Ok, I realise I skipped a couple of days, so I’m catching up retroactively.

The cat house is finally finished. I’d run into a snag with the door… basically it didn’t close properly so I had to go buy a different type of closer. But it works now and I’m really happy with it.

I brought it home yesterday and I love it. Eric got in and explored it already but I’m not sure which cat will choose to make it her home. I say ‘her’ of course, since all the cats out the front here are girls.

I put in one of the pet beds I’ve been making for Eric and Lainee. I buy cheap fleecy throws from the supermarket (it works out cheaper than buying the fabric) and can make 4 medium sized beds from one throw. I use stuffing from the excess cushions on my couch and from pillows. Animals aren’t fussed about the stuffing being new!

All ready to go! I’m happy, one cat will be happy, and all is good in the world.

I also donated a crate I had outside to the cat colony. I wrapped it in plastic to make it waterproof, put a ledge on the front at the top and bottom to make it cosier, and sat it on bricks. Another cat shelter. Our cat colony is getting spoilt.

I have offered to help make cat shelters for other parts of the island, but I can’t volunteer my time, my tools and my effort without some help (I have tons of stuff on my plate though I LOVE helping) – I have asked for people to donate wood, screws, nails, time and muscle to the project. The couple that runs the Buy Nothing Paros group on FB have offered to help so we’re working on collecting a few more pallets to start working on a few more boxes. This is great news!

z

Yesterday was a washout in creative terms. I was out all day, playing taxi driver to mom and aunts, then had mom and one aunt come over to my place for a catch up.

Today, however, I had a plan. I’d go to my aunt’s unit (and my temporary workspace), I’d build a table for the stray cat food* then do a last coat of paint on one bedside table and the kitchen cabinet I’m working on. Get them finished finally. Ditto the cat house I’ve been making.

*There are a ton of stray cats living around the bins near the beach just down the road from the family place on Paros. People put food out for the cats daily but the 2 guts dogs my aunts own rush down there every morning to eat as much cat food as they can. People have tried to stop the dogs, unsuccessfully, a few times so I decided to have a shot at it myself..

Well, I made the cat food table. With a shelter inside. But no painting. It was freezing outside – snow weather. 3 degrees C. There was snow on the mountains this morning and a killer wind. Yikes. By the time I’d finished the cat table I was frozen solid.

Not a great day to work outside but I had a bee in my bonnet. Someone had put together a really poor shelter for the stray cats and I was insulted. It has no back, no front, just sides and top and a bit of foam mattress in the bottom. Pitiful for this weather. I had to act.

I saw my uncle George and told him my plan, he said I could help myself to as much wood as I wanted to from the scrap heap in the garage. (His dog is the worst culprit). So I took a load of wood down to the unit and starting making it up as I went along.

Not a bad result considering I used scrap wood of various types and had no real plan to follow. I measured, cut, screwed together bits, added bits, got more wood when I ran out… and this is the result. It looks like a work bench. Makes me think I should build myself a work bench! (Once I have a regular workspace of course!)

Its got a wide top to hold the metal tray the volunteers use as a food tray. Three full sides to keep the inside protected from the weather. Partly opened front so cats can get in. A shelf inside and a cut up piece of foam for a bed inside. Its not really big but it will house 3 or 4 cats if they don’t mind sharing. Not nearly enough, I know, but its something.

I got one of my aunts to help me carry it down and put it behind the bins, a sort of protected area between the bins and the wall, with trees overhead. Its like I’d measured the tray as its the perfect size. (I didn’t measure, I’m not that organised!)

I put the opening at the back, facing the wall for better protection from wind and rain. You can see the pathetic shelter behind mine. I added that crate to the back of it to close up at least part of the open back.

I’m pleased with it. One cat was already having a snack as I was leaving. I really hope the dogs will leave the food alone now.

Lainee and I were sure glad to get home and get warm! Sheesh. Who’s brilliant idea was it to work outside in this weather?

z