"Disappearing Bat"

   A few years back, we "inherited" yet another "throwaway" pet.  You know the type.  The critters that crude people discard like trash.  For some reason, our place must seem like an ideal place for animals to live out their lives in peace.  My son-in-law brought us a tiny, black kitten that had been thrown out at his place of business.  He owns a ballroom dance studio that is a busy place so the kitten did not stay unnoticed long.  He scooped it up and carried it here knowing the little thing would be welcome.  Bat, the cat, has endeared himself to each and every one of us!  He seems so appreciative that he now has a loving home.  Personally, I knew all along that the cat was "special".  He just had ways about him that set him apart from all other cats.

  Now I have come to realize just how "special" Bat is!  A few days ago, he was enamored by a single okra pod that had inadvertently dropped to the floor.  Since this kept him occupied for over an hour, I was elated to let him have his fun.  I even went so far as to take a couple of photographs of his interest in the pod.  While most of the pictures turned out well, once the cat tired of posing for the camera, things got eerie.  He became quite the "Cheshire Cat"...as in the  "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. He started disappearing!  Literally...disappearing!  In several photographs, the floor shows through the cat!  Yes, I know this is some fluke of photography which, most likely, involves my skills (or lack thereof) but the photograph is rather intriguing.  Bat..the disappearing cat!  I think he should audition for the next movie if ever one is made!  He has this part down pat!

  Now...have you ever thought about that whole "Cheshire Cat" thing?  It seems that way, way back in the day in Cheshire, England, cheese was formed into the shape of a cat.  Cheshire cheese shops sold this with instructions to "eat the cheese from the back to front".  This left the sort of funky, weird grinning face as the last part before the cheese (or cat) disappeared.  Lewis Carroll obviously knew of the folklore and used this to name his Cheshire Cat!  Things like this (and disappearing cats, in general) interest me....most likely only me...but now you know!

Bat Attack On The Mushrooms!

   The trouble with inheriting cats from other places, is they are curious as to the doings of the Bayou and surrounding areas.  The "throwaway" cat that came to live at the Little Bayou House is no different.  Add to the fact that "Bat" is still actually a kitten in a rather large. adult-sized body and that curiosity can often get out of hand.  He is never still.  Bat climbs, explores, falls into and literally obliterates almost everything he contacts.  Poor buddy has a long way to go before becoming a true Bayou Cat.

  Today, I cut firewood.  This is getting to be a tiresome chore for an old lady but if I expect to keep the wood-burning stoves chugging along relentlessly, it is a chore that needs to be done. So, I do it.  After cutting and hauling several loads to the woodpile, I came across a dozen or so large oak chunks that needed to be split.  THAT is even harder for me to do now.  Swinging an axe is something best left to younger folks.  Still, since it was there, it could not hurt to give it a try.  I did fairly well and got enough split for at least a few burnings.  

  It was on one of the logs that I noticed some very large mushrooms.  Even though they were a greyish brown, the things were rather lovely...in their own right.  They appeared to be so soft and velvety!  Thinking I should photograph the 'shrooms, I traded the axe for the camera.  At the very moment I tried to photograph the mushrooms, Bat decided to attack!  The mushrooms were soon a matted, flat mess!  That crazy cat is not the best friend of any camera toting person!  He is a rascal!  Grow up, Bat!!

The "Panther" of the Bayou

   My dear readers, I apologize (or not) for the endless tales about the throwaway kitten that came to the Little Bayou House as a "temporary" resident while my son-in-law found a suitable home for him.  I guess he did as the (not quite) cat is home.  Here is home.  He is family.  The cat is a little over six months old now and has grown into quite the handsome fellow.  Umm...grown...yep, he has definitely grown.  This cat is already nigh on eleven pounds and is gaining rapidly.  Son is concerned that he may be getting too fat but Bat, the Bayou Prince Cat,  is still long-legged and lanky.  Perhaps he is just going to be a big cat and not actually overweight.  

