No Photo Friday: The Katz Family
The whole idea of Photo Friday was to keep me out there, practicing with the new camera. In the hustle and bustle of the season, my plan fell flat. I was going to take the Nikon with me to the barn yesterday, but with high winds driving icy snow sideways, and me bundled up like an Eskimo, I abandoned that idea.
So, instead of a photo, I thought I’d tell you about what I’d plan to photograph. Several weeks back, I posted a shot of a fierce little kitten with a mole clenched in its mouth. That kitten was part of a whole cat family (or Katz Family, as I’ve been referring to them) that had taken up residence in our barn. Several of them look alike and they seem to come and go. They dart in to get some of the food I put out and then dash into a hiding spot. So I’ve never been sure if there were initially six or seven.
Regardless, the barn appears to have developed a revolving door. For a time, the number was down to three. I figured the others might have fallen victim to a coyote or a hunter. But, no. Suddenly, we were back to six. I still couldn’t catch them or even touch them unless they were engrossed in the food plate, so I had no idea of gender. Therefore, they didn’t have names. I started calling them things like “Spot” and “Mom Cat” and “Hissy” just to identify them.
Last week, all but one disappeared. The one remaining one (Spot) seemed lonely and sad. As if everyone else had hoped a flight to Disney World and he (she?) missed the plane. Days later, after I’d pretty well decided the rest were gone permanently, there they were, waiting for me one morning.
Mom Cat didn’t return. Still hasn’t. But a new face showed up in her place…a black and gold torte who is every bit as shy as the rest of them. More actually, because she hasn’t grown accustomed to my presence or figured out that I am the bringer of food.
So we’re back to six, including Chip (the kitty from the earlier mole photo), named because of the way she (he?) grabs a huge mouthful of food and runs off to spit it out and eat it piece-by-piece. She reminds me of a chipmunk with nuts in her cheeks. The process works for her. She’s a roly-poly little bugger. So is Pip, who is gray and white and definitely the closest to being friendly. Pip and Chip are the same size and both run to meet me when I bring the chow, but duck away before I can pet them. They’ll come around.
If they stick around.
I will try to take some photos of the Katz Family…when it warms up a bit and IF they don’t take off on another Disney vacation.
So, instead of a photo, I thought I’d tell you about what I’d plan to photograph. Several weeks back, I posted a shot of a fierce little kitten with a mole clenched in its mouth. That kitten was part of a whole cat family (or Katz Family, as I’ve been referring to them) that had taken up residence in our barn. Several of them look alike and they seem to come and go. They dart in to get some of the food I put out and then dash into a hiding spot. So I’ve never been sure if there were initially six or seven.
Regardless, the barn appears to have developed a revolving door. For a time, the number was down to three. I figured the others might have fallen victim to a coyote or a hunter. But, no. Suddenly, we were back to six. I still couldn’t catch them or even touch them unless they were engrossed in the food plate, so I had no idea of gender. Therefore, they didn’t have names. I started calling them things like “Spot” and “Mom Cat” and “Hissy” just to identify them.
Last week, all but one disappeared. The one remaining one (Spot) seemed lonely and sad. As if everyone else had hoped a flight to Disney World and he (she?) missed the plane. Days later, after I’d pretty well decided the rest were gone permanently, there they were, waiting for me one morning.
Mom Cat didn’t return. Still hasn’t. But a new face showed up in her place…a black and gold torte who is every bit as shy as the rest of them. More actually, because she hasn’t grown accustomed to my presence or figured out that I am the bringer of food.
So we’re back to six, including Chip (the kitty from the earlier mole photo), named because of the way she (he?) grabs a huge mouthful of food and runs off to spit it out and eat it piece-by-piece. She reminds me of a chipmunk with nuts in her cheeks. The process works for her. She’s a roly-poly little bugger. So is Pip, who is gray and white and definitely the closest to being friendly. Pip and Chip are the same size and both run to meet me when I bring the chow, but duck away before I can pet them. They’ll come around.
If they stick around.
I will try to take some photos of the Katz Family…when it warms up a bit and IF they don’t take off on another Disney vacation.
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