Mair Farm Cat

It's time to give equal treatment to the cat who rules out house. But before you say this isn't a food connection, let me just say that Gino came from Mair Farm-Taki. I got him at the farmers' market. Don't get me wrong, it's not a regular occurance and who would even think you could find a cool cat at the farmers' market?

I'm not sure I'll see kittens at this market again, but this is what happened:

Our oldest female basset hound and our 19-year-old cat had passed within two weeks of each other. It was sad and our second oldest hound Zeke was depressed. If you've ever seen a depressed basset hound, it could break your heart. Their faces get very long and their eyes droop and look as if they're holding back a thousand tears. Zeke was just flopped on the sofa when I left for the market.

I arrived before the opening bell and started walking down the row of farm vendors. When I came to Mair Farm-Taki, Katsumi had a small pen with baby kittens. Every kitten looked different, but there was one in the middle of the crowd who looked exactly like our old cat Gina. I picked the kitten up, then put it down and walked away at first. (Don't ever pick up a kitten because you might just come home with it.) I kept thinking about that kitten as I walked.

I thought about Zeke, too.

This is Zeke with Gina when Zeke was younger. He won the most kissable dog nose contest on a radio station with this picture that was taken when Zeke was young. This reproduction appeared later in a basset hound calender. See how Gino looks like Gina?

I wondered if the little grey tabby could cheer up Zeke. It sounds crazy, but it worked. Little Gino curled right up with Zeke and actually cheered Zeke until Zeke too passed away about a year later.

Finn and Gino have a different relationship. Finn plays with Gino, and Gino seems so wild I call him a 5th generation barn cat. Sometimes we can hear him walking around on our roof. But Finn is clumsy and sometimes too rough.

Gino cops an attitude and sits in Finn's favorite chair. I love his attitude.

When I started taking pictures of Gino, guess who copped an attitude?

Gino taunts Finn by taking his chair and Gino intimidates Chloe by taking her bed while she's in it. Gino eats slowly in front of Finn, and Finn never tires of trying to figure out a way to get Gino's food.

Maybe the gears move a little slower in basset hounds' minds, but these hounds are focused. Giving Gino the stink eye isn't a strategy that works either.

Finn knows my number. I had a treat for him and Chloe that I bought at Myken's on Whidbey Island yesterday. Finn was more than willing to strike a pose. That's the thing about dogs, they quickly forget who really rules the house.