Momcat Adopts Us

We've had barncats around Hawksbill Cabin since at least 2011.  The lady next door back then told us she had seen a little mother cat with a kitten under our porch one week while we were away.  It turns out that was our first encounter with Momcat. 

Eventually, that neighbor adopted the kitten, and Momcat stayed around the neighborhood.  She generally stayed out of sight back then, until one spring when we drove up to find a litter of four kittens hanging out under the garage extension.

That same summer, Momcat's sister, who was called Foxy by some other neighbors, had also had a little of four kittens, and they were sheltered under the pool deck.  

Now, all these cats and kittens were very cute, but ten cats is a good start on 200, so we decided to try and do something about it.  Mary research a non-profit in Harrisonburg. Cats' Cradle, that was helping with spaying and neutering feral cats, so we had them out to take care of the two moms, and as many of the babies that had survived.

Eventually we adopted Sashie from Momcat's litter - we tried to adopt Momcat, too, but she was a holdout.  We've had a good friendship since then, she greats us whenever we're out, and she even hangs out on the brick terrace with us.  Plus, she loves to take walks with Tessie up and down the road.

Momcat disappeared for a while back in 2014, when we went away on our vacation to Mendocino.  We were prepared for the worst at that point, but she survived, maybe picking up at one of the other houses in the neighborhood.  Eventually she came back to Hawksbill Cabin that winter and has been around ever since. 

During the winter storm last year we were worried about the cat, and asked Dan and Sally to come down to check on her.  Everything was okay, but we decided we'd try and convince her to move inside this year.  After all, she's had a remarkably long life for an outdoor cat, and she has been a good companion and friend to us all these years, why not adopt her?

We took it easy, getting her some worm meds and flea oil over the course of the summer, and feeding her indoors from time to time.  But this weekend was the breakthrough - she came indoors and stayed to hang out for a while - even deciding to stay inside over night.  She finally has adopted us.  

The deal I had with Mary was if she gets a cat, I get a farm.  Now we have three barncats now, and Tessie, the honorary canine.  I guess I wasn't a very good bargainer.