As Blackie and Junior, our two new barn cats were settling in, I got a call from Chuck, the man from the Humane Society who brought us the cats. He asked how they were doing, and then he told me he had two more cats that were ready for a home. After the scare the first two gave me with their escape, I wasn't sure about taking on any more cats. But the new ones were ready to be placed, and really, what's two more cats in the grand scheme of it all?
So, the next day, Chuck drove up in his big white van with all of the supplies. I knew the drill this time and had everything ready to go. The room was secure and the food and water were ready. There was a male black and white cat about five months old and a big, black three year old cat. We were going to keep all of the cats locked up in the room, but when I tried to carry Blackie down to the sheep barn, he had a fit. He is definitely not a wild cat, except when I try to pick him up or put him on my lap.
We released the other cats into the barn. I learned my lesson the first time around, and I went into the barn sooner than the five days recommended to refill the food. The little black and white cat started coming out quickly, and although he didn't want to be pet, he was not afraid of us. I saw that he was becoming friends with little Junior, and they were cuddled together every morning.
I haven't seen the three year old black cat, so I am not sure if he is still hiding out under the pallets or if he made an escape to go out on his own, but I'm sure that he is able to take care of himself. The little guys (Junior and the black and white yet to be named cat) have been coming out of the barn regularly. They have ventured up to our front porch and sometimes even look inside the house. I'm glad they are getting used to their new home, and I am happy that we could provide them with a comfortable, safe place to live while giving them an important job to do.
