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Jan. 28th, 2011 06:35 pmWell, that was a little weird.
There's a neighborhood cat who is often very friendly with me. He's (I'm going with he, although I've never really checked) got a collar and is well fed but in nice weather he spends a lot of time outside. I don't think I've ever seen him more than two or three house lengths from his own porch though, and it's very clear that it's up to him to decide when he wants to be friendly and get petted. As I walk by his house, he'll either give me a languid stare and return to whatever he's doing, or come trotting up to receive his due and proper snuggles. If the latter is the case, I'll stop, pet him a moment or two and move on, and he'll immediately find something else to do.
I haven't seen him in a couple of months, probably, since it's been so cold. But it warmed up this week and he was out today. As I came walking home from work today, he came bolting off his porch and up to me, twining around my legs and really acting desperate for a good snuggle. If he hadn't been all fat with a healthy, shiny coat of fur (actually, much cleaner and shinier than usual in the summer), I'd suspect no one had petted him for days. And when I finally said bye and turned for home, he trotted right after me, got in front of me, twined around my legs as I walked. He followed me for more than half a block before I decided I'd better walk him back home. I didn't want him to cross the street with me and then have to navigate back on his own. I got him back in the vicinity of his house (not entirely sure which porch is his, but I know to within a house or two where it is) and turned for home again. This time he sat down and watched me go, the whole way down the block, across the street and on. I felt like I was abandoning some poor homeless critter, when I know very well that he has a family that takes care of him. I hope he's not locked out of his house or anything. Poor kitty.
There's a neighborhood cat who is often very friendly with me. He's (I'm going with he, although I've never really checked) got a collar and is well fed but in nice weather he spends a lot of time outside. I don't think I've ever seen him more than two or three house lengths from his own porch though, and it's very clear that it's up to him to decide when he wants to be friendly and get petted. As I walk by his house, he'll either give me a languid stare and return to whatever he's doing, or come trotting up to receive his due and proper snuggles. If the latter is the case, I'll stop, pet him a moment or two and move on, and he'll immediately find something else to do.
I haven't seen him in a couple of months, probably, since it's been so cold. But it warmed up this week and he was out today. As I came walking home from work today, he came bolting off his porch and up to me, twining around my legs and really acting desperate for a good snuggle. If he hadn't been all fat with a healthy, shiny coat of fur (actually, much cleaner and shinier than usual in the summer), I'd suspect no one had petted him for days. And when I finally said bye and turned for home, he trotted right after me, got in front of me, twined around my legs as I walked. He followed me for more than half a block before I decided I'd better walk him back home. I didn't want him to cross the street with me and then have to navigate back on his own. I got him back in the vicinity of his house (not entirely sure which porch is his, but I know to within a house or two where it is) and turned for home again. This time he sat down and watched me go, the whole way down the block, across the street and on. I felt like I was abandoning some poor homeless critter, when I know very well that he has a family that takes care of him. I hope he's not locked out of his house or anything. Poor kitty.
