Ginger Cats are Good for Families

  

Over the years I have rescued and found forever homes for many ginger cats. Overall  the ginger cat is good with families, single people and with seniors.  This cat is easy going, affectionate and friendly. Fact is I never met a ginger cat that I did not like.

I have placed the ginger cat with families with kids because the cat’s personality is easy going, calm and playful.  The cat will cuddle with your kids or they will play with their toys. Plus its not uncommon for the cat to snuggle with kids during nap time.  Unlike other cats that may be afraid of kids, the ginger cat affectionate and easy-going personality is well suited for a family setting.

Ginger cats are known to carry on conversations with their owners.  Yes, this cat can be talkative. And they may tell you a long story while they are sitting on your lap.  They also may sit by a window and talk to a bird or a squirrel.  They will make chirping noises as if to mimic the bird.

Ginger cats are not all male; however, females are rare. I read that 80% of the ginger cats are male while only 20% are female.  My one friend has had a female and now has a male and told me that his male ginger was more active whereas the female is more laid back and quieter.

Here are my photos of ginger cats.

It makes little difference as to whether the ginger cat is a female or a male because  both are affectionate cats. So, if you like sweet cats that are playful and talkative then you will want to adopt a ginger cat.

All photos are of ginger cats that we have cared for over the years. 

Successful Trapping for Stray Cat

 Last fall one of our neighbors released her 5 little kittens and then  refused to let them return to their home for food, water or shelter.  The neighbors tried to catch them but kittens are fast.  Out of the five only three survived. 

One of the kittens had reached mating age and kept getting beat up daily. So my husband and I decided we would trap and pay for him to be neutered. From the looks of this skinny, dirty and beat up kitty we thought that he may have Feline Leukemia or Feline Immunodeficiency Disease. The sooner we trapped him the better. 

It took me ten days to get him dependent on us feeding him.   And once he felt safe with us we were successful in trapping him. 

He was negative in cat disease, he was neutered, given shots and a dose of revolution for mites in his ears, and infestation of fleas and ticks.   They also gave him a bath and he is recuperating at the veterinarian over the weekend.    

We will pick him up on Monday and after a few more days of rest we will pursue responsible cat adopters. 

I am not sure why people release their kittens like this but do think that there should be a law to prevent this type of abandonment.   

       

How Fat Cats Benefit from Cat Trees

 

 

Today the cat tree that we bought at Chewy arrived and my husband is putting it together.  We bought the tree for our 4 older and fat cats.  The cat tree will benefit all of our fat cats because it will stimulate them to move, play and jump around.  An increase of movement will burn calories and aid in weight reductions.

 

Cat Tree for Large Cats

Any movement is better than no movement. All of our cats are rescues that were abandoned when their people moved away.  We tried to find them homes but because of their older age nobody wanted them. 

My 3 rescued cats

We ended up keeping them and we love them very much. However, as soon as these cats got comfortable they stopped being active. Its as if their purpose in life is to eat, sun themselves on the windowsill and sleep.  The sluggish behavior has caused them to put on weight so we bought them a cat tree to stimulate them to want to play and exercise.

 

Sally my calico seems happy about the cat tree

Our one cat Sally the Calico has been watching from afar and she seems generally interested in the cat tree. Our other bored cats have not moved from sleeping on the bed.

 

Sally and sibling Larry being lazy fat cats

We are hoping that after we cover the tree with spray on catnip that our fat cats will stretch to climb on the tree, rub on the tree and scratch their nails on the tree.  This activity would be much needed exercise and would benefit their shoulders, hindquarters and back.

 

All activity is exercise for a Fat Cat

This cat tree comes with a toy that is dangling from one of the ledges. This toy will encourage the cat to stretch their paw to play with the toy.  Another way to exercise.

 

The location of the cat tree matters.  My husband set it up in the laundry room next to the large window.  The placement will entice the cats to climb to the top post so they can look out the window at the birds and the squirrels.  This location should keep them interested.  Nothing better than a cat tree with a view or nature.

If you have a cat that is putting on weight, or has a slow metabolism you can stimulate the cat to be active with a cat tree. Exercise along with low carbohydrate diet is best for a fat cat.

 We bought ours at Chewy but you can find cat trees at many online and offline stores like Pet Smart, Amazon, Walmart and I think eBay has cat trees also.  Do check the product reviews before you buy to make sure that its quality made, and if the size is right for your cats.  Some trees are made for kittens or small cats other trees are made for large cats.

