The Watchcat!

  Sometimes I get so frustrated at folks with no respect for critters.  Here lately, we have seen a barrage of "throwaway" pets.  Inconsiderate folks want cute puppies and kittens but when the pets reaches adulthood, they are tossed to the wayside like trash.  It frustrates me to no end!  I have taken in more animals than I should simply because no one else wants them.  Now, the never-ending string of tossed-out cats has reached a point of aggravation in more ways than I can count. Males are forever marking "their" territory, the cats fight Ms. Put who cannot defend herself any longer, they are stealing food from our pets and they are ripping the screens on doors.  ENOUGH ALREADY!

  Both of our cats are ones that were tossed out like trash and made their way down the long trek to the Bayou.  They were both sweet cats to begin with so I had no problem feeding them and trying to find their original homes. Ms. Put has been with us seemingly forever and I would not have missed the opportunity to have her here.  I adopted Nycto a while back and she has truly become a part of the family.  She has come a long way both physically and emotionally.  When she first came to the Bayou, she was extremely malnourished and scared.  She was highly skeptical of our attempts at helping her.  Not any more.  Now, she is assured of daily meals and a warm bed when she wants it.  

 Nycto standing guard over the greenhouse.  

   Lately though, Nycto has decided that it is her duty to protect the place from interlopers which come in the form of feral cats.  Her nights are spent outside purely by her choice.  Her low, guttural squalls can be heard permeating the night's darkness.  The hisses, screeches and wails that mean nothing but a cat fight is in progress are now a nightly occurrence.  At first, this worried me but not any more.  Obviously, Nycto can take care of herself and is doing a fine job of ridding the area of unwanted intruders.  This used to be Ms. Put's job but since the old Bayou Queen has become more or less incapacitated with age, the youngster has stepped up to the task at hand.  She stands firm and does her best to fill the "shoes" of the old cat.  This is a feat in itself since when Nycto first came to the Bayou, Ms. Put had to rescue her from the interlopers.

  In the past, I have tried to get help with the onslaught of cats that have taken up residence around here.  None of the so-called services wished to be bothered with the situation.  I was told that if the cats were on my property "they are your problem".  Well, problem solved.  Let one fifteen pound cat handle the scrawny ferals.  Sorry.  If these were nice like Ms. Put and Nycto, I would have fed them as well but, now,  Nycto has my blessings for a job well done!