Imagine my surprise this morning while dishing out food in the deck enclosure that houses the two neglected black cats. I don’t want to call these cats feral although Stryker comes awful close to the term. LOL But I would call them neglected with little social contact.

At any rate, Malcolm comes through the small hole from the catio and leaps on the feeding platform! I dropped my hand, fingers loose on the table in front of him (praying all the time please don’t bite me) he nudged my hand and then licked it! I was able to pet him and really “see” him for the first time. He is bigger than our Axle kitty and he has a larger spot of white on his chest. He “allowed” me to pet him for a few minutes and then he pawed at the can as if to say; “Hurry up Human, I am hungry.” I scooped out the rest of the food and left him eating. He didn’t bolt when I returned a few minutes later to clean litterpans and give fresh water.

He’s a beautiful boy to be sure. Stryker is still striking out at hands, food bowls whatever gets close. In time, perhaps that will change. Rain is in the forecast. I am hoping the leak in the catio is now a thing of the past. We had to raise the roof slightly because rain was coming in at a pretty rapid rate.

The three kittens left on my porch are now on their way to another rescue on the coast. A friend of mine happened to be down the mountain (because of the fire) and when I called her to see if she had room for the kittens, she was in town. She came by late last night to take these babies to her shelter in Aurora.