Cat Cave #4 - For My Mom's Cat! Coming Next!

The Origin of Cat Cage Ideas – Our Neighbors!

Our wonderful neighbors, Sebrina and Darrel, are the geniuses who first invented the Cat Cave in Elkmont, Alabama!  Darrel did a perfect job with a standard chain link fence, some tomato stakes, and some chicken wire.

 

Here is another picture which shows the angle of the top section, designed to keep those beloved cats where they belong.   They have never had a cat escape from their back yard!

 

Cat Cave #1 – Update

Gordon’s beautiful 6 foot wide gate at the other end of Cat Cave #1 is finished and installed!  This will allow us to get the gator and the riding lawnmower in if necessary (although so far I use only the push mower!).

 

 

 

 

Cat Cave #1 looks so much better in the summertime!  We moved some old logs in, and they are Bonny’s favorite scratching post.   The cages to the right are some althea (we planted 7!), which will soon be big and green and loaded with flowers.   The black dot in the far back of the picture is Nubby, who loves to lie in the grass.

 

 

Tailey and Bonny (who is the mama of Tailey and Nubby by the way), love the bare ground so that they can roll in the dirt.  We put an old doghouse outside just in case they want outdoor shelter, but so far they only go in and out of the garage (opening shown with new steps!).

 

 

Here is the other side of the cat door to Cave #1.  They love the garage because they love to sleep on our cars!  And this is where the food and water are kept.

 

 

NEWS!!!    Cat Cave #2 is ALSO finished, but that update will be added later!  And Cat Cave #3 is well underway!

Index of Fostered Cats

I finally sorted through all the veterinarian records, and have ranked all of our kitties in the order in which they appeared in our lives.  2012 was a record year, with 7 cats trapped and neutered / spayed.

 

1.    Fluffy –2002, March  -dang she is older than I thought!  Still lives here!

2.    Rucky –2006, May - Still lives here!

3.    Kendy– 2009, October – now lives with our daughter, Kendall!

4.    Impy – 2009, November – ditto above!

5, 6, 7, 8.  Mama & 3 kitties – 2011, June – found good homes for all!

9.    Inky – 2012, January - Still lives here!

10. Misty – 2012, February - Still lives here!

11. Nubby – 2012, March - Still lives here!

12. Andy – 2012, May – see Memorial – heartbreak city

13. Bonny – 2012, June - Still lives here!

14. Nubby Jr. – 2012, June - Still lives here!

15. Taily – 2012, June- Still lives here!

16. Bendy – 2013, January –most spoiled cat in the world, now living with my mom!

17. Charley – 2013, February – now lives with our son, John!

18. Jessey – 2013, September - Still lives here!

19. Joey– 2013, September - Still lives here!

20. Whitey – 2013, December - Still lives here!

21. Scaredy – 2014, January – let loose – story on that later!

 

Somewhere in the above list is Anaxamander, who now lives with our son, Bill!

Dedication to Andy - the 12th of our 21st Homeless Friends

For Our Beloved Andy

Member of our household from May, 2012 to May 31, 2014.

My heart aches to think I might have saved you

From some trouble that you were always in

I weep for your short life that flew

And the fight you lost without your human friend.

Thank you Andy for the many smiles you gave me

You were the bravest and most victorious warrior

Yet no cat has ever purred as loudly

Or left such loving paw prints on my car.

The kittens saw you as their savior

And you were Mama’s dearest friend

I can’t believe I will never scratch your ears

Or hear your meow or purr again.

Cat Cave #1 Inhabited!

This picture illustrates the “stitching” of the bottom 4 ft fence wire to the upper layer of 4 ft fence wire.  These were topped with another several feet of fence wire (also stitched).   Since these feral cats can climb a fence, post, or wall like spider-man, it has to be pretty escape-proof.  

Below is more detail of the stitching.  Approximately 225 pieces of wire were cut and individually wrapped to accomplish this task.

The large 6 ft gate had still not been finished, so rather than wait, we stitched up the other end temporarily and let Andy and Bonny out for a test!  Bonny is enjoying one of the latest lawn chair additions to the pen.   You can see Gordon at the far end, installing the cat door leading into the garage.  The mulch pile, also shown at the far end, has been a huge success - our cat litter requirements have plummeted significantly!

A temporary ramp has been put in place!  It looks bare in there right now, but vegetation improvements are coming soon!  And it is after all, winter.

Even with the cat door in place and open to the outside, Bonny and Tailey still wait in the window for me to open the door!

More Fence and One Gate is In!

The first (and smaller gate) is in a working great.  Here is Gordon in his shop working on the gate.

Below is the 4’Wx7’H gate installed.  Gordon did a beautiful job, didn't he?  It’s made of cedar, reinforced with metal plates.

We spent several hours today installing wire bracing (see the diagonal wire and also above the large gate hole?).  This is because when the second layer of fencing was put in on the east side, it pulled the gate polls off vertical.  Gordon is checking with his level to make sure all is OK before pressing on with the construction of the second gate.