Good morning everyone!
It has been such a long time since I have told you a tale… I’ve had many adventures since you’ve last heard from me!
A few months ago I got a kitten. He is the only kitten of a Manx litter with a tail – go figure hey! He also has a lot of attitude. He was named Cash, though I just tend to call him Kitty. Very masculine, I know!
Although he was kept inside for a couple of weeks, he generally lives in the old dairy which backs onto the horse and cattle yards on the property. Since there is often horses in the yards, he tends to hang out with them during the day. He must hang out with the horses more than I realised, as it now seems he is turning into a horse.
One morning I walked out to feed the horses. At this time there was 3 weanlings (foals that are being weaned and halter broken) and my riding mare in the yards. We hadn’t had a beautiful sunny morning in a while, they were all laying flat on their sides lapping up the lovely warmth. I take a bucket of feed to my mare. I find the cat sunbaking with the horses! He lifted his head nonchalantly to look at me, as if saying “So what?”. I stood there laughing at the scene.
That same weekend we were halter breaking the foals. He strutted around them without a worry in the world. These were 6month old foals who had never been handled before. He is one brave little cat. Or maybe stupid… I guess it depends on the outcome! Haha!
The next week, I had brought in a two year old grey gelding named Comet to start breaking in. He had been caught every now and then to worm, but apart from that hadn’t been handled much. I washed him, put a rug on him and led him to his yard. When I brought him a bucket of feed not long later, Kitty followed me to the yard and immediately ran under the horse, swatting at his tail. Amazingly, Comet just stood there without a care in the world! The following day I started to teach Comet to walk up beside me. Generally when we lead horses, they follow behind us. Comet might end up being shown though, so I was teaching him to lead differently. With a lunge whip in one hand, I walked around the yard lightly flicking him on the hindquarters each time he fell behind. The flicking whip obviously caught Kitty’s attention as in a flash I started to feel something on the end of the whip. Next thing I know it, Kitty has taken off under Comet’s legs with the whip! Lucky Comet is quiet I tell you!
He’s a typical little boy this cat, he’s so small but has got the biggest amount of attitude. I think he’s going to handle life on the farm just fine. As for the horses, it’s not a bad thing having a little bundle of fur dodging around them – sure keeps them quiet!
Watch this space, I will be posting more stories of working adventures on cattle stations soon!
