The leaves on the trees are starting to change colors, the acorns and walnuts are dropping from the trees, and the leaves are now readily beginning to fall off of the trees. The flowers have all but faded away, except for the chrysanthemums and pansies on our front porch. The air is cool and crisp. The grass seems to be damp with dew each morning, with a slight frosty sheen on the colder mornings. The cool breeze and the colder weather are even starting to make these old bones creak, though I won’t admit it out loud.

As for my kitties, they are feeling the weather change, too. However, they seem to like it getting cooler.

Momma Kitty is spending more time inside of our garage by taking advantage of her heated cat bed. Since daylight is becoming more scarce, she is spending more time sleeping and lounging around inside of the garage area that she likes so well. However, during the daylight hours, she is up and at it. When the sun peeks through the clouds, she always seems to find the right spot to sun herself. She will explore the bushes, trees, and faded flower beds. The berries are falling from the bushes, acorns and pine cones are plentiful, and leaves can even provide some extra entertainment for her this time of year.

This time of year also brings extra excitement and interest to the rest of her kitty family as well.

Mice, chipmunks, and squirrels are more active, preparing themselves for the colder season that is right around the corner. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always bode so well for the smaller critters, because Rusty is an expert hunter and seems to thrive during this time of the year. Just the other day I was outside preparing the kitties’ wet food for the evening.

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On most nights, Momma Kitty and Rusty will come running as soon as they smell it, but they seemed to be preoccupied with something. As I went in for a closer look, Rusty made a run for it while proudly displaying a freshly caught mouse. I never have understood why he prefers a mouse over his favorite food. I guess I’ll leave that one for the feline behaviorists and natural instincts to explain.

I make sure to keep a close eye on my ferals especially during this time of year. It’s easy for them to lose track of what they should be doing and spend more time investigating things and areas that may lead to trouble. With Halloween right around the corner, there are more potential encounters with people that an outdoor feral cat should avoid. There are also some hidden environmental dangers like mushrooms, rodenticides, antifreeze, and other poisons that can be hazardous or even deadly if consumed by a cat.

For now, I think I’ll put my favorite cozy hoodie on and go outside to spend some time with my kitties. In a couple of months, neither of us will want to leave our heated beds.

Do your cats know when autumn arrives? Share your stories on Catster!