Farm Cats...

I thought it would be fun to introduce you to the cats that run the farm!  There are six of them, all with different jobs and personalities.  Some are inside cats, others wouldn't come in the house if you laid out a cat food smorgasbord for them to dine on.  They are a peculiar bunch, but they bring a lot of great energy to the farm.  There is something about the energy of a cat that is indescribable.  They have an uncanny ability to take the negative away and replace it with a calm reassurance that everything will be okay.  It's true, with a cat on my lap, I have a peaceful feeling that cannot be found anywhere else.  I know that there will be some dissenting feelings about the cat love, and that's okay.  Some love cats, others dogs, some love hedgehogs...to each their own.  I happen to love them all, and that is okay too!

GEORGE:

From a surprise batch of kittens at the house next door, he was the only one that stayed, the rest sadly ended up at the pound.  Months later when the neighbors left, he was abandoned and left to fend for himself.  He is quite capable of just that.  Cross him, and he will rip your arms off or gouge out your eyes with one swift pass of his devil claws!  I am not kidding.  George is a true hunter.  He can catch anything: squirrels, birds, magpies, rats, mice.  If he were a person he would be that unapproachable man with 82 different kids of stuffed animal heads on his walls and a gun rack in the back window of the truck!  One thing about George, you don't get to pick him, he picks you.  You are very privileged if he allows a snuggle or a rub down.  George has this soft side that you don't see very often.  My dad had a stroke years ago and was confined to a wheelchair unable to talk.  George would sit in his lap for hours, but no one else could touch him.  George was my dad's companion for eight long years of nearly silent wheelchair time.  They watched TV together, slept together, sat in the sun together.  When my dad died 2 1/2 years ago, George sat in the very spot where his bed was for weeks after the bed had been taken away.  Loyal and true, but he picks his person, and it is the ultimate privilege to have a visit from George.

UNA:

Una is a grocery store bargain.  During a grocery store run, a girl approached Julie (my mom) and told her that she looked like the kind of person that loved kittens.  Sucker for a sob story, Julie listened as the girl told her that the kitten had to find a home that night.  The girl was not to return home with the cat, which would surely die if left out in the cold.  Julie took the cat, brought her home and she was named Una by my brother.  She is a princess, a fluffy hair ball that was meant to be spoiled and pampered.  She loves my younger brother, and was soon nicknamed "Une-Poon" and is often referred to as "Poon", I really have no idea why.  Despite being a princess, she loves being outside.  She is also a great hunter, and loves to torture our other outdoor female cat, Mama.  What is it about girls and cat fights?

MAMA:

Mama is quite the cat.  She came from nowhere to the farm about six years ago.  One night, after being there for about a month, she had kittens in the garage.  Five black and white little fuzzy cats.  They were so cute.  It was our first time ever having kittens, and my oldest farmhand, Will, was elated with the babies.  Mama is our most gentle and calmest cat.  She loves attention and to be picked up and hauled around.  She is great with the kids and she really loves being out in the gardens.  When I am weeding or picking vegetables, she hops up on my shoulders and will stay there as long as I let her.  She loves to piggy back ride her way through the vegetables.  She follows me around the farm and watches intently everything that I do.  She really is a "Mama", she takes care of everyone and is so feminine.  When she needs to she can hold her own, and she is also an expert hunter.  She has the most beautiful eyes and a torn up ear, her prize for too many cat fights.

REGGIE:

Prince Reggie is the indoor baby of the bunch up at the farm.  He is spunky and wild and races around the house with acrobatic expertise, which also makes him incredibly difficult to photograph!  His favorite thing is his stuffed camel that he sleeps with.  "Reg" is a little nutty!  He is Julie's buddy.  He makes a wonderful lap cat and he likes to sit behind you on the couch and run his paws through your hair.  Reggie came from the pound.  He is a rescue kitty, and has a lot of love to give, but we are still learning about him and his personality.

LARRY:

Larry was first Ina.  Rescued from the pound, we were told he was a girl.  He was the smallest cat I have ever had.  I brought home the little black ball of fur and promptly named him Ina.  One day he bent over, and I was suddenly VERY aware that he was a he and NOT a she!  Yikes!!!  The kids picked out his new name: Larry, after Larry the Cucumber on Veggie Tales.  Larry is the ultimate cat.  Calm, mellow, loves to give kisses and is content just to sit in your lap or by your side.  For starting out as the smallest kitten I have ever brought home, he is exceptionally large.  He is a professional lazy man, a couch potato that loves to bask in the sun and watch TV.  I know that people say cats can't see TV, but he sits in front of it and stares intently, ears twitching as he listens to Bonanza, M*A*S*H*, or English Comedies.  If Larry were a person, he would be the big lug of a guy that everyone likes, that loves football and pretzels, and gives great hugs.  He is one of my most favorite cats.  Oh, and he loves butter...you have to hide the butter, if he can smell it, you know that it's toast!!!

LULA BELLE:

 LuLa is a cat of a different color.  She is also a pound rescue, but is the most needy cat you will ever encounter.  Even now, as I type, she is resting her head on my forearm.  She has to be touched all the time.  LuLa is a great beauty, part Maine Coon, she is good sized, and absolutely beautiful.  She cries when she is away from her people.  She needs her people.  She claws the weather stripping if you put her out in the garage and forget to come back for her.  She drives me crazy!!!  But, she needs love, she needs affection, and she needs a bite block when you brush her.  She hates being brushed.  She attacks with full force, and if your hand happens to be the first thing her claws and teeth find, tough luck!!!  The boys have nicknamed her "LuLa Belle Pickle Pants".  Ian adores her and drags her around like a baby, even though she is almost the same size as him.  She loves her catnip mice.  She carts them around the house like babies...it's kind of hysterical to watch!  She is happiest on your lap or leaning against you.