Open Letters To My Cats

Dear Simon

As the cat with the longest time on the farm, I figured by this time you would know that I only set out cat food in the barn in the lower west paddock. Why you come over to the upper east paddock, I don't know. The ponies there like to try to stomp you. Since you are the oldest, the other cats like to follow you. While I am glad that you mostly direct them to the barn, bringing them up to the house is unnecessary and usually you'll get things thrown at you by the guy who lives on a farm and hates hates, but doesn't realize that cats are vital to farms. Also, I was disappointed I had to pick you and Mowgli up to put you inside tonight.






Dear Mowgli

I don't understand you. You act all shy for the most part, but then you stand there and meow for attention. When I pet you, you look at me vacantly and refuse to purr, so I don't know if that is what you want from me. A lot of the times you like to run away, but every other night, you lay down and stretch yourself out, belly in the air, waiting for scratches. Make up your mind.



Dear Sybil the Tribble

You're the baby, and you've done very well with your new freedom. I apologize for keeping you locked up in the barn for almost two months, but when you came on the farm, you were so little you couldn't jump up to the windowsill. Since we can't leave the doors open, the windows serve as your in and out to food and shelter. Because you were so little, and absolutely adorable and we live behind a subdivision, it was our fear that you would be snatched up by neighborhood kids as a new pet. This has happened in the past, and being a barn cat, you are collarless. There is no point in putting a collar on a cat that roams around bushes and under fences for it could be a strangling hazard. When you escaped the barn a few weeks ago, and disappeared for two days, we were devastated. Thankfully you learned well, and knew where to come home for supper. You were kept inside for a few more weeks until I decided you looked like you were big enough to take care of yourself. I let you out Tuesday with the other cats, and that night you returned. You were also around in the morning and again tonight. I am proud of you!