Desirable Residence Needs Tenants

When I moved into the Cosy Cabin, I discovered this little trailer suspended from a tree’s branch in the back garden. It’s a bird-house. It was empty when I moved in, and may, in fact, never have been used. I hope to see it utilised in the spring, but do not know if it is amenable for birds (it is of course unsupported and might even be dangerous to eggs and hatchlings on a windy day), and may not be what a young bird-couple would want. It looks rather aged; it perhaps has been hanging there since the model of trailer it represents was new. But I will see what happens, perhaps after some research into how to make it more attractive to avian tenants. To start with, they won’t beat the rent, and there’s no damage deposit required.

Elbows Off the Table...

I love seeing a cat sit like this. It looks like a little child, eagerly watching the outdoors. In the case of a kitten, it’s close to the truth, though Valkyrie is probably only half a minute away from some kind of mischief…

The Sun in the Cosy Cabin

Moxy found a sun-puddle last Saturday afternoon. Right now, when it’s not cloudy, the sun shines in the side-windows of the house, though it can do that only about mid-day when it clears the height of the neighbouring houses. As the year advances, I expect the sun to move toward the front and rear of the house during the day’s different hours. It will be interesting to see how much sun we receive in the Cosy Cabin during the spring and summer. I suspect it may draw cats to the sitting room in the mornings.

Right now, though, Moxy and his roommates will have to settle for the odd splash of sunlight wherever they can find it.

It Could have Been Worse

Undoubtedly Valkyrie. Either she pulled the books out while lying on the shelf above, or squeezed behind them and pushed them out. The trajectory was perfect for the food-bowl. I think Boswell’s London Journal did most of the damage.

It could have been worse; the water-bowl was only a foot and a half away.

What Do You See?

There is something satisfying to me seeing a cat looking out a window at something, or at nothing. It suggests an interest in things, though, I suppose, it might also be simple ennui. But much of the time, when I see the beasts peering out a window, they are observing things, people walking by, leaves blown by the wind, a dog in a window across the street. I think it means involvement, engagement in one’s surroundings. It’s why I try to encourage my cats to look and see. Brazil and Valkyrie, shown here, are the most observant of my gang, while Indigo is the least. Sable, of course, is in a class of her own, still having much to learn about the inside, never mind seeing what’s outside.

Eventually, I hope, I will see all of them at different times at the windows, looking, seeing and enjoying.

My Friend, Imogen

Good pictures of black cats are difficult to obtain, I find; the definition just doesn’t show. But this one was taken by a friend of mine late last year. It’s one of Imogen’s best likenesses. She is about five years old now, and doing very well. I think the Cosy Cabin is a good influence on Miss Silky; she is active, yet has taken to lying on my lap now and then, when I relax in the sitting room after dinner.

Though I am fortunate that all of the cats currently living here extend to me their friendship and trust - except for Sable - Imogen is the closest to me. We understand and appreciate each other.

Xandria at Home

Xandria is settled in her new home. She has two humans to fuss over her and a big feline brother named Jack. At first, she was wary of Jack, of course, especially as he can be a bit intense; notice the stare in one photograph. Now, they are wrestling and playing together, and Jack periodically grooms Xan (who has a new name), whether she thinks she needs cleaning or not. Their relationship sounds at this time rather like the one the kitten had with Moxy. Readers can see the progression of her new relationship in the pictures.

This was a good move for the little one. From abandonment on the edge of a highway to a loving home with a couple of attentive humans and a protective sibling: Xandria is a lucky cat.