Our Pets and Yours

Yoda (a.k.a. Kodabear) came to us in March 2010 from one of Tatiana’s friends who had rescued a cat who had 7 kittens. Tatiana informed us that her name was Kodabear, but until she grows into her ears, Dana came up with the nickname of Yoda (as in: hmmmmm... strong the Force is with this one...)

Like Ravenpaw, she’s a black cat with a white spot on her belly. The plan had been to leave her at another friend’s farm where there were un-neutered cats. Having taken our cats to the emergency vet after encounters with wild un-neutered toms who seem to visit every spring, Tatiana knew what would happen to her, so we added her to our family.

Even if you feel like you can’t afford to pay to have a cat or kitten neutered, please call your local shelter. Often they have connections that can get you a discounted neutering for as little as $15.

BJ (nicknamed 'Boojer') is a black and white kitty, has a heart murmur and is a bit more lethargic than his brother. Ray, on the other hand, resembles a small panther and has become quite a hunter. He has repeatedly defended our fields and those of our neighbors from snakes, fieldmice and voles.

Squeaker, our oldest kitty, is a shy sandy tiger whose mom dropped her in the milkhouse (outside the kitchen door where the kitty condos are) shortly after we moved here.   Squeak was probably only a week or two old at the time.   After being attacked by a wild tom, Squeek took up residence inside the play house. Most afternoons she can bee seen sunning on her 'veranda' (the platform at the top of the kid's slide.) When you meet her, you'll understand her name.

Monkey, a miniature gray kitty who looks like a Russian blue, was dumped on our road in 1998 along with her full-sized brother, Tiger. He soon disappeared without a trace, we assume eaten by coyotes as many small animals disappeared that spring. Although she does not to like be picked up, Monkey loves to be petted. If you leave your room door unlatched, she'll likely come visit you during the night.

Tig (aka Tiggle Wiggle, aka the Nasty Cat) is a yellow-eyed brown and black tiger, who showed up on our front porch, walked through the front door and proceeded directly to the kitchen cat food bowl as guests were departing one Sunday morning in 1999. We ecstatically believed she was Monkey's brother, Tiger come home after a 9 month absence, until the vet who treated her digestive problems informed us that this was a girl kitty and that she had been neutered and declawed. So we shortened "Tiger" to "Tig" and added her to our feline family.
      Generally grouchy and complaining (hence the moniker 'Nasty Cat') she has claimed the dog bed on our front porch as 'her territory.' She also likes to sneak in open car windows and nap in the back.

Sasha we think is a Tonkinese, a breed created in the '70s by crossing Burmese and Siamese to get a very affectionate cat. A two-year-old, he joined us in April 2007 after spending the terribly cold winter outside our piano teacher's house in Erlanger. She, of course, bought him a dog house, filled it with cat beds and fed him canned food multiple times a day. After we brought him home, Dana suggested we name him Wyatt because his talent was urping.
      We shampooed carpet daily for weeks until his "sensitive stomach" calmed down, but his unceasing demands likely never will! We suspect he drove someone so nuts that they threw him out despite their investment. He yowls constantly, but is very sweet and lovey when his tummy is full.

Alex is larger than a few of his older siblings, but he is clearly the baby of our kitty family. A long haired tiger, he loves to be held and snuggle... for a while. He also loves to fetch his smaller toys when they are thrown across the room. While no kitty can replace Casey - the most beautiful kitty in the world (see below), we think Alex runs a close second.

Our introduction to coyotes as predators came in about 2000. Monkey's brother Tiger, a sweet brown and black tiger kitty was dumped on the road in 1998. Knowing how many kittens are killed at pounds each spring, Jen asked the neighbor to bring them back if she didn't find their owner. A very sweet and affectionate boy, Tiger disappeared at two when we first learned the coyotes were around. The neighbor's terrier, beagle and ducks disappeared then too.

Fluffy - We're sorry to report that Fluffy passed in July 2009 at the age of 11.  Fluffers, Flufferwoofelupogus, Puppy Girl, Woofels never made any effort to even discourage her human big sister from harassing her, showing extreme tolerance.

A good 'varmit' dog, Fluffy would warn us immediately if a 'possum, 'coon, squirrel or unknown cat ventures on the property.   Dubbed 'Princess Fluffina' by a five-year-old guest, she also ensured the cats got plenty of exercise, the girls more than the boys.  

Fallen victim to bone cancer, Fluffy passed in July 2009. We will miss her sorely.

Sara was a beautiful long-haired white cat, but was really neurotic. She would rub all over you and beg for attention, then bite or claw without notice.   She came wandering in through the fields and discovered where we feed the other cats in the milk house. Sara never claimed to belong to us or anybody, but she returned to the milk house on a regular basis.

Jake - In 2005, the orange and white kitty of a thousand names, who ended up dubbed Jake by a five-year-old guest of that name, disappeared at two. He had walked in on his own little paws and managed to elude Fluffy, who would run off or kill any animals that didn't belong on the property. Once she understood that Jake was a welcome addition and began to tolerate him, it was particularly funny to watch him rub up against her leg affectionately.

Casey, a rubber kitty who would stretch out upside down and purr, was a Maine Coon mix from the Boone County Animal Shelter. The most beautiful kitty in the world disappeared in the heat wave of July 2006. He'd been a big investment of both effort and expense: Close encounters with predators had left him with a broken tail ($250 in vet bills), and a shoulder abscess ($80) not to mention all the effort expense it took to get him healthy and growing when he came to us as a tiny little ball of fluff. One newlywed couple spent an entire afternoon laying on the dinning room floor playing with him when he was just a few months old.
      Casey loved to snuggle and was particularly fond of canteloupe. Whenever we prepared canteloupe for breakfast, he sat and demanded that we give him some of it.

Tom Tiger was the big fat lovey kitty who sat on the front porch, purring and kneading anyone who'd join him. He would mosey to the barn to get pets when people were grooming horses. Tom also disappeared in 2006 during the 90+ degree temperatures. We suspect keeping Fluffy in the air conditioning prevented her from patrolling her territory to deter the coyotes. Tom evidently hadn't had cat food before arriveing here, so he ate at the dog dish if the cat food bowl was empty.

Skinney little Minnie kitty, a beautiful Siamese-tiger mix, adopted from a Cincinnati cat shelter, had medical problems that made her health deteriorate. We had her put down in 2005 before winter would have made her even more miserable.