02/23/2024 – Around Colehaus

Moss abounds © Colehauscats.com
Moss abounds © Colehauscats.com

It’s February, it’s been raining, and we have moss, meaning there aren’t any flowers at the moment to show but just look at all the visiting cats blooming!

Mr. Stubbs likes to visit, February 2024 © Colehauscats.com
Mr. Stubbs likes to visit, February 2024 © Colehauscats.com

Mr. Stubbs visits often usually to drink out of the fountain, and usually because his brother Mr. G. is already lounging out in a flower bed somewhere. Or because Mom or Dad stepped out the side garage door and are fiddling around/making noise with the recycling bin. Nothing like these cute faces to get someone to break out the dried chicken catnip treats.

Mr. G., February 2024 © Colehauscats.com
Mr. G., February 2024 © Colehauscats.com

Last week, Mom cut back the big, deciduous fern in the side yard while Mr. G supervised. He’s an awesome garden cat, sticking close by, and watching the activity without much complaint over dropped branches and leaves. His brother, Mr. Stubbs however, pounces on hands and fingers pulling weeds and grass, making Mom’s hands look like she lost a fight with a paring knife. We think we’re going to have two garden supervisors this year; one a bit more seasoned and mature and one rascally newbie who prefers play over work.

Visitor Colby wandering through, February 2024 © Colehauscats.com
Visitor Colby wandering through, February 2024 © Colehauscats.com

Visitor Colby makes the rounds from one side of the garden to the other. There are fence openings on either side of the yard so wanderers like Colby can come and go as they please from any direction without waiting in line.

Visitor Twin 2 © Colehauscats.com
Visitor Twin 2 © Colehauscats.com

The black and white twins always visit but only to see if food is available. We’re in raccoon mating season now so we’re limiting how much food we set out during day hours and always bring it in before dark. No way do we want dozens of raccoons with babies visiting daily; we already have six or seven adults hanging out in the dark early morning hours and no one looks starved. We think our neighbor down the hill behind us is feeding them and that’s perfectly okay with us. If their population increases this year, it won’t be because of us and they’ll know they won’t find food here.

The food is ours, Lloyd says © Colehauscats.com
The food is ours, Lloyd says © Colehauscats.com

Visitor Lloyd agrees with the no-food-for-raccoons policy. “The food is for us cats, not for those roly-poly trash pandas,” he says. “Now, where’s those treats?” Lloyd is a huge dried chicken catnip treat fan.

Back inside, everyone is doing well. Quint has been a little more snuggly in the last week or so since we banished the cats from our main bedroom. His fort blanket has been keeping him company and keeping him toasty warm overnight. We think he’s past any confusion over Olivia’s loss though we’ll continue to watch him for any sign of depression.

Good boy Quint © Colehauscats.com
Good boy Quint © Colehauscats.com

The other Colehaus Cats are also doing well with the bedroom banishment policy. Pia’s still feeling a bit off we think due to eating ants. The real important things are that no one’s tearing down the bedroom door, no one’s remembered how to open the lever door handle (yet), and no one’s howling throughout the night about what terrible cat parents we are. They’re starting to replace their sad faces with perky happy mews when we exit the room in the morning so we’re still in their good graces.

We’re still finding ants here and there. The next door neighbors just had their house and property sprayed so naturally, the ants are coming here. We’ll be picking up even more ant traps next month, so this would be a good time to invest your dollars in Zevo (owned by Proctor and Gamble).

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A Colehaus Cats flashback:

2023 – No post
2022 – No post
2021 – No post
2020 – No post
2019 – No post
2018Friday Flashback with Tessa
2017 – No post
2016 – No post
2015Mondays
2014 – No post
2013 – No post
2012 – No post

Posted in At Colehaus, Outside Cats, Quint, Visitors, Yard and Garden | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

02/21/2024 – Four Word Wednesday

Back view of Quint © Colehauscats.com
Back view of Quint © Colehauscats.com

Back view of Quint.
What does he see?
Something good, we bet.
He wouldn’t be looking
If it was boring.

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A Colehaus Cats flashback:

2023 – No post
2022Miscellaneous Monday
2021 – No post
2020A Different Friday
2019 – No post
2018Little Viola, Big Eyes
2017 – No post
2016 – No post
2015 – No post
2014A Big Girl!
2013 – No post
2012 – No post

Posted in Quint | Tagged | 5 Comments

02/19/2024 – Miscellaneous Monday

What is this shiny spot? © Colehauscats.com
What is this shiny spot? © Colehauscats.com

We had some sun over the weekend. Funny since it was snowing where Mom works up on the big hill last Thursday and ice pellets pelleted her Friday morning. And then, sun!

Baffled by sunshine © Colehauscats.com
Baffled by sunshine © Colehauscats.com

We were just as baffled, as always over the last thirty-plus years, at how fast the weather can change here. Viola might have forgotten just how bright the sun can be. We don’t think she minded, though.

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Apparently, we’re STILL having problems with friends receiving email from us. All anyone will tell us is that Comcast and Gmail are conducting massive campaigns to cut down on spam/phishing email and unfortunately, that will affect normal email exchange between the two. We are beyond baffled that our ability to communicate with the world via email is so spotty and seemingly selective and not completely across the board. We’ve been trying to communicate with some of you through Outlook and other venues and have only heard back from one kind person. Again, we apologize if you haven’t heard from us in months via email. We’re still trying but this is completely out of our hands. * insert very angry face here *

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Pia's feeling under the weather © Colehauscats.com
Pia’s feeling under the weather © Colehauscats.com

It’s officially ant season, apparently, and the house bug-hunter Pia may have eaten some ants which always gives her an upset stomach. Since first finding ants inside eight years ago, try as we may and using all kinds of pet-safe methods, we’re unable to keep ants one hundred percent away from mid-February to November.

We can’t stay awake 24/7 to get them all and Pia takes that cue as being her overnight job. We’re also on the verge of switching her back to kibble (slowly) because she’s, once again, not eating much of her canned food and is starting to look thin. Little girl, creepy, crawly ants are not your food!

Tessa sees one © Colehauscats.com
Tessa sees one © Colehauscats.com

There’s an ant over there, Mom.

Don’t you start too, Tessa.

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A Colehaus Cats flashback:

2023 – No post
2022 – No post
2021Friday Fun
2020Things on Cats, The Fish Episode
2019 – No post
2018A Day Off
2017 – No post
2016Itty and her Special Features
2015 – No post
2014One Word Wednesday – Sun
2013Ruby Tuesdays
2012 – No post

Posted in Pia, Tessa, Viola | Tagged , , | 8 Comments