How’s it going? – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Around Colehaus, the days are shorter, the leaves are dropping, and the squirrels are fat and happy. Our true fall temperatures just began this week though we had record rainfall in October.
4th generation raccoon family Daisy and one of her babies – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Our apologies for the poor photo and shake reduction “correction.” Mom has the hardest time getting photos of Daisy and her babies, but wants you to know, as much as she wants to, she would never stick her fingers out there to try to touch one of them. Even though she thinks it would be like touching fluffy heaven. Fluffy heaven with teeth.
Neighborhood cat Scruffy – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Neighborhood cat Scruffy still visits. He lives up in one of the cul-de-sacs and several of us neighbors look out for him. He must be close to fourteen or fifteen years old now. He comes to visit and munch a bit on the food we keep out in the feeding stations. Finally, his fur is matching up our late fall temperatures. He a petite boy, probably weighing no more than nine pounds with a pound or two of that being undercoat and thick fur.
Talkie Chunky – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Chunky is still hanging around in the mornings and wants everyone to know he doesn’t think he gets his breakfast quite early enough for his taste. Asking around the neighborhood, no one seems to know where he lives. He’s a sweetheart and a good twenty pounds of lovey black and white Tuxie boy.
Neighborhood cat Cocoa – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Cocoa greets us almost every morning at dawn. Mom can still pet him though he can get hissy from time-to-time. He looks like he’s got a good coat of fur for the winter. He also lives up in one of the cul-de-sacs with a real family a couple of doors up from where Scruffy’s family used to live. Cocoa knows about our feral shelters and last year, used one often. This year, we’ve got warming mats going into the shelters (in both as of later today after delivery), and we think he’s going to feel like he hit the lottery.
Momo’s last visit – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
We said goodbye to Momo, Gigi (sadly, without a photo), and Reenie last weekend. Their parents decided to move out of the neighborhood, but let Momo out for a final visit. We’ll miss Momo the most; he was a perfect garden cat, and wish him and his housemates a happy, long life.
Neighbor kitty Reenie – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Neighbor cats – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Two other neighbor cats, Whittles and Zoey, are still good garden cats along with their less-than-outgoing siblings, Princess and Joey (without photos today). We’ve confirmed Zoey, who spends ninety-eight percent of her time in our backyard since she is one hundred percent an outdoor girl, uses one of our shelters regularly. With the introduction of the warming mats later this afternoon, and just in time for our really cold overnight temperatures, we feel good knowing she’ll be warm over the winter.
Zoey and one of the feral shelters – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Neighbor cat Zoey peeking in – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
Even with warm places to stay, we still get a lot of this throughout any given day. She’s discovered our coco-mat-filled flower boxes which offer a great view into our living room, and a dry, cozy, although windy, spot for afternoon naps.
We’ve seen very little of the neighborhood ferals since mid-summer though Mom recently learned of a lady living the next street over and down the hill who has been feeding a couple of homeless cats since around then. We hope that’s where Church and Tank are and that they are doing well. The lady never seems to be home whenever Mom goes down there to ask, but it’s just a matter of time before she can.
That’s about it this month (Hey, look! No bird photos!). Looks like more leaves are dropping and Mom says she knows what she’ll be doing this weekend in between rain showers – getting fresh air and raking leaves! Have a good weekend wherever you are!
Fall Leaves outside our window – 2016 © Colehauscats.com
