With The Cat’s approval, Dinky was settling down in the garden. But there was to be another new arrival that spring – this time not an abandoned adult, but a solitary kitten.

Lightning’s story has been told, and the similarities in The Cat’s behaviour were interesting to note. The small kitten was coaxed away from the road and into the garden, but The Cat behaved in exactly the same way as she had with Dinky and chased Lightning straight back out of the garden.

Obviously the kitten was very hungry and he couldn’t remain inches away from the road huddled behind a plantpot forever, so, the following day and with the promise of food (and Dinky wailing encouragement), he was lured back into the garden. And once again The Cat chased him, but this time Dinky joined her in the chase. He seemed to have forgotten how it felt to be on the receiving end of her wrath; he was trying so hard to fit in and to be accepted by The Cat, and he felt that joining the chase was his way of demonstrating allegiance to her.

This time the humans were better prepared and the gate had been closed. With nowhere to escape, the kitten squeezed behind one of the water tanks. We pushed foil containers of food into the gap until he became bolder and started emerging at dawn and dusk to eat and drink.

And once again, feeling that she had made her point, The Cat didn’t bother with Lightning again and he was left to explore the garden.

And it wasn’t long before Dinky became curious and found, to his delight, that a kitten made a wonderful playmate and companion.

It was lucky that Lightning was a forgiving sort of character, and bygones were soon left in the past.