Feline Friday: Guarding the garden

The cat saw me before I saw him. I had paused during an afternoon walk — on an unusually balmy, sunny second day of Spring — to photograph his garden, and it seems he was curious. (Obviously, no one in his house points a camera at him regularly!) By the time I spotted him, he was halfway down the front path to the sidewalk. When we made eye contact, he arched his back, and turned gracefully in a tight circle. I spoke to him, and he stretched languidly, then approached, his fluffy flag of a tail curving flirtatiously. As I rubbed his ears, I told him that he was a very handsome cat. He purred his concurrence. I asked what had happened to his right eye, but he wasn’t telling. Perhaps he was a fighter in his younger years.

Paul was waiting for me, so I kept the conversation short. (Paul knows from long experience that walks with me happen in fits and starts, as I stop to chat up the neighborhood cats or take photos, but his patience does have its limits.)

As we walked along his side yard, the cat shadowed us. At the edge of his garden, he stopped and sat. When I said goodbye, he blinked and yawned. I took his photo again, and we continued our stroll.

You can visit other cats in their homes and gardens via the Friday Ark.