Neighbors & Friends
(and other animals)
Since their first spring, Dino and Pebbles began "communing with nature" from the comfort of each window sill, the greenhouse, and the enclosed patio. They watch birds. They watch passing cats. They watch the neighbor's dogs. And, they keep track of those pesky, little squirrels.
The great outdoors has always provided a tremendous stimulus for Dino and Pebbles. How they respond to the "wildlife" is different as their personalities. Dino's the intent watcher, carefully watching their movements, watching their behavior. Dino prefers talking to his subject. Pebbles watches and stalks. She's protector of the territory, indoors and outdoors. A good explanation must be provided, or be ready to be pounced upon.
Our neighbors generally had dogs. (If there was a cat, it was indoors.) Dino and Pebbles, looking through the side window of the greenhouse facing the neighbor's backyard, would watch the neighbor's dogs. If the intense watching caught the dogs' attention, they began to bark. The more they barked, the more Dino and Pebbles would watch. After the novelty wore off, the cats would go off and take a nap. "A job well done!" The dogs, of course, would continue barking until they determined "their fierce response was sufficient enough to scare off the cats." (Cat response: "Why are they still barking? And, what about?")
When it comes to cats, it's another story if they happen to visit. Pebbles' response is, "What are you doing here? Even though I don't come outside, it doesn't mean you can sit and sleep on my front porch, and cut through my yard!" As for Dino, his response is quite different. "Meow, meow, meow! Don't you know how to talk? I know how to talk."
Neighbors, Friends
Our kitty neighbors, Sugar, Brownie, and Boots, with their two doggy housemates, moved away to the country with their daddy in early April 2002. The family they joined has three cats and two dogs. While we'll miss them, we bid them our best regards and wishes in their new adventures.
Sugar is an all-white female kitty. She's the one in charge. A very friendly cat once she gets to know you.
Brownie is one of Sugar's grown-up baby kittens. But, he still thinks he's still one of her baby kittens and follows his momma cat wherever she goes. He's sort of on the cautious side, but on occasion, he'll let you pet him on the head.
Boots is a male tuxedo cat. He's a real cutie-pie, very handsome. Boots is very cautious when it comes to people.
Our former cat neighbors gathered
on the front porch.Click here to enlarge image.
Click here to enlarge image. |
The daily front porch visits were taken over by Wanda (aka "Little gray kitty") and Bugsy. They live with a military family. Bugsy started as a regular visitor first, spending much of the day on the front porch taking long naps and having several snacks. But, he hasn't visited since early May 2002. (We have learned that he's become a typical tomcat about the neighborhood.) Bugsy is a very friendly cat, who's quite talkative and always ready for play. He's a black kitty, with a slight touch of a tuxedo showing. However, he likes to dirty his formal attire. There are many days when Bugsy has shown up, covered in dust from head to tail.
Wanda ("Little gray kitty") is more refined. But, of course, she's a girl. Her coat, upon closer observation, is calico. The gray is prominent enough to make her appear gray from a distance and at night. Wanda has a very sweet, pretty face. She became quite a visitor, using the porch as a base to hunt for birds and mousies. Wanda used to have a collar with a bell when she was a kitten, but it appears she got tired of it. Also, it's kind of hard to sneak up on birds with a bell announcing your presence beforehand.
Wanda and her family moved to another a house a couple blocks away from ours in August 2002. While she resisted at first, Wanda has accepted her new surroundings. In the meantime, we're keeping an eye out for Bugsy, and get him reunited with his family. Though we miss seeing their faces on our porch, they're not far away.
New neighbors
When our neighbor cats moved away, we wondered if the next humans moving in would have animals. Our wondering came to an end when the new neighbors moved in at the end of May 2002. And, yes, they do have animals. Four cats, a dog, and some birds. Our new neighbor cats are strictly the indoor kind, and are supervised when they go into their backyard. One cat is a long-haired tuxedo named Oreo, another is a gray and white tabby named Peaches, and the third cat is a white and gray kitty. More recently (spring 2003), it appears they have acquired another cat, another long-haired tuxedo. Their doggy housemate is small, white, and fluffy. And, they've added another doggy housemate (spring 2004). We don't know if we'll be able to get pictures of them.
Frontier Cat
She first visited our front porch at sunset in mid-December 2002. Like our many other cat visitors, she found the small bowl of dry kitty food and bowl of fresh water. Quickly as she appeared, quickly she moved on. She came back the next few days, then wasn't seen for another few weeks due to the inclement weather. Since this petite kitty came from the direction of the next street over, Frontier Drive, we decided to call her Frontier Cat.
Frontier Cat is fortunate to have two homes. One home is located, of course, on Frontier Drive. Her second home is located across the alley from our house, on Chimayo Drive. And, both homes are quite aware of one another. When she's outdoors, you may see Frontier Cat traveling from one home to the other. At times, she's a regular visitor. Yet, she can be an occasional visitor.
