The Beauty Within

I have some friends who own a small piece of country where they enjoy a quiet life on a small farm. Once in awhile, I have been privileged to critter sit while they were out of town.

You'll notice I didn't say pet sit. Their menagerie includes two horses, two young Brahma bulls, one wild boar (she thinks she's a dog), one actual dog, about three dozen assorted chickens and about four dozen feral cats. Oh, and they do have four indoor cats as well.

All except the bulls are rescue animals. The horses once performed in a traveling carnival and the mare still enjoys a little dance now and again. Like the dog, the pig wandered onto the grounds one day and decided to settle in. She was given as warm a welcome as the other additions to the farm.

As you can imagine, a break from the daily routine was most welcome to my friends and a nice change of pace for me. I know, afterall, like a favorite aunt, I get to hand the critters back to mom and dad when they return.

Pet lovers well know that each animal has a distinct personality. The farm critters are a great testament to that. Even within the various groups of wild cats who make up the farm's feral colony, each resident plays a unique role in the society. Barn cats, shed cats, pallet cats and tree cats keep tabs on each other but fiercely protect their own turf. Only one alpha male can reign supreme within each faction and there are sometimes squabbles when their authority is challenged.

The most surprising discovery for me is that each faction also has its own self appointed ambassador. There is one particular cat who is the first to look over any newcomer, greet visitors or chase trespassers and generally walks with me as I tour their part of the farm.

The barn cat greeter, a grey tiger stripe whom I actually called Ambassador, has since found himself a nice new home with a local family just down the street. He still makes regular visits to the barn, though, just to keep in touch. Sadly, Kubota, the unofficial guardian of all of the animals, lost his health challenges and is very greatly missed. His was a friendly, outgoing spirit who only saw the good in every situation, even when you knew he wasn't feeling well.

Farm life is a busy life. There are lots of chores which have to be done in a certain order, in a certain fashion and at a certain time. And that's about the only mention of fashion associated with it.

Luckily, the horses, cows, chickens and pig don't look to see if your hair is freshly washed and styled. They don't check to see what shade of lipstick you've donned that morning. So long as you are awake enough to make the feeding rounds, they are content.

Now the cats and dogs may be just a little particular. They prefer to sniff your hands before you give them a petting. Of course they are not trying to identify the cologne you've selected. They are just hoping to catch a whiff of a treat in your grasp.

This then, is the true beauty within. The idea that these animals will patiently, though sometimes vocally in the case of the bulls, await your arrival for they trust you to take care of them. Completely, udderly (yup, bad pun intended), and without question. It is a trust that is earned through actions. Good intentions just don't fill the feed bins.

So, this is a shout out to my friends and for all who reach out to rescue animals. Despite the fact that they have both lost their jobs in the past year and have only recently returned to the workplace and at a significantly lower pay rate, they continue to feed and care for their animals.

They also work hard to trap the feral cats as time and money permits. They then have them neutered and return them to the colony. Feral mothers are brought in to a safe environment until her kitten is weaned. Several of the cats, including their own four domestic cats, have been tamed and litter box trained. New homes are selected with care.

Meet these amazing animals here and learn more about their rescue efforts.