  Earlier, I was down near the marsh edge gathering mulch to put around the hundred or so broccoli plants in the garden when I heard a noise overhead.  Bat had climbed the old oak tree and was looming directly over head.  When I looked up, I was amazed at how huge this (almost) cat really is.  Even though he was on a rather large limb that had some thirty years ago supported a swing for the (then) kiddos, he looked quite gigantic.  I had to giggle as I figure, that with a slight bit of altering, a photo could probably be passed off as a picture of a panther.  (If I was only adept at altering photographs!)  You know, like those photos of Big Foot?  Bat could be the Panther of the Bayou!

  Anyway, I took pictures of Bat as he climbed about from tree to tree.  The photographs will help me in comparing his size come a year from now.  I am curious of how big he will get, what type cat he is and if whoever abandoned him knew Bat would be such an amazing animal?

The "No Name" Prince

   The "Little Prince", the "No Name" kitten that was brought to the Little Bayou House as a throwaway pet, is growing by leaps and bounds.  He has made himself quite at home even though I only agreed to foster him until my son-in-law found a home for the rescue.  Robbie had found the kitten in the parking lot of his studio and knew that he couldn't leave the kitten nor could he take it home since they already have six pets.  The predicament caused him to give me a call.  Hearing his story, I agreed that the kitten could not be left out to fend for itself.  The kitten came to stay with us.

  This week so many people have asked "What did you name the kitten?"  Nothing!  Nothing at all!  I have not named this kitten.  You see, I know what happens once you name a critter.  They become full time residents and then you cannot get rid of them.  They become yours.  You become theirs. They become family members.  Nope...I repeat....I HAVE NOT NAMED THE KITTEN!

  All in all, the kitten is not a bad little thing.  He is playful, sweet and actually listens well.  I have set limits about no animals on the tables or counters, no animals being aggressive in any way and all animals must be house trained (and even crate trained).  He does well with following the rules even though I have heard tell that you "cannot train cats".  Obviously, you can.  The previous Bayou Cats have all followed the rules.  Little Mr. No Name can, too.  

The Story of a Princess

  In most faerie tales, there is a beautiful princess, some terrible trauma, a handsome prince and a happy ending.  It seems to have been the idea behind these tales that the princess always needed a handsome prince to rescue her from an evil villain.  A lot of that rings true with the story of the Bayou Princess.  She was a lovely creature who was extremely maltreated by an evil "villain", rescued by a handsome fellow and then lived the rest of her life in relative bliss.

  Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat, came to the Bayou by hook and crook.  It seems that some not-so-nice people (the villains) dumped their unwanted pet on the roadside after nigh on starving the poor thing.  The cat made her way through the creek to the Little Bayou House and decided to stay.  I admit that I tried to shoo her back to her "home" but she was having no part of it and decided THIS was her home.  So be it.  Son (our handsome hero) was the one who first decided to feed this poor, abused animal and from that point, she became quite attached to him.  Whether he wanted a cat or not, he now had one.  She fully adored the man.  The rest was meant to be.  She was dubbed "Ms. Nycto" which is a Latin word for "night" and settled hastily into her new realm as Bayou Princess.  The cat knew she was royalty and expected to be treated as such.  She chose when to be fed, where she was to sleep and even who was allowed to pet her.  Ms. Nycto fully lived up to her title.

  Along about a month ago, yet another trial came her way.  The Bayou Princess made one too many treks through the marsh.  Somehow, she became quite mired and was missing for a couple of days.  When she reappeared, the poor, lovely lady was encrusted with mud and had received an odd injury. Ms. Nycto's tongue had been slit from the base to the tip.  A quick trip to the pet emergency room left her with stitches, a couple of shots and a very odd haircut.  She struggled with her injuries but with a little help she seemed to rally.  Then another downfall and another trip back to the ER.  From that point onward, our sweet princess declined.  She had no fight left in her.  There was one final trip to the ER and a very, very difficult decision.

  It was heartbreaking to let our sweet princess ease her way from pain and agony.  She reigned over the Bayou with grace and dignity and will leave behind a huge void.  Our lovely Bayou Princess, Ms. Nycto has completed her faerie tale.  Rest in peace, Sweet One.  You will truly be missed.

