I’m amused that ever since Jase arrived, the outdoor cats seem to be in more regular attendance. For whatever the reason, the new outdoor quartet seems to be set with one more to be captured, tested, neutered and vaccinated.

Walter is our friendliest outdoor sweetie. He’s either teasing the heck out of Jase or is genuinely curious about him, because when Jase comes outside at night, Walter is waiting for him — at a safe distance.

Zelda, of course, is our most attentive and most standoffish and the only girl in the crowd. She’s loving being retired from having kittens. She watches Jase with stritct attentiveness and keeps well out of his way. Mr. L and I have both been able to brush her back a couple of times in recent weeks. Could she be acquiescing to some attention? Probably wishful thinking.

Gray Socks Ghost survived trapping and testing (even though he’s feline AIDS positive, he escaped the FIV death sentence), he’s neutered and vaccinated, and his injured paw is finally showing signs of healing. I can just brush his back, but he hisses and growls. No. Not particularly anxious to be handled either, although, I have to keep trying to be able to treat him when he begins to suffer the inevitable illnesses in store for him.

Scooter completes the foursome. I plan to trap him in June (in all honestly, this isn’t cheap, and I need to spread out the expenses as best I can). I’ll be praying he’s healthy and can be neutered and vaccinated. He’s on the porch every morning anxiously awaiting his can, but he will not yet let me near him.

Three or four cats on the outdoor feeder seems to be the most stable environment for the yard. There are many other cats in the neighborhood, but these four are working well. When Scooter pays his price to eat at the feeder, all will be well.

Finally, an update on last week. Jase is a little calmer with the door this week. In most things, he learns fast. I have to keep reminding myself he’s a four-month-old puppy. He can sit on one side of the baby gate, and his head is above the gate. The only thing keeping him behind the gate is that he hasn’t tried to come over the gate yet.