A Stray Cat for Camera Critters

For a few years now we have watched a stray gray and white cat hunting through our property. We used to discourage its presence by shouting at it to get lost and be gone. It used to be that to connect with  it by looking it in its eye would be enough to cause it to run away.  then somehow this winter we got into the habit of leaving some cat food in a bowl on our back step and we found that this stray cat would appear each day and empty the bowl of cat food we set out.

.  My husband even named the cat. Assuming it was a feral cat, he game him a rhyming name and so that is how Daryl came to be our daily visitor.  actually now Daryl shows up for breakfast and then supper as well.

We think Daryl was once and maybe still is  a cat owned by someone.  He wants to come into our back porch but each day I verbally remind him by saying, " No Daryl, you don't come in". When we step out to refill his food bowl he rubs against our legs and stands on his hind legs to get closer to us and the food bowl in our hands.  Daryl enjoys sunning himself on our back doorstep.  Our regular indoor cat does not approve of Daryl and he lets us know that as he hisses at Daryl when he sees Daryl on our back deck through our French doors.  However, we will not abandon Daryl as we think that has happened previously and so we continue to watch for Daryl and we feed him each day.

• We think Daryl has endured a few scraps now and then. He is much thinner looking  than he looked during the winter, and he has a recent scratch on his nose.  My husband brushes Daryl and he looks much better these days. He has a gentle thankful look in his eyes when he greets me each morning with his regular , ": you got any food for me?" Meow.

You're not so feral anymore Daryl as you know you have a welcome outdoor home with us.

I am linking today to viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

Today is Canada's 150th birthday!  Happy Canada Day everyone