Tikki and the kitty General Chat

We have two cats who stroll down the ramp, stop and look in the doorway, then carry on across the front of the bungalow to I-do-not-know-where. And a while after they make their return journey back to wherever it was they came from. Not both at the same time, I hasten to add. One is a pale ginger tabby - maybe a year old - not very big, and that one always goes straight back, not stopping to look in.

The other one, a black and white kitty which is smaller and obviously younger, has recently taken to stopping on its way back, just where there are some ground-covering weeds have grown where the end of the ramp meets the corner of the low wall round the patio. Tikva, if she is in a hurry for a pee in the morning, will pee on that patch of weeds.

And little kitty has, for the last few days, lain down, head on the weeds as if thinking, then had a bit of a roll and stretch on them, and then turned, and half sitting just stared in. Tikki, in the meantime, sitting just inside the doorway just staring back. They are maybe 2m away from each other maximum.

This morning, after the pair of them had been staring at each other for about five minutes, neither moving, Tikki decided to stand up, wag her tail in a friendly manner, and woof very gently. Kitty looked rather puzzled, had another roll, then slowly stood up and strolled off.

I do not know about Tikva as I could not see her face, but that little kitty did not blink once the whole time it was staring at her!

Little kitty has now found a nice comfy spot in the yard which he or she is trying to claim as his/her own sunbathing place, just out of Tikki's reach. After an initial "hey, watcha doin' dere" woof, which kitty ignored, Tikki pee'd, came in and is now sulking inbetween Xanadu and the bookshelves.

I am just waiting to see what the next episode will bring!

What a clever kitty. Covering him/herself with Tikki's scent. No wonder she is so accepting of the interloper.

Hopefully, if Kitty keeps doing what s/he is doing, they may become firm friends

Kitty is definitely trying to claim the front yard. Yesterday she sat herself in a different place [could be a he but with such a pretty face I am saying 'she'] as if waiting for Tikva, who was standing in the doorway, to either go out or say something.

Friendly tailwags and gentle woofs from Tikki, who then strolled out and stood a bit nearer, and the staring match started again until Kitty decided to wander off.

This morning when I opened the door after I surfaced [Tikva was still azonk in her crate], the little intruder was curled up on the patch of ground-covering weeds, but she had gone by the time I decided that it was time for Tikki to get up [at way past 11.30am!].

Does the kitten look well cared for? It would be nice if they became friends.

The cats here are feral, Carole. Some people used to feed what they called "their" cat group - not just on the Moshav - it happens everywhere, and when I lived in town it seemed as if each block had its own cat groups and feeder/s. I do not know whether that is still the case but I know that at least in this area the Local Authority put up notices for people not to feed the cats because there were so many, and then a lot of the ferals just disappeared. I think that maybe there was a rabies scare at the time as the dog catchers came out and picked up a lot of the stray dumped dogs about that time.

When I rescued Kat I was the only person on the Moshav who actually had a cat as a pet, and an inoculated one at that. I was at some people I used to go to for Shabbat lunch and after we had eaten and were sitting in their garden, a couple of the grandchildren came in with this tiny feral kitten they said they had found. After screams "take that thing away" I said I would take her.

That was soon after I first moved onto the Moshav. Kat came with me to the second place I rented here and was still with me when I rescued Lexi from people up the road from there. Sadly Kat eventually went wandering once too often and had an unfortunate meeting with a car.

Anyhow, I am not going to encourage Kitty as she is obviously getting food from somewhere, so as long as Tikki tolerates her presence she can come and go as she pleases. Hopefully she will not meet up with a car if she decides to go across the road, as so many of them do.

Kitty is getting a bit bolder. She just came right up to the door and looked in. Tikva was on the couch having a bit of a doze so did not notice Kitty, who did not come in, had a quick look round and then went off on her travels again.

And now for today's "meet and greet".

Kitty and Tikva were both outside, Kitty sitting and Tikki standing about two metres away from each other - and then all hell broke loose because Tikki saw the DHL van draw up and she lurves the driver, so did her usual dancing and singing hello hello hello act.

Kitty fled.

After a couple of days when Kitty trotted straight past without even looking in, just in case...

...she now stops for a few minutes, just looking in, before trotting off.

It is diabolically hot out and Tikki does not stay out for long so the two have not continued their "meet and greet" for the moment. I put water out for Kitty and the pale ginger tabby [who never stops and looks in] on the other side of the short wall round the patio, where Tikki cannot see or reach it, but I will not put any food down as I know I should not encourage them. Plus I do not want any more rats around.