The Perfect Tree

  Little Miss Priss has got to be the silliest thing alive.  I am referring to the Bayou Princess Cat, Ms. Nycto.  Before she came to the Bayou in search of a new home (after being thrown from a car), she obviously was a pampered pet.  This was most likely not by those who did the tossing but by her previous owner.  Through observation of the cat, we have deciphered that she must have belonged to an elderly person who gave her unending treats and let her sleep wherever she wanted.  Son believes that perhaps the person was put in a nursing home or (worse) passed away.  Whoever was responsible for the estate took it upon themselves to "dispose" of the cat and decided to just dump her on the side of the road.  It happens far too often here.  It angers me to find more and more pets being discarded this way.  Throwaway pets...so saddening.

  Anyway, Ms. Nycto was in a frenzy this morning to exit the Little Bayou House.  After spending a peaceful night on the foot of my bed, she awoke with the nagging urge to go outside. Before even eating breakfast, she sat at the door meowing at her loudest.  I relented and out she went.  No problems.  She goes out every day to sleep on the garden bench.  I thought that was where she was headed this morning.  To bad it was not.

  Her idea was not to go to the garden but seek out a stray cat that visited last night.  She HAD to protect her territory.  This is all fine and dandy except for the fact that Ms. Nycto has no inkling of how to protect anything.  Her good intentions failed dramatically, once again.  Five minutes after her exiting the house, I heard a lot of hissing and howling.  Oh, my goodness...THAT CAT!  I stepped out the front door to see a blob of dirty yellow barreling down the lane.  This was a feral tomcat that terrorizes the entire neighborhood.  He is a royal pain!  

  Ok, so if the tomcat was here, that means one thing.  Ms. Nycto is in a tree somewhere.  Last time, she chose a thin sapling to climb and became hopelessly stranded.  The tree was far too thin for Son to climb so Ms. Nycto spent the night in the top of the tree.  The next morning, she came tumbling down and made haste to the house.  She did not venture out for an entire week.  With that memory, I started searching.  I immediately found her perched on a high branch of a live oak tree.  Well, Cat!  I am glad you chose that tree, at least!  If need be, Son can prop the ladder against the tree to retrieve the silly cat.  

  Thankfully, this tree was also easy enough for her to exit.  After about an hour of surveying the yard from her vantage point, she sort of tumbled to the ground.  Ms. Nycto is not the most graceful cat, that is for sure. It seems to me that she needs to learn a lesson about getting into trouble.  Feral cats are a lot stronger and feistier than she is.  At least, she chose the perfect tree this time so maybe she is starting to get the idea.  Maybe....probably not.

Glutton For Punishment

  It seems that one of my worst traits is that I am a glutton for punishment.  Either that or I have a huge soft spot for critters.  For most of my life, I have taken in, taken care of or, generally, just taken critters that no one else wants.  Why?  Because of that stupid soft spot in my heart that tells me that someone needs to care for all of the throwaway pets of the world.  That someone is me, obviously.

  The old cat that was living back beneath the shed has now moved to the back porch.  Although he still limps, his overall health has greatly improved.  He was painfully malnourished, full of scratches. and had a mangled front paw.  Daily feeding, worm meds and kind words have all encouraged him to trust me a bit more.  Hopefully soon, he will allow me to check that foot but, for now, I feel as though he has a better life than a few months back.  

  The "punishment" part of this whole situation is that I will grow attached (already have) to this animal just like I have all the others.  It will become part of the family.  The cat is old.  The cat is injured.  It is obvious that he will not be with us long and, once again, my heart will be broken.  It is so hard to ever think of losing yet another critter friend but, facing the alternative of not helping them, I have no choice.  The poor animal needs to be helped and loved after being so mistreated by his former family.  People do indeed aggravate me at times.  So welcome to the family, Mr. Cat.  (Yes, I do need to find a suitable name for this friend.)

As Close As I Can Get

  What is there about the Bayou that makes people think they can just dump their unwanted animals here??  Granted it is a great place to live and I try to feed the poor critters but it does irk me that some people are so cruel that they just throw away their pets.  Another cat has come begging for food.  Which is fine.  I am good with cats.  They usually have a tendency to earn their keep.  However, that is beyond the point.  Stupid people do not need to get pets in the first place if they have no intentions of taking care of them for the long haul.  No excuses.  You have a pet...keep it for the lifetime of the animal.  They are not for your entertainment then to be tossed the wayside at your whim.  Forget it...there is no reasoning with some people as their frivolous wishes are far more important than the life of a critter.  It does, indeed, irk me to no end.