Outdoor Cats Breed Seasonally in Cold Climates

 Many people will tell you that outdoor queen cats breed continuously and that one unaltered stray cat can populate the community with thousands of cats in their lifetime. Know that is not the case for a cat that resides in an area that has a change of seasons. The average queen cat that breeds seasonally has approximately 300 kittens in their lifetime.  

 

 

Cats that  lives outdoors in areas where the temperature is cold the daylight is short and days are dark do not go into a reproductive cycle.  The outdoor feral cat only breeds from spring to fall when the weather is warm, and days are longer.

Our winters are bitter cold and the unaltered stray cats do not go into their reproductive cycle until mid-spring or after the snow has melted and days are warm and becoming longer. 

The queen cats will mate two times during our summer months although some feral queen cats do mate up to three times during the warm season it all depends on if we have an early spring.

.Cats will stop breeding in autumn when the daylight is shorter and the temperature is cooler / cold  Outdoor cats sense when it’s the warm season and time to breed.

* female cats that are not spayed are called queens and male cats that are not neutered are 

Mistletoe is Toxic To Cats

While shopping today my husband grabbed some mistletoe and held it above my head.  And we kissed because it's tradition during the holidays.  While it's fun to kiss under the mistletoe did you know that it's toxic to cats?

Mistletoe contains substances that are toxic to both dogs and cats,

Mistletoe growing on branches of trees

mistletoe ornament used during the Christmas season

Normally during the holiday season, people will hang mistletoe in the doorway so that all who stand under it will receive a kiss.  This is great for homes with no pets because mistletoe is not a harmless plant, all plant parts are toxic, and depending on how much is ingested it may cause any of the following; excessive drooling vomiting diarrhea gastrointestinal upset, and pain abnormal heart rate seizures or death (the entire plant is toxic, branch, leaves and berries)  

I would recommend that you enjoy the mistletoe when you are away from your home because the only way to keep your cats safe is to keep it out and away from your house. 

Poinsettia Plants Are They Toxic to Cats

 

The poinsettia is known as the Christmas plant due to its colorful green and red foliage.  While this plant is stunning to look at during the holiday season it's also very attractive to cats and it's important to know if this plant is toxic or not. 

Poinsettia plant leaves

Today my brother gave me a beautiful red poinsettia and since I have cats I wondered if the plant might be toxic to my pets.  My indoor cats are plant-starved and normally everything I bring indoors is deemed a new kitty treat.  So I needed to make sure that this holiday poinsettia would not poison my pets. 

my poinsettia plant on the porch / away from the cats

I searched online and found that many websites have listed that poinsettia plants are toxic to cats and that I should keep the poinsettia away from them. All of the websites seemed to say the same thing and honestly, I needed to confirm the information so I searched for a veterinarian school.

My search led me to an educational website for veterinarian medicine and this website gave me accurate information regarding poinsettia toxicity to cats. 

 ". Poinsettias have received bad publicity in the past whereas, in fact, poinsettias are not very toxic to pets. They do contain a milky sap that can irritate the mouth but if signs develop they are usually mild.  The College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University provides the following information for Poinsettia, as well as Mistletoe and Holly. "Holiday Health Hazards" https://hospital.vetmed.wsu.edu/2021/11/23/holiday-health-hazards-for-pets/ 

In conclusion and in my opinion, the poinsettia plant will not end your cat's life, as this plant has very low toxicity to cats.  You know your cat's behavior, if they are plant-starved like mine, attracted to all greenery as something new to chew on then keep the poinsettia away from your cats.  

The leaves of the poinsettia will cause an irritation to the mouth. Watch out for drooling.  Now if they eat the poinsettia leaves, stems all parts of the plant  they may drool, vomit, or have diarrhea.  

End of Life Care for Senior Cat

 The end of life for your senior kitty is never easy because your cat will have behavior changes that you are not accustomed to because like humans senior cats experience cognitive dysfunction which is like dementia in humans.

 Some senior kitties will have dementia similar to humans and some senior kitties become more affectionate and want to be next to their people at all times.  A once calm and quiet cat may become vocal and some senior kitties will walk around the house at night as if they are lost. 

Know that my senior cat is experiencing all of the above and also health issues such as ear infections and mobility decline.  But she has a hearty appetite and still purrs when we pet her. 