I have not seen Kitty for a couple of days but I have not been sitting here all day so could have missed her. The pale ginger tabby has been walking past, studiously ignoring us, and I have just seen another small one making the same journey. This one is a strange mixed shades of grey and black mottled coat and looks rather thin. I really do not want to put any food out for them as I know I should not encourage them, but am feeling a bit guilty about not doing so.

Kitty reappeared a few days ago and still pauses slightly on her journey to look in, but so far Tikki has not seen her.

I still feel I should put some food our for them but am resisting it, and hopefully if they stick around I might be rodent-free this winter. Not that Kat ever bothered with the mice in the place I lived in before this one - she would just sit and just watch them.

The pale ginger tabby the small mottled one are still ignoring us but Kitty keeps stopping and looking in. She and Tikki just look at each other if both are outside at the same time. and a couple of times when Tikki has been in Kitty has come quite close to the door and looked at me - hopefully?

I am still putting water out but am fighting the urge to put food out. I am sure they must be getting some from somewhere but they all look a bit thin - especially the pale ginger one although he is getting a bit taller although definitely not full grown yet, so maybe it is more noticeable.

It is nice to see them though - they obviously know there is a dog here but do not seem to be bothered - and at least I know they are safe as long as they stay this side of the road.

And so the saga goes on. The cats come from the side - probably from underneath the big bungalow next door, which is slightly on stilts at the back as the ground slopes where it was extended - so I do not see them until they get to part way down my ramp. They then cross it and disappear along the front of the bungalow.

Pale orange tabby studiously ignores us, as usual. I have not seen the little mottled grey kitty for a while but there is a dusky darkish grey newcomer with a coat that looks like brushed velvet, now doing the same journey.

Kitty? Kitty is still around, still stopping briefly to have a quick look in, but has not come close to the door lately.

Tikva? She sees them but has accepted that they are not intruders but just passing through on their way to wherever they go - and then back to wherever they came from.

I hope they will survive when winter comes.

And yet another little one has appeared! Yesterday my yards were finally cleared of waist-high weeds and grasses so I have a clearer view of who/what goes across the ramp, and a different young one has just made the same journey.

Not very big and quite slim - a quite striking looking tabby with a white tummy - steadily making its way from one side to the other.

We have quite a few cats here. One is a pure white. S/he is really beautiful.

I love to watch them. Such agile little creatures

I only see them as they go past and then back again - Kitty has not been near the door lately but I still see her [or him]. I am so glad that all the weeds and grasses have now been cleared as I had been worried about snakes, and the kitties go through there - I think they must be living at the back of the big bungalow next door as it is on a slope and where it was extended at the back it is up on stilts so there is a sort of crawl space underneath.

There are two more little kitties using the same route now - a white & black one [the opposite of Kitty's tuxedo colouring], and a solid ginger & white one, not like the original pale orange tabby that I still see. So many different colourings, all very distinct from each other.

I wonder where they are going, and why. It cannot be to the bungalow next door the other side as if it was they would not be coming from the back of the big bungalow next door this side, up to the front and then across my wide front yard - they would be going across my back yard.

I really do hope they stick around so I do not get any vermin coming inside this winter, now the weather is changing.

Do you think this could be a mother cat who has given birth under your neighbours house - or are these kittens different ages?

Carole, none of the kitties I have been seeing are adults, although with feral cats they start breeding very young. And they all seem to be slightly different sizes, not that that makes much difference, but the behaviour of a couple of them - Kitty in particular was definitely quite young when first seen, and now the ginger & white one gives me the impression that it is quite young.

Too many completely different colourings though to be from just one litter - it is just strange to see so many that are so different. And they do not seem to belong together - just individual kitties walking past by themselves and at different times.

And I am still putting out water - no food though.

And still they come, from one side to the other and then back again. I did not see them so much during the winter as my door was not open all the time, and when it was I usually had the chain on so I could only see a narrow part of the yard, but for some months now I see the cats on and off each day. Always only one cat at a time, never varying their tracks.

The cats that I "knew" last year have either moved away - maybe to produce more kittens or maybe victims of whatever befalls these ferals, and none of the ones I now see hang around long enough for me to remember and recognise. I just see a shape flitting past and as last year they do not appear to be fully grown yet although none are very young and again as last year they are all different colours.

Do they know that there is a dog here? Sure they do, which is probably why none even pause to look in. Tikva usually ignores them although she was rather put out when one suddenly appeared just as she had found the perfect place to poo! A very indignant bark from Tikki - a hiss - and a grey streak flashed by. Tikki halfheartedly started to chase it but then decided that it was more important to poo - and in any case the kitty was out of sight by then!

And as always, I still put out water for them.