It started with the chickens

Order of operations:
1. Chickens, build coop, fence in chicken yard, scatter feed, store feed in shed.  (July 2, 2016)
2.  Rodents arrive to feed on excess scattered feed. (July 3, 2016)
3. Decision gate:  traps, poison, or cats
4. Traps: pointless, rodents too smart, waste of time, effort and peanut butter. (2016)
5. Poison: cringe....too many predators that will be effected, painful death (but then, what death isn’t). (2016)
6. Cats:   Project Purr - signed up for 2 feral cats (trapped, spade, chipped, vaccinated, rehomed as working cats).    They brought an extra.  (April 2017)
7.  Now have 3 feral working cats, outdoors only, occasionally referred to as MauMau, Little Miss, and Fraidy. (2017 to present)
8.  Significant decrease in rodent population, only modest investment in cat food. (2017) 
9.  All are exceedingly fearful.  Run and hide when they see us, but are staying around the property. (2017)
10. J builds 2 feral villas to keep them safe, dry.  Also cut a cat door into the shed. (2017)
11.  MauMau very vocal (hence the name), warming up enough to let me feed her treats;  Little Miss, still hesitant; Fraidy shows face infrequently, no chance of getting close. (2018)
12.  MauMau started to follow me around, sit in the sun on deck, hang out near back door looking in (Nov. 2018)
13.  MauMau sits on lap; Little Miss now at pre-lap stage; Fraidy keeps distance but doesn’t run when she sees us. (2019)
14.  California CZU wildfire...evacuated for 4 + weeks.  Authorities prohibit any entrance into fire zone, no way to get to chickens, cats.   (Aug/Sept. 2020).  Turned chickens loose to give them a chance to flee if fire came too close.
15.  Return home, house still standing;   6 of 9 chickens still around.  No sighting of cats for the first 2 hours. (Late Sept. 2020) 
16.  Upon calling, all three cats emerge from woods and rush me.  (2020)
17.  3 lap cats....Fraidy being the MOST affectionate. (2021).
18.  Photo portrait of MauMau above. (2021)
19.  Ignore verb tense changes, please. (2021)