Tane (the disabled kunekune boar) has a cat. Her name is LuLu. All the farm cats are ginger cats and LuLu is the oldest ginger cat. And LuLu loves Tane.
You know how cats rub their bodies against your legs and ankles – particularly when you are cooking dinner – well LuLu does this with her pig.
She moves round and round him firmly brushing her little body right along his long one.
They have been going through this routine just before bedtime and around about milking time for years though she is a shy cat and you have to be tricky to get her on camera.
He is a pig though so he studiously ignores her. And she is a cat so she carries an alloofness to the relationship but I bet if I were close (and she seldom lets people close – she is a pigs cat after all) – I would hear her pur.
I have seen LuLu sleep close to Tane in the nights too but not for warmth she looks like she is guarding him, watching over him while he sleeps. Often curled up on a bale just above him.
This weekend the cold nights arrive so I bet she will be sleeping a little closer to her pig. But today is again in the high 60’s with a sprinkle of rain forecast.
My fences are all finished at last. At least the infrastructure is in place in case the ground freezes solid before I need them. Now I can put the strings up at my leisure. Difficult (Holstein heifer) was sold yesterday so now I am down to ten cows, two mature cows and the rest young or small. We pick up a last load of hay on Sunday.
Today I put Molly (Hereford sow) in with Manu (Hereford boar).
The really exciting news is that today Jake (my long time farming partner and friend) signs and officially takes over the new premises in Pontiac, Illinois, that he will open as a farm to table restaurant this spring. We have partenered up on different projects for a few years now (in the summer he buys my eggs and vegetables for his CSA) and now it will be my farm on his table! Growing specifically for a restaurant brings my wee farm a sense of maturity and purpose and if all goes well – security. This plan has been a long time coming up and is the reson why I have been slowly expanding, so I am ready.
I will keep you up to date as we get ready to open.
The restaurant will be called The Seasonal Plate. It will intially be open for lunches and features locally sourced, seasonal, fresh food.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “A Pig’s Cat”
Good luck with the restaurant!🍀🍀🍀
Congrats about the new eatery deal. I used to live in Pontiac in the early 70s when I taught at the high school. If I get back to the area, I will look for the restaurant. Good luck with the arrangement.
Wonderful news on the restaurant!
The arrangement with Jake and the restaurant venture is so exciting! I would totally support such an endeavor if I lived in the area or we had such a place open up around here. We rarely eat out since we are strict about healthy eating. I love that Tane has a companion of sorts. What a sweet and exclusive series of photos!
Sweet Lulu. I always know it is her from her white chest and chin. I’m sure if you looked at Tane’s fur closely, you would see some of Lulu there. Everyone, people and animals alike, needs a cat friend, in my humble opinion. Have a wonderful Friday, C. I am very happy that there is no school next week! YAY!
Oh that’s adorable!! Is she a stray?
She is one of my barn cats – I have five cats and theya re all ginger – LuLu has been here for years now
What a coincidence! Just yesterday I had lunch at a farm-to-table restaurant. Everything was prepared there and came from the owners’ farms. It’s a great concept and my lunch was quite good. I would like to say that i sought it out because it was farm-to-table but, truth be told, I went because it was 70˚ and their patio was open. I wasn’t the only one because the patio sure filled up quickly. Next time I’ll go back and get a look at the actual restaurant.
Good luck to Jake! Tell him, to paraphrase Field of Dream, “If he builds a patio, they will come …” 🙂
Aah that’s so lovely! And good luck to Jake, exciting news 😀
Lulu knows Tane is ailing. I’m not surprised that she loves him the only way she can. Animals are better at crossing boundaries than we are. I sure hope you have a lot of help scheduled for next summer. It sounds like you will have a lot of extra work on your farm to table plate too. 😉 Thank you for making my morning with those photos and wish Jake all the best with his restaurant. Wish I could visit it.
I think Lulu would say Tane is a Cat’s Pig. She seems to have a strong sense of ownership and responsibiiity for him! I wish you and Jake both all the success in the world with The Seasonal Plate.
Sweet Lulu. I recognize her by her white chest and chin. It is my firm belief that everyone, animals and humans alike, needs a feline companion. A dog will also do in a pinch..ha Nine days off starting tomorrow. YAY! Have a wonderful day, C.
Best of luck with the restaurant. That is so exciting!
And love the pig and cat companionship.
This post is filled with sweetness and great news. Best wishes on the new business adventure for both!
Wow, congratulations to you and to Jake! Make me a reservation for August, will you?
Two exciting partnerships–Lulu and Tane, you and Jake. I will definitely be there at the Seasonal Plate. Why? Because I know I can actually find Pontiac, Illinois. It has been a very long time since I’ve had pork, but I would love to partake of pork knowing their kind background.