A farm is all about decisions and surprises.
Nothing seems to ever stay the same for very long. And death is always just around the corner. It’s looming again.
Flo is the first cat I’ve ever really connected with. A runaway from somewhere, she was hiding in our woodshed for a year or two before we knew she was there.
During a blizzard, she showed herself to Maria, which was a good decision for her. Maria instantly made a soft and dry bed for her up in the woodshed, and as she has gotten older, she spends her time on the back porch, up in the shed, or the winter, in our basement in a heated cat house.
Fate is the first cat who successfully seduced me, and I have come to love and appreciate her. She is fearless, cool as ice, and most dogs are terrified of her. She loves to sit in my lap as often as she can.
We have no idea how old she really is. We guess she’s close to 15 years.
She was a brave and relentless hunter of mice, rats, or moles. Any dog that got cheeky got a swipe on the nose, she brooked no nonsense from them.
We realized this week that he is deaf now.
When we drive in on warm days, she sleeps in the driveway and doesn’t hear the car, even when we honk the horn. She is sleeping almost always, but life can be dangerous for a deaf barn cat. Today, we had to get out of the car and physically move her. She looks rheumy and out of it.
She is eating well and enthusiastically.
But she is in danger.
She won’t be able to hear predators as she patrols the pasture looking for mice, and she is running the risk of being killed if she sleeps in the driveway and doesn’t know cars and trucks are coming. She always vanished whenever a vehicle turned into the driveway or came within 20 feet of her.
She doesn’t even go on the front porch any longer, and that is her territory and her former headquarters.
So we have decisions to make, and we’ve just started talking about them. Fate is getting old, and time is getting near. With barn cats, our instinct is to let them live their lives and let nature take its course.
But I don’t want her to die being run over by a car or truck or grabbed by a fox, coyote, or another predator.
She would hate being confined to the basement, but she is comfortable there and would be safe. There’s a lot of space, nooks and crannies, and mice. It’s cool in the summer and warm for her in the winter.
We won’t put her down; that is out of the question unless she gets gravely ill or goes blind.
I’m not sure we have any good decisions to make. Barn cats are fiercely independent creatures, confining them always seems wrong to me.
My only idea is to get a sign that says “Caution: Deaf Cat” and put it in the driveway where it can be seen. That’s the best idea so far.
I can’t say that any other decision looks good now or that we can find a way for her to be safe and live her life peacefully.
I’ll think more about the basement if things get worse. Maria and I are talking about it; we’ll figure something out.
I have come to love Flo a great deal, she has shown me how and why cats can win our hearts while seeming not to care.
You are cruel if you decide to kill an old cat. Would you want to be euthanized because the Dr told you that you were deaf and blind. Let her die a farm cat. She probably only has a few months left. Let her die peacefully. When it is her time.
Barb, why don’t you read the piece. If you weren’t so lazy you would read that we will not euthanize her for being blind. Or are you too self-righteous to bother to know what you are talking about? That was the first thing we ruled out.
Jon,
I was stunned by Barb’s message. Thank you for treating Flo as the family member she is.
Thanks Rosa, this is part of life in America today….people shoot before they think…I’m good Barb is a good person, if I remember her messages correctly..
I “retired “ my two barn cats when I moved from the country to a home in town three years ago. They adjusted beautifully even though they were not young cats. They get along with the two dogs and the rest of the cat population that were already indoors. Worth a try to keep your kitty safe while she lives out the rest of her life. You folks are great pet parents….
I took in an old cat who surprised us by being content in our basement and home. She appreciated the safety it gave her. It’s so hard to see a beloved pet get old.
Is there a reason she can’t come inside the house vs. the basement? I don’t recall now if there was. She could always go outside when you two are there to keep an eye on her and be brought back in when you go in. I knew someone with a deaf cat who put her on a harness and put her on a dog swivel thing that screws into the ground so she could be outside while she worked and the swivel could be moved around the yard. She might even enjoy staying inside all the time. I did notice when I brought adult ferals into the house (for their safety) they never asked to go back out. The sign outside is a good idea anyway I think, it might help keep delivery and workers more vigilant for any animals that might be slow in getting out of the way. I have 2 ferals (can’t call them barn cats since my “barn” (sheds) blew away in Hurricane Michael) who live in my carport and wander the immediate neighborhood. I can’t touch them but they deign to eat my food and sleep in the beds provided. But one is probably 15 plus or minus and is buddy is younger so not sure what will happen when the older one is gone. Maybe when that happens he will tame down because he is lonely.
Maria doesn’t think its right for a barn cat to be confined that way, they are mostly wild animals who hate to be confined..in the summer she always wants to be inside..I agree with Maria, we’re not going to do it.
“My only idea is to get a sign that says “Caution: Deaf Cat” and put it in the driveway where it can be seen. That’s the best idea so far.” I think this is a very good idea.