Watch Cat On Duty

...or, who needs a watch dog when one has a perfectly good watch cat?

In the Spring of 2014 my faithful sheltie dog, Henry, passed away. He had reached the very senior age (for shelties) of nearly sixteen. Because I'm now a senior myself, I decided it would be unwise to sign up for more pet responsibilities so I'm unlikely to replace him.

But I'm not without a furry informant. My cat, Ellie Mae, is handily filling that position. She has excellent hearing, and of course, first-rate night vision. Her suspicious nature verges on paranoia. She is ultra vigilant and certainly lets me know if anything is afoot.

Last summer there was evidence that she got into a skirmish with what I expect was a coyote. Wisely, she now spends most of her time indoors. At night while I sleep, she is always on my pillow and on top of my head -- a sort of deluxe night cap. Her two favourite daytime hangouts are padded cat beds, each one located beside a different facing window. With her tense body language and deep growls, she lets me know if there is anything unusual outside. I appreciate her snitching service.

Ellie Mae at one of her lookout stations. Halt!!! Who goes there!?!?

Late yesterday afternoon, she made quite a fuss about something outside. It turned out to be a runaway farm wagon. My neighbour was hauling two wagons in tandem behind his tractor. Each wagon was loaded with white plastic covered round hay bales. While turning the corner into his laneway, the rear wagon became unhitched and rolled across the road and onto my property. Thankfully, no one was injured and there was little damage, other than a dent in my young cedar hedge. This morning my neighbour removed the hay and then the wagon. Ellie Mae has settled back down but still remains vigilant. Thanks for the report, Ellie!

Ellie Mae was growling at something unusual on our property.
A red hay wagon had gone A.W.O.L.

On a sad note, feral tom cat, Ginger Thomas has been missing for several days now. He never became tame but since the summer, he has been a regular fixture at my back door for a morning handout. There are very large coyote/wolf tracks in the snow around my yard. Ellie Mae, you are wise to stay inside!