Millie the mill cat is living the good life

Millie the mill cat

As guardian of the Old Mill and catcher of mice, this cat has a good life

by ANNETTE JOYCE

Located on N.C. 68 in Oak Ridge, the Old Mill of Guilford attracts a lot of visitors from near and far. Many come to purchase items from the 18th-century grist mill’s store, while others want to just look around and soak up the beauty of this historic site.

Then, there are those who stop by for the sole purpose of visiting with their feline friend, Millie.

Miller Annie Laura Perdue confirms the cat’s popularity.

“We have a little woman who makes her son stop here every time they go down the road, just to see Millie,” Perdue said.

A 6-year-old calico, Millie has been a resident at the mill for most of her life. Amy Klug, owner of the property, said every mill has at least one mill cat to keep the mice away, and that’s Millie’s job.

“She’s a working cat,” Klug said. “Her job is to keep the mice outside of the mill. We take that very seriously, and have never had a problem.”

Of course, Millie also has other important responsibilities, such as greeting visitors and

Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO A gentle cat, Millie is the “queen” of the mill and welcomes the attention of all those who stop by – when she’s in the mood for being petted. “Anything a cat does, it does only when it wants to.” (Emily Neville, in “It’s Like this, Cat”)

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allowing them to pet her – when she feels like it.

“She’s the queen and she will let everyone know it,” Klug smiled. “She’ll lie down to be petted, and then she’ll be done and leave.”

Millie enjoys being brushed and seems to actually get offended if it looks like this ritual might be overlooked. Carola Schroeder, a longtime volunteer at the mill, has taken on the task of helping keep Millie’s fur shiny and sleek.

“If you don’t brush her every day outside, she lets you know you haven’t done your job,” Schroeder said.

For the most part, Millie spends her days roaming the 8-acre mill property. When it’s really hot, she stays underneath the main building’s front porch or down by the creek. Sometimes she can be found curled up in the coolness

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She’s very well kept and has visitors when she wants them. It’s a good life to be a mill cat.”

Annie Laura Purdue, miller, Old Mill of Guilford

of a clay flower pot tray on the porch.

In cooler weather, she likes to climb up on the porch’s tin roof and just observe her domain. During the winter, you’ll most often find her curled up in the sun or in her box inside the mill store.

Millie is not allowed to run loose at night because of potential predators such as foxes and coyotes, so she sleeps in either the feed mill or with Klug and her family in the miller’s house.

On occasion Millie finds ways to get into mischief and send the mill staff in search of her whereabouts. Schroeder recalled one of those times, when Millie disappeared for an entire day.

After becoming concerned, the staff began a massive hunt for the friendly feline. They eventually found her in Perdue’s car, where she had been Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO leisurely passing away Long-time mill volunteer Carola Schroeder enjoys spending time with Millie; Millie, for her part, enjoys being brushed, and seems of- the day. fended when this ritual has a possiblity of being forgotten. “Millie likes to go inside trucks and cars,” Schroeder said. “When delivery trucks come, we have to check and make sure she’s not in there when they’re ready to leave.” Rain poses a particular problem, and the staff is diligent in keeping an eye on the forecast and listening for thunder. Like most cats, Millie hates the rain. Unfortunately, she goes a bit overboard to protect herself and squeezes behind the exterior rock wall of the mill’s front porch. There she stays until the rain goes away. No matter what trick they try, no one is able to coax the tri-colored kitty to leave her hiding place. This can be especially frustrating if it’s time for Millie to come in for the

“We let Millie out and night. didn’t see her all day,” It’s easy to see that Millie is loved by both her owner, the staff and the Schroeder said. “She didn’t mill visitors. come when we called at 4:30 “She’s very well kept and has visi(her dinnertime).” tors when she wants them,” Perdue said. “It’s a good life to be a mill cat.” Hardwood Waterproof Laminate

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A butter y's wings are clear and are covered with tiny scales that either contain pigment or re ect light in ways to give a range of colors.

ank you to Greensboro Science Center for sponsoring this week’s Kids’ Korner

Kids’ Korner AWESOME ANIMALS

Butter ies did you know?

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• According to the Smithsonian, as of 2021 there were approximately 750 species of bu� erfl ies in the United

States. Worldwide, there are about 17,500 known species.

• Most adult bu� erfl ies live an average of two to four weeks. There are several factors, however, that impact a bu� erfl y’s lifespan, such as the species, where it lives, and when it became an adult. For example, a swallowtail bu� erfl y generally lives from six to 14 days while a monarch bu� erfl y born in the summer lives an average of four to six weeks, but a monarch bu� erfl y born in late August or September, which typicaly means it is migratory, can live six to nine months. The longest-living bu� erfl y species in

North America is believed to be the mourning cloak, with some living up to 11 months. • Most adult bu� erfl ies are on a liquid-only diet and like to sip nectar from fl owers. The type of fl ower a bu� erfl y visits depends on the length of the bu� erfl y’s tongue, called a proboscis. A bu� erfl y’s tongue is much like a fl exible straw, uncoiling when it’s ready to sip nectar from a fl ower and then recoiling when not in use.

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• Bu� erfl ies love the heat! They are most ac� ve in temperatures of 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If temperatures get too cold, bu� erfl ies are actually unable to contract the muscles that allow them to fl y. Typically, temperatures have to be at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit for most bu� erfl ies to fl y.