Clance is grabbing a bite to eat while Larenti watches from around the corner of the fence.
Are you gonna eat all that?
Category Archives: Neighborhood Cat Photos
Some new shots of Clance
I’ve been trying to get a few new photos of Clance mostly with the purpose of showing off his black tabby features. I find this kind of feline coloration to be the most unique. Just as is the case with Kako who herself is a black tabby, their fur is actually almost all white. It’s only the outer third of the hair that is black. That’s one thing that makes them so unique, but they also have the classic tabby stripes—except they’re black on black, which makes them difficult to see while being equally beautiful.
I was finally able to grab a few close-up shots of Clance in natural light that was perfect for showing off his stunning coat. Here’s the first. (Pardon the edge of the fence you see in the top-right corner. I didn’t realize I’d captured that until later.)
And a similar shot sans the fence.
Finally, here’s a shot more from the front that again shows off the tabby stripes across his chest as well as around his face. Note the classic tabby stripes crossing the cheeks from the eyes.
It’s like not leaving the table between meals
Aethon is an odd little cat. I’ve not figured this one out yet, and that includes gender or the feline’s various idiosyncrasies.
I can always rely on Aethon to be waiting outside each morning until I get up and go out to provide food (that is assuming I’ve not already done so).
After eating, though, this cat doesn’t always leave. And if he/she does leave, I can rest assured I’ll see it outside later sleeping the day away next to the tree. Most of the day.
This happens nearly every day. The exception is when it’s raining, but otherwise I can expect to see Aethon loitering about. It’s not as though he/she is waiting for a meal since I keep food down throughout the day.
I suspect it’s one of two things (although it could be something else entirely, but these are my guesses). One: This is the first reliable source of food the cat has found and it wants to stay close to it, and this also lends itself to recognizing me as a non-threatening human who intends no harm. Two: This is a reliable source of food the cat is trying to protect from others (e.g., protecting “a kill”). I also considered the possibility that Aethon is sick and too weak to wander about all day, but the more I’ve watched the cat, the less likely I’ve considered that option.
In the photo above, it was a cold and cloudy day, windy and somewhat bitingly cool. Nevertheless, Aethon stayed there most of the day and wandered off for an hour or two here and there. Mostly, however, it huddled and lied curled up at the base of the tree.
I’m keeping an eye on this one as I don’t want competition over the food to dissuade any of my regular visitors from their normal trips through these parts. I’m also watching closely as I attempt to figure out the disposition of this cat.
Clance glance
Here’s a much better photo of Clance that shows a close-up of his face. Cross-eyed much? You bet!
And I’m a tad worried about his right eye. Take a look at this close-up of his eyes. It almost looks like the pupil in the right eye has exploded. I’ll keep an eye on it to see if it clears up or if that’s just the way he is permanently. In any case, the poor feline seems to get along fine even with the various eye problems.
Clance has gotten quite used to me in a very short time. Even if I go outside to put more food down, he/she doesn’t move or run away.
Look at my latest discovery
This morning, I discovered yet another new kitty in the neighborhood. This one is also a Kako duplicate. It’s a black tabby with mostly white hair tipped with black. When I first saw this one outside eating, I thought it was the other one I’d already discovered (Clance). I immediately discarded that assumption when I saw this one was smaller. In fact, it’s about the size of Kako, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a tiny bit larger than she is. This is the only photo I was able to take because this feline isn’t very comfortable with people. I’ll keep trying.
One thing I find interesting is the sudden plethora of black tabbies. To be quite sincere, I’d never seen one until I adopted Kako, and I’d even go so far as to say I didn’t know they existed before then, yet I’ve now seen two in addition to my little princess (NOT!).
Also note this cat does not have a tipped ear. That’s important in both differentiating it from the other Kako dopplegänger as well as narrowing down its disposition (it can now only be a discarded pet or a recently arrived stray who has not been fixed yet).
[Update] Subsequently named Henko.