Nick’s Cat House

No, I haven’t found a new way to supplement my income in my golden years. I’m not talking about that kind of cat house, so get your mind out of the gutter!

As I’ve said more than once, I’m not really a cat person, but I live with two cats because my wife is a cat person. I will admit that over time they kind of grew on me. And now I find myself with another cat, Declan, the porch cat. We inherited Declan when we bought the house. She is one of several feral cats in the neighborhood that the county picked up and spayed and then turned loose again for rodent control. When the other feral cats see me they hiss and run away, but not Declan. I think she’s smart enough to know a good thing when she sees it. So every day I go out and feed Declan, and she rubs against my legs and meows and lets me rub her back and ears and such. She’s actually friendlier to me than the two cats that live inside the house.

The previous owners of our house left an old cat bed on the porch that she’s been sleeping on, but with winter coming in a couple of months, I wanted to be sure that she had more shelter than that. Looking around on Amazon, I found this weatherproof foldable cat house that is designed for cold weather outdoor use and ordered one for her.

When I first put it on the porch yesterday, she didn’t seem all that interested.

Then I put a few pieces of dry cat treats inside, and she decided to investigate. It didn’t take her long to realize she liked it and went inside. I tried to get a picture of her from the inside looking out but she was curled up in the back and quite happy without me being an intruder into her new house. Enjoy it Declan, I hope it keeps you comfortable this winter.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Dog’s Run, my mystery set in a small Ohio town in 1951. I have 47 novels out, as well as 11 nonfiction books, and I have to say that Dog’s Run is my favorite. It’s a gritty tale that is loosely based upon an actual crime that took place in that part of the country when my father was a young police officer there, and I warn you in advance that there’s some rough language, but it’s appropriate to the time and place.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books and audiobooks to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. This one came from my friend DC Stultz.

Thought For The Day – My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far, I’ve finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.