Last week I posted about Rossie escaping to the garage.  Mr L lured her into the laundry room to eat and pulled a string on the screen door between the laundry room and the garage to trap her inside the house.  Needless to say, she was less than happy about that, but she seems to have readjusted to being back in the house, bothering Mr. L during the night for ear and chin scratches (she only does this at night, and she only does it in San Antonio), playing with her toys, sprawling in the garden window, and playing with Ajax.  Whew.  Good to have her back.

Meanwhile, Sneaky is acting more and more like the side porch and side yard is her domain.  She lashes out with her claws less and less and when she bites, she holds back and is much closer to the “love bites” of domesticated cats who just want your attention.  And Sneaky wants attention.  She wants her ears rubbed.  I hope she’ll be okay while we’re on vacation. I’ve been tempted to gather her with the inside horde and take her to the clinic for boarding.  But the would disturb another dynamic in play in the outside cat drama.

I’m noticing the scruffy orange and white cat I call Mooch around the house more and more.  Most mornings, he’s curled up in the center of the gazebo area on the front porch.  I talk to him when I pick up the mail, and he just looks at me.  At that distance, I’m no threat to him.  I thought Mooch had a home up the street, but I’m beginning to doubt that.  If Sneaky isn’t outside, I pick up the feeder, because she’s the only known feral I have left.  I don’t want to encourage all the other cats in the neighborhood to come here for free dining if she’s not around.  But.  If Mooch doesn’t have a home, what he’s able to supplement his diet with here is somewhat important, so by leaving Sneaky here, he will have access to a little food and a safer environment.  I’m at the point where I’m debating about trapping Mooch and getting him neutered.  We’ll see if he’s still hanging around after we get back form vacation.

As for the inside cats, Lady still seems to be pretty jealous of the other cats.  She was okay with Natasha and Ajax, because they were here first.  Of course, Tarzan is a litter mate, so she was fine with him, but after this influx of four kittens all at once, I think she’s been overwhelmed.  I try to make sure she gets plenty of attention, but the beat downs are pretty regular, still.  If I see it coming, I can tell her to stop, and she generally does. She’s the biggest cat in the house, and only Floyd is large enough among the kittens to stand up to her, and he doesn’t do that much. (Have I mentioned Floyd is a massive kitty?)  At almost eleven months old, I’m not sure how much bigger they are going to get.  They’ll probably still grow a little for a few months yet, but I think they’re mostly grown.