by Abby Deuel
Chapter 37
They arrived to find the trappers already making a start on the project. The plan was to build the enclosure and then bring the bobcat out. They didn't want him subjected to any stress of transport until they had the structure ready for him.
"Hello there, ladies. Welcome to our land. We sure are pleased to be part of this rehabilitation. We still feel awful about his mother so we are happy to be able to help," said Ted.
"Yes, welcome indeed. Do you need anything before we get started?" asked Karen.
"Oh, no. We had a big breakfast before we came out, thanks to Gillian's cooking skills," said Mandy. "I am thrilled that this could work out. It is much better to finish out a bobcat in a more wild area than a cage in a veterinary clinic."
"I am looking forward to this. Tell us what you envision here so we can jump in to help," said Gillian.
Ted proceeded to show Mandy and Gillian the footprint that they had laid out. The frame was started and they were questioning the overall dimensions.
"We couldn't decide whether this is the right size. We thought we could put platforms in it so he has something to climb as if he was in the wild, scoping out prey. Then, we thought an L-shape would give him more ability to run. Are we on the right track?" asked Ted.
"From what I have read, I think this is perfect. The hardest thing will be to make a door that we can get in to feed him, but he can't get out," said Mandy.
"We had some ideas for that. We can make a vestibule on the front so that there will be a double entrance," said Karen.
"I like it. Do we need to run and get any supplies before we all get stuck in?" asked Gillian.
"We have so many scraps around here; we ought to be able to make it work with just what we have," said Ted.
"Alright. Tell us where you'd like us," said Mandy, thinking how nice it was for someone else to be in charge, giving her orders. Lately, it seemed like she had been the leadership needed in a few high octane emergencies. In this case, she could sit back and let someone else tell her what to do.
They separated off into two groups, Ted and Mandy worked on the vestibule and doors, while Gillian and Karen worked on stringing the fence around the outside. The bobcat might seem little and fragile, but he would grow into an active, curious large cat. They had to secure all sides, including the roof, such that nothing could get in to get him and he could not get out. It required a number of fasteners, wires, and clamps. The chain link fence was proving to be an easy solution to providing a safe enclosure quickly. Had they been building it out of wood, they would have had to use more supplies to reinforce the structure.
Lyle wasn't that impressed with all of the activity. Not one person would take a break to throw her a stick and there was no ball in sight. She finally gave in, laying in the soft needles of a pine tree, soaking up sunshine. She occasionally moved to follow the pathway of the sun. Other than a bark here and there to alert the group that a squirrel might be encroaching, she stayed out of mischief.
The one missing element was a safe place for the bobcat to be in at night away from the weather. In the wild, he might make a den or find a hollow tree. In an artificial setting, they would need to provide something. Ted and Mandy had finished the vestibule so they went to Ted's workshop to see what they could make. In keeping with Ted's salt-of-the-earth career of trapping, he had an impressive workshop. Everything had a place and there was nothing lacking in his catalog of tools. Mandy eyed his table saw and router with green-tinged eyes. Someday, she too would have an enviable workshop.
They found some plywood and two by four scraps big enough for the project. They laid it out and made the necessary cuts before assembling it. It would have a peaked roof with some scraps of corrugated metal to make it weather-proof. They cut a little door in the front big enough for the bobcat to come and go but small enough to prevent weather from coming in. To finish it off, they painted it in camouflage colors, which was the color palate available in a trapper's workshop.
Ted and Mandy brought the house to the pen to insert in a top corner. They built a shelf and ramp up to the little house. While they were securing the nesting area for the bobcat, Karen and Gillian found branches, logs, and leaf litter to outfit the pen with natural substrates. When they were all done, they stood back to admire their handiwork. The finished product was the perfect spot to raise a bobcat with minimal human interaction.
"All we need now is a bobcat," said Ted.
"Well, it just so happens that I have one," said Mandy.
"Let's go get him and let him go in there," said Gillian, hardly able to contain her enthusiasm.
