It wasn’t just adult cats who were arriving.

One morning, we discovered a lone male kitten, maybe 8 weeks old, hiding behind some plant pots next to the road. We encouraged him down the drive into the garden and away from the traffic, hoping that The Cat would welcome the small addition. On the contrary, The Cat, followed closely by Dinky, who was too nosey not to join in, chased the tiny newcomer (henceforth known as Lightning) out of the garden at top speed, and back to the roadside where he hid for 24 hours, meowing constantly. It seemed as though he had somehow got lost or separated from his family, and we hoped he would either find his way back to wherever he belonged, or his mother would hear him crying and come and collect him.

But the next day dawned, and he was still there, and still wailing. With the help of Dinky (who understood more than most the power of a loud and persistent miaow) and a bowl of food, we guided Lightning back to the garden (this time closing the gate firmly behind him) where he hid behind a water tank for a week, coming out at dusk and dawn, and when there were no humans around, to eat and drink.

Since the first day when The Cat had chased Lightning, she had not been bothered by his presence in the garden. Maybe she admired his fortitude in returning after his initial experience. And so Lightning became braver. He started to emerge during the day, although he was obviously not use to humans, but the other cats accepted him and he started to feel more at home.

He was a self-sufficient little character, and The Cat’s Garden had everything he needed. Why not stay for a while?