Whiskers Wednesday.

My family has six cats.. .

My daughters cat Tinker Belle. Tink is almost 8 years old and we adopted her in 2007. She can't function without Skylar. 

My Baby is Cocoa he's about  6 years old. He showed up at the bus stop one morning really starving. I couldn't stand for such a beautiful Siamese to starve. We have had him at least 4 years.

My kitten is Peeta. He is 3 years old and he is one of my foster failures from volunteering with the cat rescue. We have had him since he was old enough to be away from his mommy and was separated from her in the pound.

Peanut is my reluctant family member. An Army wife asked me to watch her cat for a year while her husband was deployed. He's been here for the past 4-5 years. He's 5 years old.

Sydney was the other foster failure. I was fostering her before I got Peeta and we adopted her after Peeta she is 4 years old. We have had her for the past 3 years. 

Mittens is my special needs princess. She is 10 years old. We have had her for 5 years.She was adopted from a rescue in Huntsville.

 Today's story is about how big brother Cocoa takes care of us... Here is a video of Cocoa doing black ops coming home from the bus stop. He used to keep on our flank and check under every car and the drain, and door etc.. Last year neither child of mine road the bus to school but Cocoa would often walk other children to their bus stop. When we go on family walks the neighbors always comment on how crazy it is for a cat to walk with us without a leash (shh don't tell Animal Control). This morning Cocoa ran outside as we were walking William to his bus stop and as I watched William cross the street.... Cocoa followed actually Cocoa was ahead of William but ran back across the street to walk William across the street then down the side walk to the bus stop with me tailing behind. Cocoa is always big brother... One day the family was enjoying the sunshine out in our back yard and I decided to let the kittens out to play (Peeta and Sydney) Cocoa seemed to walk in circles around them keeping them close to the house. When William was little and he was crying one day while I buckled his seat belt Cocoa climbed in the car and got in-between William and to make sure he was okay. Cocoa goes for car rides sometimes. He's not particularly thrilled with the idea but he gets in the van/car willingly! The other day I was bringing the kids home from school and Cocoa sat in the middle of the road and the bus driver who arrived at the same time had to sit and wait on Cocoa to move. The next time I saw the bus driver I apologized for Cocoa's lack of common sense. He said he would never run over my beautiful cat. I always worry that either Cocoa is too friendly and someone will snatch him up (becareful to those who think about stealing him if he is inside too long he WILL spray!) or maybe they think he is a pest... Some people just don't like animals! *shocker* I know! So as independent as he is I just can't keep him inside full time. I think we have too many roosters in the hen house... I don't know. Cocoa has changed a lot during the past 4 years. Being a very spoiled indoor outdoor cat has its own problems and challenges such as someone has attacked my cat several times and each time it happens its $300 vet bill ugh.. I love my cat. Something has been biting him in the butt and it becomes abscessed. So I do worry about him. He has made good friends with my neighbor Julie. We went out of town and I asked Julie to feed him once a day because if he had to stay outside for the week I did want her checking on him. Now he thinks breakfast comes in three helpings --stinker! She says he has done the same thing to her playing chicken with her van like he does with the school bus.

We are at the school Mommy where are the kids?

I am your co-pilot forever right mommy? 

Him following William to the bus stop this morning.


and another issue we are having with Cocoa is outdoor housing!! He's so stubborn its dipped down around 20 degree's lately and he wants out.. I am like Cocoa you dont' really mean it. I let him out and within 5 minutes he's back in and then back out again. A few years ago I found two types of small dog/cat houses at the big box chain stores.

The inside is made of a thin foam like material and the outside is thin plastic.. If I remember correctly it can even be used as a carrier? But I haven't as you can see what I thought was weather beaten just may be another animal trying to find Cocoa? Maybe? Whatever has been biting him? I need to replace this ASAP but on a low budget. We've tried the coolers and the totes but I really don't want them on my stoop you know what I mean and Cocoa didn't really go in them when I had a cat I was trying to rescue before is the reason why I made one. I also bought a dog house (like a real one for a German shepherd) Cocoa has no interest in that either! 

I just can't find a small cat house that is weather proof or semi weather proof to go on my porch.. I guess I need to find a wood worker to make me one *sigh*

I would really like to find the plastic shell I used before one more time so if you have any leads on cat houses for outdoors let me know! 

no Lowes does not carry this!! Crazy!