Again with the cats!

Today is Monday. So, I went and put the garbage pail out in the driveway, then I came back in and watered the plants. Now, here I sit with my stuffy head incapable of producing a single original thought. This is what the winter doldrums reduce you to! And, it's snowing again!

There are no birds around except for a few juncos and an occasional chickadee. I haven't seen an opossum for almost a month. The squirrels are holed up again--the snow is so deep they can't be seen over it. There is a vole living under the flower box near the edge of my patio, but it rarely makes an appearance. (I think it probably stocked up on food set out for the possums and is living in luxury underground.)

With this lack of animal life, I'm so grateful for the feral cat who has graced me with his faithful presence. He (gender is a total assumption) first showed up when I put out food at night for the opossums and squirrels back in November. At that time, the poor cat was so terrified that I couldn't even get a good look at him. If I was very careful, I could peek through the drapes and get a glimpse of him. His tail was covered with cockle burrs and his coat so matted I couldn't tell for sure what color he was.

Slowly and cautiously he's been getting accustomed to being fed. At first, when I put out food in the evening, he would wait and come late at night to eat food that would be frozen by then. Recently, he's been coming when it gets dark around 5:30. I put out warmed food and always add extra fats and also a bowl of warm water. He will hide just around the corner and come quickly when I close the patio door. He ignores my three cats as they sit and watch him chow down.

I've discovered he's a black, long haired cat with some brown in his coat. He has pulled all the cockle burrs out of his tail so it's practically bald now. But he seems happy and well-fed as he stretches and sharpens his claws on a tree. So, I feel like I'm doing a good thing.

This is pretty much the highlight of my day, and that's why I'm really grateful to my feral cat.