Do you remember me writing about a Calico in the neighbourhood whom I think could be Minnie’s daughter and therefore, Smurfy’s sister?
When Minnie had first given birth, I had seen her carrying two kittens up and down the road. One was grey (Smurfy?) and another was a Calico.
When Minnie came to our house to ask for help a few months later, she only brought Smurfy so I thought the Calico did not survive.
But much later, I saw a Calico who looked like she was the same age as Smurfy. She would come and walk the entire length of the ledge of our garden wall. And she pretty much frequented our house too. But I suspect she belongs to one of the houses down the road that has many cats. Maybe the occupants of that house adopted her as she looks well fed.
And for months, I’ve actually been monitoring her. I see her on my morning walks too and she definitely looks well fed. Also, I noticed she did not get pregnant, which is rare for any stray female cat, so I assumed that her owner must have done the responsible thing to get her neutered. I was so sure of that.
I cannot go down to that house to ask because previously, I’ve rung their doorbell before, wanting to ask about Rosie, but the occupants just came to the door to see who was at their gate and walked away.
Anyway, I was wrong about her being neutered. Because last month, I saw her being raped by the neighbourhood ginger tomcat. I was on my morning walk and there they were, doing it. I chased the ginger tomcat away numerous times, but of course that did not work. The next round of my walk, there they were again, so I knew for sure, the poor Calico would be pregnant.
True enough, she is visibly pregnant now. She will probably deliver next month.
Now along with this Calico, whom I now call “Samantha” is a little dark grey tabby (exactly of the colour of Rey and Robin) whom I now call Riley. Riley is really just a little kitten but he (I am assuming he’s a he) follows Samantha all over the place. I don’t think Riley is Samantha’s kitten, but I cannot be sure.
I asked the neighbourhood chief guard if he knows which house Samantha and Riley belong to, and he wasn’t sure. However, he too says that they must belong to a home as they look well fed.
A few days ago, I saw Samantha and Riley again and this time, they looked hungry, so I went back home, brought along some kibble and fed them. They ate.
I don’t see them every morning, though. And I have only fed them twice so far.
This evening, Riley came into our porch and hid under one of our cars. He somehow knew where our house is.
And Samantha would be nearby, of course.
I took the liberty of feeding them. Both were very hungry and ate several rounds of kibble and canned food.
Everyone at the catio was on the alert.
Isn’t Riley the cutest little thing?
I finally put some food in a bowl in our porch and both of them came into the porch to eat. It’s safer to feed them in the porch than outside the gate.
Many years ago, when I fed Rosie’s family outside our gate, a neighbour actually had the nerve to come to our gate to scold me for doing it. Did she think the earth belongs only to her? How very, very ignorant some humans can be.
I really hope Samantha and Riley have a home and it’s the house with a lot of cats down the road. I’ve seen them eating kibble at another house up the road too. If I can catch them (that is after Samantha has delivered), I’ll get them neutered and return them. I really cannot adopt anymore. We don’t have anymore space in our house.
Samantha and Riley is like a repeat of Minnie and Smurfy, isn’t it? The difference is that when Minnie brought Smurfy to our house, Minnie was only a few days pregnant. Samantha is about one month along now.