"We'll be here when you get back. We can get some snacks together to make the little guy feel at home," said Karen.
Mandy and Gillian helped select the menu for the bobcat before leaving to go and retrieve the lucky little guy. At the clinic, they packed up some of the bobcat's food so that he would have a varied diet. The best food, of course, was that which the trappers could provide since it was closest to his normal diet. They wanted to be sure not to inconvenience the trappers so they wanted to give them an alternative should they not have any fresh kills for him to eat.
They put the bobcat in a small carrier for the journey. He had grown so much and was looking more like a bobcat every day. If he grew into his paws and ears, he would be a sizable cat. The pattern on the back of his head made it hard to mistake him for a domestic cat. He really was striking. They had enjoyed helping him get this far but he had outgrown what they could provide in a clinic atmosphere. He made no attempt to escape the small carrier which was a sign that it was time to move him. He was already growing too accustomed to civilization. Gillian's car didn't have as much of a backseat so they had to keep Lyle away from the cage so as not to traumatize the cat. Lyle seemed to understand the mission, staying to her own side of the backseat.
When they pulled up to the trapper's land, they saw Ted and Karen waiting with a cooler beside them. While Mandy and Gillian were gone, Karen and Ted had collected leafy branches to cover one whole section of the cage. They were aces at camouflage; you could barely tell that there was a pen underneath it. It would be perfect to give the bobcat the true sense of being in the cover of a forest.
"We brought a few different things for him to try. We can see what he likes the best and then go from there," said Ted.
"May as well put it all in there, right?" asked Karen.
"Variety is a good thing at this stage. We have been offering him all kinds of things," said Gillian. Ted placed all of the samples that he brought inside the penned area.
"Alright, everything is in place. This was a nice touch," said Mandy, pointing at the added branches. "Are we ready?"
"Ready indeed," said Gillian.
"Yep," said Karen and Ted.
Mandy went into the vestibule with the cage, shutting the outer door behind her. She then opened the inner door, placing the carrier in it. She opened the carrier door but left it inside the pen. It would be a second place to hide for the bobcat for a few days. The trappers could bring it by the clinic once they were sure that he didn't need it anymore. They all backed away from the pen, sitting under a tree with a good vantage point of the entire pen.
The bobcat tentatively explored the area immediately outside of the carrier. His ears were on high alert and his nose was on over-drive. He walked with his body close to the ground. Despite the fact that he was only a baby still, he exhibited all of the same behaviors as one would expect from an adult. This display of innate behaviors made Mandy glow; she had been so concerned about imprinting him. He went over to the smorgasbord, showing the most interest in the squirrel meat. After having a snack, the bobcat explored the rest of the pen, finding the little house that had been provided for him.
"I think we can call this a success," said Gillian.
"I am so pleased. This made my day. He showed us that he will eat here, he has found his house, and he didn't once look back at us. That is a tremendous relief," said Mand
y.
"This will be neat to watch. We can provide him with fresh food every day while not interacting with him," said Karen.
"What I am curious about is whether or not other bobcats in the area will come to visit him. I am going to set up game cams to see what kind of visitors he gets. Plus, we can keep an eye on him from a distance," said Ted.
"That's brilliant. I meant to buy some to put out here but time got away from me. I'm glad that your have some.
"What kind of trapper doesn't have lots of game cams?" asked Ted.
"True. Keep us posted on what you see," said Mandy.
"Now that we have him all settled in, we should head back to the house," Gillian said.
"We do appreciate you bringing him here. We will take good care of him," said Karen.
Chapter 38
Mandy, Gillian, and Lyle arrived at the house to find Hamish having a feast on the breakfast leftovers. It didn't look like he had been awake very long. Mandy mixed up some milk to feed the puppy who was glad to know that her family was back, especially Lyle. It was nice for Mandy to not have to worry about imprinting the puppy like she had with the bobcat. The whole point of bottle-raising a puppy was to bond it with people and other dogs.
