These Cats Rock!

Barney and Annabelle have a new fan club: me. In addition to being social and welcoming any time I enter the barn area, they’ve proven useful. This evening while waiting for me to get to the task of milking, Barney not only presented me with a dead mouse (and received copious praise), but also I saw him take on JoJo. Yes!

I may have mentioned our mean geese before. In fact, I am quite sure that that phrase has crossed these lips before. Although I did save the geese when the puppies recently became too rambunctious for JoJo and LaLa, I usually observe that almost everyone needs saving from the geese now and again. This weekend I can even add myself to that list. How pathetic is that?

These days the geese are enclosed in a pasture with the older male alpacas, the Nigerian Dwarf goats, and Caitlyn a Tennessee Fainting goat who opted to stay put when her herd last moved from that pasture. In general the animals all get along—until grain appears. Yesterday evening I broadcast some grain into the plastic feed bunk outdoors and collected the requisite goats for my trouble. Next the alpacas received grain behind a closed door so that they could eat in peace before the pushy goats stretch to their fullest to reach into the alpacas’ feed tubs.

When I exited through the pasture, the geese were worrying the poor goats (who can generally take care of themselves, thank you very much) without respite, so I reached down and scooped up JoJo under my right arm. As I pulled him to me, he managed to unfold his wings, and then he began beating me with them—hard. I found it difficult to believe that those wings had such power, but after what felt like being hit over the head with a full-size leg bone (human, equine, bovine, whatever—BIG) nearly five times, I let JoJo loose and tried to recover.

Now I was not seeing stars or anything, but my eyes teared and I was a tad disoriented. I considered texting JoJo’s namesake who might have been entertained to know that the little goose had successfully assaulted me, but let the moment pass. Today my head is still quite tender and I am reminded of JoJo’s attack each time I move to brush my hair back or pull up a hood.

So this evening when I saw Barney streak past the hissing JoJo and into the alpaca boys’ stall I felt for the cat; however, not twenty seconds later I heard JoJo squawk and turned in time to see Barney zipping through the fence—having successfully got the drop on that goose. Go Barney!

Between the mouse-present, the goose attack, and the cats’ general friendliness, I am totally thrilled to have them here. Barney & Annabelle rock!