RIP Smudge

He turned up this morning in a very sorry state. Half his face was eaten away and he looked very thin. I was able to coax him into the cat cage with some chicken quite easily.
We put a cloth over the cage to keep him calm and took him to the vet when it opened.
They have just rang to say that they euthanased him.

Did Smudge come and say "Goodbye"

The lady who was going to catch Smudge didn't see him again. I had virtually given up seeing him ever again when this morning there he was on the back door step. I was so relieved to see him but it didn't last long. When he turned round I could see he had an awful open wound on his face under his right ear. It was about the size of a walnut and was concave. It was very watery. There was no pus and when I looked into it I saw little grey things moving about in it.

He meowed hello to me when I went out to see him and rubbed up against my leg with his good side. I gave him some food and he ate it but left the Friskies. I gave him a single stroke. Maybe my last.

He then wandered off and sat under the conifer in the front garden. I said goodbye to him when I left for work.

Eleanor said he was still there when she left for uni about 9.15am but he wasn't there when I came home about 4pm. I couldn't find him anywhere - in our garden and couldn't see him in either of the gardens next door.

I know he really needs to see a vet but don't know how to catch him and don't want to scare him off. If he returns tomorrow morning I may go and have a talk to the vet for advice. I fear they may not be able to do anything for him if we do catch him but at least he will be at peace.

If he doesn't turn up I doubt I will see him again. I will miss him. He has been part of my life for nearly 6 years now.

Last time we saw Smudge

7th September 2017 was the last time I saw Smudge in the flesh. He was looking a little battle scarred and was not as clean as he normally is.
A week later his picture appeared on Bacchus Marsh Residents Facebook page asking if anyone knew the cat as it had been eating the owners' cats' food. She was going to get a cage and try and catch him and take him to the vet.

Snuggles with Smudge and did I see Smidge

Smudge is getting ever more friendly. Some afternoons if it is warm enough and not too hot I sit outside stroking him and he will flop down and let me stroke under his chin. One day a couple of weeks ago he lay down snuggled up to my leg and I stoked him and he fell asleep. It felt so nice but when he woke up he was a little spooked and ran off.

Last night I had to go out to turn the tap off and it was dark. I switched on the outside light and saw a cat at the corner of the house - it looked so much like Smidge. Was it him? I called him but it wandered off. Not what Smidge would have done but it is over a year since I last saw him. Eleanor reckons I will be out their tonight with night vision goggles on and camouflage cloths looking for it!

Smudge is sick again

It wasn't the end of Smudge in July but everytime he doesn't appear now I worry in case I will never see him again. He has some sort of problem with his third eyelid as it is now showing in the bottom corner of his eyes. He is eating ok most of the time but disappears for a couple of days at a time. I haven't seen him since Friday.

Could this be the end of Smudge

I know I've said it before but I just feel that I have seen the last of Smudge. He hasn't been for 3 days and he wasn't eating properly before then. He has also let himself go a bit with his grooming. Since Smidge disappeared Smudge has only been absent on the odd day.
This is so sad as I felt we had really made a break through with our friendship. Last week, I spent a lot of time stroking him. I knelt down and he put his head on my knee and then he rolled over and actually let me stroke his tummy. Then he started playing with me - though he did have his claws out! He dug them into my leg and pulled himself along on his back.

He purred!!!

Smudge has increasingly been friendly since Smidge disappeared. Now every day when I go out to feed him he greets me with a meow and then he rubs up against my legs and lets me stroke him and rubs up against my hand with his cheek and head. A few times he has actually come up to me when I haven't got food and we have a stroking session. A couple of times he has actually rolled over onto his back exposing his tummy, like Smidge used to do but when I have moved my hand to tickle him he has got frightened and got up straight away and sat with his back to me as if to say that wasn't me. I didn't want tickling.
Today, we had a stroking session and he was actually purring. That is the first time I have ever heard him purr, in 3 1/2 years, since I first started feeding him.

