Mucked out the stalls today with Riley in attendance. He likes to walk the rafters over my head as I work and will occassionally come down and head bump me then climb back up to the top of the barn. I have been derelict in my duties as stall mucker. Racer, the little snot has discovered that if he poops in Trav’s stall, his stall stays cleaner. Since I have been unable to keep him inside his stall, this is what he chooses to do. Poor Trav had a mountain of manure piled up in the one corner of his stall. It is now spread outside and will be tilled under once the rain officially leaves.

I re-organized the cat enclosure and came up with a nifty shelf unit where the cats can sit and watch the birds outside. Everest is getting a bit growly with his group and I wonder if his arthritis is acting up again. He is such a young cat to have arthritis, but his previous abuse (being flung down a sewer drain) had something to do with it.

Matuse keeps darting out the door every time I open it. I got tired of chasing after him, so now he is outside on the patio and walking around the property. He is my strongest Alpha, so I am sure he can handle Wild Kitty when she shows up. Mercedes is another one who darted outside yesterday. She just stays within arms reach of me, and I need to capture her and bring her back inside. I know she left because she was tired of me giving her medicine (she gets reoccuring UTI’s) and she hates the medicine. She discovered that if she hides under the bed, I can get to her, but if she hides under the house, she is safe from the pill monster….sigh…

I know my group would be happier outside, but there are so many dangers around here. Most of the neighbors hate cats, so poisoning is always a concern. Plus, they do kill birds when they are outside- not a ton of birds, but one or two a week and that just won’t fly (no pun intended)

Gretchen is growing like a weed and she has discovered a love of tennis balls. Boy can she run!~ *It is so funny to fling the ball and watch her take off after it, with Riley the cat in hot pursuit! Reminds me of when we lived in Alaska and I used to walk Brandy every day down our street and Smudge, our calico would follow along. The neighbors used to laugh and point at the girl, the German Shepherd and the calico cat walking together. Gosh, I miss Smudge- it will be going on 8 years soon to the day she got cat-napped by that awful woman and ended up trying to escape out the window of the cat-napper’s car and ended up getting hit on the highway. I will never forget that day as long as I live.

Mike is ill again. His blood sugar is dropping on an almost daily basis and he will not call the doctor. i know he is afraid they will put him back in the hospital. But now, he is running fevers and if it continues, I will hit him in the head with a 2×4 and call the ambulance myself!

It is raining today off and on so I am inside trying to get a few things off my desk. Now, I need to go and get dinner and see if I can get close enough to Mercedes to give her the medicine she needs.