April 10, 2009

April Showers

If April showers bring May flowers, we should be growing a rain forrest.
A line of strong to severe storms moved east/northeast across the Missouri Ozarks yesterday afternoon through evening. We were under a tornado watch/warning most of the evening. Hope everyone in the area weathered the storms, are OK and suffered no damage.
Forecast today calls for a damp, dreary, overcast, rainy type day. To say the least it’s muddy out there, suck your boots off your feet type muddy. All the critters are hold up in their shelters this morning. The only brave souls to venture out were the Shetland boys. The rain doesn’t seem bother them.
To my surprise yesterday I found we have new barn kittens. Surprising due to our only having male cats on the farm, so I thought.
When we moved to the farm there was a stray female who dropped a litter of kittens, she raised them to weaning age then disappeared. No biggie, we gave away all the female kittens and let the males stay. Thinking with all males, there would be no future kittens and we wouldn’t be over ran with cats. I don’t mind the 4 barn cats, they are no problem. They do a job and do it well. We have no mice, moles, etc. Our barn cats could actually be considered feral cats. They are not friendly to humans, run if they see someone approach and really can’t be caught.

We call this big boy Catmando

The tomcats come and go as they please. In winter I occasionally find them sleeping in the barn, in Summer I catch a glimpse of them fleeing the barnyard with a dead mouse or frog. They get along nicely with the livestock dogs and never cause any problems.
When the neighbors moved into the area they brought cats, cats that multiplied quickly. Guess one of our guys brought his girlfriend home. This was a smart momma cat she found an empty box in Jim’s tool room to have the kittens. The tool room is close to the self-feeding cat food dispenser. The tool room is also next to the hay room, which is the warmest shelter on the farmstead.
I heard them mewing, wanted to see them, but Momma cat hissed and spat when I got close so I left them be.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

3 comments:

DayPhoto said...

Ahhh the joys of new kittens! I love new kittens! Take pictures!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

Tammy said...

Weathered the weather fine here. Just got heavy rains and some light storms, I think most of it went south through Conway and that area, but it was tense for awhile. I'm ready for some warm sunny days! (Especially next week!). What a shock to find kittens. We have had so many kittens/cats dumped or show up here over the years. I've taken in many of them and so has my Mom. We've had a lull here for awhile, so I expect some to show up soon...hoping not, though.
Tammy

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

I could actuallu use a few feral cats, we'll have to get some when we get moved to the barn in a month or so. We've had soooo much rain or snow that we swo wish things woulod dry up.