Frontier Cat visiting the front porch
in March 2004.Click here to enlarge image.
Frontier Cat is a very cautious kitty. This trait has served her well, especially when she's outdoors. Frontier Cat doesn't particularly care for children of any kind. She crosses the street quickly. And, she's careful about who pets her. In March 2004, Frontier Cat decided it was time for the petting to begin. She's a kitty in which trust must be earned and developed. And, quite affectionate in her own way.
Since we've known her, Frontier Cat has given birth to two litters of kittens. Her first litter, born in April 2003, consisted of three kittens. She brought them over a one-time visit when they were roughly 5-6 weeks old. There were no subsequent visits as the litter found new homes a few weeks later.
In April 2004, Frontier Cat gave birth to her second litter of kittens. Like her first litter, this litter also consisted of three kittens (one all-black kitten and two tuxedo kittens). The kittens came for their first visit at the end of May, when they were 6-7 weeks old. We've been very fortunate to watch this second litter to grow. In the process, we decided to give names to the kittens. Midnight for the black kitten, and Alex and Max for the tuxedo kittens.
Frontier Cat's kittens visiting the front porch
in July 2004.Click here to enlarge image.
Unfortunately, little Midnight passed away on July 9, 2004. Clearly, Midnight was Frontier Cat's favorite kitten. She doted on this little female kitten with extra attention. Alex and Max, the two boys, received their share of mom's special attention and care. They were of immense comfort to Frontier Cat after Midnight's passing. Please visit the special tribute page for Midnight.
Alex and Max have grown nicely, both finding their meows and their own personalities. While both are fairly adventurous, they're quite cautious and virtually inseparable. Their cautiousness is the important trait passed on by Frontier, even more so after Midnight's passing. Alex and Max have made many visits to our front porch. After some kibble and water, they find time for lots of play, exploration within the yard, and take a nap. They know our front porch offers plenty of hospitality, safety, and shelter.
In late August 2004, Max was adopted into another family. Though Alex missed him for a couple days, he adjusted very quickly. He's very friendly, very playful. Quite intelligent, a good talker and attentive listener. He's sort of become an unofficial, outdoor member of the family. He makes a point to visit three or four times, everyday. We certainly look forward to his visits very much, and he certainly looks forward to his visits to our house.
The Cat Census
The other cats that visit, or have visited.
There was a ginger-colored, male tabby (known as "orange kitty boy"). He moved away with his family.
Then, there's "black kitty boy." A tuxedo male that lives a couple blocks away, a one-time frequent visitor to the neighbor cats. Up in age, he only checks out the immediate area around his house. Last seen, late autumn 2000.
A Himalayan, night-time visitor, last seen in summer 1999.
A long-hair Persian (may be a Ragdoll). Also a night-time visitor on very warm summer nights. Last seen, summer 2001.
Then, there's "Black Kitty-Kitty." An all-black cat, seen only on warm summer nights the past two years. One sighting, summer 2002.
Housemate to "Little gray kitty," is "Little orange kitty." Hasn't been seen spring 2000. May be living with other family nearby.
A large, all-black long hair that we call "Black Fluffy." A night-time visitor at first, he has come around during the day. A regular visitor since spring 2001.
Black Fluffy making a late night visit
in August 2003.© Copyright 2003 - David Ramos. All Rights Reserved.
A large gray long hair that we call "Gray Fluffy." Visits mainly at night, but has visited a few times during the day. Last seen, January 2003.
Gray kitty, a very shy visitor. Visited a few times during the summertime (2001 and 2002).
Gray tabby, who resembles Dino. A regular visitor since summer 2002.
Tuxedo kitty who lives down the street. First visited in fall 2002. Visits on an occasional basis.
A gray and white kitty we call "Bravo Cat." A new visitor in spring 2003, he passed away on August 25, 2003 while crossing the street. Please visit his special tribute page.
A black kitty we call "Small Fluffy." He looks like Black Fluffy, but has a shorthair coat. A new visitor, summer 2003.
Another gray and white cat we call Mittens. Began visiting during summer 2003, last visited late November 2003.
Mittens visiting the front porch,
September 2003.© Copyright 2003 - David Ramos. All Rights Reserved.
An all-black kitty that we call Ivanhoe. This kitty is about the same size as Frontier Cat. First began visiting in March 2004. Strictly an occasional visitor.
An orange-colored kitty. An occasional visitor, this kitty made its first visited in February 2004.
A long-haired gray kitty with a curly tail. An occasional visitor that made its first visit in March 2004.
Another tuxedo cat. This cat has a white bib and white paws. First visit, late July 2004.
A gray kitty, about the size of Frontier Cat. First visit, October 2004.
Our night-time visitors come by to check out to see if there's any food in the outdoor food dish, and have a drink of water.
We are a cat-friendly "outpost" to visiting, outdoor cats. Just make sure you have a good reason for Pebbles when you visit.
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