 

Our eldest cat is 18 years old, and her behavior has changed and is that of a dementia kitty.  She tends to wander around the house at night and will meow loudly.   She will also meow loudly because she is thirsty and wants me to turn on the bathroom or kitchen faucet.  Sometimes she cannot find her food bowl and this will cause her to become cranky.   I will put it in front of her and she will eat happily.  Other times she has no problem finding her food bowl.  Every day is a new experience in the life of a senior cat.

Know that her body has slowed down and she now prefers to sleep in our bed.  Her preferable sleeping area is up by the pillow between my husband and I. She sleeps at all times and is only awake to eat, drink, and use her litter box.

Normally our cat enjoyed being groomed but recently we noticed that she pulls away from the brush.  My thinking is that her skin is more sensitive to the brush and that it's not enjoyable for her.  So, we stopped brushing her and now use nature's miracle cat wipes to clean her fur and we pet her often.  Our senior cat still enjoys being petted.

 

Occasionally our senior cat will play with her catnip-filled mouse.  She used to love her mouse but overall she is disinterested in it and I suspect it's due to her fading sense of smell. Our kitty loves to still look at the birds that are outdoors and she loves cuddling with us and our dog. She still enjoys her favorite catnip-flavored treats and still purrs when we pet her so she has not lost all interest and still enjoys specific things.

 

My husband and I have discussed our cat's condition and if we should euthanize it when the time is right.  My husband hopes that she passes peacefully in her sleep and he wants her to pass naturally at home.  He tells me that death is a part of living and it is nature.  I am the one who spends the most time with our senior cat and would prefer euthanasia when the time is right.

Today we had a scare when our senior kitty could not stand to pee or poo.  It looked like she hurt her right hind leg. She could not stand, she would try but would fall down and then roll over.  We took this as a sign that her passing was soon.

Our veterinarian squeezed us in by staying late and I asked if she would examine our senior cat before euthanasia as we needed to know if there was a specific ailment or if it was her time to pass.

My veterinarian examined her and told her that it was not time for our senior cat to pass away, that she was very alert, and that her ears needed to be cleaned,  When her ears were cleaned we found out that she had an inner ear infection and that this was probably why she had difficulty walking and standing.

Treatment was administered; antibiotics, and steroids, and she was given fluids due to slight dehydration.  We were told to crate her or confine her to a bathroom, to put down puppy pads, a cat bed food, and water. 

Within 8 hours our senior cat showed signs of better mobility, she was able to use the litter box and also drank and ate from her bowls.

at age 18 our senior kitty loves to eat

 Know that when it comes to the end of life care for a senior cat that there is no right answer.   You choose the option that is best for you and your cat. My husband and I had a difference in opinion and we discussed our opinions with our veterinarian she said that when the time was right that she would come to the house to administer the euthanasia and thus the cat would pass peacefully in my arms. 

Stop Cats From Messing with Decorations

 Whenever I bring out the home decorations my cats seem to gather around the table.  They are interested in the pretty shiny things and can hardly wait to get their paws on everything.

If given a chance my cats will dump over the decoration in the box so that all things fall to the carpet.  Then the “game is on” and they will play with everything by chasing the pretty things across the floor.

One year I stopped the cats from messing with my decorations by creating a “cat room” where they would go when we could not supervise their activity and to keep them away from our holiday decorations.

I have used sticky tape and have attached our Christmas tree to the ceiling.  But must tell you what I am doing now really stops the cats from messing with the decorations.

This year I plugged Feliway diffusers into the electrical outlet.  Each room has a diffuser.  Then I waited a full 10 days and the product took the edge off the room, my cats are no longer stressed or anxious, they do not hiss, and have not marked to indicate that the entire house is “theirs” in fact they do not seem to care about the holiday decorations.

None of the cats have gotten on the display shelf, and the basket of pinecones with pumpkins has not been knocked over, in fact, no paw has touched my holiday decorations since I treated the house with Feliway.

So if you have a cat that messes with your home décor you may want to buy a Feliway diffuser and calm your cat so that they don’t care about your pretty things.

Outdoor Kiddie Pools Keep Cats Hydrated

 This summer the heat has been extreme with creeks and lakes drying up.  Due to the water shortages, the neighborhood and feral cats were desperately in need of water.

Normally we have bowls of water for the cats, but the intense heat was causing the water to become very hot and evaporate.  I was filling the water bowls several times a day and found that not only cats were drinking the water, but songbirds, groundhogs, raccoons, and deer were also staying hydrated by drinking out of the small animal bowls.

