For the Fun of It - we have 8 cats
okay, we don't really have that many cats. but also, we kind of do.
Hi! My name is Ashlyn Anstee, and I tell stories with words and pictures. Sometimes, that’s picture books (like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Select “Hedgehog”), or graphic novels (my series “Shelby and Watts”), and sometimes it’s animation (I’ve directed at places like Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network).
This column, “For the Fun of It”, will also have words and pictures. Sometimes it will be stories, or how-tos, or thoughts. A little bit of everything. Hope you enjoy!
Accidentally a lot of cats.
My husband and I ended up caring for a lot of cats. Sort of 3, sort of 8. First, let me explain a little bit about Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has a large feral cat population. Because of the warm climate, and the availability of food, there are so many cats that there’s literally something called “kitten season”. Yes, we go out and harvest kittens. (Sort of, but you do find them everywhere in the warmer months).
We live in smack dab the middle of LA, and we rarely see coyotes. Charles Bukowski grew up in our neighborhood, (and later wrote an amazing book of poems, “Bukowski on Cats”).
In LA, there are so many cats that there are many free or low cost spay and neuter programs. We got a trap from FixNation in Burbank, and we began trapping cats that would come by. They snip the cat’s ear (to show at a glance if the feral cat is already fixed), and then you return them to the community to live the happiest life they can on the streets.
The Beginning
When Grant and I first moved in together, I had two cats.
Milo, and Moose. They came from under my aunt’s house in the Valley (no, not that valley, the other one, the San Gabriel valley). Their mom’s name was Moldy the 2nd, so you can probably guess that they are both a little strange.
My husband, Grant, proposed with a third cat. It was a BIG DEAL to get a third cat. I remember going back and forth on if it was “too many”. But I was and am obsessed with Prince- he is a fluffy minuet cat, and one of the most outgoing, friendly cats you’ll ever meet.
Here’s the problem with getting an outgoing cat. He LOVES other cats. He’s aggressively playful, and LOVES the outdoors. Yes, never in my life would I have thought I would let Prince outside, but frankly, we didn’t really have a choice in the matter.
So off he goes in the morning, with his little air tag.
He quickly brought Zeus, a big boy. We first called him Mrs Moose (named after Moose, who was fascinated by him). We thought Zeus was pregnant originally, hence the Mrs, but turns out he’s just a big fat boy, and he is actually pretty cuddly. He comes in when it’s cold, and will sit on you when he wants to.
Zeus came with his best friend, Shadow, a gorgeous fluffy black cat who is the most shy of our ferals. He hisses if you get close.
Squeaky Mama had kittens near our porch before we could fix her. She’s fixed now, and is the tiniest little bean. We have a LOT of Mama stories. She’s seen some shit.
Mama’s kittens that survived are also fixed- Peanut Butter, a big boy who hangs out with Zeus and Shadow as if they’re in a lil mans club.
Nala is the most GORGEOUS little lady, and she’s Prince’s girlfriend. She once brought him a bird (which was VERY disappointing- we try to keep sounds going so birds don’t get attacked). Prince didn’t really like the bird though.
So we have three cats inside, and five outside. To be fair, all but one were accidental, which is how LA goes. My friend Dan Krall once said that it’s very hard in LA to not get a cat. They kind of blow in like tumbleweeds. Luckily, our colony is pretty stable now, because honestly, feeding all these cats is pretty pricy. But how can you not- look at little Mama’s face!
In conclusion- SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS. There’s a reason Bob Barker would always say that at the end of every “Price is Right”. We didn’t want 8 cats, but now that they’re around, we want them to lead full and happy lives. Speaking of which-
Thing of the Week
My thing of the week is this stupid Catnip Banana. We’ve tried so many catnip toys over the years, and keep returning to this one. The cats will use it until it explodes and becomes a limp little peel. Even Peanut Butter will come in to “do drugs”. I can’t believe I have a favorite catnip toy. Catfluencer lifestyle.
ok love you bye.
meow we love this