I Spy

Gray and white feral 

RUSTY

Harlequin

(Harley) 

Spooky, brother of Rusty and Harley. 

Rusty has a rusty-appearing collar instead of all jet black. 

Grey tabby 

Not a cat 

What's going on outside. 

And this, my friends, is how they are coming in and out of the old henhouse. 

Now, I have a quandary.  You see, the possums can't enter or exit this way, so 

the old henhouse is safe from them. 

The raccoons and cats clamber right up the screen door, whose screen, as you see, is mostly out. 

Now... I could fix that door.  You see, I had a new inside door made last fall, it is propped open. 

I could put the henhouse back into production.  

It aggravates me to come in every morning to see that the raccoons have eaten all the dry cat food, 

and dirtied the water.   (It takes me about two minutes to clean up). 

IF I close that door tightly, I could leave some food in the porch (covered) for the animals during the summer.  

I worry about the cats in the winter, several times in bitter cold I went in to find the older ferals, the gray and white and the tabby, in the straw.  The gray and white will let me come near to feed, 

the tabby runs in a panic. 

Often, Harley and Spooky are waiting for me in the morning, as if to say 

"Where is our breakfast?"  because of course, the raccoons leave 

nothing most nights. 

The cats DO get to eat in the evenings, before the raccoons get there. 

So... I'm in a quandary.  I want the ferals to feel safe and have a place to eat 

where they are not in danger.  Meanwhile, I cope with the raccoons. 

(trap and move them, you say.... I don't think I could do it far enough or 

fast enough, and I AM NOT KILLING ANYTHING, go ahead and 

laugh, and don't even suggest it.