Sooner or later, you sleep in your own space

Well, there are finally no new kitties coming inside.  Whew!!  Now there are just four.  Hahaha....just four!  

I am not sure why, but only Missy Tee gets to run around all over the house.  She drinks water from MY bowl and she plops herself down in MY bed, too!  Hmmmmph.

So I decided to take things into my own paws.  I beat her to it and I plopped down in my bed before she had a chance to.  AND I sat on her leash that she plays with like it is a snake or something.  She usually grabs the leash and drags it over to my bed and rolls around with it, but I sat on it instead.  She tried, but she couldn't get it out from under me...haha.  Silly kitty, I am much bigger than she is!  "Games over, Missy Tee - this MY bed!"

I like kitties, but sheesh.  Even Harry Spotter has his limits!

All of them are kittens, less than one year old.  All of them have worms. (!!!)  Two of them have asthma.  For the time being they are all separated as each is on a slightly different timeline with their worm medication and the two with asthma are each on two medications (four different medications in all)...one by one they will have more freedom, but for now, this is how it has to be.

Missy Tee gets the run of the place and chases, pounces on and flings around a leash like a toy.  (I have a wiggly fish coming soon for her amusement)  I also have an interactive ball that moves on its own but she is afraid of it!   And although she could explore further, she has chosen to stick to the back room, the adjoining dining room and the kitchen.  It seems strange that cats who were outdoors are not really very adventurous indoors...but that is why we are keeping these four. 

Tee "captures" the leash and then cannonballs into Harry's bed.  He surprised me by staying in it the other day and lying on top of the leash.  A small end was peeking out and Tee tried to pull it but Harry weighs 60 pounds (25 Kg) so it was no use.  Seems Harry got a bit fed up with his bed always being occupied by a playful kitten!  "Nope, not today...this is MY bed!" 

Oh, Everybody in the crowd is there....

Oh my gosh!  Cats! Cats!  There are so many cats in my house!  I like kitties, but this is getting ridiculous.  

Now there are lots and lots of kitties in the back room.  Only one of them, Missy Tee, gets to run around.  She is always stealing my beds.  But, she is kind of cute, anyway, even though it is a little annoying.  

And then there is Scruff.  I know Scruff.  He was outside all the time, and in our courtyard a lot, so we already knew each other before he came inside to stay.  He has a big playpen and he doesn't much want to come out.  Maybe he will get more comfortable after a while.

There is another little, tiny kitty.  He is black and white.  I think there is something wrong with him because Mom gives him special stuff in his food.  

Now there are more kitties....I don't know why we suddenly have so many.  It's getting very crowded and it's getting hard to keep track of them all and I have to check on them all day long to make sure they are ok.  I need a rest!

(Scruff in his hammock, Missy Tee in one of Harry's beds)




It is mating season here in our obscure hill town tucked away in Abruzzo, Italy.  Predatory male cats are seeking out the females.  We are trying to make a dent in the ballooning population of feral cats, at least in our little neighborhood.

I have the help of a neighbor.  She has graciously offered her help and her car to drive us to and from the veterinarian.  It would not be possible to do this without her.

Missy Tee was "in heat" when she was spayed.  She is now two weeks out, and bouncing around like a mischievous little monkey.  She adores Harry (and his beds) and has discovered the back window.  Yet, she willingly goes back in her "cage" at night to sleep.

Scruff, my all time favorite,  was one of a litter I bonded with when they first showed up for real food with their Mamma.  His baby sister was wounded badly in the eye and though we tried to help, she died at only 3 months of age.

Scruff had goopy eyes, but I was able to administer antibiotic drops and after a few applications, his eyes cleared up nicely.  He is becoming a big bruiser, not surprising, he loves to eat.  Now that he is inside and neutered, he is acting like a little prince.  "Feed me.  Feed me now.  Here's the bowl.  It's empty.  This is unacceptable."  However, he still is hesitant to explore beyond the back room.  Funny, since I thought he would be bolder.  Turns out, he's just a furry slug.

