black cat

A few months ago a skinny black cat, barely out of kitten hood, showed up on our front porch. I had no intention of keeping it and didn't feed it in hopes it would wander off in search of better pickings. It stayed around and when a crew began to clear the woods across the highway I thought it best to let the cat stay to take care of the rodent population that was sure to migrate across the road and invade our property. Jenna loved the feline and named it Alice. Upon further observation we thought it best to change it's name to Alex. We've had cats before but I was never happy about having them in our house. They smelled up the house, even though we kept the litter box clean, and they ruined the furniture with their claws. Once a Manx tom cat that lived with us peed in my shoes. Alex is a unique cat. Without any training on our part he tells us when he needs to go outside. So far, he's caught a mole and two mice, so he's earning his keep. Our Cocker Spaniel, Lizzie. is not too happy with the living arrangements and tries to keep Alex in line with stern growls whenever she sees him enjoying himself. Alex, the typical adolescent, taunts her until she loses her temper and then escapes to the safety of the back of the sofa.