We're all in a little trouble here,

because barn cat extraordinaire Dean has demanded equal time for his feline view of Knollwood summer 2017.

Read on to experience his unique viewpoint...

Hi everyone, Dean here.

I have officially appointed myself the king of the Knollwood barn cats.

 My qualifications? I'm smart, I'm well fed, and I have a terrific sense of humor.  

Plus, I've put in enough time  to know how things work around here.

Let's get one thing straight.

 My name comes from the man who owns the game farm where I was born.  I was a sickly kitten, and Nancy asked if she could bring me to Knollwood to become one of the entitled barn cats, and human Dean let me go with her.

 My pneumonia was treated, and then I bit into an electrical cord, and I've never been the same since. The rest is history.

 I love summer.

The screen doors are open, so I get to wander wherever I'd like, whenever I like.  When there are too many kids around to mess with, I like to hide in the lilac bushes outside.  When it's really hot and there are too many kids around, I like to nap under cars and enjoy the cool shade.

I (mostly) love all the campers and kids who come for lessons.  I especially love sitting on the counter and bopping little ones on the tops of their heads while they're not looking.  When they turn around to look, I make sure I'm already looking at the ceiling so they don't think I did it.

I love outside chores in the summer.  I even hitch rides on the hay cart while deliveries are being made to paddocks. 

In the summer, the pastures have CATNIP!  OK, I may have planted the patches myself, but I sure do enjoy when the nice instructors harvest my crop as a fresh treat.  Give me a little catnip, and I can amuse a bunch of riding instructors for hours!

I love private lesson time in the little outdoor ring.  I get to catch up on my sun tanning, and the instructors are nice enough to build me a cabana so I can get out of the sun as well.  I must stay youthful looking, and the sun will age me prematurely!

I also enjoy sitting on the top of the fence watching the school horses go by.  Dudley and I have a special relationship, so he often stops to visit during his outdoor lessons.

I get to spend lots of play time with my friends, Nubby and Gomez.  Nubby has an eating disorder, and Go Go Gomez is about 23 years old, and is blind and deaf. In this posse, I'm most certainly the party animal.

When Gomez (pictured above in his preppy sweater) wants something, he just yells until one of the humans figures out what he wants.  Don't think you'll be able to hear him?  You will.  Trust me, they hear him in Oconomowoc when he feels he's missing something.

Don't even mention my half brother, Hunter.  Every family has 'one of those' members, and he's mine.  If you hear us growling at each other, just walk away...

One of my favorite things about the summer is the Knollwood academy show coming up on July 22-23. I'm in charge of assigning back numbers, so if you haven't already signed up, please do so soon. I have to get my cat naps in, you know.

While the horse show is going on in the barn and the arena, you'll be able to find me in the horse show office, making sure no one messes with my brilliant back number assignments. I also serve as the security guard for Jodi's bling and tie selections.

Please come watch the show on July 22-23.  You'll see the priceless Knollwood lesson horses and their hard working students.  The Knollwood Knockouts run a great concession stand, too!

The show starts at 1:00 pm on Sunday the 22nd for the walk trot and canter performance.  The walk and trot riders are the stars at the 12 noon performance on Sunday, July 22.

And me? You know where I'll be!