Imp, I believe, is Missy Tee's brother.  He has asthma and is smaller than he should be at 7 months of age.  He eats like a champ and is on steroid medication for the asthma.  He is still too frail and sick to venture from his "playpen."

In addition to those three, who will remain Harry's house companions, there are currently two more in the house.  One is Scruff's Mamma.  She was spayed yesterday and is recuperating nicely.  The other is Imp's and Missy Tee's sister.  We call her "Calze" (Cal-zay) which is Italian for "Socks."  She is light gray with white paws.  She goes to the vet on Saturday.

Our little kitty infirmary is a bit of work, but things should calm down after we, hopefully, trap Scruff's sister, Ink.  After that, we can take our time with the remaining males.

Harry is bewildered and concerned.  He must go into the back room a dozen times a day to check on each one.  "Hey, little kitty, how are you?"

Needless to say, we are all a bit exhausted!

You'll understand what happiness is....

Oh, boy!  Sorry I haven't said much lately, I've been really busy!  See, we have a cat now!  I am so happy because I've always wanted a kitty!

Her name is Tee.  She's still a baby and she's very playful.  She even has a playpen!!  It's a place where she can  jump around, up and down on different beds...and she has this hanging thing to run through.  And she has a ball to play with, too.

She isn't always in the playpen.  There is a chair in the room with her playpen, and my pack put some towels on it because Tee has little needles in her hands!  But when she jumps in that chair, she goes crazy with those towels!  She jumps on them, and hides under them and then she clumps them all up.  Then, she gets tired, haha.  Maybe that's why my Mom calls her a little monkey!

Then there's my bed in the kitchen.  I love that bed.  I love all my beds!  But I love THAT one because it is next to where the heat is.  I like to snuggle there a lot when the weather is cold.  Well, Tee likes it too.  She always heads for my kitchen bed and then she takes over the whole thing!  And she's so little, but she does it anyway!  

Izz all ok, though, because I like her and I'm really glad I finally have a kitty all my own.

                                                             **********************

Little Miss Tee came along a few weeks ago and joined all the ferals outside.  However, she was different from the start.  I could pet her right away.  Other than the few that I've handled since they were tiny kittens, no feral lets me pet them.

Whenever I opened the courtyard door, she would scoot inside right away.

I don't know what her story is, but she was begging to be inside and stay inside.  At last, my husband relented.

We have, of course, given the ferals names, it is the only way to differentiate them.  ("Yeah, that one that is striped and gray but slightly darker than the other one"- is too cumbersome whereas "Sib" suffices)   So, Tee was dubbed T.S. because of her Tortoise Shell coat.  That and I liked the literary reference to T.S. Eliot.  T.S. has now become Tee, and also "Little Monkey."

She settled in quickly and soon her slightly wild yet extremely affectionate personality began to emerge.  Slightly wild, I think, because she is still a kitten, maybe five months old or so.

Harry goes in to check on his little buddy often, unless she is out stealing his beds.  Harry is such a gentle, kind pooch....he doesn't seem to mind at all.

Her "playpen" has three perches in it, plus a hammock that she gets lots of fun out of, and a couple of toys.  She has an appointment for spaying next week.  After her recovery, and the arrival of her halter, she will have much more freedom, but for now she seems perfectly satisfied being inside, warm, clean and fed.  

All I want for Christmas is you!

Oh, boy!  Oh boy oh boy oh BOY!!!!   I know this is a special time.  I see the funny lights outside and we have some of those inside, too!  And I got REAL excited last night 'cause my hooman sister was here...and she was still here today!  I was so excited I was dancing in the courtyard...haha.

But, guess what?  I got a present and it is something I have wanted for a VERY long time.

I...…………..got...……………..a...……………….KITTY!   I did!  I really did!  This is the best thing EVER!

Give the dog a bone....

I had my yumbers suppertime and then it was time to take a walk.  It's a little bit dark now when we walk around...but there's still lots of people and other pups.  I got to say hello to the spaniel down the block!  

