The kitty situation is reasonably static. Sneaky and I are spending a lot of time together while I recover from knee replacement surgery in my recliner in her room. Periodically, she cavorts with a catnip mouse, and that brings a smile to my face.

Ajax cannot stop pestering Sneaky, so we keep him separated from her. Lady and Rossie have an uneasy peace. They seem to be able to ignore one another most of the time, but about once a week they seem to forget and I hear growling or a brief altercation. Rossie has become more confident over the last year. She has a way to go yet, but she’s come a long way from when we began isolating her in the cage and night and confining her to the kitchen and parlor. She seems to prefer this arrangement, and we like the cat she’s become, so we’ll continue to support her in this manner.

Sapphire still endures being petted in the morning so she can gain access outside the cage. She willingly sniffs fingers throughout the day, but she’s unwilling to submit to a stroke of the fur. She’s increasingly interested in what lies outside the parlor door in the rest of the house. She hasn’t come to understand yet that the price of freedom in the house is allowing us to handle her for brief moments throughout the day.

Tarzan, Delta, Ruby, and Daphne are all doing well.

Walter has become a regular at the porch. Because of that, he’s getting regular cans of Fancy Feast and regular petting. I picked him up and held him for a few seconds this morning, and he handled that well.

I have seen Boomer a few times a week. He’s emaciated and clearly a very sick kitty. There’s nothing I can do for him at this point. His appearances are regular enough to try to trap him, and I can’t handle him. Despite all that, he still sprays the food tower when he finishes eating. Sigh.

Fluffy Mama Cat makes regular forays to the food tower and waterer. I’ve seen at least three of her four kittens on the game camera. I’ve seen two in person. My plan is to use Walter as an example for them. I keep hoping if they see Walter being petted while he eats that they can enjoy the same. We have about three months to try to befriend the kittens before they are old enough to become sexually active. I’d much rather be able to pick them up and take them in when they are old enough, because I need to do them catch and release. No more room in the house to trap and try to socialize. Catching Fluffy Mama Cat for the same spay and release remains a challenge as well.

In mildly disturbing news, I’ve noticed an increase in dogs roaming the neighborhood in the last two weeks.