House and farm cats 2003

Last Updated: 25-JUN-2020

House and Farm Cats 2003 - 2020

Well, I had not updated the cat page for 3 years till JAN 2020 and now six months later, I made a happy update on a new inside kitty. Our outside cat adventure was not a good one and we will not add anymore outside cats to our "outside" collection until one of our neighbors moves on (more on that below).

As for inside cats, we added Teddy in June 2020. It was sad that we lost Sierra (Age 15) probably to cancer in March 2019. The other two inside cats, Orange and Tucson (Kitten Man) continue to remain healthy and we take them outside under guard. Our only outside cat is Little Boy. He is getting old and sticks close to the house and we let him in most every day to sit on his towel on the couch in the family room. He also like to interact "to a point" with Orange & Kitten Man.

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Teddy

JUN 2020 - Because of the China flu issues and the near term limited travel we decided it was time to get another inside cat. I started searching online for a male, orange cat, kitten and after a couple of weeks we found "Jimmy" the male calico at Heavenly Paws Shelter. This is a great shelter and we have worked with them in the past and support them a number of times a year.

We debated a name change and decided on Teddy as we try to keep a western themed cat name's going and Teddy is named after Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota named after Teddy Roosevelt. We visited this park in the fall of 2019.

So far Teddy has been a fun cat. He came to us with an eye issue (probably a scratch) and it quickly cleared up. It took him a few days to become friendly and now he greets us the moment we go into the library (the cat nursery) As for our other two cats, Tucson (4 years old) is friendly and curious. Orange cat (13 years old) wants nothing to do with him but we saw this with Tucson so I am sure he will accept this new kitten.

Again, we thank Heavenly Paws Shelter for providing us with a great cat.

Photos NEWEST to OLDEST

JUN 2020 - Discovered the cat bed.

JUN 2020 - Not hiding under the couch.

JUN 2020 - Kitten Man (Tucson) discovering kitten food.

JUN 2020 - Eye getting better

JUN 2020 - First photos of a scared kitty

Tucson

Late June 2016, I went down to get my truck inspected at R.L. Smith garage and they were trying to give away a number of kittens. Well, one of them walked up to me and allowed me to pick him up. This was an impulse cat acquisition as we were not looking for another critter at this time. I figured if I did not take it, the kitten would probably not make it as this is not a cat friendly place.

It was suffering from a upper respiratory infection that had to be treated but besides that it was healthy.

So the Tucson (we were in Tucson, AZ looking at houses when he was born) INSIDE cat adventure starts.

He is a very active cat and constantly runs around the house like a crazy man. Also, he always looks you in the face which is different from our other cats.

Photos NEWEST to OLDEST

DEC 2019 - Enjoying the sunset

OCT 2019 - Happy cat

SEP 2019 - Outside with no harness

Little Boy attacked a baby rabbit. Kitten Man wants to continue the attack

AUG 2019 - Cold day in August

JUL 2019

APR 2019 - He likes to sit with dignity

FEB 2019 - Bird Watching

NOV 2018 - Warm spot

OCT 2018 - Wearing a sock for a coat

SEP 2018 - He has made this jump more than once.

AUG 2018

Out watching it rain

JUL 2018

JUN 2018 - Strange way to lay

MAY 2018

MAR 2018 - His bed

FEB 2018 - In his bed

OCT 2017

Twice a day a Russian flight from Moscow -> Cuba then goes back to Moscow passes over the east coast. Sometimes it comes far enough west that it goes over my area. This is the app showing where it is as my house is the blue dot.

The plane taken with my 400 mm lens

Even Tucson can see it and understands the risk of this foreign flight over US critical infrastructure.

JUL 2017

Birding

FEB 2017 - Relaxing by the fire

DEC 2016 - Relaxing on New Year�s Eve

DEC 2016 - Tucson has been given the task to wash dishes in the new kitchen island sink

OCT 2016 - almost 6 months old

SEP 2016

Trying to get him to understand money

Eating with orange and getting bigger

AUG 2016

JUL 2016

New camera lens testing

Eating with orange and getting bigger

JUN 2016

In the back of my truck and cleaned up a bit at home

LYLE - ORANGE

Lyle, he became a inside cat in NOV 2009

MAY 2019

MAR 2019

FEB 2019 - Out for a ride in the RTV

OCT 2018 - Orange with his bloat Bowel

SEP 2018

AUG 2018

JUL 2018

MAY 2018 - Sitting in the tractor

DEC 2017

JUL 2017

Tough Life

JUN 2017

Orange man

Enjoying a late spring day with Kitten Man

AUG 2016 - He claims these chairs faster than we can.

