The Big Melt – © Colehaus.com
Our big ten-day stretch of snow and ice came to an end last weekend and we’re back to our usual rainy Pacific Northwest winter with patches of bright sunshine and cold east winds tossed in for the amusement of those who like it like that. We’re fans of rain and cold but up to a point. Around the first of March, Mom gets antsy to get spring cleanup underway and looks forward to working in dirt, opposed to mud.
Before our batches of snow, this winter brought a new visitor to Colehaus. One day, Mom looked out the back door and there, walking under the bird feeders was this kitty.
Stray (?) Teese – © Colehauscats.com
Naturally, Mom grabbed the camera and went out to call to it and it dashed away. A couple of days later, she saw it again, stepping out from behind the huge arborvitae and from the kitchen window, she clicked more photos. Only one of those photos turned out and as soon as the kitty saw Mom at the window, again, it darted away. Mom has started to call this kitty Teese. We told her she was spelling it wrong but she said for us grammar police to stop picking on her. O-Kay…
The tease Teese – © Colehauscats.com
She’s seen Teese at the feeding station twice since, once during a snow storm, and one other time around the secluded feral shelter on the other side of the yard. Mom knows someone is staying overnight in that shelter but she doesn’t know who.
Z comfortable at her shelter – © Colehauscats.com
Zoey, or Z as we’re going to start calling her here for privacy reasons, weathered the bitter cold, snow, and ice great in the other feral shelter located under our back porch steps. She doesn’t always get breakfast outside the heated shelter but this was a particularly chilly day and she was being extra adorable.
Snowcat Z – © Colehauscats.com
She now wears a collar with a sensor for an automated food bowl her real humans set up. Apparently, the neighborhood raccoons were lining up each evening for dinner and probably getting spit all over the kibble and Z’s owner finally said enough of that. We know raccoons aren’t usually tolerant of cats and sometimes, not even with themselves, but we are fortunate in that the raccoons who visit Colehaus have all, but one, been kind and well-mannered. That one, well, Mom keeps a broom handy for the next time she sees him again!
Someone Mom still has a like/dislike relationship with is Z’s older brother W, who continues his hunting streak.
W out hunting – © Colehauscats.com
W has been teaching Z to hunt birds and Mom won’t have it any longer. So, after sixteen years of buying quality bird seed, she’s giving up feeding the birds. Once our stored seed runs out in February, she’s taking down the bird feeder. She’ll leave the suet cage up for the woodpeckers and the nyger thistle sock up until spring but after that, all she’s providing is fresh water from the big fountain and shelter in all the trees. She know she’ll still have bird bits to clean up from time-to-time, and then, there’s that whole baby bunny season coming up way too fast, but she says there’s no reason to be feeding birds only to have them feed the neighborhood cats.
Dad says he’s going to miss the birds but Mom reminds him he’s not the one who has to clean up the mess. Yeah, well, there is that.
Here’s a final few shots of birds we’re going to miss seeing:
Native Ringneck Dove – © Colehauscats.com
Ringneck Dove – © Colehauscats.com
Varied Thrush – © Colehauscats.com
We do live one block away from a big greenspace with pasture land beyond that. Most of our visiting birds come from there and undoubtedly, will still visit to drink and bath from the fountain. They won’t be out of food or shelter from their natural habitat. It’ll be an adjustment for them and for us and it will be for the better.
W hunting again – © Colehauscats.com
it is sad that the neighbors won’t keep their cats indoors. ugh…. Teese is pretty handsom
That is a real bummer. Our (indoor) cats enjoy watching the bird and squirrels we have in the backyard while they use the feeders.
Teese is a beautiful visitor and F U R R Y.
Jumpin’ catfish there is lots going on at your house
Hugs madi your bfff
Those neighbors … what’s the point of having cats if they aren’t allowed inside? Sheesh! The LEAST they could do is provide decent shelter. What’s wrong with people?
Teese is a beauty … LOVE the white markings. Having to give up the birds must be hard … I have a feeling the Colehaus cats understand … but would prefer to keep their bird tv 🙂
W, dang it, you’re giving us a bad name. I hope that horrible Audubon dude who hates cats and says so in their publications, doesn’t see this picture of you doing that! And don’t teach Z!!! Are there two types (varying Countries of origin) of Ring Neck doves there?
guys……all burd jokez a side; de food gurl quit feedin burdz round TT; knot coz oh catz, { & ther bee sum passerz bye } but bee coz oh hawkz…noe joke….
they sit in de treez N wait til de small friez R eatin ore bathin; rabbitz two ~~~~~…itz de same at booomer N dai$yz place; hawks nab small burdz N rabbitz all de time…..
984 pawz up for helpin teese N de crew…..
heerz two a king oh de herringz kinda week oh end two all ~~~~~~~~ ♥♥♥
Mommy had to give up the birdies too, but because vishus deer were coming every day, multiple times and eating 5 pounds of sunflower hearts every 2 days. Mom reluctantly gave up…
Teese is a stunning kitty! My human doesn’t think it is right that kitties are left to wander outside the way Z and W are.
Those burds look like fun to watch.
you have way more snow than we do! Here in the Detroit area we have NONE!!
Teese is quite a beauty! We don’t put out bird-feeders either, since I know Patty O’Malley and Sweetie both hunt, even though I keep their bellies full. And I’m going to comment on Cody-Cat Chat above: shhhhh!! Don’t awaken the snow gods in MetroDetroit; we don’t want any more of the white stuff if it can be helped! LOL!
You sure get a lot of visitors to you yard. What a good looking cat Teese is.
We sure hope those kitties stay indoors if they have furever homes.
Emma and Buster
You do have some good looking neighbors though!
You have a lot of cats in your neighborhood. Your Mom was sweet to set up a shelter for them.
It’s scary to think of cats wandering outside where there are raccoons…Teese is really beautiful! We wonder where her family is…The outdoor cats are lucky to have you and the birds will thrive without feline hunters in their midst 🙂
the critters in the cottage xo
Gets us mad to see cats with homes roaming out in the snow. Bye bye birdies.
Aqui é normal as pessoas deixarem seus gatos soltos pela rua, o anormal é eles serem gatos de dentro de casa, mas aqui não temos um inverno rigoroso. Fico pensando o que se passa na cabeça de uma pessoa para deixar o seu gato do lado de fora da casa com toda essa neve! Pobre gatinho.
Teese has really big paws….just like me!!!
Purrs……..Hemingway
wow, Teese is STUNNING! And our paws are cold just LOOKING at W hunting in that snow!
What a shame to need to disconnect bird TV. Misty May gets the occasional bird, which makes our humans very unhappy. They will continue to feed, though, as we rely so much on bird TV for our entertainment. Teese is an incredibly gorgeous kitty. Do you think she is an actual stray? XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo and Cooper Murphy
We’re not sure. If Teese isn’t a stray, he/she is living on the next street over and down the hill. That’s where we see her running off to. Unfortunately, that’s where the coyotes live.
Too bad about Teese. Hopefully Teese will start hanging closer to you than the coyotes. Mom and Dad had the same problem with the birds but it was hawks/owls, so they had to take down all the feeders too 🙁