We worked out the other day that no fewer than 17 cats and kittens have ‘adopted’ us since we moved to live on a finca in rural Mallorca. They are not all still here, of course, otherwise The Boss would give himself another hernia just carrying all the bags of cat food we’d need each week.
Sadly, feral cats – even given food, water, affection and any necessary veterinary attention – are vulnerable to a whole heap of hazards. Traffic accidents, poisoning, feline illnesses and bullets from the odd trigger-happy or myopic hunter are some of the things that can rob a country cat of its life here. It’s truly heartbreaking to lose a feline friend to any of these things. We have two small graves in our field as a result of losing two kittens to accidents in the lane.
Less than a fortnight ago our feline family of six became seven, with the arrival of another small and starving ginger kitten. We’re convinced it must be related somehow to Shorty, the kitten that arrived in August 2012 and tenaciously worked his way into the existing cat clan. The new arrival has a way to go before it’s really accepted by the others, but at least the hiss-fest seems to have ended, and little one has even been seen to rub up against one or two of the cats without being whacked by a paw. It’s eating well and has put on weight too. So progress has been made.
Peanut, with Nibbles (right). No prizes for guessing how he got his name!
A nutty name
Normal cat hazards permitting, the kitten looks here to stay. So, as with all previous cats and kittens that have come our way, we’ve given it a name. Having first decided on Elsa, then Simba, we’ve finally settled on the gender-neutral name of Peanut. We think it’s a female, but who knows what may develop in the coming weeks . . .
Apart from the fact that the kitten is small – like a peanut – its pale ginger coat perfectly matches the wall at the back of the house that The Boss painted earlier this year. And the colour of the paint was cacahuete – Spanish for ‘peanut’. There is always some logic to the naming of those cats that adopt us, but it doesn’t always bear scrutiny!
Jan Edwards Copyright 2013
That is very kind of you to accept “new members” to your kitty cat club. I would do the same.
While I probably lean a little towards dogs in the scheme of things I do have two cats along with my three dogs. I suppose the climate there in Mallorca is way more conducive to having a large club because they don’t all have to be allowed in the house. Here it is way too cold to keep the two cats outside all winter. I have seen feral looking cats about from time to time. I try to befriend them, feeling very sorry for their plight, but only once has that resulted in a cat who moved in and was socialized. All in all, they are amazing and cunning little creatures! What would we do without them?
It would be great to have all the kitties in the house, but our Birman Minstral definitely wouldn’t approve! He’s our indoor
cat and now aged 16 (a good age for a pedigree). Although I’m working outside on the laptop today (it’s unusually warm), Mallorca
does become quite cold and damp in the depths of winter (February especially), so to give the cats somewhere to shelter, The Boss
turned two old pine filing cabinets into a set of cosy cat apartments, which are in the shelter of the covered terrace. It didn’t take long for the
cats to discover this winter option, and the soft old cushions inside them. As you say, amazing and cunning too. And adorable.