Prey

What's your favorite bird? I mean, if you had to think about it and choose, which one would you consider your fav.


One of my favorites is the Owl. Just because they are so unique and different from other birds of prey. Check these out and you'll see why.

Aside from looking distinctly different from all the other birds in the world, you have to love that 'head rotation' thing they do to 'hear' you better. I wonder if that occurred to the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood?

With a mighty wing span and near perfectly silent flight, cats and dogs are far safer inside at night, for although they hunt smaller prey, to them your kitten, cat or small dog IS smaller prey. 

From a cat or dog's point of view, this would be terrifying! 

Keep in mind however that, like most animals, they are only fighting to survive and it is a daily fight with the odds not necessarily in their favor. A missed meal is a matter, quite literally, of life and death for him, his mate and their owlets. That could also mean another species on the endangered list as well. 

Its also the reason why I put cat collar with bell on all my cats as a warning to the birds, mice, voles and other smaller animals they hunt ~~ another animal or bird needs them more than my cats need to kill them for sport or to pass the time when they are bored outside and looking for something to do. 

Something to consider when watching your cats and dogs playing at stalking outdoors. We need to take more responsibility and not allow our pets to damage our environment. I realize most people don't even give this a second thought, let alone a first and none of us take into account that maybe we should be more aware of what transpires in our own backyards; instead of taking it for granted that our pets only catch a 'few' small critters ~~ really how much of a dent can it make. Over time, it can mean the decrease in population of these small animals that the birds of prey depend on for their only food source. In the end, what you do does make the difference; are you contributing to something good or something that will help another animal to extinction? 

It always starts small...


Catspaw

There's A Coon At The Door!

One night while we watched a DVD Merrill heard a strange noise out the patio door. Figuring it was just another of the barn cats, we ignored it. Then it happened again. At first glance he could see nothing, then something moved and a large raccoon shambled into view. The visiting coon was a fully grown one coming to feast from an almost empty bag of old cat food. 

I managed to get pictures but it was through the patio door so they aren't exactly clear but the coon didn't seen to mind posing.
This is an adult raccoon visiting our house one night looking for a meal and he (or she) found one, of course. Hey, come to my house and any critter will find food, shelter and comfort!! 
 

He ambled around the darkened patio for awhile, peering through the glass at the cats who were peering through the same glass at him...


Guessing they were as curious about him as...

I gave him some crackers; the first of which he came over and gingerly took from my hand through the crack in the doorway I had opened so my cats wouldn't get out.

His eyes really shine in this picture! He was looking straight at me when the flash went off. Hubby offered him a piece of banana on the patio, after we left the patio for a few minutes, the banana disappeared! Guess he liked it. 


Catspaw