There is just no predicting things with the outside cats!

One of the tabbies looks a lot like Potato Beetle, but with more black instead of potato beetle looking stripes on his back. I’ve never really been able to get close to him.

Until today.

I was topping up their kibble, including on their favourite spot, the cat house roof. This time, instead of running away, he seemed curious and wanted to sniff my fingers.

So I let him sniff and come a bit closer. That, by itself, was huge.

Then he came even closer, and started pushing his face into my hands.

Then he started grabbing my fingers and pulling them over to pet him!

Then…

This happened.

He suddenly began reveling in pets, rolling around on the roof, sending kibble and other cats flying as he bashed into them. If my hand slowed down, or if I tried to pet another cat, he grabbed it and pulled it back to pet him some more!

How does a cat go from pretty much completely feral, to oozing friendliness, in such a short time?

Also; confirmed male.

All of the friendly outside cats, and even the half friendly ones, have been male. We still have had little progress approaching the calicos and torties; there’s just one tortie that I’ve been able to sneak pets while she’s eating. She moves away, but doesn’t run away or panic anymore. The girls have named that one Phantom, because she has a black “mask” over one eye. There is one tabby that we can’t get close to, but I did get a view while it was eating and could confirm male, and the other that has allowed me to pet it is also confirmed male. There are still some white and greys we can’t touch, and have not been able to see if they are male or female.

It would be nice if some of the females (we can safely assume the calicos and torties are female, even though we’ve never been able to actually see one way or the other) would suddenly become friendly. That would make it much easier to get them to the rescue to get fixed!

The Re-Farmer