Johnny's Kitty

Our dogs don't like cats. They chase every one off that has the nerve to try to hunt on our farm. But one apparently feral cat learned how to hunt our fields in spite of the dogs. It was very dog smart and very wild. This fall, three kittens appeared, meowing constantly. They looked very much like the feral cat. At first the kittens appeared chasing after the adult, apparent mother. She soon eluded them, although stayed not far off. We didn't know if all of them had been dumped and managed to make their way here. Usually the dumped cats end up at neighbors' who live closer to the road and don't have cat-hating dogs. But these kittens stuck around here for several days. Johnny took these photos on November 7.

I took this one of the alleged mother, taking a nap in the bushes. She was unafraid of me... at a distance... and simply ignored me... and the kittens, two of which soon disappeared.

One kitten hung out in the machine shed and seemed to want to be friendly. It later moved to Johnny's shop and meowed but would not allow anyone to pick it up. Johnny started feeding it scraps. Our house guests for Thanksgiving were worried it would starve if we did not feed it or take it to an animal shelter. They need not have worried. Johnny adopted the kitten and it quickly became super friendly... and amazingly adept at hiding from our dogs. 

These photos I took of the field-hunting cat on December 12. It looks very much like Johnny's Kitty.

And here is Johnny's Kitty with Johnny in his shop on January 7. She lives in the shop but comes out to rub against us and purr.. and get under our feet when we climb the shop stairs.

Today Johnny's Kitty kept me company while I cut down blackberry vines. She is a very sweet kitty who has never offered to scratch or bite. She has tiny tufts on the end of her ears that seem to be disappearing as she grows and a rather short tail. Isn't she adorable?

Our dogs hate her. But the big white dog is only out at night, when Johnny's Kitty is safely in the shop. And the black dog is not fast enough or determined enough to bother her much. She is very aware of where they are at all times and where her hiding places are: in the shop, garden shed, and under the house. I think Johnny's Kitty is here to stay.