We bought outdoor kiddie pools to provide both cats and wildlife with a reliable water source.  Filling the outdoor dog and kiddie pools daily was the best thing that we could do to provide cats and wildlife the water that they needed.   We filled daily a hard plastic kiddie pool and an outdoor dog pool by Top-Paw.  

All pools were set up under a shade tree.  The shade prevented the sun from evaporating the water from the pools and also from the water getting too hot.  We would clean the pools daily to prevent bacteria.  Once the water was removed we would wash down the pool with dawn dish soap, rinse and refill.  Throughout the day the pools would be filled to the top so that they were never empty and cats and smaller animals could drink from them without physically getting into the pool. 

The kiddie pools were a great way to provide water to the animals and to keep them hydrated during the extremely hot summer months.

Here are a few of my photos.

Found White and Gray Tabby Kitten

 Today when I went out to the shed to check to see if any cats had entered through the kitty door I discovered that food was eaten from the food bowl.  I looked to see if a cat was there but could not find one. That didn't mean that there was no cat in the shed as it could be that it had a really good hiding spot.

I took steps to set up an overnight feeding station of wet and dry food plus a fresh bowl of water. I then set a self-warming cat bed on the floor along with catnip toys.

Before turning the lights out I heard movement in the back of the shed, it sounded like it was coming from behind a storage container, so I took my flashlight to look behind the container, and there in the corner I found a gray and white tabby kitten.

The kitten appears to be approximately three months old.  It looks healthy however there was no collar and it wasn't sterilized.   From the way the cat is hissing and spitting at me, I assume that it is feral or maybe just afraid of me. 

We provided the kitten with a safe and warm space with food, water, toys, and a litter box.  Tomorrow we will look for lost cat flyers, and also put the word out that we found a white and gray tabby kitten. 

I stayed with the kitten and took a few photographs. It's afraid of me but doesn't appear to be feral.  Here are a few photographs of the kitten that came into our shed.

Pet Owner Relinquishes Rights to Cat

Many times I think that the cats that come into my yard are stray due to their matted fur and they are usually hungry or thirsty. If the cat meows and is friendly and spends the entire day and night in my yard. I assume that it may be an indoor/outdoor cat, a neglected cat or that the pet owner has moved away.

What happens if you know of a pet owner who isn't being responsible and Do you know the cat needs care? Do you call animal control and report the neglect or do you visit with the person to find out if they still want the cat? 

Sometimes they aren't intentionally irresponsible as maybe they are sick, maybe there is a reason for the lack of care, and maybe they would prefer to relinquish their rights to the cat. Many times pet owners who never let their cats indoors and provide no outdoor shelter for the cat do not want the cat anymore and are eager to surrender their rights to someone who likes and wants to adopt the cat.

A cat that pet owner didn't want 

A few weeks ago my neighbor's cat decided to live in my yard. If would spend the entire day in my garden, drinking from the pond, hunting grasshoppers and salamanders and I found that it was sleeping in my dogs house at night. As soon as the dog was brought inside the cat went into the house in the kennel. The cat did not go home and I knew that it was at one time a housecat and needed to be cared for especially since my area has coyotes and other animals that would enjoy a cat snack.

Since I knew the woman who owned the cat I did go to visit with her. She told me to release the cat that it was outdoors now because she was ill and could not take care of it anymore.

I told her that the coyote was in the neighborhood at night and that it really was not safe for a housecat to be outdoors. But the neighbor was stern saying that the cat is not coming in here. She went on to say that the cat was too much trouble, always wanting to sit on her lap and that the cat kicked the litter all over the place.

I learned that the cat in question was approximately 15 years old and was not spayed and was taken to the veterinarian for vaccines when it was a kitten, but other than that no routine vaccines, wormer, or veterinarian care for approximately 14 years. Clearly, the cat was neglected and my neighbor was not being a responsible pet owner so I offered to adopt the cat if she would relinquish her rights of owning the cat to me. 

She was glad to do that but I didn’t take her word for it. I went home and printed out a cat surrender of ownership where the pet owner relinquished her rights. We both signed and dated the document and we both had a copy of the agreement.

 So now I have a 15-year-old cat that will be going to the veterinarian for a spay, vaccines, and wellness check-ups. If the cat is healthy with no serious health concerns I will then seek adopters in my neighborhood.

