Zip sleeps in the barn every night but in different places, out of sight. He loves the barn and knows a dozen places to hide and explore. In the morning, he comes out and sits in the sun, watches the donkeys, keeps Fate company, creeps through the shrubs,  looks out to the hills, and works his way into the Peaceable Kingdom.

He  is wary of strangers, but comfortable with Maria and me.

This morning, he sat out with his nemesis Fate and the donkeys, who no longer see him as a stranger but as a family member.

I have some good friends who are cat people, and they assure me I am a cat person now. I won’t deny it. Zip brings us joy; my writing brings other people happiness. I think that’s how it works. I think that’s how it should work.

Zip is the biggest thing to happen to Bedlam Farm since Zinnia arrived nearly five years ago. Maria and I both fell in love with him right away. Zip got the home he needed; we got the barn cat we wanted.

Zip is a hoot. Although wary of strangers, he struts around the farm like General Patton. He is pretty pleased with himself. Zip is not like our other barn cats. He is happy with himself and has marked out his territory. The barn is his turf, but his idea of territory seems to grow daily. The barn is is primary headquarters, followed by the gardens and the Lilac trees.

At night, he is a mystery. He sleeps some in the barn, but there are signs he prowls around at night, looking for mice. The chipmunks seem to move in the daylight; he watches for them also.

He gets two meals daily, along with some cat treats once or twice daily. There are cat beds and blankets in the barn, he lives to hide out there. As of yesterday, he comes out whenever we appear. He doesn’t ask for attention; he demands it. He loves to sit with us when we sit outside. Otherwise, he follows us around when we talk about the yard.

He hasn’t yet met Bud, but they know of each other. He can take care of himself.

Zip is a contemplative, I often see him in meditation form, sitting quietly in the sun, looking out over the horizon. Like me, he soaks up the silence.

He has settled beautifully into our family. He knows when it’s come to eat and when it’s time to visit. Sitting with him in the barn or outside makes it peaceful and calming. He seems to get me, and I seem to get him.

This surprises me; Zip has a lot of personality and charm; he is fearless and sweet simultaneously, an unusual combination in my experience. I suppose the challenges of the summer help, he has lifted up both of our spirits and keeps them up.

Zip is a barn cat in every way, yet he also feels like a loving pet when he wants to be. That’s worked out better than we imagined. Zip makes me very happy. Maria too. That pretty much says it.