Saturday, March 21, 2020

Muscari patch

Our patch of muscari (grape hyacinth) out by the driveway is looking nice right now. This hastily snapped photo doesn't really do it justice. There are a few daffs out there, too. You can see Tasha's worn path on the lower right.

Grape hyacinth, daffodils, and some tulips that haven't flowered yet.

Around one o'clock this morning, Bert got up went downstairs as he often does. For some reason I got up and followed him. When I got to the bottom of the stairs I was surprised to see two black cats in the living room. One was Bert, of course. The other was a neighbor's cat. I yelled, "Get out of here!" and then Bert chased the other cat down to the utility room and out through the garage. I closed the door to the the utility room and Bert had to spend the rest of the night there, in the garage, or outside. He's been an outdoor cat (with access to the ground floor rooms) for most of his life. We've only recently started letting him sleep upstairs in the house and keeping the door to the utility room ajar for his midnight forays. We're going to have to rethink that.

We've found neighborhood cats in the garage and utility room a few times in the last few months. They started coming in and eating Bert's kibble once Bert was sleeping upstairs. We don't leave kibble out any more, but the cats still come. So the options are: (1) go back to keeping Bert out of the upstairs rooms over night or (b) keep him indoors over night, close the access to the outside, and put a litter box in the utility room. He hasn't needed a litter box since he's been going out at night (almost ten years), but he knows how to use one.

12 comments:

  1. It's so pretty out there. Very much Spring! Love it.

    Btw, hope to see you around, man! :)

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  2. The flower bed is beautiful. Perhaps Tasha can put stepping stones in the path she created. We've never had an outdoor cat, which clearly makes life much easier.

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  3. Cat story makes me laugh. Be glad you don't live in US, coulda been a raccoon!

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  4. I would close access to outside overnight....u dont want a raccoon surprise or Bert bringing in a live mouse surprise

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  5. I think it's going to have to be a cat box (litter tray) Walt. Our cat Persie has hers in the garden room, just off the kitchen, but she very often prefers to wait until we let her out in the morning. We get visits from a local ginger tom from our village, who drops by for an outdoor snack occasionally. Hoping to get another Border Collie later in the year, i think Perse misses Heather at times. By the way, I may not look it but am a couple of years older than you and Ken....and still a working farmer!

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  6. Good luck with the prescription, and keep us posted on what you decide about Bertie. I'm in the "stay inside" camp :)

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  7. Pets make our lives more interesting! :) I’m in Judy’s camp since Bert is reaching an age where he may lose a major battle with a younger, stronger cat.

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  8. My cat is also an inside cat but I envy those like you, two, who have a large yard and the vineyard behind you that a cat can use for a litter box and still stay away from most trouble! Going back to changing litter must not be a pleasant thought. Maybe you will be lucky and like Pats (above) said...perhaps Bert will wait until he can go outside if you close him in and provide a box!

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  9. Another vote for a litter box. We use one with pellets and a pee pad which is much better than the old kind.

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  10. hot guys, spring is good!

    mitch, he became an outdoor cat when he moved in with us. Callie wouldn't tolerate him. Tasha gets along fine with him, so he's in the house a lot more.

    ck, at least raccoons wash their paws!

    melinda, we don't have raccoons in France, but Bert has brought mice in. We closed the outside access last night and Bert spent the night indoors.

    pats, we kept Bert in last night, but saw no evidence he used the litter. He went outside this morning.

    judy, thanks. I'll keep everyone posted!

    bettyann, there is that to consider...

    mary, so far, so good. But the litter is there if he wants it.

    evelyn, I don't know about pellets or pee pads... gotta look them up!

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  11. chm, when I mark a comment as spam, Blogger removes it and any replies, so that's what happened to your reply to that spammer. :)

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  12. Daffodils are my favorite; it doesn't feel like a proper spring without some of them.

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