This was my originally planned post for today. I had realized that we do not acknowledge events in our pets’ lives and appreciate them.  So I decided to celebrate birthdays (or adoption days).  So Izzy turned 12 today.  We got her as a barn cat in January 2011.  She had been a barn cat with her brother down the road, and they wanted just one so we picked her up.  Initially she made herself at home in our barn loft where we made sure she had food and water.

Izzy January 2011

Izzy January 2011

She initially stayed in the loft.  I think she was scared of the chickens.  So she didn’t hunt the barn’s rodents like we had hoped and instead killed some of our barn swallows in the loft.  She gradually started drifting into the backyard,

Izzy April 2013

and started hunting in our back forty.

Izzy hunting January 2014

But she still slept in the barn.

Cold Izzy February 2014

Izzy and quad July 2014

Izzy and tractor August 2014

Izzy in morning sun September 2014

Izzy in mule September 2014

She gradually moved to hang out by our trailer, and we started feeding her there.

Izzy on trailer roof,  March 2016

Izzy and Tom October 2016

Izzy hunting October 2018

Izzy jungle kitty April 2018

And then she moved to our back porch. So we fed her there.

Izzy and Mr D’s felted rug April 2019

Izzy on fleece rug September 2019

Then she started venturing into our house for visits.  Prior to that she was terrified of being inside, but she got over it.

house Izzy April 2020

Donna Izzy April 2020

Unfortunately our other car Chloe did not appreciate the visitor and was rather mean to Izzy so she mostly stayed on the porch.  She kept hunting though, and we regularly find small rodent guts at our back door.

Izzy in pink chair May 2020

When Chloe died in December, Izzy briefly had the house to herself.  And she took advantage.

Izzy December 2020

Izzy on desk December 2020

But then in January we got Ryeleigh, and Izzy is not impressed.  I do feel bad that she didn’t have more time as the lone house pet, but in our home you need to share.

Izzy on my lap January 2021

So today we celebrate her.  We did an abbreviated happy birthday song.  She was not impressed by the candle,

But she did like the wet cat food (normally she has dry).

Now she is hanging on our bed in our air conditioned bedroom and having a nice, lazy, chill day.  She will get some extra petting later too.