Shortly after we moved into our homestead we got a notice from animal control that they had free barn cats.

We lived next to 34 Acres of fallow farmland. We definitely needed Barn cats. We picked up three. One of them gave us great joy for years. One of them effed off real fast. But Belka stayed. Belka, Russian for squirrel. Part of that was because Belka had no brain cells. It took her a year to figure out how to use the cat door from the porch to the outside world.

But once she finally figured her way out she became a champion mouser.

That was eight years ago. I don’t know how old she was when she showed up, but according to her teeth she’s at least 9 years old. She is missing a few key teeth.

Earlier this year I decided that it was time for her to retire. She needed to spend more time inside. And immediately after that she started spending more time inside. Her goals and my goals were truly aligned. She rarely goes outside now. She spends all days sleeping in the canned goods rakes, on the kitchen island or on the arm of our arm chairs.

She can still go outside whenever she wants but she very infrequently wants. She won’t ask you to pick her up but she loves to be picked up and cuddled.

She’s a good cat.