Equal Time for Ms. Kitty

It's the day after Halloween and I admit, I'm relieved to know Ms. Kitty has survived yet another ghostly holiday. M has encouraged me for years to bring her inside at this time of year, telling grisly tales of what some misguided folk do with black cats ... but she will have none of that.

She's an independent sort who values her freedom and definitely doesn't want to be indoors for any length of time ... especially with "the great white beastie" smells close by. The only way she ever enters the house is of her own volition ... and she'll remain calmly explorative only as long as the door remains open & accessible for a quick exit on her own terms. These days it's always from the front of the house ... into the living room where Molly is not allowed because it's carpeted.

This morning I found Ms. Kitty where she usually hangs out currently ... sleeping on the white bench pad my new neighbors donated after she had filled it with black hair in THEIR yard. They've since replaced it with another and have sprayed the new one with something to discourage her from claiming IT ... and interestingly ... she seems to like the new location of her comfy pillow on MY front patio ... underneath one of the blue chairs just outside the French Doors. Apparently it's protected enough for her to relax the way she once did in the fenced yard two doors inland ... before she adopted me.

Actually, Ms. Kitty has "a small igloo" of her own ... purchased especially for her by me after Molly moved in and claimed the larger one in the back yard that was home to Zonker for 16 years before he passed in 2001, a couple of weeks after I retired. It's furnished with the comfy cat bed that she once slept in at my feet in the family room ... (as long as the back door remained open). Once it was clear to me that the cat didn't want anything to do with the puppy ...(nor ME for a while)... I created a safe haven for her on the deck above the garage ... near the spa. She's long slept on the warm cover when the nights get chilly ... and since there's a gate at the top of the stairs to keep the dogs away, it seemed perfect. For a while I kept food & water there for her as well.

However, Ms. Kitty had other ideas ... and it didn't take long for her to claim the front yard as her own ... along with the front yard of my neighbor toward the ocean. That worked fine until they sold the house and moved back to Riverside to be near their family. The new owners made significant changes inside & out before moving in last year, and they have a cat of their own ... hence the changes described above.

I've tried putting the igloo on the front patio, but Ms. Kitty didn't use it there ... so I've moved it back on the deck where she DOES retreat occasionally ... usually when it rains. As my friend M is fond of saying ... it's good to have options ... and she does.

Now ... for all my cat loving friends, I offer this collage of kitty photos ... giving equal time for THIS fur-friend. For those of you unfamiliar with Blog-reading ... clicking on the collage gives you a larger view. Enjoy!