  The cat that lingers at the back door is not only hungry but hurt.  Son and I have been trying for a week to coax it to us.  We ply it with food and have tried everything in our power to befriend it.  Being wounded has it very leery and we cannot get too near it.  Short of trapping the poor thing, our hands are tied.  It makes me sad. It irks me.

  From what I can see, this one is an elderly cat with a front paw that seems to be broken.  This does not bode well for the cat.  Son has set the trap near where we feed it and will gradually move the food inside.  Hopefully, we can get it to our vet before much longer.  If it only knew we were trying to help instead of trying to maltreat it like the last people it trusted.  People irk me...did I mention that?

Out of Control!

  Ok, enough with the throwing out of perfectly good.....pets!  What in the world are people thinking?  Our road seems to have become the dumping ground for unwanted, throwaway pets.  It makes me sick.  Those poor animals have no clue as to what has happened and have no clue about survival.  If they are not hit by cars, coyotes attack them.  The few that do survive the first week usually wind up at the Bayou.  I feed what I can but some become so feral that there is no helping them.  Then they become ill through malnutrition.  Come on, people, use a little commonsense!  This is getting out of control!  If you get a pet, feed it, water it, give it shelter and, by all means, get it fixed!  Neutering the critter can only help.

  Speaking of neutering and unwanted pets, we have been bombarded with tomcats, as of late.  It seems that folks throw these cats out thinking all will be well with them.  Once they become feral, not only are they in danger, they present problems for those of us with pets and gardens.  These tomcats can become quite fierce and attack any smaller animal.  Tomcats, also, mark their territories (and even territories that are not theirs) with some pretty foul smelling urine.  There is nothing worse that taking that first deep breath of "fresh" morning air and inhaling the vomit-inducing stench left by a tomcat.  Now, multiply that acrid smell by 5 or more tomcats and it truly ruins the morn.  

The chrysthanemums are the latest plants to be killed by the feral tomcats.

  The spray from a tomcat messes up paint on doors, ruins deck floors and kills plants.  Yep,...kills plants.  My poor garden is catching it!  Each day for the past week, another perfectly healthy plant is literally "fried" by the spray.  The urine is basically nitrogen that can burn a plant all the way to the roots.  Pop used to occasionally use ammonium nitrate fertilizer pellets in the garden but would always warn us that "...a little goes a long way".   We were instructed to place the fertilizer a good ways away from the plant and then the rain would dilute it before it reached the roots.  AND we were to NEVER get it on the leaves!   But when the cat sprays a plant, the nitrogen is not diluted and it burns the poor plant to a crisp.  So far, two cyclamens, three lavenders and a chrysanthemum have been killed.  

  So, between the garden-killing, foul-smelling spray from the tomcats and the nightly cat fights in the yard, I am ready to set a few traps and call animal control.  This is getting out of hand!  It sure makes me glad that Ms, Nycto, the Bayou Princess, stays inside at night!  Even though she is spayed, she does not need to be harassed by the feral cats tossed out by thoughtless people.

My Sweet Halloween Kitty!

  By rights, Halloween cats should be fierce!  They should be scary-looking!  They should howl and hiss and take swipes at anyone who nears them.   They should not be sweet, loving kitties who want to be scratched on the ears and receive belly rubs.  But...my Halloween Kitty is just that.  While Ms. Nycto is not very useful as a mouser, she is adorable and has wormed her way into our hearts since the first day she showed up here on the Bayou.

  Back when she first came up to the doorstep seeking food and shelter, this cat was adamant about this being her home.  I tried to shoo her away.  "Go back home, Cat!" I pleaded.  I did not need another critter to feed!  She walked around the house and came back to the same door.  "Shoo!" I said again!  She walked the same path and came back for the third time.  Well, what could I do but feed her since she was so persistent.  Once the cat was eating, I tried to hold her. Nope...not happening!  She bit me!  Alrighty, then!  I immediately told Son that we were going to keep this cat.  It seems that I have several prerequisites for a cat to become a member of the family.  First, they must be black and second, they must bite me at our first meeting.  (Not really but that is how the first meeting of all the adopted strays has gone in the past.  We have adopted a string of black cats and all decided to take a chunk out of my hand at some point!)  Needless to say, Ms. Nycto became a beloved part of the Bayou Family.

