Orange Tabby...He Stays and His Name is Finn (Update with Videos Dec 31)

[scottcaddy]

I hope that all is well and quiet tonight for you and Finn.
Are you guys in the way of this snow storm coming across country to the (I don't want snow) East?
Stay warm anyhow!
Scott

 

[speckledhen]

I hope that all is well and quiet tonight for you and Finn.
Are you guys in the way of this snow storm coming across country to the (I don't want snow) East?
Stay warm anyhow!
Scott

So far, only heard the chickens alarming over the baby monitor in the barn. No sign or sound of the cats from last night. Finn is asleep on DH's legs on the recliner right now.

Yes, snow this weekend, though not much. The temps will be plummeting,though, into the lower teens Friday through Monday nights. Brrrr.

 

[speckledhen]

Finn's yearly vet visit went well. He now weighs 12 lbs. I believe he was about 10.5 lbs when he came to us in Nov. 2014. DH put the pet carrier on the dining room table in preparation for taking him that morning. He actually sleeps in it on the deck at times (Finn, not DH). We were doing morning stuff prior to Finn's vet trip when DH says, "Look!" Finn had found the carrier, went inside and laid down on the folded towel. All hubby had to do was shut the door. HA! Gotcha!
He had gotten into a fight the other night with something on the deck, lots of screaming and he had a little scratch on his nose so I was adamant that we get him in for his rabies shot.

He got a mouse today, then lost it. But, he is obviously catching something out there on the property because he eats very little in the house or he would not weigh 12 lbs, right?

 

[scottcaddy]

Good news about Finn. Maybe Finn is like my DW, she says that just by looking at food she can gain weight.
Scott

 

[N F C]

Cyn, that's really convenient that Finn just loads himself into the carrier, what a considerate guy. Glad to hear he's doing well, I'd agree...he must be finding a buffet line somewhere outside!

 

[speckledhen]

Good news about Finn. Maybe Finn is like my DW, she says that just by looking at food she can gain weight.
Scott

Cyn, that's really convenient that Finn just loads himself into the carrier, what a considerate guy. Glad to hear he's doing well, I'd agree...he must be finding a buffet line somewhere outside!

Wasn't he a good boy? Of course, if he knew where he was going, he wouldn't have made himself so comfy.

I think some of Finn's weight gain was just from maturing. He was a year and a half old or so, according to the vet who saw him at the beginning. Plus, he started getting regular food and a soft place to sleep so makes sense he'd have filled out over the past two years. He's definitely not overweight and he does get quite a bit of wild, natural food.

 

[robhuncor]

Here is an interesting theory.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/07/20/is-your-cat-two-timing.html

 

[speckledhen]

Here is an interesting theory.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/07/20/is-your-cat-two-timing.html

Trust me, we thought about that, wondered if someone else was feeding him, which yeah, they could be occasionally. When he showed up, we called the neighbors and put up flyers at the pet store, asked about him on the local yard sale sites on Facebook, etc. No one claimed him. A family across the road we live off of called on a flyer we put out, said he had been at their house for a few days, but he was not their cat.

So, the mystery of Finn is intact (though he certainly is not!). He usually sleeps around here all day long and only leaves at dusk to hunt, but he's back inside two hours later, then in and out and in and out until around midnight when he finally goes into his heated condo for most of the night or either he sleeps, then hunts, etc. He doesn't stay gone long enough to really be someone else's cat, I don't think. He's never gone even a half day.

 

[robhuncor]

It's funny, I always thought of my family as the ultimate cat lovers,and living on a farm, many cats were dumped off and made their way into our house. They all got great care and stayed indoor/outdoor cats. When I got married and my daughter wanted a cat, we got a kitten and he too became an indoor/outdoor cat. I was busy with little kids, etc.and kept putting off getting him "fixed' - being a male I didn't have to worry about kittens. Occasionally he would be gone for a day or two. One day I was out with the kids and the cat was rolling around in the driveway. It occurred to me that he had been gone for longer than usual so I went over to see what he was up to. Incredibly, he was wearing a strange collar with a name tag on it! And on closer inspection, I realized he had been neutered!!

I think he was there to tell me he had found better accommodations because we never saw him again. Maybe his "other" home made him a strictly indoor cat. I was totally embarrassed - the self professed cat person had let him down. But, in the end all cats are very resourceful. Finn certainly has it made where he ended up!

 

[speckledhen]

Okay, we have game cam photos of a black cat on our deck. Finn's reaction is interesting. I've heard the cat, but never caught it on the deck until now, since I attached the camera to a deck post. I heard the cat last night and finally, I have proof.

You see Finn leave his condo, which is on a table to the right of the camera range, then the black cat come up the stairs, then Finn comes back up, but he jumps into his house and, well, check out the photo progression.


See the black cat at the top of the steps?


Black cat begins his tour around the deck

Here comes Finn again

You see Finn's tail as he jumps into his condo upper right

Here comes the black cat back around and then watch what he/she does...





You see his/her tail as it goes past, but then, it comes back toward the front



And you see it leave by the steps here. Finn never comes out of his house.



SO, the big question....is this a tomcat? Why does Finn hide in his house while this cat prowls the deck? Is he afraid of it?