Barn Cat ... Not on Duty Right Now!

Stopped by my friends' house a couple of weeks ago to get some fresh eggs.  As I was walking up to the door, Patches came running from the direction of the barn.  I graciously held the door open until he got there,  bounded into the kitchen at Bill and Clarice's house, and promptly sprawled out on the floor next to Clarice's chair.

A couple of hours earlier I had phoned and said I would be there in about an hour to get some eggs.  Well, it turned out to be closer to two and a half hours before I arrived.  Thank goodness, my eggs were still there.  Nothing like farm fresh brown shelled eggs!

Clarice offered me a piece of persimmon pudding, which I declined, although I know it would have been delicious.  I started out the door, and Bill said, "Wait a minute.  I'm not through with you yet!."  I laughed and turned around, and then we discussed a place called Odon, Indiana and how good the fresh meat was at a butcher shop there. I said that would be a nice summer drive for Bob and me to take to check it out. Again, I started to leave.

Then I saw Patches lying on the floor, and thought how regal he looked. The iphone promptly came out of my pocket, focused on Patches, and kaboom, here he is!  So handsome!

Patches

So I asked a few questions about him, but mainly, how they came to acquire Patches.  Well, they said they were on the look out for a barn cat, and they got him when he was a baby.  His duties are to catch the mice and keep them out of the feed.  They both laughed and said, "You can see what a good barn cat he is, lying here on the kitchen floor."  Then Clarice said, "He herds the chickens, too!."  I told them about the rabbit I have written about previously who was herding the chickens.  They laughed.  Clarice went on to say they had let the chickens out the other day because the weather was so warm.  Patches thought they should be in the barn, and so he started herding them that way.  Marty (who we at first thought was Mary) and another chicken looked at Patches, as if to say, "We have had about enough of you!"  So Clarice shooed him away.

Animals are such amazing creatures and so much fun to watch! Wouldn't it be great  to watch Patches herding those chickens?

This post was written by Pam Todd, a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on Artfire, and whose studio, Bags and More by Pam, features hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes.  Pam loves all things related to animals and nature.  She is a supporter of The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, as well as donating items to other animal related charities to support their causes.