I thought it would be a good idea for people to see our Cattery -- which is kind of the whole house.
More photos to come.
Within a couple of days after Barb died, when Ken and I decided we would have to "get serious quick" about our cattery, we realized that the best way to keep peace among the cats AND calm our own nerves would be to have buffer zones, airlocks, or "kittylocks" -- two doors between groups of cats. So before I even returned home the first time from Barb's after her death, four doors were already installed -- two in hallways in front of Ken's room and the Kitten Room, and two doors plus an extended wall to block off the door going down the stairs. Now the doors look like they've always been here, and they help immeasurably in "directing traffic" and reducing stress. They will also provide good quarantine rooms and help prevent "oops" litters from "Studs Gone Wild."
We also took up carpeting in most of the house (sigh). Ugly linoleum was under the carpeting we removed downstairs so it's everywhere on that floor in a-l-l its glory, but in The Kitten Room upstairs we had padded linoleum installed after the comfortable wall-to-wall carpet was removed. I grieve each day over the slow decline of our wood floors upstairs -- until a kitten scampers past me or some other cuteness happens, and then I pause a second, say, "Oh, well," grab a toy, and join in their fun. We don't decorate our house anymore, but we do "furnish" it -- with LOTS of cat trees and toys. Well, on second thought, maybe the house IS decorated -- with BEAUTIFUL, sumptuous, loving TAs throughout.
Something else that took LOTS of time and MONEY was cat-proofing the downstairs. We have suspended ceilings everywhere down there but in the furnace room and closets, and cats have discovered DisneyWorld for Felines above the ceiling tiles. It's amazing how many different ways there are to get up there (read: "...how many different places we had to keep plugging up"). And I won't tell you about the five holes in walls we've frantically had to bash in at 1:00 and 2:00 and 3:00 o'clock in the morning when they've ventured beyond the Edge of the 'World and fallen down between the wall studs. Yeah, I won't tell you about that. Just know that, thousands of dollars later (yup), everyone is now safe and "it can't happen again" (I've heard that before).
I'll start with The Kitten Room.
The Kitten Room
(11' x 11' former bedroom upstairs)
Litterbox Central
(Formerly the Dining Room -- sigh)
The window is a great place for the cats to look for us to return from outings, watch deer, birds, butterflies, and dragonflies.
Downstairs Cats' Room
No windows, but there is an air cleaner and a radio.
The two cats in this photo are our 11-year-old non-TA rescues. For some reason, the tuxedo (bottom left in photo) loves being in the cage, who' normally we use it only when she doesn't like some other cat in the room.
