During the long, hot Summer months, a new visitor was spotted at the food bowls in the front path. He was a sturdy adult, full-grown, with a striking patterned grey coat to his back, and a white belly, nose and chin. He ate hungrily, especially when it came to dried food or the more expensive wet foods (left over from The Cat and garden family’s meals). After eating, he would jump up onto the wall and settle down in between the plant troughs, happy to sit and watch the comings and goings and have a doze.

It was while cat-spotting through the window that a human made eye-contact with Pikabu. Rather than jumping down from the wall and running to hide as most feral cats do, Pikabu stared back, quizzically. And so he was named, as the human would duck and dive, Pikabu played peekaboo.

Pikabu became a regular visitor. A regular visitor with a hearty appetite, as it turned out, rather like some of the other visiting ferals, but on an altogether bigger scale. He seemed used to having humans around, which made us wonder whether he was stray rather than feral. He started to solicit contact (as well as ever-increasing quantities of food) and it was noticed that one of his eyes was clouded and he could in fact only see from the other. This explained Pikabu’s peekaboo nature and head-bobbing.

After a couple of months of closer contact the penny dropped. Pikabu was in fact an owned cat. An owned cat who lived up the road. An owned cat who lived up the road – at the pet shop. The same pet shop at which the humans buy copious quantities of cat food, quite a lot of which is eaten by Pikabu. Food which the pet shop owner says Pikabu refuses to eat at home.

What is it about the surroundings of The Cat’s garden, drive and path that make eating food Pikabu doesn’t like at home suddenly seem like the best thing in the world? Who can tell. But so long as he observe the Garden Rules, he is welcome. But step out of line Pikabu, and you will be swiftly extradited back up the road. Best behaviour, please.