The last two weeks have been hard on my barn cats. Near zero temperatures and snow have made life miserable for them. The constant threat of packs of coyotes has me counting cats at every meal, to be sure they are all still present and accounted for. In the fall of 2022, I had 21 barn cats and by the spring of 2023 the coyotes had trimmed them down to 13. Now I count those 13 twice a day.

My cat collection has not come about intentionally. Kittens and pregnant mamas are often dropped off in my driveway. Some people think that a house with a barn must need their unwanted cats. Some cats come up from the woods behind the barn, feral and afraid. I feed them and care for them, neuter and spay them. Sometimes, a very special one steals my heart and becomes a house cat. One of my great worries is what will happen to the cats if I have to downsize once I retire?

Not only do I care for the cats, but they care for each other. If a cat is sick or hurt, the other cats pile around him for warmth until he is feeling better. I was also the recipient of that tender care last week when I had a stomach bug. I spent two days in bed because I felt so awful. My five house cats piled right into bed with me and slept ON me not beside me. I felt as though I was part of the monster pile from Where the Wild Things Are!!

I don’t actually feed the cats in the barn anymore because I’m afraid of slipping on the snow or ice. I have one group who eats at the kitchen door and one group who eats on the front porch. I have had to use takeout containers and change them twice a day because they constantly freeze. The ice makes very interesting patterns, almost like tree branches.

I have a heated water bowl on the porch that Dennie bought. Very often, one of the cats will dump the water and sit in the bowl for warmth!! One white cat sleeps all night beside the chimney by the kitchen door. I worried about him until I discovered that the chimney is quite warm. He has a very toasty little corner!

The raccoons and groundhogs are gone for the season. Only the baby possum remains to steal cat food when he can. Poor thing, I think his mother died last year before she taught him to forage because he comes morning and evening for kitty food. The cats just accept him as another hungry creature, and he eats beside them.

I think winter came hard this year because there was no prelude. Fall lasted through Christmas and even the beginning of January was mild. Now, neither the plant life nor the animals are ready to face the cold and snow. Neither am I.