Marcy's Cats

 Our cat population began innocently enough several years ago.  A cat came to us, we don't know how, but we all were secretly feeding her in the barn and not telling anyone else.  When it finally became confession time a funny thing happened...we had all named her Barnie!

We needed cats for the outbuildings so Barnie did not take long to supply us with many.  The funny thing about cats is if you have one many more seem to wander in from somewhere.  Then you have even more.

I am not much of a cat person (GASP!) but I have always had cats.  Growing up the rule was the cats stayed at the barn and the dogs did not bother them.  If they crossed an invisible line, they disappeared.

We began the same rule here.  The dogs knew not to bother the cats in the barn and the cats knew the dry creek was the line they could not cross.

Rules change.  The cats became friends with the dogs and there was no more segregation. Cats, chickens and dogs became one big happy family...all on their own.

We never actively brought cats in but cats came to us.  One after the tornado was blown in from God knows where.  He nested in the rafters of the barn and hissed at us when he walked under him but he stayed.  He had a huge cut from neck to chest.  We imagined from the tornado.

Then I, who prefers dogs to cats, brought one home.  A bob tailed kitten we called Orange then Agent Orange.  He disappeared I suspect into a house somewhere in the neighbor hood.  We have orange kittens now and then and just this year we have two bob tailed kittens so Orange lives on as does Barnie.

Don't ask me how many we have.  I have no idea.  Marcy is the cat keeper and feeder.  There are only one or two you can pet because they are a farm tool just like a tractor (I know, HORROR!)

Nature keeps things in a good balance and we care for the ones that are here.  Every now and then one will show a bit of Barnie lineage and we are happy all over again that she chose us for her family.

Training

I know y'all are amazed when there are pictures like this.  Dogs don't chase cats, cats don't eat chickens.  It is just a matter of training and enforcement.  We begin the training but the animals also help it along.

Although Bonnie knows the cats are off limits it is soooooo tempting to try to get them to play.  Some will play with her but not this one.

This barn cat lays down the law

and calls for reinforcements.

And Bonnie learns the hard way...

you can sleep with cats

eat with cats

but you can't wrestle with cats

safely.

Just Hangin' Out...

At The Farm.

For Your Enjoyment

breakfast!

Moving Cattle...

 Since the older babies (around seven hundred pounds) went to sale Friday, we moved the rest of the herd to another pasture. With a sack of feed in the tractor bucket, I think hubby could lead these through town. Notice belly-butting bottle baby, Lovely, (front and center) is a strong member of the herd now.



This is my favorite cow. She is huge and built perfectly in my book. Gelbvieh cattle come in three colors...yellow, red and black. I prefer the yellow, which is a "so last year" color. Hubby dreams of black. Now, tell me this...what difference does it make when all the meat is red after they are skinned? The funny thing is black brings more money at the sale barn...the least favorite is spotted cattle.

These are the early babies with Lovely in the middle, just like she was never a bottle baby. Lovely is about three months younger than her side mates. This was another miracle...Mom took Lovely back after she had been gone almost a month!!! Another reason Gelbveih are a wonderful choice of cattle. One mama will sit all the calves while the other mamas graze. If a babe becomes hungry, the nanny will feed it until the mother returns. Simply amazing to me!

I seem to have a thing with yellow...my favorite horse,
my favorite cow, my favorite rose...

 my favorite kittens and my favorite dog are all yellow!

I never buy yellow clothes, go figure.  I never said I wasn't

strange.