To all my cat friends who have been waiting to see and hear Wildflowers story.
Her life with us began sometime about 14 years ago. She is one of the many cats over the years that had been dumped on our road in front of our property. She is one of the few who we were able to catch or came to the house latter and allowed us to finally grab her. But before we did actually get hold of her we watch her for almost 2 months hunting in the fields below our home. She was so shy we couldn’t get near her.
Finally when the snow started to fall and hunting became difficult for her, she came up to the house looking for food. As we had 2 large dogs at the time who often chased away anything that didn’t belong, she spent all her time under our deck. I began putting food under the deck closer to the edge each time. After about 2 weeks I was finally able to grab her. She was so tiny under her big ball of fur which felt like rabbit hair. So began her life with us.
As we spent our winters near Salton Sea California she learned quickly how to travel and adapt to a new environment. However even to this day she is very shy with other people and often for many years our friends weren’t even aware we had a cat. She often would hide whenever anyone arrived. Even with long staying company she would stay hidden and only come out when they had gone to bed.
Here she is in her early days sitting atop the cupboards we had in our house near the Salton Sea.
Original I wanted her name to be Wildfire as she is the color of flames. But the 1st Christmas she was with us some friend with small children were visiting and thought her name should be Wildflower. So it stuck. We often spent some time at our ranch when the snow would be on the ground before heading south. She loved spending time outside even then. Of course our dogs at the time quickly accepted her as part of the family.
She was soon a veteran traveler who even went with us in our Motorhome across Canada from British Columbia to Nova Scotia and down the Eastern Coast to Florida then back west to spend the remainder of the winter in Salton Sea.
We had lost her once during that trip. We were staying at a casino campground that was at the edge of a very thick forest with swamps further in. I was vacuuming the motorhome and had put her in the bathroom while I was working. Later when done I went to check on her to find her gone. We had been empting our holding tanks earlier and had passed a hose out the bathroom window and forgot to close it.
I spent hours in the forest calling her, but couldn’t find her. The camp host said no cat had ever been found again that escaped from any previous campers. But I knew Wildflower was a survivor and knew her way around the wilds.
That night we went to a buffet dinner at the casino and when we returned about 11pm there she was sitting at the door wanting in. Many times over the years and at the ranch she has disappeared for days to hours. Each time thinking I will never see again, but somehow she manages to return.
Here she is stretch out on the bed of the motorhome.
Summer times at the ranch she loves spending time with me out in the garden.
In 2007 we got another cat which ended up not having a friendly personality towards Wildflower and also was so shy of other people, no one knew we had him. That same year we sold our house in Salton Sea California, so now our trips south were in the motorhome with 2 cats that disliked each other.
Where we parked on our lot right next to the Salton Sea the cats were allowed out. There was another stray cat that hung around our motorhome as well. Wildflower began disappearing for short periods. She wanted nothing to do with these other cats around. She always return before we left to head back north.
But in the Spring of 2009 she did not return and we stayed another 2 weeks hoping she would come back. The area if full of coyotes and packs of dogs. But she has lived with them around her whole life. We thought perhaps this was the end for her. Our neighbours next to our lot had a cat they fed outside. It was 2 months later we got an e-mail from them that they had seen Wildflower at the cat feeder.
We were thrilled that she was still alive, but wanted her caught and kept till we returned the next winter. Being the smart cat she is it took our neighbours over 2 months to finally catch her in a live trap. During that time they caught many other wandering or stray cats. Caught at last.
We had another friend who could take and care for her till we returned. But there she had to be confined in my friends bedroom only as she was afraid Wildflower would attack her cat. Wildflower had learned to be more aggressive with other cats to survive during her time in the desert. But in her new home she was loved, fed and brush. My friend said when she brought her home she went under the bed immediately and didn't come out till she went to bed and turned the lights out. Then Wildflower jumped on the bed and started purring and cuddling with her. Just what she use to do with me.
So in December of 2009 we were reunited with Wildflower. At the time we didn’t take the motorhome down and were staying in a friends trailer. We still had our other cat Siriun, but Wildflower didn’t seem to back down from him now and stood her ground. Respect had now been established finally.
Here is Wildflower in the trailer a couple days after being reunited with her. She or Siriun was no longer allowed outside while at our winter home. Latter that winter we bought another home there, which gives both cats plenty of space to roam around when there now.
Back at the ranch Wildflower was so happy to be back home and enjoying a warm place to sleep and the space and freedom of the great outdoors.
Again she always love to join me in the garden.
She loves to be with me as I walk around the house and yard area.
Portraits of Wildflower
So ends Wildflowers story to date. She and Siriun still have some problems and Wildflower sometimes chooses to spend time in our Garden house to get away, where if some of you remember we have our TV so she gets company down there when she wants to be there. But Wildflower is a wise and healthy cat who seems to have a few more lives still to live.
To all my friends I normally visit regularly I apologize. Life has been very busy and when I do have time I wanted to get some blogs out and forever fixing stuff on my computer. And of course still have all my reposts to do from Spaces. Been so busy doing other things.
I still have a few things left in the garden. Last week I spent a lot of time there the weather had been so beautiful. We just had a couple days rain so I got a new blog done for God's Garden of Nature in this Changing World and this blog. Today the sun did shine but the garden is still wet. We are expecting beautiful sunny days the next few days. Amazing we haven’t had snow yet. 1st time here that we didn’t get a little before November.
To all my friends and Cat lovers
Wishing you a purrrrfect
Good Morning… Good Afternoon… Good Night…
Photo & Words
By
Here I Am/Carrie
