Here kitty, kitty

 A day or so ago I noticed a new cat wandering the yard. Okay, she wasn't wandering she was actively trying to catch something near the barn. Hansel was standing between the kitten and my approach, providing cover for my advancement for a better look at her. She was quite small and had short stubby legs. She was also a "tortie", meaning she resemble a tortoise in color. These cats are almost exclusively female because of a chromosomal type. This why I refer to her as she. Yes, there is a chance that it is a male.

Regardless, I sent a picture of her to the youngest in an effort to "cheer" her up. She had her eye on a calico at the shelter that to her dismay got "adopted". Truly, I hoped she did, but this is the local "pound" there is always a chance that she left another way, but I digress. A truly barn cat, I can tolerate. This one is rather cute. Anyway, I told her to bring a can of food for it. She did.

The next morning, "Burger" is in the barn with the chickens. Not exactly friendly, but there and meowing none the less. That night Burger went into the barn with the chickens after eluding the teen and causing more grief than a barn cat should. By that I mean the teen letting the house cat out and me having to chase them to get them back into the house before the teen had a Mt. St. Helen's size explosion.

Next morning it seemed Burger may have moved on. In a 6' length of flexible black piping, it seemed there was a large field mouse. I was ready. I put a trap at the end that there was noise coming out of only for the critter to travel to the other end. I moved the trap and waited. Okay, I waited between 2-5 seconds before I started checking the cat carriers for eggs. These containers are the temporary nesting boxes.

When I turned around the black pipe was moving around at the end I had abandoned! I quickly grabbed the trap and moved it as the "thing" came out of the pipe backward. It was then I realized it was Burger in the pipe all along. Still not letting me near but she isn't totally running out of the barn either!

Good morning it is Saturday and the ground is totally white with snow. Not at all what I expected for this area of the country. Why? I have no idea I just thought it would not get snow. I could have stayed in Colorado and had no worries about snow. Yes, we did get snow there, but it rarely sticks around. Who knows maybe it will be that way here. I'll give it time.

Today when I went to check on the chickens and the turkeys the cat was there. I didn't see her right away and when she did finally meow, she came from the second horse stall on the left. She travelled behind me and positioned herself behind a pipe to peer at me from afar. I had brought her a can of food, but I waited until I actually saw her to open it. When I offered it, she hid behind the tack room wall and waited for me to head out. I put it inside a crate and headed to the door. I turned in time to snap a picture of her watching me.

It shouldn't be much longer before she trusts us. It will be then that I wonder why I tried to make her a friend.