Howling Cat on the Porch & Other News
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I was sitting here working on old online book reviews when I heard this plaintive howling out on the porch.
So I got up and looked out the window. I saw that it was one of the orange-and-white cats I regularly feed. I’d put food out there for them to eat early this morning as I always do.
I texted Smitty next door, who names the cats and seems to know everything about them. He said the big black cat named Glen (a male that hasn’t yet been fixed) was on his porch, bullying the orange-and-white cat.
I forget the names of similar colored cats, but this one is either Happy or Friendly. But I guess one of them came here after being bullied by Glen.
Smitty is trying to catch the males that have shown up so he can have them fixed. He’s been keeping the mama cat with her kittens inside until he can get her fixed. We think the big black cat is the father of the kittens.
She had the kittens a month or so ago. I told him I’d pay to have her fixed, while he continues to deal with fixing the stray male cats.
I guess Ivy is in my bedroom, where she usually goes in the daytime after I feed them their morning canned food. But the howling outside got the attention of Simon and Daisy.
Gray & Cold Outside:
It is gray and cold outside, and it rained quite a bit yesterday. I have my little stove on and am listening to Peter Kater’s piano music.
I’ve decided how I’m going to decorate the little tabletop Christmas tree I’ve left up for spring. I’ll start taking down the winter ornaments and replacing them, then I’ll take photos.
I’ve really enjoyed this tree with the lights in my dining room, which is the darkest room in the house. It is the room in the center that all the other rooms connect to, so it doesn’t have any windows.
I’m also going to add more lights to the tree because I find them so pretty. Have any of you left your tree up after the holidays? I’ve never done this before, and I didn’t know if I’d get tired of it, but I haven’t so far.
Spring Planting:
I’m trying to decide what to do about spring planting on the porch and below it. With my knees bothering me so much this year, I don’t know how much I’ll get accomplished, which is disappointing. But then, we have to deal with things as they come. Getting old isn’t for sissies.
I know I won’t be spending much money on plants, as my income has been cut in half due to AI taking over Google results. Plus, I have to pay for expensive dental work. I need a couple more dental crowns, several cavities treated, and a mouth guard.
I’m beginning to wonder if this is just my season of dental woes. In 2025, I paid a significant amount of money for the bridge and crowns. She told me I needed this other work done when I had my teeth cleaned last week.
I got the bridge so I could eat on that side of my mouth again. Then a dental crown above it began to cause problems, and now it’s painful to eat on that side again. The next step will be to add a crown to the tooth I broke while eating popcorn.
When it rains, it pours.
Kendra’s Current Cat Problems:
Kendra is having all kinds of problems with her two cats. Milly, the rescue cat she already had before Maggy, pees and poops on her rugs. Milly has never gotten used to having Maggy in the house. And I suppose this is how she shows her anger.
I told her to have Milly checked for a urinary infection, as that sometimes causes this behavior. But the vet said she’s perfectly healthy.
Kendra has switched litter boxes, litter, and litter types; separated them; and let them roam the house together. Nothing seems to work.
I found the name of a cat behavior specialist, so she might have to go that route. She has told me she cries herself to sleep because this is all so upsetting.
I told her that if all else fails, I would take Maggy. Maggy is easygoing; it’s Milly that is the problem cat. I guess some cats just can’t tolerate another cat in the house.
Kendra wants to build a catio off Riley’s bedroom if she can find him a house to buy to set him up in. We’re thinking that maybe having an outdoor space would help Milly with her territorial problem.
I think Riley’s bedroom is the smallest. He was at college for three years, and now he is home and working in a nearby town. He’s 22 now. Marley is 17 and has one more year of high school before she’s off to college. Lord, how time flies!
What I’m Watching:
I’m currently watching a Stephen King series called Castle Rock. I know I’ve seen it before, but I didn’t figure it out until I got involved in the story. It’s on Netflix.
The show features locations and references from numerous Stephen King stories.
The places featured are from his stories about Shawshank State Prison, the Marsten House, and Juniper Hill Asylum.
What I’m Reading:
I’m reading C.J. Box’s latest Joe Pickett book, The Crossroads.
