Category: Cats

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New Cats

Old Cats

You may have read our two posts on our previous cats, Oscar and Coconut, or about how they ran away in August. They were great cats, and we missed them terribly. But now we knew what to do so that any more cats wouldn’t run away. So, we began our journey to new fluffy friends.

The Long Journey

First, we checked our local feed store’s postboard for free kittens. That was how we had gotten Oscar and Coco, and it was a great way to find cats.  But cats aren’t normally born in September, so there was only one cat available. We were very excited, but then the cat found a home without us.

And anyway, by then the time gap had closed, and our big travel month of October was nearing. (Sorry, that’s why we’ve been inactive for a while! International travel puts a lot on hold!) So, our journey ended…for a while.

But the Redeemed Homestead can’t go long without some cat buddies, so as soon as we arrived home, (actually, on the last days of the trip!) we started asking about new cats.

New Cats

Finally, our trip was over, we were home, and we could focus on new things, cats being one of them. About a week after we arrived home, Dad surprised the kids by teaming up with a cat-loving lady to bring us…Peanut and Jacob!

Peanut
Peanut

 

Jacob or Jake
Jacob (Jake)

 

But our adventures weren’t over yet! Jake promptly escaped and ran into the forest! It was ten days before we got him back. It was a cold night, and he would go around the house meowing, so we opened the door and mewed while he hesitantly walked inside. We shut the door, picked him up, and he was safely home.

Since then, both of the cats have adjusted to their new home, and love us very much. Since it’s winter, they stay in the garage, but they practice their hunting skills on cat toys. 🙂

Jake has escaped a few more times since then, but he always stays around to be mewed through the front door. He is pure muscle, and will be a great mouser when he grows up.

Peanut is especially endearing, with an occlusion (blockage) that makes him sound snuffly all the time. He is a quick little sidekick to deliberate, strong, Jake.

We will fix them both this time to prevent permanent run-aways, but it seems Jake has already learned to run away well: exploring and worrying us sick, while staying close to home, friend, and food. Peanut seems more inclined to explore and befriend Gopher and his back porch.

 

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Our Cats Have Wandered

Well…sad story at the Redeemed Homestead. Both of our sweet boy cats have wandered away.  We didn’t neuter them and they came of age…so now someone with nearby female cats may have a problem.

Oscar Leaves

Strong, sweet Oscar was first to leave. He’d started following us up the driveway to the mailbox, and the big new world out there was starting to grab his attention. Also, he was lonely because Coconut was an invalid in the house at that time. We were nursing Coco back to health, and Oscar was feeling left out, so it seemed the perfect time to seek his fortune in the wide world.

Sweet little Oscar, looking lonely

Coco Follows

Coco lasted longer. Because he had been mauled (that’s a story for another day), and  we nursed him back to health, we were sure he would stay close to home and not go wandering the treacherous forests at night again. We had gotten assurance from a friend that cats who get nursed back to health after a mauling incident generally stay home afterward, but apparently not forever… Coco did…but only for an while. He grew lonely because of Oscar’s absence, and meowed pitifully at nobody.  We thought he was recovering from his loneliness, but he wasn’t. He was just getting ready to go find another cat friend. One day, he too followed us up to the mailbox, occasionally stopping to survey the adjoining field. We swayed his interest then, but a few days later, he too was gone.

Coco lounging on the sidewalk, looking for someone to play with

Why?

So, what happened? Why did these little guys run away?

Well, we have a few ideas:

    1. Our little boys were growing up. We didn’t neuter our cats, and they were starting to look for a mate.  So if you want your pets to be free, and still stay with you, you’ll want to get them fixed so they don’t go looking for other cat company.
    2. They were lonely. When Oscar ran away, Coco was stuck in the house, so he had no one to play with. Coco ran away after Oscar had already left. In both cases, they were missing their brothers. Even though cats are generally independent and not super social, if they grew up together, they will miss each other if they’re separated.  So if you get two cats, just keep that in mind and give them lots of love.
    3. They were starting to realize there was a wider world beyond our farm.  These guys had both started exploring beyond our property before they ran away. Hunting in the woods at night is what got Coco mauled. Following us up to the mailbox preceded both the runaways. And not locking them in at night facilitated both of these run-ins (and outs.) So teach your cats early on that you are their family, and maybe lock them in at night, even though it curtails their hunting opportunities.

So, it looks like we’re fresh out of cats. But there is still a glimmer of hope. A friend told us that their cats have run away and stayed away for a few years, and then suddenly reappeared, ready to start over. So maybe they’ll return. But then again, maybe not. You never know. Maybe we’ll just have to get some new ones.

 

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