The Cats Make Tracks

♠
I didn't see the cats all day yesterday, and today it looks like they are gone for good, leaving behind only bird corpses and bones scraped clean. It is a funny image to imagine the whole family leaving together - just packing up and going.

In order to complete the image, you should know that a father cat did seem to be around. A black cat with white paws and other small white markings. The black cat did not stay with the family in our yard during the day, but would return at night to be with his family, and then clearing out again before even Monk got up, going on his rounds, perhaps looking for better digs, as well as to bring in some bird kills possibly.

I can imagine how the big move went. I've seen the black cat operate before. When Black goes out onto the streets, he first perches underneath the truck, so that only those cat eyes hovered in the darkness. So, Black would be leading the mother and the three kittens, slowly making their way in the dog-ridden neighborhood, hiding under vehicles, until Black scouted ahead to declare the path is clear, and hence the family would make their way through the neighborhood. It's a cute picture, to see the three babies nervously and stealthily following the parent cats.

I did not want the cats to become dependent on us. We didn't want to own them. It looks like we didn't have to worry. I must confess that I'm a little disappointed. Monk only knew them for a few days, and he never did pet one, but he had already gotten a little used to them, feeding them and keeping water outside. Obviously the bond wasn't deep, and I've already come to appreciate not having to worry about them during rough and freezing weather, or having to face one of them coming down with a serious illness or an injury. I'm glad they left, kinda.

Then, this evening, as I was preparing my dinner, I saw the black cat walking across the patio on the way out. My heart picked up the pace as I expectantly checked for the kittens, but there is nothing there. After the initial disappointment, I was also sorry to think that my aww-image of the family leaving was false, thinking that Black doesn't know any more about what happened to his family than I do. Black did look a bit crestfallen. However, it occurs to me that Black may have just been dropping by for another hit of the water that Monk had been leaving out and was disappointed to see that this has become a dry run.

xXx

The Cats Make Tracks

♠
I didn't see the cats all day yesterday, and today it looks like they are gone for good, leaving behind only bird corpses and bones scraped clean. It is a funny image to imagine the whole family leaving together - just packing up and going.

In order to complete the image, you should know that a father cat did seem to be around. A black cat with white paws and other small white markings. The black cat did not stay with the family in our yard during the day, but would return at night to be with his family, and then clearing out again before even Monk got up, going on his rounds, perhaps looking for better digs, as well as to bring in some bird kills possibly.

I can imagine how the big move went. I've seen the black cat operate before. When Black goes out onto the streets, he first perches underneath the truck, so that only those cat eyes hovered in the darkness. So, Black would be leading the mother and the three kittens, slowly making their way in the dog-ridden neighborhood, hiding under vehicles, until Black scouted ahead to declare the path is clear, and hence the family would make their way through the neighborhood. It's a cute picture, to see the three babies nervously and stealthily following the parent cats.

I did not want the cats to become dependent on us. We didn't want to own them. It looks like we didn't have to worry. I must confess that I'm a little disappointed. Monk only knew them for a few days, and he never did pet one, but he had already gotten a little used to them, feeding them and keeping water outside. Obviously the bond wasn't deep, and I've already come to appreciate not having to worry about them during rough and freezing weather, or having to face one of them coming down with a serious illness or an injury. I'm glad they left, kinda.

Then, this evening, as I was preparing my dinner, I saw the black cat walking across the patio on the way out. My heart picked up the pace as I expectantly checked for the kittens, but there is nothing there. After the initial disappointment, I was also sorry to think that my aww-image of the family leaving was false, thinking that Black doesn't know any more about what happened to his family than I do. Black did look a bit crestfallen. However, it occurs to me that Black may have just been dropping by for another hit of the water that Monk had been leaving out and was disappointed to see that this has become a dry run.

xXx