Work that never ends

[Katherine Carr]

Katherine pulled her brown hair back from her face and secured it into a high pony tail with a simple brown band as she checked the messages on her office phone, it never ceased to amaze her how many people phoned up at the most stupid of hours. It was barely light outside, yet the woman was already in her barn and preparing for the arrival of her team of workers so they could get the day started for the horses - who were already causing a ruckus after seeing her walk past. Brushing down her short sleeved, open neck maroon polo shirt and beige breeches, she pushed her socked foot into the black field boots that were always waiting for her by the door and zipped them up before exiting the office and walking down to the feed room.

Although the students were responsible for feeding and caring for their own horses, she still prepared all the feeds, those that weren't distributed by her and her team, she left in the feed room in their named buckets with a lid on them to keep them safe from rodents. "We need a couple of cats." She muttered to the empty room. Her barn cat had left her a while ago, after the Bobcat's kittens had weaned, they were collected and taken elsewhere.

As soon as the feeds were sorted out, she grabbed a handful of hay nets and began distributing them throughout the stalls, just something to tide the horses over until their feeds were brought out. She then headed down to the equipment cupboard and began taking out the wheelbarrows and pitchforks that would be needed for mucking out.

[Brian Setliff]

What was he doing in this barn, Brian still hadn't quite figured out. However, Goblin had been lazing around of late, and he had guessed that the cat was as close to done with the Brown Orchid barn as could be hoped. Not one to try and bore his cat, as Goblin had been through too much with him to be left to her own devices.

Thus, the visit to this barn, with the cat on his shoulder. He looked around as he entered the darker area, trying to find the barn manager, a woman he had met a few times, although they hadn't really interacted more than a little. He found her at what seemed to be where the wheelbarrows and forks were stored. He waited to make sure that it was her before he spoke up, "Ms. Carr, I had a question for you." Did he have to use the woman's last name? No, but then, it was a habit he'd gotten into, unless he was told otherwise.

He pulled the grey cat from his shoulder and held her upside down, smiling as she displayed her ragdoll tendencies, "This here is Goblin, my cat. I've been taking her to the Brown Orchid barn with me since I started working here, but lately, she's seemed rather bored. I was wondering if you would permit her to stay in this barn, just to give her something new to explore? She won't get into your way, or the horses'."

[Katherine Carr]

Katherine carefully lined the things against the wall so that they would be ready for the arrival of her team. She was still playing with the idea of getting a cat, or two, and decided that if she found a spare half an hour that day, she would indeed take a drive into the township and see what the Animal Shelter had to offer as far as cats went.

She turned as she heard her name mentioned. "Please, call me Katherine." She said with a smile, not sure how many times she said those same words to the adult barn hands. "And fire away." She left what she was doing and gave the man her full attention, noting the feline on his shoulder whom she had seen around the campus on different occasions.

Her eyebrows arched as he spoke. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Goblin." She addressed the cat before looking back at Brian. "Of course she can play in this barn." She gave a small chuckle. "I was actually just thinking about getting myself a couple of mousers. The horses here shouldn't be too concerned if she does end up in their stall in the middle of a chase, and those that do have a problem with her, I'll just make sure that she can't get into their stall."

She glanced around her barn before looking at Brian again. "What will she need? Other than a bowl of water, of course." She knew that her daughter gave the clinic's cat a bowl of biscuits, but Rascal actually lived at the clinic, where she was sure that Goblin would return to Brian's apartment each night.

[Brian Setliff]

Brian nodded as he heard the woman's request, "Alright, Katherine." That would come easier in a setting where there weren't children, because he knew even teachers that knew each other referred to each other by their last names when students were around, but then, he liked the informality.

As the woman assented to his plan, Brian grinned, "Thank you." He held the grey in his arm, letting her hang over his arm in true ragdoll fashion and rubbing her stomach, "That would be great, cats are just fun to have around the barn. Until then, though, Goblin'll do, and if you find another cat, she'll give them their space as long as they give her hers." As he heard that the horses shouldn't have a problem, he nodded, "She hasn't given me any trouble with the boys either."

He considered as Katherine asked him what else Goblin would need, and then shrugged, "To be honest, that's all she gets in Brown Orchid too. I'll come by and get her after my work's done and feed her in my room, like usual, so you don't have to worry about anything. If you'd like, I can even bring in a bowl for her water, I have one, I just didn't think to bring it just yet."

