Willow

Willow

Isn't there a rule or something that if you have a farm named "Willow..." something or another that you should have a pet with that name?

Introducing Willow ~ the newest addition to Jacob's Friends:

I had a Dr. appointment today in Houston. (The one in Texas County, MO.)

On our way home we decided to check out a place on the map in the Mark Twain National Forest named Nobkin Lake. It has probably the smallest concrete dam I have ever seen and is just beautiful. The problem is that it doesn't look like the rangers have taken any action in it for quite some time and there are no trash cans and beer bottles and refuse are on the tables. All in all it still looks like a great place to catch some blue gill!

Anyway, on our way back into the car I spotted something on a picnic table in the distance. And we all started wondering aloud what it was. Robert got there first ~ of course. And found a grey cat. She was so friendly and rubbed right up against his hand.

Well, we brought her home and with much debate on her name decided on Willow.

She was a trooper in the car. Very curious of what was going on outside. And investigated everything in the car. But, when offered some people food she did not take it. I'm sure she was a bit nervous. We are sure that the last time she took a car ride she was left at the park. She sat alternately in Miranda and Robert's laps on the way home. As Miranda was petting her she was kneading.

Her first meal is being served in the front hallway with de-wormer on it right now. She started purring within minutes!

She is enjoying the attention and would probably be outside already... but you wouldn't believe the downpour we are getting here right now! What a storm! Well, at least she is getting a comfortable welcome with Miranda and hopefully the outside kitties will welcome her when she gets out there.

She is quite skinny and jumped on her bowl of food when I gave it to her. When I came back to take pictures she came over to me and walked around me rubbing up against me as if to say "Thank You". She looks to be a young thing and was definitely a pet until recently. I bet her former "kid owner" really misses her.

OK so this brings our cat total to ..... ten .... yes, that is what I wrote... can't believe it myself. There are 9 outside though so that makes things a LOT different. And the eight black ones are great mousers! The only thing is that we now have two to get spayed (don't forget Molly the puppy). At least we have a little time with Molly, but I think we have to get Willow done within a few months. I would like to see her put on some weight before we take her in. She is all skin and bone. We don't think she would have made it much longer

Addendum: When we took Willow outside a couple of our cats came to see what was up. Beguerra and Ivy were greeted with a cougar like loud hissing noise out of wee Willow. Amazing that a sound that loud could come out of such a tiny cat! Well, they jumped back and off the sidewalk quite a distance and stayed that way. She was then taken back inside, but we had to make a decision as to what to do with her. In the end we took her out to the barn with her food and water and gave her a spot in the trays so she could "hide" from the others and hopefully settle in.