The cats always find me.

While sitting at my desk in the afternoons, I can hear creatures galloping across my ceiling. This is a little concerning as visions of large rats cavorting above me is not something I want to encourage. Anyway I mentioned these disturbing occurrences to several people including our security guard who is positioned outside the whole day and therefore in a perfect position to see what is on the roof. I mentioned to him that once or twice on hearing the noises I had gone outside and peered up onto the roof to check and see if monkeys (which we do get troops of passing through) or Hadedahs (large clumsy birds) were causing the disturbance.

Then yesterday, our general maintenance guy, 'American' knocked on my office door and asked me to come outside as he wanted to show me the cats. I went with him and when I looked up there was a cats head peeping over the roof. As soon as it saw me it disappeared. It looked to be a light coloured cat like a calico. I have also seen a black cat hiding under the branches of a fallen tree where we all park our cars. Then when I was leaving I saw the same light coloured cat slinking through the bushes on the other side of the fence of where we park our cars (disused tennis court). These cats are quite wild and to the best of my knowledge weren't there when we took occupation. We occupy a converted house (to offices) and generate a fair bit of garbage so I assume this is what has attracted the kitties. They gain access to the ceiling area through a stone chimney. I haven't really told anyone at the office because we don't really have many cat lovers here - will just observe them at present.

My last adopted kitty who is the youngest (other than the kittens) was brought to the office park where we were situated before. They heard that I had a lot of cats so were soon in my office whining about finding the kitty a home. 'NO!" I said as I am trying to reduce my numbers. The lady's boyfriend had found the kitten in the parking lot of his business complex and they couldn't keep the kitten as they already had ONE. If they couldn't find a home, he was going to take it back and put it out in the parking lot again. The kitten was small probably about 7 or 8 weeks so I reluctantly went down to the lady's vehicle to see the kitten. It was in the back of her bakkie (pickup) in the canopy section, very scared. As soon as they opened up the canopy, I went into kitty mommy mode, talking in my higher pitched kitty voice. And the little one came trotting straight over to me, causing the other humans gathered around to exclaim, "it likes you..it never came near us" - duh! So I acquired a new family member. Kitty turned our to be a girl and we called her Bitsy (aka Bitty/Biddy). It is her photo that I have as my profile pic. She is about 16 months old now and she is a little harridan. She is one of the alpha females and chases away any intruding males from our property including sometimes our wandering males because they come home infrequently. She loves her mommy and as soon as I am prone on the couch she makes a beeline for my lap, my hip or my shoulder - wherever she can perch and proceeds to swipe any other cat or kitten daring to approach or try to share mommy. If I try to dislodge her she gets really grumpy and swipes out again. I accept all my kitties with whatever character traits they exhibit. I don't tease them but just give them loves and play with them. I really have a thing against teasing. My boys however will tease the grumpy cat more than the scared cat because they get more of a reaction out of them. They are quite vigilant about looking out for the cats though and don't complain when I ask them to check for kittens by the car before I move etc. It is one of great joys that I have that all my kids are animal lovers and will go the extra mile or go out of their way to help an animal in need. A person who loves animals will have compassion for his fellow man. Fostering compassion for all earth's creatures is such an important lesson for children. If friends of the kids come to the house, they must not let me catch them hurting even an insect for fear of the lecture that will emanate from me. Its not even the importance of that tiny insect but the thought or emotion that leads a child or teen to destroy it. If you condone senseless killing then what are you teaching that young mind about life.

I wonder why some of those boys haven't been seen again at my house after one of my little 'lectures'. Never mind - maybe something that was said will have hit home and will be remembered in time to come.