Smudge soldiers on

Well, it is now 4 months since we last saw Smidge so I'm afraid we have to expect the worst happened to him. He was never what you would call a healthy looking cat. We suspect he was unwell and the illness whatever it was overcame him.

Smudge too has had his moments with ill health. About a month ago he had a scratch on his face and it looked a bit infected but it cleared up. Then a couple of days before Christmas he had a small lump in the same area. The next day the lump had swollen the whole of the left side of his face and was affecting his eye. He didn't seem in any pain as he was lying on it and he was still eating ok but he obviously had an absess. I was really worried about him and thought this was the end.

However, on Christmas morning he appeared and the swelling had gone. There was a blood smear on his cheek so he had obviously lanced the absess himself. He looked ok for the next couple of days but then his cheek swelled up again. Again he turned up with it lanced and there was just a small bald patch on his cheek which didn't look infected. Since then it has looked ok. He did go off his food for a couple of days and I thought maybe the infection had gone internal but this just seems to be a hiccup. We had a really hot day (40C) and he stayed in the pergola trying to keep cool. I took some water over to him but he didn't seem to drink it. He ate a little and then was missing the next day. Today he turned up at 5.45am and was ravenous. He ate his normal meal and some Friskies. Then went off. I got the kids up at 8.45am and drew the curtains and he wasn't there but when I had woken the kids up he was there waiting for food. I gave him 2 more lots of Friskies which he ate completely. So hopefully he has turned a corner.
It is much cooler and rainy today and he is curled up under the camelia tree in the next doors garden.

Since Smidge has disappeared Smudge has definitely become more friendly. Every morning when I bring his food out I squat down and he rubs up against my knees/legs or hand. I give him a stroke and sometimes tickle the back of his neck. He seems to enjoy this but is still very skittish and cowers a way if he notices my hand moving towards him. It is a little demoralising as you would think that after 3 years he would know I won't harm him.
We are however seeing less of him. Most days he only comes for food and then disappears off back next door, which is empty. There are times when I have to go to the hedge and call him and bang the tin and he comes to see me. The occasional day he will sit under the conifer in view of the back door but those are few and far between.

He still goes off on his jaunts every night. We see him sitting by the gate. Then he watches the road and ventures under the gate and then runs across the road into the schoolyard across the road. Then he runs along the side of the school building and across and out the gates at the bottom of the road. I followed him once. He then went into the garden at the corner of the road. He sat under a bush just by the wall for ages and then he moved to some more bushes close to the main road and near the pedestrian crossing. I didn't see where he went from there as he spotted me and I didn't want to panic him into crossing Gisborne Road.
One night about 11.30 pm I was coming back from a night out scrapping and saw him outside the church on the other side of the road. He ran along the side of the church and was gone. I had wondered if he was going to the fields down the end of Lerderderg St but now I don't know.

Is this the end of Smidge??

Well, it looks like the story of Smidge has come to an end. It is now four days since we last saw him and he has never in over 2 years missed that about of time. He has missed the odd day but that is all. He never appeared to be a well cat. He was a lot smaller than the normal sized cat and didn't eat that much. His fur had become very matted, a lot more than last winter and he had been pulling chunks of it out.

Smudge is still around. He has been a fairly constant visitor the last few months only missing the odd day. He is looking pretty sleek at the moment. He has become a bit more tactile. He has started to rubbing up against my legs occasionally, which he has never done before. When Smidge isn't around he is more vocal too.

Just a quick update

Smudge is still visiting part time. Sometimes he comes every other day sometimes, there is a few days inbetween. He is always ravenous when he does turn up so is not going somewhere else to be fed!!
Smidge has had a bit of traumatic fortnight. The week before last he turned up with a huge scratch that was bleeding next to his right ear. It went very gunky but cleared up after a couple of days and now 10 days later the fur is regrowing and you can hardly see it. A couple of days later he had another scratch just under the same ear. Don't know which cat is attacking him. Yesterday No.10 turned up and Smidge started chasing him/her away. Normally, when another cat turns up, he jumps up onto the lattice and sits up there until it is safe to come down.
This week, he has had to cope with the 4 40 degree plus days. I have made sure there was plenty of water about but he spent the day asleep in the shade next to our rabbit's cage and doesn't seem any the worse for the experience.

