Cat Gourd Gift

This little cat gourd birdhouse was missing an ear so I added one. Can you tell which one?

Cat Gourd Personalized Gift

My bee buddy David has this cat. Well, actually, the cat has adopted this family that includes my bee buddy.

Smokey, a black and white cat, had been hanging around David's house for a good 2 years before they were able to coax him close enough to pet him. Then one winter, Smokey moved inside and has since comfortably settled in, especially whenever he can find David's lap. The other two cats are also rescues but Smokey has made it clear now that he's inside, he has no plans to go back outside.

I enjoy hearing the adventures of Smokey as we head off on a swarm call or, better yet, wait for a bee colony to march into a hive box after we've coaxed the queen bee inside. So when I found this black and white cat gourd on sale at a local thrift store, I didn't have to think twice about picking it up for Smokey's family. The only problem was the little gourd cat was missing an ear.

I'm not a big woodworker so it took a little time to find a wood scrap to make a new ear and to check the real model out to see if his ears were all black or had any dabs of white on them. Smokey is not shy but I can't say he's very excited to have me coming around him trying to take a close peek at his ears, either. Luckily I had several pictures of him to check closely to determine that both ears were all black as I finished making the necessary adjustments.

Once completed, I left the finished cat gourd on the same deck chair where I first saw Smokey sitting. Seemed an appropriate way to mark spring's arrival, and Smokey's decision to permanently settle in. Welcome home, Smokey!

Charlotte