Greyfur, firstborn male to The Cat in 2018 and brother to Whitefur (and Blackfur) has grown into a very different character from his litter-mates. In all probability he and Whitefur have the same parents (The Cat and Mr Tiffin) and share exactly the same tail (well, not literally, obviously!). But that is where the similarities end. Oh, apart from their white bits being sparkly white, that too they have in common.

Greyfur was always destined to be a big, strong cat and it was assumed that, alongside these physical characteristics would naturally be the mental, alpha-male tendencies – the desire to make The Cat’s garden his territory, the desire to fight off all comers, the desire to be dominant within his family and with other cats.

But it doesn’t pay to assume, and it was soon evident that Greyfur had no interest in these laddish pursuits. He was by far the biggest of the three Furries, the strongest, the heaviest. But his character was gentle. He purposely avoided situations where fighting would break out, not because he was any sort of a coward, but just because he preferred to distance himself and anyway, his (slightly) younger brother Blackfur was more than happy to deal with the various neighbourhood fisticuffs.

Greyfur’s relationship with his mamma, The Cat, was reminiscent of Ana Half-Tail’s. A sturdy, solid relationship, reliable companionship based on trust, a take-it-or-leave-it sort of deeply seated understanding. And in this trusting atmosphere Greyfur’s real talent for sleep dancing blossomed. For a big, well-built cat he was very graceful. He would sleep next to The Cat, back legs extended, head back, front legs bent slightly, for all the world (when seen from above) looking as though he was mid-leap. The arrival of Stardust Blossom (Tuffy to his friends), also a strong, gentle character, brought another sleep dancing partner into Greyfur’s life. Tuffy would lie happily, curled in his usual way, smiling, while Greyfur arranged himself against him, sleeping soundly, in a variety of poses (evident in the photo above).

As the months passed, Greyfur started taking himself to the fields opposite, a solitary feline figure plodding purposefully through the furrows (or long grass, depending on the season). To this day he continues to do this and the humans are none the wiser as to where he goes. Does he have a colony of his own? Does he meet up with family and friends who also head over there (Whitefur and Tiger, in particular)? Does he have a special, cosy place? Does he sleep dance solo there, or does he have a partner?

So long as he keeps returning safely for food and water and as much love as he can manage, it doesn’t matter too much. He’s a happy boy and long may it continue.