Frito, Farm Cat in Training: Fall Share Week #7 (final EO A share) – Dec 6

Frito, Farm Cat in Training

Currently Frito is splayed out on my desk in front of the computer screen. Most days now, she either lays in front of my screen or sits behind me on my desk chair. (See farm’s latest Instagram/Facebook post for a photo).

She is soaking up the warmth, because I am unable to let her inside my house overnight. She’s naughty – she does not use the litter box AT ALL.

She also jumps up on my counters and licks the cast iron pans if I forget to cover them. She steals butter, bacon grease, and any other food left on the counter.

Pepper got so jealous that now he’s in on it. Five years, no problem. Now he is jumping up and stealing food off the counter whenever I’m not looking. Juna called me the other day, panicking because he ate an entire container of cream cheese. Frito is a very bad influence.

If I could speak cat, I would tell her she could have an all day and all night pass into my home if she would use the litter box. I would tell her I might even pretend to not notice the counter jumping if she would behave in a more sanitary manner.

I don’t speak cat. Therefore, we are at an impasse.

For over a year now, I have vainly held her by the scruff and tapped her little bean toes in the litter box, hoping she would use it. I’ve bought the most special of litters mean to attract even the most stubborn of cats.

Nope. Not Frito. She enjoys peeing on laundry, both dirty and clean. She will even choose to pee in an empty laundry basket or a box of legos (legos!) instead of her litter box.

Needless to say, she has spent very little time in my home. Cat pee is disgusting.

Keeping her outside all summer wasn’t a problem, but now it’s getting cold and she wants in.

I take pity on her occasionally let her in for small periods, and then force her outside. I wish I could train her to be like a dog – you know, just pee when outside. Frito is sneaky. There is no trusting her on the inside.

She seems to be doing okay out in the elements so far. She’s got a mouse in her mouth almost every time I see her wandering around the property. Her coat is thick and glossy. She’s gaining weight.

Perhaps she was meant to be a farm cat!