JUL 2016 - Looks like a king in the back of the RTV in his chair

SEP 2014 - Orange on his cat tower

AUG 2014

MAY 2014

APR 2014

OCT 2013

JUL 2013

MAY 2013

DEC 2011

JUL 2010

Easy to get stuck in the couch cushion crack when you are up to 20 lbs.

APR 2009

The troubled teen years have been hard on orange.... Another bad day with his friend.... George Dickel Number 12

Orange with his bear....

MAY 2008

OCT 2007

MAY 2007 -

Lyle's sister Layla

who died. (We think she got stuck someplace or poisoned). It was a sad situation as we tried everything.

ACE - Outside cat (Little Boy)

He is a strange cat but he must be smart as he has outlived all of the other outside cats.

DEC 2019 - He loves the propane insert.

NOV 2019

SEP 2019

JAN 2019 - We bring him in when it gets into single digits. Living in the library with Sierra.

NOV 2018

SEP 2018

OCT 2017

JUN 2017 - One wants in and two want out.

DEC 2014

JUL 2013

SEP 2011

JAN 2006

OCT/NOV 2005

SIERRA

She was a strange cat and the last female cat we will ever have. We never trusted her much with the litterbox when we had carpet. She was better after that was all replaced with wood floors but the last few years she was confined to the library at night and when we were away.

JAN 2019 - Last photo of Sierra. She died in March 2019

SEP 2018 - She was scared outside and would remain in one place unless she could see how she could get back in the house

JUL 2018 - All four enjoying breakfast

Sierra and KM out in the yard

DEC 2014 - Sierra looks the same at almost 11

MAR 2014 - Sierra on her chair

JUL 2010 - Sierra looking stuffed

DEC 2011,2010,2009 - Sierra in her Christmas Tree home.

Cody

relaxing. Cody died on July 24, 2007 from Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) Had been fighting it for almost two years. The breeder Fuli Mun Cattery was told but really did not care. We talked to them when he first got it but when he died we sent them a letter informing them of the problem and we never got a response back from them. This was troubling as they are still selling cats that may have this problem.

Some more info on the cattery:

FULIMUN CATTERY

Audrey E. Freeman
Harold S. Freeman
406 Magnolia Rd.
Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061-3344
(410) 760-5418

MAY 2005 - So close.... But, yet so far....

NOV 2004 - Cody and Sierra close to a year old

APR 2004 - In March 2004 we got two cats. Cody and Sierra which are brother and sister and were born on 26-DEC-2003

The 17 year cicada. We did not have them here but they were all around us.

Oscar & Felix

Our outside cat adventure was not a good one as Oscar disappeared in the Spring of 2015 and Felix disappeared in the spring of 2016. Of course, looking back is easy to judge that it was not a good idea to have these cats outside.

We have a neighbor across the valley, google "Roy Gordon Lovell Glen Rock wildlife" and you will see that he loves to kill protected species. I suspect that he shot and killed these cats (He actually admitted that he may have killed Felix) or the coyotes got them.

Roy now has many traps on his property "visible from SR-216" and I see a substantial drop in all the critters around here as he catches and drowns everything he can. I have reported this to the game commission but they don't care. This past summer we suspect that he shot a bald eagle but were not able to see the carcass before either he or other critters removed it. I would have loved to document that as it would have been something that the game commission could not have ignored. I do wonder if it was one of the Eagles from Codorus State Park and now its missing. All this is another reason we don't like living here anymore.

Here is one of the reports on him: Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Killing of Migratory Bird... Again

READING, Pa., May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today announced that Roy Gordon Lovell, 74, of Glen Rock pled guilty to one count of the unlawful killing of a Canada goose and one count of false or fraudulent statements to an officer on April 28. The charges stemmed from an incident on April 20, in Codorus Township, York County.