***If you love cats then you want to view my cat-designed products. Many products were created from the photographs of feral and stray cats that we care for. ***

Feral Cat Released after Wound Healed

 Six weeks ago a feral cat with a bloody paw entered our garage and my husband closed the door behind it. On that same day, my neighbor's cat appeared to have a bloody paw also and another feral cat showed up with the same injury. The cats were badly wounded and it appeared to a wound from a snare trap.

Snare traps are against the law in our area but that does not mean that poachers do not use them in the woods by our home.

Know that we tried to trap the one feral cat for medical care but that cat took to hiding so we took care of the cat in our garage. 

I thought that by caring for the injured cat that we would be able to tame it. But this cat was free-roaming too long and as of this date, we have not socialized it. The cat is dependant upon us for food and water and she did learn how to use a litter box but other than that is very fearful of humans. 

Know that the cat's paw has healed and that only a slight limp is noticeable.   My husband and I agreed to release the cat to the neighborhood. 

Some cats can't be socialized and we respect that.

I left the garage kitty door open all day and the cat did come out and walked around the yard.  It was out a total of ten minutes then went back inside the garage and never came out again.

Tomorrow is another day and will open the door at 7 AM and close the door at 7 PM. That is our routine. The cat can come out, go back inside whatever it wants. It may not ever leave and we are okay with that. 

Learn more about what we do to help the feral and stray cats in our neighborhood by reading this article 

Cats Cuddle When they are Cold

 

Cats are finicky and overall they do not like other cats but when it’s cold an amazing thing occurs. Cats will cuddle with each other, they will even cuddle with cats they don’t get along with.

This photo is of three of my rescued cats.  Oliver is in the center and he is the special needs kitty,  Frankie is the oldest at age 15 and he is to the right of Oliver. Frankie is temperamental, wanting his own space and not into togetherness.  I suppose it's due to his old age. But as you can see that doesn't seem to matter because cuddling makes a cat feel cozy and warm.

Cats like to cuddle when they feel cold

I have observed this phenomenon with my indoor cats and with the stray and feral cats that take shelter in my shed. 

The indoor cats could be bickering with each other one minute and the next minute they are cuddling with each other on the dog bed that is located next to the heat vent. My guess is they are cold and know to come together for warmth.

Frankie and Hairy cuddling on the dog's bed

On another day these two don't get along, but today was cold so they cuddled 

Stray cats will be fighting one day over who is sleeping in the cat house in the shed. Then the next morning I will find the two cats that were hissing at each other are sleeping together. This is why I say that cats cuddle when they are cold. I guess their instinct tells them to do this.

Stray Cat with Scratched Eye

 

As a caretaker for a feral and stray cat colony, we always watch for injury or sickness. If a cat shows signs that something is wrong we do trap them for medical care. One cat was viewed with blood in their eye and we did not hesitate to trap this cat and take to the veterinarian.

.

The cat had been scratched and the veterinarian gave the cat a shot for infection and for pain. Along with the shot we were told to keep the cat indoors and that the cat must wear a collar. This fabric collar would prevent the cat from scratching its eye. We also had to take care of the cat by administering drops into the injured eye twice a day.

While at the veterinarian we had the cat's nails trimmed as this would make handling the cat easier.

Adding the eye drops to the cat was something I could not do alone. My husband had to hold the cat as this treatment wasn’t quick or easy. The cat thought we were trying to hurt him and each time it was time for treatment the cat would hiss at us and try to escape its cage.

We cared for the injured cat for two weeks then took him back to the veterinarian for his check-up. The eye healed well and vision was fine.

Note: The injured cat was kept in a cat cage that was located in a room where there was a Feliway diffuser. This cat product is a good choice especially when the cat is suffering from anxiety or stress. It helps to comfort and reassure a cat when it is coping with a challenging situation. It helps to prevent stress associated with any change to a cat's environment.

Follow-up The Feliway enabled us to handle the cat and to socialize the cat to be comfortable around humans. We were able to find adopters that had experience with feral and stray cats. 

About Cat with Hyperthyroidism

 A a few years ago I rescued a white tabby cat that was as normal and healthy as she could be but when she turned 9 years old her health changed drastically and her illness seemed to come onto her quickly.

Photo of Missy on the day we rescued her

At first I noticed that she was more affectionate as she was always wanting to be petted and constantly rubbed her face on mine. Another concern was that Missy had become hyper, literally she was running all over the house, playing with her toys, leaping off the sofa, rolling on the rug. We decided to stop spraying the scratching post with catnip, thinking that was why she was so active. Then I noticed that she was eating her food but losing weight.