  Since the passing of Ms. Put, the Bayou Queen, Ms. Nycto is slowly filling the reign as monarch. Even though the two cats would tangle occasionally, I think Ms. Nycto misses her rival as Ruler of the Bayou.  She seems to be constantly searching for the old cat.  Never before has she ventured up on the rooftop where Ms. Put spent a good deal of her time.  Nor has she roamed room to room all the while meowing.  She senses that the other cat is not here any longer but she is unsure of her new found royalty status.  

  This morning, I found Ms. Nycto had spent the night on the bench on the small deck.  She had slept by the fall mums under the watchful eyes of two steadfast owls.  Perhaps she knew she was in the perfect spot to be a Halloween Cat or perhaps she just felt safer with her two guardians.  My sweet Halloween Kitty!

Curious Pepper!

  Well, folks!  It is raining....AGAIN!  The rain gauge read five full inches from midnight to 7am.  That is a lot of rain! Things are flooded and there is no end in sight.  It has rained all day and is predicted to do so for the next couple of days.  Then, after a brief respite of one day, the week ahead looks just as wet.  All of this rain (and a sore back from cleaning the Frog Pond) kept me inside today.  I was just starting to get bored when I received a phone call from my son-in-law.  He was at the vet's office with yet another "throwaway" pet that my daughter rescued. Since they use the same vet as we do, he was just minutes away from the Little Bayou House.  "I have a huge favor to ask....Can you watch Pepper for me for a few hours while I go to work?"  Could I?  Yay!  I had something to entertain me for the day!

  So Pepper came to the Little Bayou House and immediately claimed it as her own.  While Ms. Put, the old Bayou Queen, snoozed in the entryway and Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, insisted on staying out in the rain, the little visitor kept me company.  She explored the living room from top to bottom.  Every piece of furniture had to be inspected, every inch of floor sniffed and every nook entered.  It was not long before she realized that she could walk the window ledge and get between the blinds and pane.  At first, she was content to eye the squirrel that lives in the oak tree near the house but when she discovered that her field of view was vastly increased by standing, she was a happy camper!  At that height, she could see over the fence.  This opened up a whole new world of sights.  

  Watching the little cat explore did, indeed, make the dreary day a lot brighter.  Had Robbie not brought Pepper by for a visit, the day would have been quite dull.  It is amazing how our critter friends bring happiness into our lives.  Thank you, Robbie, for sharing this precious (albeit curious) cat with me!

Working for the Title!

  Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, is by far the most unsuitable cat to claim the Little Bayou House as her home.  She is definitely NOT a Bayou Cat.  She is a house cat...a big, fluffy lap cat....a spoiled rotten ornament of a pet that just happened to be abandoned at some point by her previous owners.  They dumped her at our place and drove away in haste.  What choice did the throwaway cat have but to come begging at our doorstep? Still, she has endeared herself to us and we took her in as one of our own.  No problems....except that we sort of thought she should act like a cat.  Nope.  Not happening.  She is a still a big ball of fluff that has yet to learn the ins and outs of being a working cat which comes to the problem.  When living on the Bayou, everyone (or everything) has to earn its keep.  We all have our "jobs" and try to complete them with some sort of adequacy.  Ms. Nycto was expected to follow in the footsteps of our other rescued cat, Ms. Put, the Bayou Queen.  She had not.  This sweet cat has yet to catch her first rat, mouse, vole, mole or squirrel.  She has not figured out how to keep birds from the fruit trees or squirrels from the tomato plants.  She has not figured out how to do anything except look pretty....and purr.