When Dad and I were heading back home, I could see Mom outside with the neighbor lady.  The neighbors are nice.  They have a cat that I get to say hello to sometimes, if she is outside on her leash, but I guess it is too chilly right now.

The neighbor lady gave me some pats on my head and then she pulled something out of a bag.

????  What is this?  Why are you giving it to me?  Let me sniff.  Hmmmmm, smells good.  Maybe I will lick it a little.  What is this thing?  It's big and heavy.  But tasty!!

Mom looked a little bit scared.  What was that all about?

The lady put it back in the bag, but we took the bag inside our house.

Then this thing was put on the floor.  Hmmmmm.  I just don't know what to do with this thing.  Maybe I should try to pick it up?  Maybe I will sit down and give it a chew?  I really don't know.  Help me!  What is it?  What am I supposed to do with it?

While I was feeding the ferals, Marguerite came out with a "regalo" (gift) for Harry.  It was a rather large bone from what I gather was a large meal they had had.  Harry has never been one for toys or bones.  He just never learned how to play with toys and has no idea what to do with them.   However, one learns in Italy to never turn down a gift.

When Harry returned from his walk, Marguerite took the bone out for Harry to smell.  Which he did.  And he licked it.  He seemed somewhat interested but not overly enthusiastic.

We tried again inside, but it was pretty hopeless.  He was whimpering and flustered.

I have decided I will give it a good boil.  If he has no interest in the bone after that, at the very least he will have a broth to add to his meals.  (Hey, Harry, I'm not too enthusiastic about bones, either.)

I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed.

I love food!  I try to arrange my day around my food and snacks.  It is a good way for me to know what time it is.  

And I know I am a very lucky boy.  I get really, really good food.  I get vegetables and chicken and rice and spagetters.    I get kibble, too.  And sometimes cheese.  I get lots of delicious stuff!  

I guess if I have a favorite, though, it is spagetters.  I love spagetters.  I will eat it first because I love it and I can't wait.  Then, I might leave my  kibble for later, for a snack.  

Sometimes my pack laughs at me and say that I'm "spagetter face."  I don't know why that's so funny, but they like it.  And I still know that I am Harry Spotter.  Haha.

Harry does love spaghetti, plain, although I sometimes cook it with a bit of broth, or mix a tiny bit of tomato sauce in to give him variety.  Plain pasta is good for a dog with an upset stomach, too.

Harry's meals are a mixture of lean meat, vegetables and kibble and some pasta or rice.  It is clear that he adores spaghetti.  Sometimes while he is eating he will look up at us (he likes to have company when he eats) and spaghetti strands will be hanging from his mouth!  He looks hilarious!

Once he even decided to go outside on the balcony to "check his kingdom" with spaghetti hanging all over the place!  It's nice to know he enjoys his food.

Open the door...let him in!

I sort of remember that there was a kind of awful, pretty terrible, really, really bad day, but it's all fuzzy now.  I really don't even think about it anymore.  And my arm is all healed up and everything, too!  

So I felt happy and special because someone was at the door, and when I went into the courtyard to see who it was, guess what?  It was my dogtor!!  He came to my house to see me!!  I never had a dogtor do that before.  

He came right in, right into the kitchen and put his stuff down.  I'm not sure why he was here, but nothing bad happened and he sat at my Dad's computer for a little bit and then he went away.  

He did look at my little room that is out in the courtyard.  The kitties eat inside it now because it is getting chilly outside.  

I liked seeing my dogtor here, it was fun!!!

We do not have a car as yet and while the walk to the veterinarian's office is doable, it is not a short walk. The doctor volunteered to come to us, he said he likes to walk!!  Harry needed a vaccine to prevent disease from wild animals.  Harry didn't even know it happened.

While he was here, he used our computer to extend Harry's prescription for heartworm medicine. Because he had had heartworm as a pup and was treated, Harry needs to take the medicine all year round.

Then we talked a little about rounding up the kittens soon so they can be neutered.  THAT is going to be an adventure!