Most of the cats who came to eat were regular visitors – regular inasmuch as they came often enough for us to recognise them and give them a name.

But of course there were cats who we only spotted once, who maybe appeared at the feeding bowls out of the blue, or were spotted in the fields going about their daily business.

Here are ten such cats, all carrying on their daily business oblivious to the humans who were watching and wondering. Ten cats who were spotted only once and never seen again.

This is the first Visiting Cat to be spotted in The Cat’s garden. We assume it was a male from the build; he spent some time there one afternoon, and disappeared off into the fields.

A fleeting glimpse of an unidentified calico cat in the field – spotted once, and once only.

A grey-and-white cat on the far side of the fields – possibly male, from the build and stride. His presence might explain why The Cat had some grey-and-white kittens, although he was never seen in the garden.

An orange cat waiting for the farmers in the fields opposite to arrive at breakfast time. He must have been sure that his food source was reliable as we never spotted him on our side of the road.

A very well disguised calico cat blending in with the limestone wall, near the culvert. Was she the same cat as pictured in the second photo? We never got close enough to find out.

An orange-and-white cat in the fields at the side of the house. At first glance, s/he closely resembled Lightning, but, after some forensic scouring of photos, it became obvious that the coat was a different pattern.

A fluffy orange cat who came to eat in the drive. Gypsy, who was enjoying the afternoon sun in a crate, was not in the least perturbed. Was it someone she knew from her previous life? She didn’t say, and it seemed rude to pry. Gypsy was a proper lady, after all.

The cat on the right arrived on our first-floor terrace one afternoon. He stayed for a few hours, then disappeared and was never spotted again. The cat on the left was NotNVQ, one of the cats who arrived during the pandemic. Did he bring the other cat? Were they related? Another mystery the cats kept to themselves.

A fluffy white cat who came to eat in the drive once and once only. White cats were unusual, and fluffy white cats even more so.

A calico cat spotted in the front path; she must have known there was food there as it wouldn’t have been obvious before she jumped over the gate. Did she follow a scent? Was she a night-time visitor? Maybe she was related to a previous visitor; she looked a little like Roma who visited a few years previously.

Who were these cats? We’ll never know.