Grateful For Catitude

Barn cats are a tough breed. 

We have four specimens of this special breed. 

And I'm always amazed they are still with us at age four. 

Yes, I just knocked on wood. 

The out of doors is a rough place. 

Country life involves foxes, stray cats, and the sheer idea of becoming lost. 

Which I'm positive happened to one of our boys a few years ago.

Missing for two weeks. 

He's never strayed again. 

Our troop grew up in our barn that sits about 30 yards from our house. 

They began residing there at eight weeks of age. 

Acquired on Independance Day. 

Hence their names. 

Firecracker. 

Popcorn. 

Jumper. 

Cali. 

I don't know how that last name came to be as the others are all BOOM related. 

BOOM as in a firework sound. 

They were named by the kids. 

Zoe was in the middle of her two years of chemo. 

She usually got anything she wanted. 

Bald and walking around in a chemo haze, she was easy to please. 

You want some kittens?

Sure thing kid!

We went to grandma's friend's house that steamy July day to get ONE kitten from the litter that was living in her shed. 

But we couldn't pick just one. 

Too. 

Much.

Cuteness. 

So, we brought all four home. 

And surprised my husband with our loot. 

Good thing he likes cats. 

As they grew older and braver they began wandering closer and closer to our house. 

And the girls eventually brought them into their domain. 

Where they were coddled and kissed and put into doll beds. 

These four siblings are by far the sweetest, most trusting felines I have ever seen. 

And I've seen many cats. 

A decade and a half of veterinary techiness behind me, I am one with cats. 

And seem to prefer their ways more so than the dog way. 

Today was shot day. 

I prefer to give these barn cats their annual vaccination to prevent feline funkitude. 

It can be pricey to take four cats to the vet's office for vaccines.

I can't by law give a rabies shot, so our horse vet does that when she comes out. 

They were all neutered, with one spay thrown in, at about 4 months of age. 

I didn't do the surgery though. 

Our vet did. 

And they still joke at their office how Popcorn lost his kernels that day. 

On cold days they tend to stay inside. 

Inside our house. 

Snuggled on our laps or on a bed with one of our two housecats.  

Sometimes we even see them snuggled up next to a dog. 

I have the honor of saying that we have the best group of cats on the planet. 

There are no fights. 

Lots of head licking. 

The barn cats exit at night to go on the prowl. 

We find dead mice sometimes. 

That's their main job. 

Mouse control. 

In warm weather they are outside all day and night. 

Lounging in the barn. 

Sunbathing near the barnyard water trough. 

Relaxing on our pool deck as children run past them to cannonball into the cool relief of water. 

Barn cats are the best. 

Well, mine are anyway...