"Finally joined the land of the living I see," said Gillian. "Glad you found the food we set aside for you."
"I was just so tired," said Hamish.
"You missed the release of the bobcat into his new pen," said Mandy. "It was pretty cool."
"I imagine. I've got some homework to get done now. What are you guys up to?" asked Hamish.
"I think I might head to Anna's house to see what I have in the way of clothes," said Mandy.
"Do you want me to go with you?" asked Gillian.
"No, I will be fine. I'll keep my cell phone on me in case I need to reach someone or be reached," said Mandy. "I'll take Lyle and the puppy with me so you guys can have a break."
"Just promise me that you will be safe. Gerry is counting on me to keep you out of harm's way. In fact, Hamish, load up your homework and go with her," said Gillian.
"Surely there's no need for that," said Mandy.
"No. I insist. You are not to be alone. See you later, then," said Gillian. "Any requests for dinner?"
"Pot roast," said Hamish.
"I believe I was asking our guest," said Gillian.
"Please don't treat me like a guest. I don't want you fussing over me. I appreciate you letting me stay here but I don't need special treatment. And we don't know how long I will be here so everyone should just go about their business," said Mandy.
"Cereal it is, then," said Gillian. "Just kidding. We normally make something hearty for Sunday dinner. I think pot roast sounds great. I can put it on now, let it cook for a few hours, and we will have dinner all ready."
"Yum. I'm hungry already," said Hamish.
"All you do is eat and sleep. You must be going through a growth spurt," said Gillian to Hamish.
With that, Mandy, Lyle, Hamish and the puppy left in the Jeep to head to Anna's house. Mandy knew that Anna's clothes would mostly fit her so she could start going through the closets once and for all. If Gillian was to move in soon, the whole house would need sorting. Closets were as good of a place to start as any.
The house was closed up from the last time Mandy had been there. Despite the cooler weather, Mandy wanted to let some fresh air in before she turned the heat on. First, she set the puppy up in the living room and let Lyle loose. Then she opened every other window. She found some instant coffee and made herself a fresh cup. Coffee always made sorting through stuff more tolerable. Hamish set up at the kitchen table to do his homework. He had his ear phones in and was oblivious to Mandy's project of cleaning.
Mandy's original plan was to donate almost everything in Anna's house. However, now that her house had burned down, Mandy might need some of the household. She would also check with Gillian before donating anything since she would be up-sizing and might need additional items, too. The house cooled down rather quickly so Mandy closed some of the windows. She figured she would start in the master bedroom since that's where Anna's clothes were. She was pleased to find that nearly everything Anna had would fit Mandy. Now it was just a matter of choosing which stuff to keep. She lived in jeans and sweatshirts in the winter so she kept all of those that fit. She would need a few sweaters, jackets, and cold weather gear. Summer was plenty of time away to buy her own clothes so she didn't gather many of those.
Sitting on a pile of clothes, Mandy surveyed her surroundings. It appeared that she wouldn't need to do any online shopping. She could save the money which was good timing since she was about to purchase her own home. A mortgage would be a major change to her long-standing simplified budget. She had made a serious dent in cleaning out the house, especially since Anna had put so much in boxes before she passed away. The house wasn't terribly crammed to start with; Anna had been far from a hoarder. It would take a few more trips to finish off the job. For now, it was time to head back to Gillian's so as not to be late for dinner.
Mandy fed the puppy before they headed out. Lyle had taken a nap next to the puppy the whole time Mandy had been going through clothes. They were all ready to call it a day and have some supper. At Gillian's, the house smelled fantastic, with pot roast odors wafting from the kitchen to fill the whole house. While Mandy enjoyed living alone, there were some perks to having others living under the same roof, like a meal that she didn't have to cook herself. Maybe with a huge farmhouse, she could look into a roommate in the future.
Lyle settled down by the puppy which Mandy put in the corner of the main room. Gillian was dishing up plates when Hamish appeared from his room after unloading his backpack that he had taken to Anna's.
