I looked out of the house the other day and saw our barn cat Smoke perched on the side of a stock tank, lapping at the water. Now, this is the kind of thing barn cats do that can give you a heart attack, because your immediate thought is, oh my, what if he falls in? Smoke is definitely what I would call a "professional" at the barn cat business, having been with us for almost twelve years now and having flourished at both the Montana ranch and here at the New Hampshire farm. He's a smart boy, has never been hurt, and generally always has his wits about him.
Notice how he's propped on the edge of the tank, balanced so most of his weight is on the rim or below on the other side. He's hooked his back legs around the edge to hold himself secure. I can't remember seeing him do this before, but obviously if he has, he's learned how to do it safely. Well, as safely as he can, I suppose!
Nevertheless, the barn cat daddy in me had me running outside to shoo him away, though not before grabbing the camera on the way!
Now, he has access to plenty of water around the farm, including a bowl of fresh water at his feeding station in the barn (which I had just refilled, along with the food bowl, the previous evening), not to mention the pond, puddles, goat buckets and more. But we've seen our cats always seem to enjoy getting water in unusual ways over the years, and this was another.
Here's the look I got when he heard me yelling at him:
"Who, me?"
And then, deciding to appease the barn cat daddy, he jumped down and walked off rather nonchalantly:
Since then the tanks have been emptied, and next year we'll add some "ladders" made out of metal mesh so he and the others can climb out if they do manage to go overboard.
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*** You will find us listed as Rolling Dog Farm. The state is NH for New Hampshire. ***
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Love the Deep Purple reference! (My do I feel old lol)
Finally back to posting after having been away to take care of some family business. I enjoy seeing stories about the cats. Smoke seems to have the program down and I'm sure he won't fall in and embarass himself :)
Posted by: Ann | October 20, 2012 at 02:43 AM
LOVE the cat updates!! After all they are members of the work force there too! Thanks for Smoke's pictures...he is a sweetie.
Posted by: Anne in FL | October 19, 2012 at 01:22 PM
My cat Gabby (when she was younger) used to perch above the (flushed) toilet to get a drink, despite two full cold bowls of water in the house. She never fell in! Cats are pretty amazing. Even now she prefers drinking from water collected outside - my husband says "minerals" give it a better taste for her. I bought her a fountain but she didn't like that. Cats are indeed independent!
Posted by: Dawn | October 18, 2012 at 11:54 AM
Been there, done that. At our place, the horse trough is filled with a separate water line to the barn, that ISN'T run through our fancy filtration system to remove lots of iron and other heavy minerals. But the barn cats bowl is filled from a water jug we fill with water from the house, filtered and good tasting. Where do they drink.....you guessed it, from the nasty horse trough. I have treked over to the barn many a time thinking they were out of water inside, or had tipped over their bowl, but no, it was full.
It's like they are saying, "I don't need no prissy house water, I'm a tough wild animal."
Posted by: Diane Borden, Chehalis, WA | October 18, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Love this blog on Smoke---thanks for posting--so good to see the Barn cats.
Posted by: Shirley * James/Portland, OR | October 17, 2012 at 09:19 PM
That cat seems to have an ideal life. Like all of the critters that live at RDF. He gets to do what kitty's are made to do...hunt and be free. Lucky kitty......even though he does have over protective humans. LOL
Posted by: Ev | October 17, 2012 at 06:21 PM
I'm sure Smoke is sure that he'd never do anything so graceless as fall in. :)
Posted by: Tonya Allen | October 17, 2012 at 06:03 PM
Many years ago, a loud splash in our swimming pool woke me from a deep sleep. Running outside to see who'd fallen in, I found the neighbor's cat (a serious small-game hunter), pulling himself out of the deep end w/o ladder, steps, or any assistance. I toweled him off, asking what the *%$# he was doing. He struggled out of my arms and ran back to lean far over the edge of the pool beside the skimmer inlet. I lifted the skimmer lid to find a mouse treading water behind the protection of the leaf-skimming basket. Hunter-cat had fallen in, over-reaching for the mouse.
So, big daddy barn cat, worry not. Cats can swim and can climb up sheer walls to get out.
Posted by: Debbie Burke | October 17, 2012 at 01:19 PM
My barn cat, Leo, does the same thing even though right next to the tank is his water bowl. Hasn't fallen in yet.
Posted by: Diana K | October 17, 2012 at 01:11 PM
You guys are a decade behind me in age, but I see you are familiar with Deep Purple! Smoke is smokin'!
Posted by: Linda | October 17, 2012 at 12:24 PM
It doesn't seem to matter how many "safe" water sources you provide for your animals, you always seem to find them in the unsafe, dirty ones. Do you think they do it just to fray our nerves?
Posted by: Kathleen Rivard | October 17, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Steve
I can relate my Cat Teddy will only drink out of a measureing cup perched on the side of the bathtub. Fancy water bowls, even the ones with motors so it looks like a constant waterfall hold no interest. Cats to me are like women, you think you might have them figured out, but you don't. Please no offence meant.
Posted by: Eric | October 17, 2012 at 11:04 AM
Oh yes. Cats like to make water drinking interesting that is for sure. My indoor cats manage to get creative as well. I bought them a fountain because I thought they wanted running water but they were afraid of the fountain!!
Mamma Heartbeat
Posted by: Heartbeats | October 17, 2012 at 10:06 AM
No, from here I hear him saying, "What is your problem? I've done this before, y'know. What. Ever."
He is very handsome and, apparently, knows where his food dish is.
Your "exit plan" is excellent. I had thought of putting some kind of plastic container (inverted milk crate or so) in there so he could jump onto that and then jump out. But a cat of such talents would never fall in.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | October 17, 2012 at 09:05 AM
Kids will be kids and the water probably tasted "better" from the stock tank than his nice clean bowl indoors. After all, we drank from hoses & the outdoors faucet when we were kids rather than going into the house for water, didn't we?
Posted by: Kathy Hertzel | October 17, 2012 at 08:43 AM