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!