SNOW!

Mrrrr Friends,

There is nothing more exciting for a purebred Wisconsin Snowcat than the first good snow fall. Yep, we had a freak storm bout a month ago, but I knew that was not a keeper. Today might be the first good snow of what I hope is a snow-filled, drift-packed winter!

Here I am checking the little wood pile. Looking kind of skimpy if you ask me.

In the wild part of the yard, it takes longer for the snow to cover the grasses.

I tried to catch a few snowflakes in my mouth...it looks like I'm mad, but I'm not.

And here's what we had by midday!

Not a bad start. Me, I'm waiting for 4 feet of pack...perfect Snowcat weather!

Happy Turkey Day!

Mrrrr Friends,

Many kibble treats and happiness to you!

For a moment, it was a beautiful clear dawn, and as I strode through my yard, I was thinking of all you good reader friends!

In the US, the humans celebrate Thanksgiving Day (aka Turkey Day) today. They gather together and eat good food with good friends and family, and if they are smart, they think about all the wonderful things in their life to be thankful for...like the loving cat who they are setting aside giblets for!

It's not a bad idea any time of the year - feeding the cat giblets - and getting together with friends and family to share a meal as a commemoration of all the good things about life.

I hope you enjoy a good day, preferably with a furry companion, where ever you are!

Upsidedown Cat

Do not do this after you eat turkey.

Marking Territory

Mrrrrr Friends,

Okay, I share my world with other critters. I accept this. Indeed, I celebrate it. But I have one caveat...I want them to know I am here.

This is a fundamental premise for most of us critters. For me, it translates to marking my world - an intricate, loving, labor intensive process that must be pursued every day if I'm going to keep up with the fishers, turkeys, bobcats, possums, other cat dudes, foxes, minks that share my space...and the ever present domestic canines that, quite frankly, I could do without messing in my yard.

So I mark the tame spots in my yard and Aunt Becky's yard (at this time of year Brewster and Ubu are simply not getting their work done).

And I mark in the wild spots.

Which requires boulder scaling.

And there are occasional surprises.

Marking leaves is fun.

But will lead to antics.

Life is good! How do you mark your territory?

Fisher Cat!!!

MrrrRrrr Friends,


Yesterday I saw a fisher cat! I'm not kidding, Martens pennanti, not 3 feet away from me and Oom.


Here's what I'm talking about:

There we were, on the wild side of our property which, upgrade, is an alder swamp, and, closer to my brook, becomes a marshy shrubby area where we planted lots of red osier dogwood this spring. I was on the scent of something interesting in a brushy bunch of crunchy dead grass, and Oom was two paces behind me, standing and doing whatever it is humans do when they stare into space.


All of the sudden, this incredible distant relative of mine, came loping out of the alder swamp, passed right by me on his way to my brook. He didn't stop to look at me, or Oom who I could tell was trying to decide when to pick me up, but he knew we were there. He just wasn't gonna fuss about it. He had stuff to do and knew we were friendlies.


As soon as he passed us, Oom scooped me up and I scrambled to her shoulders, though she held on to my tail. We were both a little surprised, wondering if we should be a little scared, but mostly we just wanted to watch the big guy more. And he was BIG. I'd say 2 cat bodies ears to butthole, Oom says that's about 2 1/2 to 3 feet. Plus the awesome tail...gorgeous, glossy, fluffy thing. I was a bit jealous.

The big furry dude made two aborted crossings of the brook. Right before this, Oom was thinking, surely this isn't a fisher, maybe it's a mink? But after we saw him shy away from the shallow but fast water (confirmed after checking the animal picture books later in the house), we were both on the same page: fisher!


After the two aborted crossings, he doubled back right in front of us and pawsed, giving us a casual look while no more than 5 feet away. Then he was on his way, loping along our side of the brook into the neighbor's territory. We lost sight of him, but he must of found a dry crossing, and we glimpsed him on his way up into the forest headed toward the Sentinels.


It has made me reassess my use of my territory. It is a shared space. This morning, before heading into the field, I scoped the wild area from the hillock just behind the house.

And, now, I look over my shoulder a bit more. 

But mostly, I'm excited that animals like bobcats, turkeys, foxes, broadwinged hawks, and fishers like our little world as much as we do. And I'm glad I'm a cat with a home who gets to go Out but always with at least one of my people.