[Katherine Carr]

The barn manager nodded her head. "Cats are wonderful to have around anywhere." She replied. "And in the barn they are good company for the long hours. And, at times they can make you feel lazy for all the work they do." She nodded about Goblin giving another cat their space. "No doubt Goblin will become best friends with Dolly, she's a Ragdoll that is a companion for one of the ponies in Red Willow." She often wondered about the relationship between a horse and feline, as she knew that by cat rules, they owned their human, but did that also apply for horses?

Katherine was please that her assumption had been correct, and that the cat would return home with Brian each night - she looked like too much of a pet to spend all of her time in the barn. "I'm sure that I can find her a bowl for her water." She replied with a smile. "I know that there are a few animal water bowls in a cupboard in the feed room. I'll get one of them out and clean it up for her." She looked at the grey cat. "How often do you need to brush her to keep her coat looking so glossy?"

[Brian Setliff]

Brian smiled, "That they are." He nodded as he heard about another cat, "They should get along well, I have yet to hear of any problems with Goblin." He flipped the cat over and rubbed her ears as he smiled, "When I was travelling a lot, I was helping people with their 'problem' stallions, she would come with me all of the time, and no matter what barn cats there were, toms, queens, whatever, she never gave anyone any trouble." He wasn't sure how much of his experience the woman knew, probably the basic outline, but then, a resume didn't exactly include the benefits of having a cat.

As he heard that Ms. Carr would be able to find a bowl of water for the cat, he nodded, "I'm sure she'd appreciate that, and if you show me where you'll put it, I'll set her down around there, if that's okay." He knew the cat would probably steal water from the automatic watering systems if she didn't find a bowl, but still, it would be nice for her to know where she was expected to be later, when he came to pick her up. "I brush her every day or two, depending on how much dust she gets into, and a bath once a week." He grinned, "Don't worry about calling the paramedics, though, she actually likes water, like most folds." It was strange, but then, he had introduced the cat to it at an early age, "I've actually seen her try and go swimming, although I put a stop to it, as she decided to try it in the canal." He grinned at the memory, "After that she stunk for a few weeks."

[Katherine Carr]

Katherine laughed. "It's nice to know you have a well travelled cat." She said. "I don't think I know of any other cat that likes travelling in cars."

She nodded. "Follow me." She led the way into the feed room and rummaged around the cupboards until she located a bowl, which she then cleaned in the sink with antibacterial soap before thoroughly rinsing it, before filling it with water and placing it out of the way where the cat could always find it, but so that it wouldn't get filled with horse feed or loose hay. "I need to find one of those self-filling ones for summer, especially if I do indeed end up getting another cat."

She arched her eyebrows at the news that the grey feline loved water. "So, not to be afraid if she falls into one of the water troughs. Which, from what you are saying, I would have to question whether she actually fell in or not." She screwed her nose up, imaging how bad the cat must have smelled after a swim in the canal. "Knowing cats, and how they like being clean, I think the smell would have been her own form of punishment." She said with a laugh. "Last question, will she want or need a box with a blanket that she can hide in whilst not working?"

[Brian Setliff]

Brian shrugged at the comment about cars, "I don't know if she likes them, per se, but I think she's smart enough to have figured out that, if she gets into the car and survives the trip well, she'll be allowed to explore a new area, and that's something she enjoys, so I think that's part of the reason she weathers it so well."

He followed the woman into the feed room, still holding on to Goblin, even though the cat was looking around at the barn now. She might have calmed down since they had stopped travelling so much, but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy new places anymore. "Those self-filling ones are really great, I agree. If you do get one in the summer, if it gets really hot, you can always throw some ice into the barrel before you put in the water, it keeps it from getting so warm in the heat." He bent down and set the cat on her feet next to the water bowl, "Be good, now." He watched Goblin taking stock of her surroundings before padding off, ears rotating as she picked up noises.

Brian laughed as he heard Katherine's summary of his explanation, "That's about right, yes. She'll find a way out when she wants to, even if it's wailing until someone takes pity. Until then, though, as long as the horse doesn't mind fur in its water." At Katherine's question, Brian shook his head, "She's never gotten one, she might fall asleep on a blanket if you let her, but if that happens, just pick her up and move her."