Google analytics

Friday, July 15, 2011

BG or BeeGee, Part 2

BeeGee makes himself at home in the flower bed.
I contacted the Animal Defense League of Washington County and they will loan me a humane trap.  I've decided BeeGee is a male.  He tends to keep his tail down and is long haired so it's been hard to tell; when he suddenly became a voracious eater I had flashbacks of Nuit, who shortly thereafter deposited her three four week old kittens on my porch (Elmer, Ellen & Flora Snicklefritz.)  However, when he finally let me pet his head a couple of weeks ago,  I felt that "tomcat neck," very thick and strong.

He's a little uncertain about being touched but seems to really like being petted and headbutts.  I suspect he's had a family at some point.  The downside is that he is beginning to "claim" me.  He was challenging Fred this morning.  I tried to explain to him that I'm Fred's human and that trying to pick a fight with Fred is not a good way to endear himself to me. He's also been after JJ, the cute little orange kitty who lives next door and who tries to take BeeGee's food.  (JJ is fed at home, it's just the "Mount Everest" principle:  he wants the food because it's there. Elmer operates on the same principle.  The corollary is "Everybody else's food is better than the food I'm given."  This is especially true of any food given to Bonnie. Elmer takes hers, then eats his own.) The good news is that he seems more interested in just establishing the hierarchy than in causing real damage to the other cats.

We'll see how this goes. . . .

Sunday, July 10, 2011

BGB: The latest stray

BGB

I've been seeing this guy for months, all through the bad winter we had.  The first time I saw him outside I nearly freaked, because his color pattern is similar to Bonnie Kate's and I thought for a couple of seconds that she had somehow managed to escape. 
Bonnie Kate
 Since Bonnie is deaf and very very naive, I have nightmares of her somehow getting out and being hurt or killed. She's a true innocent, bless her heart.

So I started to referring to this latest stray as "Bonnie Gone Bad"-- if Bonnie had been a tougher character and had to live outside, this is what she might look like.  I expanded on the premise and decided that she'd joined a biker gang-- look at that "treadmark" on the stray's face.  "Bonnie Gone Bad" does have a certain rhythm to it but it can also be confusing so my friend Doris suggested calling him BGB or BG.  I especially like the latter as it also evokes BeeGees and "Stayin' Alive"-- which is what a stray has to work to do. 

He's people-shy, Melon, Elmer & Co. definitely do not like him, Fred tolerates him, and JJ (a neighbor's young cat) tries to take his food, so they don't quite get along. I don't think I could integrate him into the household, but I'm going to see if I can borrow a humane trap and at least get him his shots and have him neutered.


Yes, I have "Sucker!" across my forehead in letters only cats can read.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Happy Independence Day!

"You are getting sleepy, veeerrry sleeeeepy...."  
"You will grill an extra large cheeseburger. . . leave off the pickles and onions. . . the cheeseburger is getting heavy, very heavy. . . you will put the cheeseburger on the ground . . . no, on the ground close to me. . .  "

Have a very happy and safe Independence Day, and beware of cats who read books on hypnotism.
"Now you will get ice cream and put it in my bowl . . . "