This week it’s a Caturday Cat Pics Holiday Special! I’ve just spent a very windswept week away in the olde worlde East Sussex town of Rye. I had hoped to return laden with snaps of cats looking cute in picturesque locations, but it turns out cats are a bit thin on the ground in Rye – or word had got round that a strange woman was out stalking them with a camera, and they’d all gone into hiding! However, I did happen upon this gang of three moggies…
The first time I spotted this trio, I assumed they were a close-knit multi-cat household who liked to stick together when out and about of an evening. However, the next day I saw the ginger boy being called inside by an elderly gentleman. The other two cats didn’t respond to the call, and the gentleman in question only had eyes for Mr Ginger, so it seemed that this little gang didn’t live together after all.
Then I got a closer look at Mr Ginger’s companions and realised that the slinky black cat was a young, unneutered male, while the little tabby was female – and appeared to be pregnant. The penny dropped: this wasn’t a tightly-bonded group of feline friends; it was a bizarre love triangle!
The young Master Slinky was obsessed with the tabby (despite the fact she was already pregnant)! Ms Tabby didn’t seem too upset by his attentions, but was making an effort to shake him off every now and then. Master Slinky proved to be a determined suitor though, and was hot on her tail everywhere she went!
Quite where Mr Ginger fitted into this lustful pursuit was a bit of a mystery, as he was neutered. (I’m pleased that one of these cats has a responsible owner – shame about the other two.) I think he may have just been intrigued by the situation, and enjoying the entertainment!
Or he may have been protecting his prime Hussling Snacks From Tourists Patch from the young pretender, Master Slinky. Mister Ginger’s house is close to an outside dining area at the front of a hotel, and, judging by his rather portly physique (you can’t really tell from these photos, but he is actually obese!), I think he’s a cat who’s mastered the art of persuading complete strangers to feed him tasty treats!
I returned home to a surprisingly warm welcome from the HQ Cats, who’d been well cared for by a neighbour, but gave a convincing performance of being pleased to see me again! (Top prizes for effort go to Ida and Alfie.)
Alfie hadn’t been able to go outside all week, as he’s not ready for unsupervised trips outdoors yet, and I was a bit worried that we’d be back to square one with regards to garden exploration. Not so! Young Alfie must’ve been giving the matter a lot of thought in my absence, as the moment the back door was opened he was out onto the balcony, and then with barely a backward glance, he was down the stairs and out into the big wide world! And he stayed out for ages, until I eventually called time at 8pm as it was getting a bit chilly to be out there keeping an eye on him!
Look, here he is – a mere speck on the horizon!
