Ann Ward from Salem Community Cats brought Zip over this morning; her husband finally caught him and got him in a crate. We had a large dog crate ready for him in the barn with food, water, and a kitty litter.
Maria was pleased to meet Zip, and so was I. He’s a beautiful cat; he freaked in his new temporary home but settled down. He sniffed Maria and my hand, and Zinnia gave him a Bedlam Farm welcome; they sniffed noses through the crate.
They call cats like Zip Tuxedo Cats, but I’m not crazy about the title. He’s just a barn cat. I love his eyes, though; they speak of focus and purpose. He seems at ease around people.
Zip will be in his crate for one to two weeks until we are confident he knows where he lives now. His brother is wild and still residing on Ann’s farm down the road, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up one day.
I’m excited about Zip, and so is Maria. She is more of a cat person than I am; dogs and donkeys are my thing, but I’m drawn to this guy and looking forward to getting to know him.
I like his demeanor; he is feisty without being nasty or cold. He is not afraid of people or dogs. Bud will regret it if he messes with him.
It seems like a good fit for us from the first, and he is pretty photogenic, I see, posing for me on command. I’ll keep writing about and photographing him, as will Maria on her blog, fullmoonfiberart.com.
Zip is the first animal to come to Bedlam Farm since Zinnia. It’s exciting. We’ve always had one or two barn cats; it’s a great life for a cat if they are fed, vaccinated, and given shelter in extreme weather. We do all of those things.
Many cat rescue groups refuse to adopt barn cats to people who will let them live outside. In the country, I think that’s a big mistake. Barn cats are unique, mystical, and independent creatures. They are among my favorite animals and deserve to live the life of a barn cat.
Maria spent some time (me too) talking to Zip when he came; he is calming down already. He’ll be happy to get out of there and start hunting. There are plenty of mice around here.
I feel almost as excited as you must be LOL! to *meet* Zip! What a beautiful cat and he sounds perfect! I look forward to his becoming part of your animal family now!
Susan M
Zip is a handsome boy! He is super photogenic indeed – there is so much personality in that face.
Tuxedo cats are awesome. I had the pleasure of living with a long-haired tuxedo girl for many years, and have known a few others. They were all memorable characters, each in their own individual way.
I hope the word “tuxedo” eventually loses its unappealing quality for you. It’s just a descriptor, used to differentiate that type of symmetrical black and white markings from the more random kind, known as “cow spots”. Tuxedo cats can’t help looking elegantly overdressed even when they live the rough and tumble life of a barn cat. It’s not their fault they are so beautiful. Please don’t hold their description against them. It’s so instantly understandable.
We all choose the words we like Lori, I just don’t like it for Zip. Reminds me of Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin.Zip doesn’t evoke the tuxedo image for me. He’s a barn cat. He will reveal himself in time. I’m just not into labels.
All true, Lori. The ‘label’ is as old as time.
This person let their last cat suffer for 2 weeks as it died. Absolutely horrific that he’s allowed to get another animal.
My local humane society has dogs, cats, small pets, and working cats listed on their website. It is a great way to find homes for cats that aren’t social enough to be house cats. They recommend them for farms, warehouses, graineries, etc.
He doesn’t know it yet, but this is one lucky cat!
He’s learning it, he got a long and happy ear scratch from Maria today
Tuxedo just refers to his black and white colours. Like you I am not fond of the title, preferring B & W. As far as I know barn cats can be any colour. He looks like a feisty chap. Look forward to reading about his antics!
I like his pissed off face! He’s great.
Congratulations on Zip! He is a very handsome boy indeed. I am partial to black and white cats and have had several over the years. I find them to be smart and loving. Best of luck with your new barn kitty!
Zip will figure out soon enough that he’s won the lottery. How could any animal be more lucky than to land at Bedlam? It’s animal paradise. Might take him a few days to figure that out but he certainly will. I won’t be surprised if he’s riding donkeys barebacked within a week or two. You just never know.
The best picture of all the ones in this blog entry is the smile on Maria’s face while carrying that crate with Zip in it.
Lucky cat.
Good morning Laine, the first lying troll of the week. zip says hi.
With Border Collie markings, Zip is bound to be as brilliant!