Meet Our New Yard Crashers

Okay, so I am admittedly a crazy cat lady. We have 4 cats, and I just can't get enough of them. It's funny because most of my life I assumed I hated felines....I had terrible allergies to them, for one. It was BAD. My throat would close up, my eyes would burn and water, I'd sneeze like crazy, and I would even break out into hives if I touched a kitty. Also, I had the incorrect assumption that all cats are evil bastards. (My mom had cats when I was growing up, and almost ALL of them were just plain mean!) 

Anyway, when we moved here to Ohio, we started to experience all 4 seasons, and distinctly so. Fall and winter get incredibly bitter here, which causes all the mice to seek indoor shelter. Meaning in MY house. We found a few mice in the kitchen. Literally every single time I'd open the pantry, I'd see a mouse. It was more than one, too, since every time we saw one, we would dispose of it as humanely as possible. I wouldn't use poison because I have kids and dogs, and the traps were a hazard to curious little fingers. 

So after being unable to find a way to rid our pantry of mice once and for all, I called my husband at work and told him we needed a cat. Which shocked the hell out of him since he knew I supposedly despised cats. We got one kitty, Noodles, and she immediately started killing off the mice. She loved hunting them down and toying with them. I grew quite attached and was thrilled that the mice decided to vacate the premises. 

So we ended up rescuing 3 more cats, one of whom was on Death Row in a crowded NYC shelter and had a New Hope Only rating. This basically means that she is deemed almost unadoptable because she showed fear and aggression when they waved a giant rubber hand in her face while she was cooped up in a tiny little shelter cage. She also had a URI, which basically always condemns cats at this shelter to euthanasia. She was scheduled to die the next morning, and we learned about her at about 8:00PM. Thankfully, I was able to provide vet references, find a 3 day foster, and arrange transport from NYC here to Ohio. Pringles is now happy, healthy, and not the aggressive kitty we first met.

Anyway, lately, probably for the past month or so, I have been seeing this gorgeous gray cat hanging around my yard. I'd see her during the day as well as at night. We have motion sensor lights, and when they go off, I always step out onto my deck to investigate. 

Today, my husband noticed the kitty and was surprised that she didn't retreat. She just sat there in the middle of the yard. I had explained to him that I had been seeing a lot of that cat, and he suggested that we give her some food. 

When we brought out a plate with some cat food on it, we were shocked to see not only the one cat, but 2 tiny kittens with her. So it's a mama kitty and her babies, and they're obviously living on my property. I'd estimate the little ones  to be about 8 weeks old or so. We put the food down and backed away, and immediately all the cats came right out into the open and started eating. They allowed us to get very close, too. Mama cat kept a watchful eye, but meowed at us and showed no real signs of aggression. Just a little skittishness, as they are feral. 

So we've decided to help this mama and continue to feed her kitty family. We're also going to make some cat shelters for inclement or cold weather, and take them to the vet to be spayed and neutered and get them some vaccinations. Even outdoor kitties deserve to be cared for, in my opinion. 

The kids have decided to name them Blueberry, Butterfinger, and Praline. Here are some pics. I am thinking that they will become much more comfortable with us as time goes on.