I just got back in from feeding the outside cats for the evening. I counted 26 or 27 – I wasn’t sure if I’d already counted one of the tabbies. It’s a higher than usual count, with several of the “old timers” around. Rolando Moon was there, as well as Junk Pile and the other tabby that looks so much like her.

The Distinguished Guest made an appearance, but there were so many cats around – plus one skunk! – that he backed off to wait his turn. Rosencranzt was there and she kept chasing cats away from different food trays in between scarfing down kibble and running from tray to tray. I think she has had her kittens. Possibly even the ones I think I heard from the pump shack.

Broccoli was there, too, and she is starting to look pregnant, too. Maybe. Of the three kittens she had last year, they are all female – Brussel and Sprout, we just assume female because they are calicos – and a grey tabby we can’t get close to, but has short fur, so I did get a chance to see and confirm female. She seems to be the only female tabby among last year’s kittens. All the others are male. So far, I can’t tell that the new females are pregnant, but the oldest of them are still not even a year old, so I hope not.

We’ve already found an early litter of five that succumbed to the cold, and now Pointy is gone. That’s a high rate of loss for the year already. Wherever those little ones I think I heard are, I hope they are safe and warm.

I imagine we’ll be seeing more skunks, soon, too!

The Re-Farmer