Last night I heard Fluffy growling. Now, Fluffy doesn't growl at the
resident cats - she hisses and snarls. This was the low growl she
reserves for possoms, coons, and whatever she is hunting (which goes a
long way toward explaining why she is an adject failure as a hunter).
I went to the kitchen door and looked at the food area where vermin go
first, then I realized Fluffy was facing the wrong way. I had a
sinking feeling I had a possom in the living room - I looked, but saw
nothing. Then I saw a red streak running from one hiding place to
another - it was the feral cat I call Neko. Neko once upon a time had
a real name and a real home, but his human died and he was left on his
own. Fortunately, this happened next door to a cat haven and across
the road from another. My neighbor across the road has three or four
cats, all but one of which are fed outside, feed most of the
neighborhood ferals as well. some of the ferals come over to my place,
sometimes coming in to eat, but they generally stay just long enough
to grab a few bites of food before scurrying away.

Neko is known to my cats, and none of them had ever given him any
trouble, though there was the time he was under one of my trucks -
Fleagor (my alpha cat) sat down about twenty feet from him and just
looked at him until he turned tail and ran away. There has never been
any fighting or threats on either side until last night. Neko is big
and beautiful, but last night he was terrified because Fluffy was
growling - she *never* follows through - she's never had a fight in
her entire thirteen years.Fleagor was interested and was rushing
around making sure Neko didn't break any rules that visiting cats are
supposed to observe, but he wasn't at all hostile.

Finally, I realised that I was blocking both of Neko's possible escape
routes. I moved and he vanished through the cat flap.

It was fairly chilly at the time, and it's getting colder night by
night, so I wonder if he is looking for a place to take winter
shelter. I really like red tabbies, so he would be more than usually
welcome to stay, even is he remained untouchable. I expect he'll be
back. Now, if Fluffy would just keep quiet about it ....

--
T.E.D. )
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