In my previous post, I mentioned that we were going to rescue two barn cats to help deter our Mama Groundhog from taking up permanent residence around our gardens. Thanks to the Michigan Barn/Working Cat Program and the Detroit Animal Care and Control Office ~ and with a lot of help from their volunteers! ~ we found Steve and Dave! Steve is the solid grey cat, and Dave is the grey and white cat. 

Their safe room is an old milk parlor in the basement of our largest barn; it’s a room that stays very cool and dry.  They are becoming familiar with their new surroundings in two large dog crates that have been linked end to end with bungee cords. Over one of the crates, I draped a large sheet, so they have a cave-like place for safety. 

Steve and Dave are brothers and feral.  I think they are just beginning to recognize my voice and the way I clean their cage and give them fresh food and water. Steve seems to be the most unsure of the two ~ he looks at me with big yellow eyes and ears that most of the time lay almost flat out to the side of his head; he’s absolutely motionless when I’m around. Dave, on the other hand, doesn’t jump anymore every time he hears my voice, but instead, sits tall with just a bit of a twitch in the end of his tail. He has even ventured far enough out of their cave-crate to lay against the wall by their food dish. This gives him a great view of the pasture path between the two barns ~ not to mention first dibs on the breeze that comes into their room!  

As we do with all animals that join Sundance R & R, we are going very slowly with their introduction to our farm. I’m sure it will be several more weeks before I open the crate door and they can move around the barns and the farm freely! In the meantime, though, Vega and I pass by their room at least twice a day so they can catch each other’s scent; everyone who stops by the farm goes to the door to say hi; and I have no doubt that they’ve already been introduced to the flocks of barn swallows that dart around all day. How wonderful to welcome them!