Happy Halloween!
Many posts ago I mentioned a book I received as a gift from my sister, Be More Cat. The title once again resonated with me recently during a discussion I was having with my feral feline friend Stan. To recap… Stan has been more than a welcomed visitor to this property for over four years. For about two years the lovely Docken took care of Stan when he visited mostly in the morning for some sleep and breakfast. She bought him a table for the patio and gave him two little houses, side by side on the table. He had a bed and blankets and as I recall he started using it pretty quickly. After breakfast he would generally take off to parts unknown. He still takes off for parts unknown but the obvious difference is… he does it a lot less frequently and he often comes when called, either by shaking a container of dry cat food or simply shouting out his name. Cats have an incredible sense of hearing, better than dogs and they can hear sounds four to five times farther away than humans can.
fe·ral
adjective
After two years, I have only had Stan barely touch the tip of my outstretched index finger with his nose on a few occasions. He’s generally cautious and controls my distance from him carefully. On another level, Stan trusts me. He’s comfortable with me to a degree he probably hasn’t felt with another human and it warms my heart. While he was trusting of Docken too, the difference now is… Stan hangs out with me. Stan looks for me and waits for me. In his own way and beyond anything he had here before, for the most part, this is Stan’s home. Yeah, the food, I know, the food… same with a pet dog though.
Feral—used to describe an animal (such as a cat or dog) that has escaped and become wild.
I’m in the process of escaping. Hear me growl.
Your alter ego in the top of the post is quite good. A former blogger in London, Helene, has a garden populated by a family of foxes, which have bonded with her rather like Stan has with you. She periodically posts videos on Instagram. The garden community on IG is a peaceful lot, at least those I associate with.
ReplyDeleteStan looks quite at home. It would be interesting to learn his history , his story. He just might tell you some day. Just don’t forget the food, the food
ReplyDelete