The motley kitty crew

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A question appeared in the comment box in the last post - how many cats do I have? Well, first of all, I believe they have me more than I have them :-) But to answer the question - it varies. In this garden there's somewhere between 12-15. A few comes and goes. Then there's two different small colonies around the island (one of colonies having been abandoned by the person who fed them) so all in all I daily feed around 25-30 cats. Apart from Tiny, Ninja, Benji and Mr. Moggles, here's the local motley kitty crew (as a friend so endearingly named them all) in order of appearance. Well, first of all above there's Stempel (named by a child and refers to the kneading movement a cat makes). I discovered from an image taken a few years ago that she was actually here before we arrived. I've got no idea who she belongs to, but she is extremely friendly and has never walked away. She's definitely the matriarch of the place and gently beats up newcomers until they know who's in charge!!

Then there's Pepper - Tiny and Ninja's kitty mom. She was initially fed by a man who comes to tend to his hobby garden once or twice a week. But as we all know - it doesn't quite work like that... feeding a cat once or twice a week. He doesn't seem to mind I've taken over!

Eddison (above) and Molly arrived at the same time... after a day of a very serious torrential rainfall. I think they literally got washed down the hillside. They are the sweetest little couple - a boy and a girl (not sisters and brothers - he is an adult, she is a kitten). They seem to depend on each other for everything... warmth, sleep, eating. Eddison is very shy and sweet...

Molly is little and scrappy! She hisses at all other cats but is really a little dearie. 

Humphrey seemed to belong to a house a bit further up the road, but the people left at the beginning of January and after that he just got skinnier and skinnier. He seemed to get depressed too - you'd never see his tail up in the air - so I decided to encourage him to come for food and for the company of the other cats. He tentatively accepted (I believe he's been used to being a single cat), but he was of course hungry and he actually seems to have taken to the company very well. Now his tail is in the air whenever it's feeding time!

Ruby arrived after a snow storm in early March - very emaciated. I think she needs the reassurance of knowing there will be food, because she literally sleeps next to the food box. She is very sweet and appreciative. 

Last but not least - the very latest newcomer - a tropical cat named Harvey. A darling arigumi creation by my sweet blogger friend from Grand Cayman. As you can see he has got the approval by Mr. Moggles - no hissing or fighting, just gentle acceptance :-) Thank you Sunshine, we all love him!!