He's Picked Me...

About mid-summer of 2008, I happened to be out gardening on the weekend (no surprise). I have a big dirt area to play in and I take full advantage of it.

Well, one day this small cat comes running out to me from the back of my shed, rubbing up against my legs, meowing at me and you would think I was his owner... or best friend. I had never seen this cat before. He looked a lot like the couple females a few doors over but much smaller and this one definitely is a male. He hung around me for about 30 minutes and then off he went. Over the next several days this happened, every day and this turned into the remainder of the summer. I wondered about this cat and especially if he had a home. A collar showed up on him after some time so that put my mind at ease although I still have a thing against people leaving pets outside in the city. We are so close to a main street!

He's quite fascinated with my backyard and I am certain the birds have a lot to do with that. He also enjoys a good chase with the squirrels. But, it seems his favorite part of the visit is when I come out. I don't have a name for him and I don't need to call him. I step outside and he comes running to me. He does not do this with other neighbors from what I have seen.

When I'd go to work, I would see him on the sidewalk, on the next street up from mine... stalking a Squirrel or basking in the summer sun on the warm concrete. I tried to guess which house was his. I wondered what his owners would think of his little visits to me everyday.

One here who really is not keen on the visiting is Meadow. Even with seeing this little cat daily, who I would say wasn't more than 4 months old at the time... Meadow hissed, snarled and swatted at him every chance. Even after weeks of this, she did not warm up to the idea of a feline visitor. Twelve squirrels can run past her, around her, and over her all morning long and she's cool with that; but not another cat.

Summer left and autumn arrived. In the coming weeks I saw less and less of my little friend. As it got colder out, he was gone. I guess his owners kept him indoors for the winter?

Today, March 21st 2009, I saw the return of my little friend... only he's not so little anymore. That white tipped tail of his is a sure sign to me of it being him. He was out on the back walkway of the house next door. I stepped out onto the deck, not saying a word... he heard my steps, turned and saw me and came charging up the walk, meowing, climbed up and over the chain link fence and ran right to me. The next half hour I spent out there with him and wherever I went, he was right behind or beside me. A lot of meows, loud purrs, leg rubs, licks and playing with twigs and sticks that I held up for him. We stopped to look at the birds from time to time and I waited to see if he would spring into action but he didn't... just stuck to my side. I do have my doubts he is that well behaved out of my sight.

I also happened to notice his owners have yet to neuter him... *tisk tisk*

So, what is it between me and this cat? Why is he so drawn to me? I should give him a name but right now he is referred to as "Little Friend".