Smudge has become a part time visitor.

It now seems that Smudge only turns up every other day for food. In fact this week Smudge didn't turn up for 4 days and then turned up this morning absolutely ravenous. He hissed at me as I was getting Smidge's plate to put some food down and I couldn't get the food down quick enough before Smudge was upon it. He ended up eating half a tin of cat food in less time than Smidge ate half of his quarter of a tin. Then he disappeared. Appeared later on so gave him some Friskies and then disappeared again but seemed to have spent the day in the front garden and turned up for tea, not so hungry.
I had thought I had been making progress with Smudge. I became courageous and stroked him down his back whilst he was eating. He didn't seem too bothered.

Smidge is still around nearly all the time. There is the odd day he will spend sleeping next door but most days when he hears someone in the garden it won't be long before we hear a mao mao. Still as friendly as ever.

No sign of kittens

Well it's been a few weeks since Smudge disappeared for those 2 bouts of 5 days. I think if she did have kittens then they have died. She is still disappearing for the odd day here and there.

Mudge the big tabby from next door has been around a bit and Smidge isn't liking him. Before both cats would tolerate him but now Smidge is 'fighting' him and we are hearing quite a few cat skirmishes after dark. Smidge seems to spend a lot of time up on the top of the high screens when he is around too.

Smudge

Smudge didn't turn up on Saturday but 'she' was there on Sunday morning. Ate heaps. Was walking very slowing and is carrying her back legs funny. She hissed at me  as she left her food. First time for ages. Then hissed at me again when I went passed to get back inside. She then stayed around all day - sleeping. Smidge seemed to be a bit puzzled by her at first. He turned up in the morning whilst she was feeding. He went over and sniffed her. Then went to where she had been sitting, waiting for food and sniffed all around there. He wouldn't eat any of his food. During the day, whilst she slept he sat or slept nearby keeping guard. She came for food in the afternoon as well. It looked like she had something hanging down on her left side - possibly a teat?
Monday she didn't turn up.
Tuesday morning she was waiting as usual for food. Didn't eat as much. Wasn't as jitterly. Came close for chicken and didn't move when I went near her. No hissing. Seems to have left the garden this morning. Still don't know if she has had kittens. I suppose only time will tell.

An update

I can't believe it's been nearly 10 months since I lasted blogged about the cats.
Smidge has grown up but is still a small cat - 3/4 the size of Smudge. The cats don't play as much together and in fact don't spend as much time together as they used to. Smudge often goes next door into the garden of the empty house to the bottom of us. Smidge seems to spend more time in our garden.You just have to open the back door and he is either there waiting or you hear a distant Mao Mao as he comes running. He is such a friendly cat. Despite being born and growing up in the wild he constantly rubs up against you and is forever flopping down and turning onto his back with arms in the air ready for a tickle.

Last week there was a major development. Smudge didn't come for food all week - five days. Then suddenly 'he' was there on Saturday morning. He ate heaps very quickly and then disappeared as quickly. He didn't turn up for tea. Sunday morning he was there again and ate heaps quickly again and then left quickly again. However, this time I was watching. He went down the side of the house, across the front and under the gate. Then he crossed the road and under the gate of the school opposite. He went along the front of the school and disappeared into some bushes. The only explanation I can think of is that he is a 'she' and has kittens. I'm waiting with fingers crossed that Smudge turns up tomorrow.

They're back

It seems yesterday was just a blip. Smidge has spent the odd day not turning up but never Smudge. Anyway they were both waiting for me this morning with a healthy appetite! Smidge has spent most of the day in the garden and received lots of strokes and tummy tickles.