  However!  However, today, was a different story! Sort of...maybe...perhaps accidentally.  Ms. Nycto was suffering tremendously by the onslaught of mosquitoes.  The poor baby's ears were being chewed to the point of being bloody.  I bought some (very expensive) medicine to coat her ears.  This was supposed to repel all biting bugs.  I can see why.  This stuff stinks.  It sort of smells like an eucalyptus tree vomited on the poor cat.  But it does indeed work. Somewhat.  That said, Ms. Nycto decided to take things into her own hands...err...paws!  She has now claimed the raised herb/carrot garden as her personal spa/bed.  She spends most of her time snoozing in the corner of the bed letting the highly scented herbs do their job.  Smart cat..or at least smarter cat.  I am happy to see her smashing a few of the basil, carrot and oregano plants.  She is doing an untold service.

  The raised herb garden sits between the two large fig trees.  Prior to the change in the cat's sleeping quarters, every bird within the county was feasting upon the ripe figs.  I was getting very few for my yearly stockpile of fig jam.  The pantry would remain bare at this rate.  That all changed once the cat claimed the raised garden as her favorite spot. The birds are wary of the black blob of fur and the figs remain in tact. So, inadvertantly, the cat has been doing her job!  If only she knew how well she was protecting my fruit, she would be proud as a peacock! Good job, Ms. Nycto!  Keep it up and you just may well earn the title of Bayou Cat!

 

She Is Unique...

  Ms. Nycto is the strangest cat that we have ever rescued.  She came to the Bayou a few years back as a "throwaway pet".  (Don't get me started on how I feel about people who dump their pets out like trash...ugh!) She was extremely malnourished, flea infested and matted.   It took a week of coaxing before we could ever gain her trust.  Poor baby.  Now, she has established herself as "Princess of the Bayou" and reigns as supreme only under Ms. Put, the Bayou Queen.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

  Still, she is strange.  I have never known a cat that loves rain, sleeps belly up while in the rain and does not hunt.  She also has an habit of choosing odd snoozing spots.  I never know where I will find her. One of her favorite spots is the porch railing.  This is not too weird except for the fact that she straddles the rail. Her legs dangle on either side of the board with her tail twitching back and forth on either side.  She will sleep for hours like this....rain or shine....day or night.  So far, I have not seen her lose her balance and take a tumble.

  Even with her quirkiness, Ms. Nycto fits in quite well here on the Bayou. With all beings, I have found that eccentricities make each of us unique and that is a good thing.  Ms. Nycto is definitely unique and, yep, I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Throwaway Pets

  Once again, the Bayou seems to have been the dumping grounds for someone who decided that they do not want their pet any longer.  It aggravates me...more than I wish to say.  Who in their right mind would just throw away a family member?  And who in their right mind would think that the pet can survive without help?  After being cared for their entire life, critters become dependent on that care and suffer tremendously when tossed out like garbage.  Yep, it riles me....A LOT!  Another gorgeous cat has come to the Little Bayou House seeking help.  As much as I do not need another cat, I will feed the poor animal.  I will take up where someone else is hatefully slacking.
  
  Not long ago, I noticed a cat that held to the bushes back behind the canebrake.  At first, I thought, perhaps hoped, that the cat was just wandering and had a loving home somewhere.  Obviously, that was not the case.  The cat never left.  It was too scared to trust me and would slink off into the underbrush whenever I approached.  Whenever I fed our two cats, an extra bowl would be set for the outsider.  Now, fast forward to this week.  Progress has been made.  While I still cannot pet the lonely animal, he, at least, lets me get within a few feet of him.  I am in hopes that soon I can befriend yet another feline and help it to a better life.  

  The good news is that Ms. Put (the Bayou Queen) and Ms. Nycto (the Bayou Princess) do not seem to mind this newcomer.  While they squabble among themselves, they tolerate him.  (Well, while Ms. Nycto squabbles.  Ms. Put has gotten to the age where she is deaf, has poor eyesight and sleeps most of the time.  She ignores the young princess and I do not think she is even aware that the interloper is on the hillside.)                            

  So, once again, some stupid, hateful person has thrown away a perfectly charming pet and, once again, I will come to the aid of a poor, abused animal.  This never ends.  I guess the Bayou is just the dumping ground for throwaway pets.  It seems as if I had better start thinking of a good name for this handsome fellow.

*Mark took this great picture of the newest wannabe resident of the Bayou.  Hopefully, the cat will let us help him.

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!