Lots of sunshine and lots of wind...lots of rain is supposed to be heading our way. Yesterday, I bought potting and garden soil, with a few plants. This has so far been mainly a seed planting spring with a few geraniums thrown in for good measure. The last raised garden bed got put together yesterday afternoon and is down in the big flowerbed being held down by bags of dirt. Cleaned out a few more planters of weeds, added soil and organic feed. It is a slow process. These cooler days help except today it is too windy and cool so working inside mostly today.
Last week Punky surprised the heck out of me by slowly but surely bringing her kittens into the backyard. She brought down the calico and then two black and white kittens. At some point while I was working in the flowerbed she must have brought down the solid black kitten along with a gray and white one. So after everything was finished up, the garage door came down as per usual. On Saturday morning Punky was in the backyard on point and intently looking into the window trying to see me. I took the look as the normal breakfast look and changed clothes and went outside to feed them. In the back corner of the garage a few little meows sounded forth, Punky began leading out the two kittens she had stashed in the garage. The black kitten followed her but gray and white got skittish and ran back to the corner. Punky led that little kitten up to the hidden home of so many ferals up on the gravel road. I went about the morning chores and hoped Punky would come back for that kitten. She did, and I acted like I wasn't seeing her to do but she scruffed that little one by the neck and carried him up to the gravel road along with the rest of her brood. She had five kittens, we've caught one and we are trying to catch the others. By all accounts, she acted as if she didn't have a litter. Seemingly, hanging around here most of the day. Since she waited till they were six weeks old to carry them here for safety, I figured the kittens had died.
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Yesterday, everything aligned perfectly to get three more of the kittens. Punky had taken them over to the cleft of the rock, she sat there watching over them. It was about time to take out supper so I headed to the garage and started getting the bowls ready. Strawyer showed up, Punky left her kittens to meet him and they ate along with Mama Cat and Edee. I walked over to see the kittens and Nancy came by on her way to their compost pile. I told her about the kittens, she went to get Niaya. Skinny arms and hands, she was able to pull three of them out and we put them in a carrier. The little black kitten disappeared in the dark of the rock, even with a high beam flashlight. So, she took the kittens up to their home to foster and socialize them. Niaya came back to look for the last kitten. Punky had called it out and it was under the grill but we still couldn't get to it. I've seen Punky, Straw, Edee, Ranger and Beanie this morning. Fed them. Most scatter to parts unknown but Edee sticks around.
I keep learning so much by observing these feral cats. The runts of the litters usually come into their own and like Cali, Beanie is beginning to assert herself. The little black and white kitten we got last Friday, he is the runt. Name is Smudge and he has fit in with Nancy and crew like he belonged all the time. He never hissed or growled when we got him, he purred. Boy knew a good thing when he was rescued. We got some hissing and swiping yesterday from the other three. Punky must not be too mad at me cause she greeted me this morning, let me pet her and she rubbed against my legs. There aren't any survivors from her first litter and she lost two from her second. Four have been rescued so far from this litter. Just a week ago today did we even know of these kittens existence.
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