Somethings amiss

with the cats. Smidge hardly ate anything yesterday morning. He just wanted to curl up and go to sleep in the morning under Midget, our Rabbit's cage. He didn't even move when I went to take Midget home.

This morning, Smidge was waiting as usual and he seemed to have regained his appetite but Smudge didn't turn up. It is now teatime and neither of the cats are around.

Could mean there's a mother cat with kittens somewhere in the garden. Smudge disappeared for a couple of months when Smidge and his siblings were born under our house.

A new cat or should I say cats on the block!

This evening a new cat appeared who we hadn't seen before. He looked similar to Smidge and Smudge in that he had similar white markings but was more grey. His tail resembled a lambswool duster.  He was a very friendly cat towards us. He came straight up to me and rubbed against my legs. He also let Robert stroke him. Smudge wasn't too impressed and he hissed at him but Smidge wasn't too concerned and sniffed noses.  I reckon he could be their father or another brother. He wasn't too interest in their food.

About half an hour later another cat turned up! This one looks very much like Smudge and Smidge's mum but its coat was very sleek and looked in too good condition. It enjoyed finished off Smudge and Smidges Friskies! All the time Smidge and Smudge were sitting on the back step watching.

This isn't too good a photo as I had to take it through the screen door. I tried going outside but it shot off.

Smidge is adopted

I had been feeding Smudge for about a month when the kitten I now call Smidge appeared. He was one of the  kittens from the litter born in March that looked similar in colour to Smudge. I was a little scared Smudge would attack him but in fact quite the opposite happened. I put out some food for Smudge and he ate some of it and then moved a side and  let Smidge have some. The next day Smidge turned up again and soon I was putting two plates out and feeding them both.

Smidge being only a small kitten is very playful and Smudge put up with all Smidges kitten antics. It was so nice to see them playing together after there tea. They would chase each other around the garden or have play fights and then they would cuddle up together and sleep in the sun.

The beginning....

In the beginning we noticed some kittens in our garden in December 2011. They were 3 very different looking ones - one black, one tabby and one grey/black with white which had a little smudge near its nose. They stayed a round the garden for a couple of weeks with there black and white mother.

A couple of months later this cute little kitten now a lot bigger kept hanging around. He (I call him a he as he is very large) used to sun bathe in the garden beds. He was also a very curious cat. Often I would find him sitting at the edge of the garden watching me. Once I was breaking up some lattice fencing on the lawn. Smudge (for that is what I started calling him on account of the smudge of colour near his nose) sat at the edge of the lawn. When I came back from taking a piece of the fencing away there was Smudge investigating what I had been doing!

Smudge had been hanging around for about a month and then he suddenly disappeared. At about the same time my husband was off work sick and reported to me that he had heard mewing noises from under our bedroom floor. That night the mewing continued all night and I was worried in case a cat/kitten had got trapped under the house. The next morning I moved a plank of wood out of the way and tried to look under but the floor was too low and the cat/kitten too far back. I left some milk. The milk was drunk by the next day and the mewing continued. Then it moved to under our en suite bathroom and it became clear that there was more than one kitten making the noise. A couple of days later there was silence. We reckoned the kittens had either died or been moved on by their mother. 

During this time I noticed a couple of cats - Smudge included, go towards the plants near the shed and come shooting out. I then saw Smudge's mother go in and she didn't come out. A couple of weeks later we discovered her with 3 new kittens in the same garden bed. They were exactly the same mix as Smudge and his litter siblings - one black, one tabby and one grey/black and white.

They stayed around for a few weeks and I enjoyed watching the kittens playing together, but they then vanished.

This signalled a return for Smudge. He was looking very thin so I decided to start feeding him. I began with scraps of chicken and steak and then went onto feeding him full time with cat food - morning and night. He soon began turning up waiting for his food by the back door. And so the story begins!