Winter shelters are ready

They ain't pretty but they are fixed and ready to keep Ollie and Spirit warm and dry for the coming winter.  There are lots of shelters for sleeping and three shelters for eating which is more than enough for two little cats.  Both cats have their favourite spots to sleep but sometimes they like to move around.

Here it is November 1st and the hydrangea I was going to throw out but planted near the East Side Gang earlier in the summer still has flowers.  I hope it survives and really takes off in the spring.

Straw for shelters

Every year about this time I drive out to my sister's farm to pick up bales of straw for my ferals cat's shelters.  Today I picked up 13 bales.  I delivered them to where my ferals are and covered with a couple of tarps until Sunday when I will get to work.

My van was full with little room for anything else.

 Rain is expected tomorrow so the straw has been covered with tarps.  As I unloaded I saw a number of holes in the bales that have been made by mice. I hope that none of the mice, if they were still in the bales, came out while the straw was in my van!!

Spirit

I haven't written much because it has been a pretty quiet summer.  Jazz, the only Logan Gang member, was around a lot this summer but about 4-5 weeks ago he has been out of sight for the most part.  I see him occasionally so I know he's fine.  Ollie and Spirit, the 2 remaining cats from the Eastside Gang, have been at every feeding.  All was well until this weekend.

Friday Ollie and Spirit ate well at both a.m. and p.m. feedings.  Saturday Spirit didn't come running out to greet me which he does meowing the whole time.  I found him curled up near his winter sleeping shelter.  Every visit I made he was in the same spot and would not eat.  He gave me a little meow each time but made no moves to get up or eat.  I was really worried.  If he wouldn't eat I had little chance of coaxing him into a carrier or trap.

Spirit

Spirit curled up

This morning I woke up to rain and my first thought was Spirit.  Did he get up from his spot and find shelter or was he still there and now soaking wet.  I was nervous about what I would find as I walked the path.  I was almost at the end of the path and out popped Spirit, meowing.  I as so excited and pleased to see him.

Spirit ate a small amount of food but I had come prepared and opened a different flavour and he ate a wee bit so I opened a third can and again he ate a tiny bit.  I don't usually leave food because even during the day the raccoons are known to show up and devour everything but this morning I did.  I left four bowls of different flavours of canned food and some dry.

Before I left I saw Spirit take a drink of water, again not a lot but a little something was better than nothing.  Then Spirit walked into the little A-frame I made last year to keep extra straw bales clean and dry.  He sometimes sleeps in there and today that was he preferred spot.

Spirit in the A-frame

At 5 p.m. when I returned Spirit came out of the A-frame meowing.  He licked the gravy from assorted bowls of food and he ate a few Temptations treats.

Finally eating a little

The bowls of food from the morning had not been eaten by raccoons but small amounts were gone from a couple of bowls so I think Spirit ate a little.

I have no idea what was going on with Spirit but I really thought I was going to lose him and I was trying to prepare myself for this possibility.  He has never behaved like this before.  Both he and Ollie are about 14 years old now which is pretty incredible for feral cats.   

I will be back to see Spirit first thing in the morning.