Close encounter of the third kind

For nearly two years my husband and I have kept an eye on the two neighborhood wandering cats, "Bob" and "Brindle". Since we don't know their names, we made names up so we can talk about them. Even Darby knows who we're referring to, evidenced by his sudden alert posture if we go on about them when we're hanging in the back yard.

Bob has been the friendliest feline con artist we've met in years, finding his way to the patio when the white devil dog is safely indoors for the evening. though he's always happy for a food handout, he also truly seems to love the company of some friendly humans. He knows his "name" and will respond to it. He has all the earmarks of being an owned cat, even if relegated to the outdoors 24/7. He's neutered, in good flesh, by all appearances free of fleas and loves people. His happy dance is so beguiling that we can almost overlook what an unrepentant pest he can be during those moments when we just want to chill out on the patio on a summer night.

Brindle has always been another matter. Though he seems to make his way through life by living in Bob's draft, he has never been keen on making our acquaintance up close and personal, and it's always bothered us. Brindle is much thinner than Bob and we worry for his health and, as cat lovers, we take pride in being able to win over the trust of our feline friends. though he, too has learned the name we've bestowed on him, Brindle has never felt the need to thank us for our concern, until this week.

I'm not sure what it was that made this week different from all the others, but Brindle has finally decided to make contact. He will now come to the porch (even without Bob, which is big) and hang with us, even allowing us to pet him, though not as readily as his fellow traveler. He is indeed thinner than Bob, though he is neutered (whew --- we were sweating that one for a while when we couldn't get close enough to tell) and appears in generally decent health.

I wish I knew how to explain what it's like for cat lovers when a cat who has nothing to gain by crossing the trust bridge decides to do so, but I'm sure anyone who has ever won over a wary animal knows exactly what I mean. I'm sorry I have no photos to share, but since they only come around at night after the dog is safely indoors I haven't wanted to violate their delicate sensibilities this early into our new arrangement. I'll be sure to grab a few as soon as I think they'll tolerate it. For now, it's enough that they've decided to tolerate me.

Happy Hopping!