Stray kitties.....

[Susan and the girls]

Hey all.... I haven't posted in several days because things have been busy with school winding down and all (I teach). Friday was the last day for the children, and our last day was today - hallelujah!

Anyway, things have been quite busy all the way around, and now we're in the process of buying a house. (Just waiting on the closing date!) Exciting and scary at the same time!

Already, we've started doing some "fixin' up" on the house, since it's sort of a "fixer-upper." It's only 4 years old, but it wasn't taken care of, so there are LOTS of cosmetic things we're having to do. The trade off is that we're getting a house that appraises a WHOLE lot more than what we're paying for it - even with the upgrades it needs.

We painted til 10:30 last night, and I painted til 10:30 tonight. (Took a while to Kilz-paint the sky blue room with white clouds and hot pink doghouse window....Yes, it was atrocious. Now it's white and ready for a sane color.)

ANYWAY - to get to the cat issue.... (Yes, this does belong on the cat board, but you know me - it takes me a while to get to the point!)

Tonight I saw two kitties near our new house. One was there when I drove into the yard - a long haired gray and white kitty that took off running when I stepped out of the car. The other was peering in the living room windows several hours later just before I packed up my stuff to leave. The second kitty looked like it was about 4-5 months old, kinda petite, and was a brown tabby with white paws. When I went out onto the front porch, it scampered away, but just out of reach. It was rubbing all over the steps and looking like it would LOVE to be petted, but it wouldn't come to me.

My sister says that all the cats in town have gotten word I'm moving into that neighborhood, and they're all checking out the "Crazy Cat Lady" who will probably feed and take care of them all.....

I'm worried about how SweetPea will react. I was counting on her being the only cat in the small neighborhood, but I guess that's not really rational thinking. I don't want her to be afraid and run away, though! It will be HER house, too, you know?

I realize that the transition from one yard to another wouldn't be entirely flawless even without the other kitties in the neighborhood, but what can I do to make sure she doesn't run off?

You KNOW I'd rather she become an indoor kitty, but we've been down that road before - tried it for months and months - and it didn't work - at all. We're having to put down new carpet in this house, and I'd really prefer she didn't christen it with her "I don't want to live inside" pee.

Should I plant catnip? Get some of Tina's Bach Flower Remedy? How can I make sure that SweetPea makes the move ok and let the other kitties know that it's HER yard?