Diary #554

Why do cats dislike having their picture taken while doing something cute? Every time I see one of our cats doing something that would make an interesting picture, by the time I grab my phone and point, they’re already doing something else.  Case in point Rocky, our barn cat; he showed up practically as soon as we started moving things in, and quickly decided Sunset was his territory.  Grace and Chekhov named him “Rocky” because one of his eyes was swollen shut and they presumed he had lost it in a fight, but when they took him to the vet it turned out to only be a severe case of conjunctivitis, which we took care of (I think “Popeye” would’ve been a better name, but he’d already been named by the time I knew he even existed, so there you are).  Anyhow, the other day I found him perching regally atop this post (which will be part of the railing once we get to that point), but no sooner did I grab my phone from my jacket pocket than he crouched down and…well, see for yourself.  He’s a good mouser; despite Chekhov feeding him far too often, he often leaves little presents by the front door, and he also keeps away the black-and-white cat which I sometimes see skulking around the chicken coop and barn.  I’m not sure whether I’m going to allow him bathhouse privileges once the walls go up; we plan to allow the indoor cats out there, and I don’t want a territorial cat with claws and a bladder near my furniture.  But I guess I’ll figure it out when we reach that point, probably this summer.  And just in case you’re concerned about him being outside in the cold, I can assure you that A) it doesn’t actually get that cold here, though a light freeze is predicted every night this week an we expect snow on Thursday; B) he’s incredibly fluffy, and about half of his visible bulk is fur; C) he knows how to get into the shop; and D) Grace made him a hutch which sits by the back door and contains a pad that automatically turns on when he sits on it.  Yet despite C and D, he can usually be found sitting by the front door; I guess curiosity outweighs warmth unless it’s really nasty outside.  And he eventually even learned that no matter how cute he looks, I’m not letting him in.