RE: Cats/gardens/whatnot

I agree, Rusty, the cats should be inside.  Mine used to go out, too, and at 
that time I found out I was known as "the gray-haired lady who gardens with 
the dog and the orange cat."  But we think one of the other cats (Twit) put 
out a contract on the orange cat (George), and the coyotes got George.  
Coyotes think cats are lunch.  So now all the others are strictly indoor cats.
Incidently, since the Great Indooring of the Cats, our yard has become a 
veritable wildlife refuge, with many, many birds and lizards with entire 
tails, and rabbits.  George used to bring home just about anything that moved 
that was smaller than he was.

Barb, in Santa Fe, the gray-haired lady who gardens
IrisMaven@msn.com

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From: 	iris-l@rt66.com on behalf of Mark Thornsburg
Sent: 	Thursday, June 05, 1997 7:53 AM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	Cats/gardens/whatnot

There's been 2 things I've been meaning to say for QUITE a while. (Bear
with my rambling here,  what I have to say in this letter is more
important than most I've written!) The first is regarding cats in your
iris gardens.  We have 2 cats,  a grey "sleek" cat,  who was a stray, 
but has certain markings on her indicative of a purebread,  black rings
on her tail.  (yes,  there are TWO types of cats with these markings!) 
Also,  my personal pet is a black 50% persian stray  that we picked up
out of our own backyard.  He is the sweetest putumn to have ever set paw
on the earth.    We don't let them go outside.

They used to,  but Lillie,  our  gray cat,  has stomach and kidney
problems,  and has to be on a special diet.  BUT  my cat,  Pasqualy 
(pus-kwall-ee)  Is afraid to go outside.  Two years ago,  my parents let
the cats outside when they woke up,  and right before we went to
school,  Pasqualy was at the back door begging to come in.  He slept in
my mother's chair until 5:00 pm  when she moved him so she could watch
the news.  She saw blood on the chair,  and began looking for signs of a
wound on Pasqualy.  She found one.  We rushed him to an animal clinic 
(The ONE DAY our vet was off.)  Where he was examined,  and had to have
surgery.  SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO REMOVE HIS TAIL!    THere was a large cut
through the skin,  a "surgical incision."  Also,  his back claws (the
only ones he has)  were "broken off,  as if he were struggling to get
away from something.  Usually,  cats only grind off their claws when
they're hit by a car and trying to get away."  Pasqualy is now fine, 
and still has his tail,  which is ALWAYS curled up into a question mark.

	Our next door neighbors also had an outside cat,  someone intentionally
swerved to run over it.  One of their children witnessed it.  Our other
next door neighbor,  and a friend down the street,  both had their black
cats disappear on the same day.   It's just not safe to let our cats
roam free anymore.
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