A greasy coat is a symptom of hyperthyroidism

It was not until we noticed that Missy was losing weight and her coat which was always soft and shiny looked greasy. We thought it was time for her to go to the veterinarian.

The veterinarian gave our cat a wellness exam and then checked her blood, the blood work showed nothing wrong with her. So the veterinarian asked if they could check her thyroid levels and this is when our cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.

Know that the excess thyroid hormone causes an overactive metabolism which is why Missy was running all over the house and is also why she was losing weight,

We were assured that once the medicine kicked in that our kitty would resume to a quality life but the medicine was a treatment it was not a way to fix her condition. However, we would have to change Missy’s diet. We feed our cats Hills Science Diet kibble and canned food for cats age 7+. Missy prefers kibble to canned food. However, pate canned food is better for hyperthyroidism cats because dry food is too high in carbohydrates. We needed to stick with a high quality canned pate food that was primarily meat and low in plant protein.

The veterinarian suggested several treatment options, the medicine is taken by mouth twice daily or the ratio iodine thereby which is one treatment to remove the abnormal thyroid tissue and will cure your cat but it is expensive, with costs running up to $1,500. Then they said we could try the treatment that is applied to the cat behind their ears. This treatment would replace the oral pill form.

Presently we are managing our cat's hyperthyroidism with high-quality canned pate food that limits the dietary iodine intake which reduces the thyroid hormone. We are also treating our cat's condition with daily medication that is an anti-thyroid drug. This drug stops the production of the thyroid hormone.

Missy has been taking her medication for 21 days now and we are starting to see a slight change. She has put on weight (1 lb) and isn't as hyper. Her coat doesn't look as greasy.

We have a 30-day follow-up appointment and will know more than as to how she is doing.

White Manx Cat Found

We found a rare white Manx cat in our yard and at first, we thought it was a neighborhood stray, but when we found that it was living in our yard we thought it was abandoned. (Sleeping in the grass garden, or under the side deck) 

We ruled out feral quickly due to it not hissing at people, and not running away from humans. That is not to say that the cat does not walk away when we come close to it but unlike feral cats. When I approach the cat it walks to a safe distance and sits down.

Whenever we find a stray cat living in our yard we do feed it and give it water while searching for its people. Normally I take photographs of the cat and post a flyer around the neighborhood and on local bulletin boards. I also put a flyer in the mailboxes with the cat's information along with how to contact me.

A woman five houses away called and told me that the cat looks a lot like the kittens from a house two doors down from me. They had a Manx cat but instead of putting the kittens up for adoption they just opened the garage. I learned this occurred ten years ago and that this woman said she had trapped a white Manx cat and had it spayed and vaccinated before releasing.

So if this is the same cat then it was part of the TNR program and I guess found its way to a neighbor who cared for it / adopted the cat I do not know. I do know that a neighbor recently moved and this white cat recently found its way to my yard.

Our thinking is that the people that moved may have left the cat behind, or maybe they were the cats caretaker and now the cat has found its way to my yard. So many unanswered questions.

My husband and I have decided to get the cat dependent upon us for food and water then trap it and take it into the veterinarian to check for a microchip.

In the meantime I call this cat Honey…

Here is a photo I captured of her

Manx cat at feeding station

Rare White Manx Cat

Today while working in my garden I discovered a white cat hiding in the liriope ornamental grass garden. The cat just assumed I could not see it but it was white and that color does stand out.

 Whenever cats come to our yard it is customary to put out a bowl of food and water. We have no idea if they are a stray, feral, or visiting neighborhood or an abandoned cat. But like all guests that visit we offer them a bite to eat and a beverage.

White cat hiding in the grass garden

The cat watched me put down the food but instead of going to the feeding station, it was hesitant. The Manx did not move toward the food bowl until I was a good 40 feet away

When the cat stood up I realized that it had no tail, it also looked like its back legs were longer than the front. The cat was rare white Manx. On closer inspection, I found that it had light calico colors of tan and light gray, but these colors were close to its ears and the rest of the body was a solid white. 

I wondered what this Manx cat was doing in my yard, wondered if it had gotten out of the house, and had wandered too far. Perhaps it was visiting and would go home. It was too early to know why this white Manx cat was sleeping in my garden but I planned to watch it for signs of being a feral stray, abandoned, or a neighborhood cat.

Here is a photo of the rare white Manx Cat