This is the latest stray, who I call Whitby, because he is jet black. Keith, of course, has chosen another name - Sambo! (as in little black . . .) I think when he goes for the kindest cut of all in the not-too-distant future, he will just be "Sam"! It has taken me a long time to get his confidence, and for him to allow me to even put a finger near enough for him to sniff, but as long as there is food around, he will now let me stroke him and make a fuss of him and he purrs happily. The moment the food is eaten though, he goes back to being wary. Daft animal! Mind you, at least he is already purring. It took the really wild and completely feral Ghengis 2 years to learn to purr - or feel happy enough to do so. Now he is my little shadow and is with me wherever I go and the moment I sit down, he comes up on my lap.
This very intense stare is something he used when he arrived - there was NO WAY he was going to be chased off, he had decided he was going to STAY and that was IT. He has been someone's house cat, as he knows about houses and cat-flaps, but he obviously left home to find love, and never went back. It's hard to tell how old he is but his coat is brown in parts - which suggests he may be older than 5, but that said, black coats can be brown from poor nutrition and so we will see if he goes jet black again now he is being fed right royally.
A happy planting. I sewed an entire packet of Love in a Mist in this pot and only ONE came up. Then I put this Coleus in there (Henna I think it is called) and the blue of the LIAM (in sunshine) is amazing against the rusty foil of the Coleus. Both plants remind me of my mum - she always grew LIAM in the garden and she was always given a Coleus plant at Christmas, which she promptly put on top of the gas fire, and by New Year it was somewhat dead . . .
Finally (it is late and we have had a lovely but tiring day out today) an evening picture of one of my Hydrangeas. It starts off quite a bluey purple but then goes pink. I would rather it stayed bluey purple personally but . . .
Back tomorrow with a few pictures from our lovely day out today.
Coffee grounds on the hydrangea keep it blue
ReplyDeleteThanks Jill. I never knew that. We don't drink coffee, but I do have some instant in the cupboard - perhaps that will do!
DeleteHe is smashing BB. Very handsome. Its funny how nervous they are once they have been on the street Molly the mother of my kits was just the same. He has chosen you he knows what he likes. x
ReplyDeleteHe is very handsome - and certainly knows a soft touch when he sees one! I think they have some tough times when they are living feral and learn not to trust people.
DeleteWhat a beautiful Cat. I am happy he found you.
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip
Not half so happy as he is parsnip!!
Deletei once had a little black cat called Max, incredibly faithful and loving. Sweet cat Whitby, I approve of the name, though actually Whitby jet is somewhat ugly, especially the 19th century stuff you find in the museum at Whitby.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I have mis-named him then - he had better be Sam. He is longing to be a house cat again but the other boys aren't impressed with him sitting in the doorway and Theo keeps picking fights with him (despite being neutered, as they all are bar Sam.)
DeleteOne of my cats (from local rescue centre), was just the same when i first got her a few years ago - scared of everything. She had brown tones in with the black but they've gone now. Apparently black cats are the least popular to adopt so that's why i took her - beautiful to me!
ReplyDeleteI've heard that about black cats (same applies to black Greyhounds too, apparently). Anyway, Whitby-Sam chose US, and I am certain he will lose his nerves once he is neutered and has settled down a bit more. Glad you chose your black girl specially.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely boy! Very happy to see a happy cat
ReplyDeleteHow often do I say it? Cats choose their people.
ReplyDeleteI like the name Whitby - sounds quite distinguished, even if he probably is a little bruiser.