An Oriole, A Loud Cat And Weight Watchers

An Oriole is huge compared to a humming bird but both like to drink from the same feeders. A couple of years ago I bought a special Oriole feeder that would accommodate his size (the males are the beauties) and where I could make the nectar he likes (different proportion of sugar to water than the hummers). He never got a chance to try it because the hummers drank his nectar first. By the time he and his drab-hued mate showed up only hummer food was left. So they balance precariously on the small feeders and slurp away. I also put out half an orange and some grape jelly, which they like. Again, the pair disappeared for a few days so the ants got there first. So the special feeders are in the garage and everyone eats the same stuff. I haven't heard any complaints.

Now onto the cat tale. Giorgio has been yowling right next to our bed at 2 or 3 in the morning. Very annoying. For such a skinny cat he is really loud. He wants access to the outside night world. No, no that's where wild things live; Giorgio would become a meal, all be it a Weight Watchers meal, but nonetheless, a meal. He would keep us awake with his yowling until he got tired and went back to sleep. This was not the way we like to sleep so had to come up with a plan.

We have now declared my sewing room way at the other end of the house as the animal dorm. Harleen sleeps in her crate, Nora sleeps in one little padded cubby and Giorgio sleeps in the other one. We close the door to the dorm; the cats still have access to water, food and their littler box. Access is denied to our bedroom. At first we had to catch the two cats to get them in there, but now they pretty much put themselves to bed when Harleen does, around 9:30. If Giorgio yowls in there, we can't hear him. It took two humans to outsmart a ten-pound cat.

More later on my new fabric pattern ala Rose Hughes. It involves pipe cleaners. Check back in a few days for samples of my new passion.