Tigger comes to visit.

I was writing the post below on the laptop sitting in our garden. The air was cool, but the sun was shining through the still-bare branches of the much-cursed Lime trees that shade our garden after bud-break..

I noticed a movement to my right, and there he was. A handsome, perky and inquisitive tabby cat. (My wife had seen him a few days before. Obviously trusting, he had wandered through our patio doors and into our kitchen before she even knew he was there.)

I leant over to say hello. Before I knew it I had a lapful of cat and laptop. I have always been a “cat person”. I love that sense of independence that cats have. The way they do exactly what they want and always remain dignified. The cat looked very well groomed, fit and healthy.

I found myself behaving like someone who has just had an Auntie drop in unexpectedly. Dismissing the thought that my guest would like a cup of Earl Grey and a digestive, I still felt I should offer it something…

A hastily filled saucer of water was proffered, and consumed with enthusiasm. I topped it up, and more grateful lapping ensued.

My visitor then wandered off a few feet, found a sun-filled patch, and stretched out. Ten minutes later he decided to show he was hungry. He got up, hunkered down, and slowly stalked up on a rustling leaf a few feet away. Killing that with one pounce, it then proceeded to try and unleash feline havoc on a still torpid Bluebottle. It missed, thank goodness.

I gave it some of our left-over chicken from the night before.

When my wife got back from church he had disappeared over our garden wall, but he popped back and forth for another couple of hours or so, chasing Clematis stems, sitting on laps and rubbing us with his cheeks so we smelt like his territory.

He obviously has a good home, probably only a few doors away. But just for those few hours I felt honoured he had chosen us to play with, and our garden to make his own.

He whizzed back over the fence before when we went indoors. I drew the curtains when it got dark. But I couldn’t help peering out into the darkness later on.

Just in case....



This is not ordinary roast chicken - This is Free Range Organic Roast Chicken with Garlic and Herbes de Provence. Lipsmacking!