Book Summary:
Joe Pickett was found in his pickup at Antler Creek Junction, a crossroads connecting three ranches. Each road leads to a dangerous family. And each family has a different bone to pick with the local game warden.
His wife, Marybeth, and the new sheriff assume that Joe was ambushed by one of the families. But they have no idea which one since Joe didn’t say where he was going or why.
With Joe unconscious and fighting for his life, Marybeth stays at his side. Daughters Sheridan, April, and Lucy split up to investigate the three families and uncover the truth about what happened to their father.
***
What’s going on in your neck of the woods this early March day? Ivy just threw up on the hallway rug, so I guess that’s what I’m getting up to deal with next.
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Long time reader, first time responder. 👋🏻
Not sure how your Humane Society works but ours offers free neutering (and necessary vet care) for strays. The kittens are then put up for adoption. If the adult cats are considered too feral for adoption, they are released back into the neighborhood after neutering and vet care. Their ears are notched to indicate that they are neutered.
Our winters can be brutally cold so neighbors do what they can to take care of the strays. Most people are caring and don’t want to see animals suffer.
My county offers the same TNR services (Trap Neuter Release). It does cost a little bit of $$ (I think $50) but they will spay or neuter, take care of fleas, do vaccinations etc plus microchip all for that fee. You then have to come back and pick up the cat and then release it back into your neighborhood. Like you said, they notch the ear too, to let people know the cat has been TNR’d. I’ve been trying to catch a certain feral here for several years, without success. He is so smart and knows how to step over the trap plate to not trigger it! Now we have another male feral that comes around once in awhile. Haven’t seen him in about a month, so I hope something didn’t happen to him. (Lots of coyotes here.) However, I’ve seen on the neighborhood FB page that several different neighbors feed the feral cats, so hopefully he’s just getting fed somewhere else right now.
I wouldn’t be able to get them to the vet and back, so Smitty next door takes care of the trapping and taking them in.
All four neighbors on my side of the street help with the strays.
I live in the hot part of Arizona (110-120 summers) and tried for years to successfully plant and keep alive my large pots on my patio. They did great in the spring but as soon as the extreme dry heat arrived, they died … period, dead dead, no resuscitation. All that money and work down the drain each summer. So I “planted” metal flowers and decorations in my pots and they look inviting all year long. When the fade, as they do here in the sun, I take them inside, give them a good cleaning, get out my craft paints and have fun “painting my own garden.”
Sounds good to me! No use wasting money.
Oh boy. Outside cats! We’ve lived for 4 years in a rural community and love it. There are stray cats that I assume are barn cats. This year as we leave the house we’ll hear a tiny meow in the bushes. It’s a tiny tabby cat that looks a little skinny. After looking on our county’s animal control site, it says not to feed farm cats. Makes sense as they provide a service keeping rodents away. But that tiny meow…
Oh, that tiny meow would really get to me!
Oh no, I’d never be able to not feed a skinny cat that was meowing! 🙁
Me either.
Sound like this tiny cat could use your help and is not eating.
Oh yes, this past week Hubby had his crown replaced etc. He said they like to never got it off and he has had pain ever since. I have to keep giving him some pain meds each day plus try to feed soft food. SO FRUSTRATING. I sure hope yours does better than his has!! We had to pay $1633 for the privilege too.
My daughter moves in soon and if she can, she will find ways to work online for awhile here to de-stress from the abusive work situation she was in for several years. If any good ideas come along…will be sure to send your way.
I wish your daughter luck. She’s sure been through a lot.
Thanks Brenda…this is my younger daughter…single, no kids. She has escaped one of the most toxic work situations ever…I am convinced the boss man was stalking her…so I am so very glad she will be with us in a town 40 min away by highway!! It has affected her health so I sure hope she can rest awhile and get on her feet before taking another job. She is completing an online degree too. So figures to be with us a year or so.
As to the other daughter…her last court thing, the trio of judges decided the lousy decision of the last judge was correct…NO PROTECTION for the children much less for my daughter. I am scared for them frankly. You are right…she has been and is in a kind of hell.
I didn’t realize you had another daughter. Men are beasts. These days, nothing surprises me.