"Although there is a lawful hunting season for the taking of Canada geese, the violation occurred during the closed season for hunting or taking this species," said Chad Eyler, Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer for southwestern York County. "Canada geese are protected by both state and federal law, and established hunting seasons must be followed."

Magisterial District Judge Kim Leppo sentenced Lovell to pay a $300 fine for the false and fraudulent statements to an officer charge and a $200 fine for killing of the Canada goose. Additionally, Lovell was ordered to pay $200 for the replacement cost of the goose. The imposition of the replacement costs was the first time replacement costs for killing a Canada goose were imposed in York County under a new restitution section approved by the Board of Game Commissioners in April 2009. The new replacement costs were adopted by the Board to enhance penalties associated with poaching and deter poaching activity.

On April 20, a witness reported to the Game Commission that Lovell had shot at and killed a Canada goose on his property near Glen Rock. Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer Robert Simmonds conducted an investigation and found evidence that proved Lovell had unlawfully killed the bird.

WCO Chad Eyler and Simmonds filed charges on Lovell for the April 20 incident.

Eyler noted this is the second time since December Lovell has been convicted of unlawfully killing migratory birds in York County.

On Dec. 7, Lovell pled guilty to one count of unlawful taking and possession of a great blue heron in front of Judge Leppo. The charges stemmed from an incident on Sept. 3, also in Codorus Township, York County. Great blue herons also are protected by both state and federal law. In this case, Lovell was ordered to pay a $200 fine and $200 for the replacement costs of the bird.

"Although this is the second time in less than five months that we have cited Mr. Lovell, we are pleased to bring this case to a successful conclusion and believe the combined penalty will act as a deterrent to this individual and others who would engage in such unlawful acts," Eyler said. "This incident also demonstrates the importance and value of having Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officers, and that we are blessed to have them serve the citizens and wildlife of Pennsylvania."

I fault the cats for not staying on my property as we have more than enough room but a cat is a cat. They were both fixed so it should have helped them stick around.

We also have considerable trapping around here. I am sure if a cat gets in a trap they kill it. I do look for these traps and will dispose of them if I find one.

Oscar & Felix had a great time running around in our woods & fields. They would have hated being forced to live indoors after experiencing a life outside.

We picked up two semi-outside cats from the Heavenly Paws Shelter near here in Seven Valleys.

JAN 2015 - Felix - He really seems to love the cold

DEC 2014 - Oscar & Felix

OCT 2014 - Felix

SEP 2014 - Oscar

JUL 2014 - Felix & Oscar

APR 2014 - Chasing a vole & Treat time & Oscar

MAR 2014 - Oscar & Felix

JAN 2014

We had a scare with Oscar (the short haired one) He disappeared for over 4 days. We spent a number of hours out looking and calling for him but he returned well fed and no signs of wear. His brother Felix was constantly searching for his brother and became much friendlier to us during this time.

We hope that this does not happen again. We assume he was at the barn appx. 2000 feet south of here which is not heated.

Felix & Oscar

DEC 2013

So, on Sunday DEC 15th they are now able to go in / out at will. I have two flipper doors that prevent other critters from coming in. First this door in the background then they have to jump up to a shelf appx. 4 feet up to enter the heated part of the garage. They are very cautious but its good to see that they are going outside. Hopefully someday they will come and visit up over at the house / patio appx. 400 feet from this location.

Little boy the cat goes through these doors and is constantly around the house. Hopefully they will follow his lead. Photos taken with a game camera

NOV 2013 - Sister cat Mia (on right) A very cute kitty... "Photo provided by Bec"

OCT 2013

I caught them sleeping in the engine compartment of the truck. It was not warm and I think they went for the confined space but, keeping the hood elevated prevents this.

These guys are really relaxed in the house. Had to have the garage door open so they came back to the library.

Out in the garage now - not letting them out till we get back from Costa Rica in mid-December. Also, we had a long roof replacement project and I did not want them out during that time with vehicles coming & going.

The garage is heated (I keep it at 55) and has a carpeted / elevated area with a couch. This is where they spend most of their time. We think that they like running around in this large area but these kittens have not become as friendly as all the other cats we have had in the past. We have treated them the same way but for some reason they are not like the others. This will probably be our last attempt with kittens. From what we have seen at the local shelter, many good adult cats need to be adopted to good homes.