A BIRD IN THE HAND

Aftermath

Dad Tom and I went away for a couple of days and just returned home to seven cats eager to get outside.

The house was not wrecked…probably because Chris was here to clean before we got home. She and the kitties always have nip and treat parties!

Two kitties—Fiona and Astrid, our escape artists—were collarless, however, and Lily Olivia was missing her bell. A quick search has not turned up either collar. If Chris found them and put them up for us, they were reappropriated by the horde and used as toys. It’s now time to look under all the rugs. Dad Tom found Lily’s bell. Getting it back on her collar will probably result in a wound or two for me.

We took our tandem out of town with us and rode yesterday and again today around Luray, Virginia, where we stayed for two nights. (If you’d like to learn more about Luray and the caverns we visited, check out the post, ” The Adventures of Periwinkle & Stinky: Part CXLVI.”

Yesterday I saw two felines while we were riding. Today I saw eight (five at one house) while riding and three more as we were driving home. I am always on the lookout for kitties when we are away from home, as I miss ours. We do, however, enjoy having a bed all to ourselves for a couple of nights, as I am sure the kitties enjoy having ours all to themselves.

Though all the kids sped outside immediately, Fiona came back in quickly so she could get some love and petting. She and I usually have at least three one-on-one sessions per day, so she is short about eight sessions. I am sure she will force me to make up each one. She is such a sweetheart, I’ll gladly give her plenty of lap time.

Carolina Chickadee

While Fiona and I were having our first love fest, Tom was unpacking the car. On one of his trips into the house he found a baby Carolina Chickadee sitting on the front porch. The birdy was breathing hard when Dad Tom picked it up. It didn’t have any missing feathers, kitty spit or other evidence of meeting up with any of our furballs. The bird just sat in Dad Tom’s hand while he carried it through the house to a section of the back deck that is not part of the catio and so inaccessible to Kitties Blue. He set the bird on the railing, and it flew away. Danger averted!

Day’s End

Even though they had a short outside, everyone was ready for dinner when I called. They began swarming around me in the foyer like a school of sharks. The only kitty missing was Misty May. She always waits outside the front door until she sees the bowl of food in hand. They all acted as if pet sitter, Maggie, had failed to feed them in our absence! If they didn’t get their stinky goodness, it was because they refused to come out of hiding while she was here.

Lily’s collar has been removed, bell attached…no wounds! She’s back in her dough bowl having a wash.

Time to look for those collars, then off to bed for kitties and humans.

Astrid’s collar was located, but she almost severed one of my fingers when I tried to put it on her. So…both she and Fiona are still naked!

Note: For those who may not know, all the Kitties Blue were inside/outside cats until we adopted Fiona and Giulietta. Those who had the privilege continued to be allowed out until their passing. Misty May was the last of the Kitties Blue to have outside privileges. I expected all of them to be in before dark, and it most cases they obeyed.