When the kids outgrew the diaper and barfing stage I felt relief. Twas short lived however as then we had dogs to deal with!! One of them was a complete wreck when we went in the car so would always barf then. We had a lidded old coolwhip container we kept in the car for such things. She got most upset with us holding it under her chin tho as she thought we CAUSED her to barf!! Daughter finally figured out to feed her bread a while before we left and at least that stopped the mess in the car!! My somehow you seem to be inheriting cats inside and out!! I guess with 3 cats, one more would work ok. Thought the photo of Ivy on the couch is hilarious!! You should enter it in a contest!!
Ivy has always posed in weird ways.
Hi Brenda. I’ve heard of plug ins with pheromones that calms cats. Sometimes correcting misbehavior. I guess it’s what their mothers emit 🤷🏻♀️. I hope you can research for your daughter. I think I found them on amazon
I have tried them and so has she, but they didn’t work for either of us.
They didn’t work for my 3 cats (when we had them) either.
Yes, I keep my tree up all year. I used to decorate it for the different holidays. Right now, it’s decorated with a bunch of woobles. They are small crochet stuffed animals you make from kits. My daughter in law makes them for me. It’s awfully cute, and a great way to display them. It’s funny how some animals are so social and others are not. I was worried about Ivy, but she seems to have accepted your new kittens better than I thought she would. Hope do you think they’ll all feel about another cat moving in? I’m sorry your daughter is getting so upset. That’s very frustrating for her. It’s nice of you to offer to take one. As for your outside cats, definitely get as many fixed as possible, as soon as possible, or you will be overrun with cute babies, but who will all depend on you to feed them. And I’m sorry about your dental problems. Everything is so expensive these days! Even just cleanings! Hopefully Ivy just threw up a hairball and isn’t feeling sick.
Ivy eats too fast and sometimes throws up. Those ornaments sound adorable! I’m enjoying my tree. And why put it away in the backyard shed just to drag it back in at Christmastime, I told myself.
That is why I have holes in my mouth. So expensive! The bridges are so uncomfortable! Plus putting them in and taking them out makes me feel like I’m going to break off the anchor teeth! So I will live with 3 missing teeth. Not that I like it, but…
Cats can be so unpredictable! Your poor daughter! It can be so stressful! I was thinking diabetics at first. But the vet ruled that out.
The bridge I have doesn’t come out. I didn’t know some did.
I personally have not kept a tree up all year but I know people who have. My mom used to keep white lights on a tree and add decorations for the next holiday. Shamrocks now, Easter eggs and bunnies after that and so on. I think it’s a lovely idea.
Well, it’s just a little uplift in my normal day to have the lights twinkling.
YES!!!! Twinkle lights are THE best!!!
They’re so cheerful!
Sorry the cats aren’t getting along , at your daughters . If Maggie comes to live with you , she’ll be well loved .
About you not planting as many flowers 🌺 I have a dear friend who’s yard is garden magazine material. She told me a little trick she does . In places in her yard she will stick in fake flowers with the real flowers . Now I do this to. Hopefully it will work for you too.
I mostly, if I remember correctly, planted perennials down on the ground. So I’d mostly be filling the pots on the porch.
I hope everything is OK with Ivy. We caught Libby trying to eat the yarn on a braided toy so that had to be removed. It is supposed to snow here again tomorrow, cold and damp today. I was also thinking about what to plant in the pots on the porch. They have to be dog friendly because Kassie my husky has a habit of chewing them. Have you ever read Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine? It is one of those thriller books, you might like it.
I’ll check the book out. I think maybe I’ve read her books before. Name sounds familiar.
You sure are busy. Bless you all for taking care of the stray cats and kittens. I still have my 4 foot tree up but will be taking it down soon. My tree only has white lights but right after Christmas I got a battery operated string of beautiful colored lights so I can switch things up. I loved my gingerbread wooden ornaments so much that they are still on the tree. Last year I had Christmas ornaments and in January snowflakes then March I had birds and nests on the tree. Time just slipped away and I was too busy to change them out. I do like the soft light from the tree or fairy lights in the evenings. Take care all.
It’s not just cats we’re feeding. Seems to also be possums and at least one rabbit.