Fluffy kitty

Here's Fluffy - she's a gray calico 15 year old barn cat rescue.  She's been in my house since she was about 3 months old, but wasn't crazy about human contact when she was younger... and HATES to be picked up.

She did get out about a year ago and spent the night outside.  When we found her she was under bushes at the end of the house and terrified - I managed to pick her up (without her going ballistic) and bring her back in.  That experience apparently gave her an attitude adjustment and she's been a nicer kitty since then.  However, if she's going to be petted, it's going to be on her own terms.

She had been losing weight, throwing up and her coat had gotten really scruffy looking.  The only thing she'll eat is the dry food she's been on all these years.  I've tried everything trying to entice her with food, treats, etc.  Nada - she won't touch anything else.  She'll sniff it and walk away.  These pictures were made before she got sick and her coat was much nicer looking.

Her and Emma Grace close to the window.

She looks nothing like her mother (who was Halloween and featured in an older post.  Though Halloween had a LOT of kittens over the years, Fluffy was the only long haired.
She went from being a gorgeous, long haired cat to a skinny, ratty looking one.  This is "mama" Halloween:

Anyway, finally got her to the vet a few weeks ago (a challenge itself) and blood work showed she has hyperthyroidism.  Now, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that I could dose her with pills, but fortunately there's now a transdermal medication that can be rubbed in her ears.  That sounded doable - except this is Fluffy we're talking about.

This is twice a day and the first week was rough - took two people and she was NOT pleased.  However, I've been sweet talking her and after about 2-1/2 weeks she's decided it's not so bad after all.

She still isn't going to tolerate being picked up, but has become a bit more affectionate and doesn't hiss and run now.  She's not throwing up and hopefully will soon put on some weight and her coat will improve.

Cats are such peculiar creatures - at least the ones I have are.

Halloween crossed the Rainbow Bridge

...yesterday. It's never easy to lose a pet and to have to make the decision to let them go, but this one seemed especially difficult. She was so tied to Chuck as she had been his cat when he was alive.

Halloween was my old (17 years) barn cat.

Her mother had come to our barn and had a litter of kittens - then got out in the road and got killed. Chuck raised the kittens and over the years they all disappeared except Halloween.

She had a gazillion kittens over the years - with only a couple of survivors. One we gave to a friend and one became our house cat - Fluffy.

When Halloween was a few years old she began to venture into our fenced back yard (by coming over the gate). She would show up every day at feeding time and 'escort' Chuck to the barn. He would sit with her, pet her and talk to her.

When he got sick the feeding chore fell to me, but she wasn't nearly as impressed with me as she was with Chuck. She moved to the lean-too next to the goat barn (which was closer to the house than the big barn). Then when Chuck died she moved to the deck. When she moved to the deck (at 11 years old) it was time for a vet visit. I did not need more kittens.

She became "my" cat and was quite tame. She thought the dogs were just there for her to rub on. When Boots (the front porch kitty) arrived she even shared her deck with him occasionally. She had a nice house and a comfty bed on the deck. I brought her in a few nights when it was extremely cold, but she wasn't particularly impressed. Her domain was the deck and the back yard. She thought the chaise lounge was just there for her benefit. Occasionally she would lay on the deck rail so she'd have a better view of her world. I don't think she ventured out of the fenced back yard at all in the last 5 years.

I fed her on top of a table on the deck and she jumped up there every morning - including yesterday.

I went outside with Frosty a little after 11AM and found her laying in the monkey grass (in the rain) crying pitifully. She couldn't stand and I discovered once I got her to the vet that she couldn't see. She did respond to my voice and petting on her head, but she was basically paralyzed otherwise. I held her and said sweet nothings to her as she crossed the bridge. Now she's rubbing on Chuck's legs again, but it's surely been difficult here.

My Outside Cat Houses

...yes, you read the subject line right. I've just finished (well, with a little help from my son and grandson) making winter houses for my outside cats. I found the idea online and just changed it a bit.

Front porch kitten - Boots (he's about 7 months old now), lost his brother a couple of weeks ago and has become MUCH more loving since he's basically alone. He comes inside occasionally to visit with the skin grandkids, but the inside cats are not impressed with his presence. He's a great mouser and hopefully will stick close to the front porch instead of going out in the road like his brother did.

Here's Boots, lounging in the sunshine after supervising the placement of his new house.

Anyway, did some online research and found an idea for feral cat houses - my outside cats aren't feral - but they are outside. Take two rubbermaid containers, one larger than the other, put cut insulation between them and cut a hole in one end. And, that's sorta what we did.

Used the two containers, however, son got some spray insulation to go between the two instead of a big sheet to cut. You spray it in, it expands and hardens (and makes a mess). So that worked, however, I was concerned that the inside walls (plastic tub) wouldn't be warm, so I put flannel on the interior and covered a piece of foam with flannel for the bed.

This is looking down inside with the lids off.

I then glued foam on the interior lid for top insulation.

The finished product now sits behind the front porch glider and Boots has already inspected the inside, so I'm confident he'll be a happy camper on cold nights.

Then, there's Halloween. She's an almost 15 year old barn cat who moved to the back deck a couple of years ago. Basically had a bed in a box there, but not really a nice winterized house, and she's not getting any younger.

She hasn't been very enthusiastic about her box there since son & family came with their large, old lab who barks at her. I feed her on top of the bbq table on the deck and she stays when large dog isn't in site. If she would just hiss and slap him once he'd leave her alone. She and Belle get alone great. She has been sleeping back at the barn since large dog arrived, but I wanted her to have the option of the back deck if she chooses.

Anyway, back to her bed. There isn't room for the double box where it can be be protected from large dog, and, the back deck is more protected than the front porch, so I improvised. Got one rubber tub (same size as interior tub in front), a foam mattress pad and some flannel. Lined the entire interior with the foam covered in flannel. Made her a 'really' soft interior bed and glued foam to the inside top of her house. Another hole in the end and 'hopefully' she's set.
This piece of foam is glued on the inside of her top. Same mattress foam that's on the top of Boot's house, and what I covered with flannel for the inside of Halloween's house


Looking at the finished product


This is with the camera inside the little hole, so what she has is comfty and should be relatively warm.


It's put in a fairly protected spot on the shelf of the bbq table, so hopefully she'll actually use it. The back deck has two house walls and while the north side of the deck is open, there's another 'leg' of the house not far away, so it's pretty protected from wind.


She usually shows up at night, so I'll 'encourage' her to check it out tonight. The fan is wedged between the table and bbq grill to give her some added security from large dog.


I had priced exterior, insulated pet houses and the prices were prohabitive for my budget. The cost of both of these houses was around $30 (not including two bottles of spray insulation that son bought for larger house) and that breaks down: 3 rubber tubs-$12.00; flannel throw (cheaper than flannel by the yard)-$5; twin foam mattress pad (and I have a good bit left for future projects)-$13.

Maybe not as elegant looking, but much better than bought houses and I believe they'll be just as snug.

Oh, and I can take both apart easily to clean!!