We have a really nice morning routine at our house. Robin gets up, feeds Becket and Reggie, opens the catio door for Nutmeggy and Karma, drinks a cup of hot water, checks my food bowl, and then goes outside to greet the Garden Kitties. Huck is usually first to arrive in the back garden. He’s not quite all the way awake sometimes when he gets to the back door, like today, and he loves to be petted and carried the 10 feet or so to the shed where the kitties dine.

This picture is Huckie BEFORE his pets and breakfast. He looks a little confused but nowhere near as bad as he looked the day Robin left for BlogPaws. He didn’t even get all the way to the back door that day. His eyes looked wild. He wouldn’t let Robin touch him and he was growly when he walked. Huckie is NEVER growly, in fact he’s one of the sweetest of all of us (except if you’re a DOG, whom he chases), so Robin was very worried about him.

He’s getting better and acting like himself, mostly, again. UH tried to take him to the vet last week, but that was a bit of a fiasco and left everyone scared, even Robin who was in Salt Lake City! She loves us all and didn’t know how she could help Huckie. That’s when she asked Nutmeggy to request Pawcircle. We are all so thankful to have pals who send us good wishes and healing purrs! (Maybe now we can add an intention that Huckie and Sparkle allow themselves to be taken to the vet and let the vet examine them.)

As you can see here, Huck is walking better now. He’s following his sisfur Sparkle and Mystery is bringing up the rear. Every morning they have pets RIGHT outside the back door, which I can see out one of my windows. Sometimes I meow so Robin will look up at me, but mostly I just watch while the four of them go into the shed.

Usually, someone has come along and finished up any kibbles or canned food that the Garden Kitties didn’t eat the day before. They start with kibbles, for appetizers! The humans keep the kibbles and the bird seed for the wild birds in metal trash cans in hope that loose dogs and wild animals won’t be able to eat the food. A few weeks ago, a raccoon did figure out how to open the can and was eating the kibbles. Robin kept the kibbles inside for a week or so and the raccoon gave up.

Robin, or UH, fills each kitty’s dish with kibble (three kitties, three dishes) and they eat while she opens the wet food can, divides it into three portions and sprinkles the vitamins on top. The Garden Kitties have food fads. Sometimes they like the poultry flavors best, sometimes the fish. They never like beef. Who ever saw a cat eat a cow?

If you count the kitties in the picture, you’ll see something is amiss. The black and white one on the left wants to join in for meals. The Garden Kitties do NOT let anyone else eat with them, but for some reason yesterday they let this kitty stay for kibble. He would really prefer the canned food, but that annoyed Mystery, who told the black and white kitty to leave. The black and white kitty, however, didn’t leave.

Robin opened an extra can of food so our kitties won’t think they’ll get less food if this guy eats with them. She even took a bowl outside for Huckie (she’s still a bit worried about him and wants to make sure he gets enough good food to eat). Huckie symbolically buried his leftovers when he finished eating.

Robin follows their lead on who gets to dine. If they don’t want someone around, she won’t contradict them. The Garden Kitties seem undecided on this black and white kitty. We’ll see. The humans will take him to be neutered if he hangs around. I wonder if he knows that?

After the kitties eat breakfast, then the humans fill the bird feeders. They have to wait until Sparkle is done eating because she’s afraid of the sound of the bird seed. Mystery always helps with the bird feeders, the kibble bowl on the front porch and the water dishes. Water is really important for the Garden Kitties right now because it’s so hot outside. Both Huckie and Sparkle will sometimes drink out of the bird bath, but that is just a choice. They have four water dishes out there! Mystery prefers puddles, but we don’t get enough rain to make any puddles, so he has to settle for the water dishes.

The Garden Kitties have baths after breakfast and play a little bit. Sometimes they go on patrol in the neighborhood, and sometimes they just hang out at home.

Since whatever happened to Huckie happened to him, he has been sticking close to home. He sleeps under the big sunflower plants or next to the fence. Sparkle has the biggest territory she patrols. She has been staying around home much more to look after her brother while he’s recuperating.

All of us kitties have been concerned about Robin, actually. She hurt her toe when she came home from BlogPaws. We all have our ways of showing we care for her. Last night, Nutmeggy played with Robin’s foot (ouch!), which wasn’t as much fun for her as we thought it would be. Mystery gave her lots of head rubs. Huckie came to the porch from his spot near the fence. Robin doing OK as long as she keeps her foot elevated. She tries not to put all her weight on the hurt toe when she walks. She says that we are all helping her a LOT.

We’re pretty sure now that both Robin and Huckie will be good as new in no time!

When the Garden Kitties and birds have had their breakfast, Robin comes inside for a cup of coffee and my clicker training followed by a long cuddle session  with me.