"Get your homework done?" asked Gillian.
"Yep. I'm all set for another exciting Monday," Hamish said, sarcastically.
"Good job. That means you'll have time to do the dishes," said Gillian. "Don't worry, there aren't many since it was a one-pot-wonder meal."
They sat around the table, enjoying the steaming hot, tender roasted meat. There were lots of vegetables intermingled with the meat including carrots, onions, potatoes, and peas. Gillian had toasted some rolls to go with it. Everyone was using the crusty bread to soak up the remaining gravy on their plates. Lyle had positioned herself beside Mandy, leaving her station by the puppy to wait for a more important matter, gravy. Mandy saved a smidgen for her four-legged companion which made Gillian's dog a tad jealous.
"We don't normally give Bella anything from the table. I can see that with Lyle here, we may have to bend the rules. We don't want Bella to get the idea that Lyle is more special than she is," said Gillian, sharing the last of her gravy with Bella. "We will put the bowl over on her food mat, though. We can't start changing all of the rules at once."
"I always tell clients not to feed their dogs from the table. It starts a terrible slippery slope. I break all of the rules with my Lyle, though," said Mandy.
"Do what I say, not what I do, eh?" said Gillian.
"What's for dessert?" asked Hamish.
"Hmmm. Did I remember to make a Sunday dessert?" asked Gillian, pondering with her hand on her chin. Hamish was hanging on her answer. "I think I did. Check the oven." Hamish went to the oven to find a pumpkin pie. His eyes lit up as he pulled it out.
"Yum. My favorite," said Hamish.
"All pies are your favorite," said Gillian. Hamish smiled as he cut pieces for everyone. He garnished them with a dollop of whipped cream and then brought them to the table.
"You guys eat like this every Sunday?" asked Mandy.
"Most of the time. We try to do something special to mark the start of a new week. It's been a tradition in my family. What about you?" asked Gillian.
"I typically make something more complicated on Sundays. I will eat it as a late lunch, though. I seem to always work myself silly on Sundays doing chores and getting ready for the week. I tend to knock off around four and eat dinner then.
That is, unless I am on call and working," said Mandy. "Life as a relief vet means that the days of the week don't tend to matter. Sunday for me might be a Wednesday."
"Well, it's time to start new traditions. Maybe we should trade between your house and mine on Sundays. We can have a family meal. You are part of the family. And it's unlikely that we will be out till all hours of the night on a Sunday with emergencies," said Gillian.
"Are you asking for trouble?" said Mandy, laughing. "That sounds like a great idea. Once we both get settled into our new homes, we will start the new tradition."
"For now, it's time for Hamish to do dishes and I will put the horses up," said Gillian.
"Do you need a hand?" asked Mandy.
"If you'd like," said Gillian. "I thought you didn't like horses."
"I'm not the biggest fan. I want to help around here while you are making me feel so welcome," said Mandy.
"You don't have to do it. If you'd rather stay in here and help Hamish with the dishes..." said Gillian.
"How about I do the dishes and you guys do the horses. I know how to do dishes," said Mandy.
"Deal," said Gillian.
Once the dishes were done, the horses put up, and the puppy squared away, it was time to call it a night and get some rest for the week ahead.
Chapter 39
Morning was a little chaotic, with everyone trying to get ready at the same time in a small house. It hadn't been obvious that three people were sharing a bathroom over the weekend since they were all staggered as to when they were needing to groom. Since there was fresh coffee, Mandy took one for the team, sitting away from the action to drink her java. That way, Hamish and Gillian could carry on as if Mandy wasn't there. It was still apparent that they had a house guest based on the fact that Lyle repeatedly dropped a tennis ball wherever Gillian or Hamish were. It tickled Mandy that Lyle had become bonded to them to the point where she felt comfortable offering them a toy this early in the morning. As cute as it was, Mandy concluded that the collie would not give up. They went outside for a run to prevent unrequited play.