# I have a kittycat. Advice appreciated.



## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

Francesca and I were sitting in the conservatory about 10 days ago when we heard a slight meow. Discovered this tiny kitten in the crawlspace below. Called in a cat lady, she determined he was about 2 weeks old, a male, and very smart by some tests she gave him. He got fixed yesterday.
We had dogs when the kids were little and we were never cat people. My wife fell in love with Felix so he is here. He came in the conservatory yesterday to recuperate from the snipping for his first and last visit inside. He has wild animal instincts. He walks in cover or on the edge of it always. If he crosses an open area he usually runs unless he's stalking. We have been feeding him once a day and providing water. He can also drink from the pond I imagine. We have expansive flower gardens and plants here. He is keeping the bunnies away because of his scent I believe. They eat the tops of flowers and the chippymonks bury things in the flower pots so wife loves him but expects him to do his job and he is. I travel quite a bit and Francesca comes along sometimes. And we're not here all winter. I have someone coming in a couple times a week watering stuff in the conservatory so he could feed Felix also. Is that enough?? We are also negotiating with my daughter to perhaps take him for the winter. Will he eat mice? We also have over a dozen bird feeders here and they get filled all winter. Will he eat them? There is plenty so he can take his share. Any thought pro or con from the cat people is appreciated. Here he is.






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           Nice Felix





[/URL][/IMG]  Felix the sentry





[/URL][/IMG]  Felix the hunter


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## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

I typed *****cat. Not allowed??


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## Braineack (Jun 28, 2014)

love #3.


youre the third person in a few days that said they found a kitten in their yard; wtf do i have to do to make this happen for me?!?!!??!!


it wont survive very long if you don't take it in or give it to a rescue...or mail it to me.


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## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

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           Monster Felix





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           Scary Felix





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           And Felix stalking a birdie.


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## Mandolin (Jun 28, 2014)

We found a 2 week old kitten in our yard (he actually fell out of our tree) 2 years ago. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into!


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## Designer (Jun 28, 2014)

Well, right now it's quite young, but start cutting back (WAY BACK) on his food.  Don't feed him at all once he is adult size.  A hungry cat will do what he can to rid the premises of vermin, but a fed cat just won't bother.


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## oldhippy (Jun 28, 2014)

Designer said:


> Well, right now it's quite young, but start cutting back (WAY BACK) on his food.  Don't feed him at all once he is adult size.  A hungry cat will do what he can to rid the premises of vermin, but a fed cat just won't bother.



That's the truth, wife over feeds all animals, myself included. Have 10 cats and as many mice.


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## snowbear (Jun 28, 2014)

Awwww - what a cutie.

Congratulations on your new family member.
Ours (Bell and Zoe) are inside cats, though Bell has escaped a couple of times (she wants to get out, then is scared  once she's out there).  Bell got a couple of mice when she was younger and Zoe found a smallish snake in the apartment when she was a kitten, and was batting the crap out of it (it's a big string).  Mine didn't eat them, though Zoe does snack on the insects she finds.

Just be aware, that when to do get mice (and other stuff, I guess), they are so proud of what they've done that they will bring them to you as an offering.  This can mean they drop them at your feet or put them in your bed, etc.


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## TamiAz (Jun 28, 2014)

You have a cute kitty there... Thank you for getting him fixed!! :mrgreen:  I thank everyone who  have their animals fixed!! :heart:



Designer said:


> Well, right now it's quite young, but start cutting back (WAY BACK) on his food.  Don't feed him at all once he is adult size.  A hungry cat will do what he can to rid the premises of vermin, but a fed cat just won't bother.



I don't know about that.. I have two cats and I free feed them, so they constantly have food. One of my cats loves to hunt and brings home goodies all the time. My other cat prefers to stay home and is not a hunter, but she's good at catching scorpions that are in the house. I would prefer they both stay inside, but I have dogs that use a doggy door, but it's actually a cat door too.


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## Designer (Jun 28, 2014)

Our long-time favorite cat (now deceased) use to bring us all sorts of "gifts".  Once brought a whole nest of baby rabbits in.  (we used to leave doors and windows open all day)

She brought us live birds, a live bat, insects, and half-eaten shrews.


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## terri (Jun 28, 2014)

He is absolutely beautiful!         Maybe part Bengal, too.   

Please, if at all possible do continue to negotiate with your daughter to take him, if you are leaving and you can't or won't take him along.   Did you mean to imply with the typed word that he is acting feral?   I don't know why that word would be questionable, but anyway - from the pictures, he looks to be a domestic shorthair breed, meaning he's only acting wild because that's all he knows.   He is cautious because he is alone out there, and possibly a bit traumatized from being abandoned.   Kitties like this, once rescued, will give the love back in spades if given half a chance.   

I disagree with the notion not to feed him at all - WRONG.    At the very least keep offering him some kibble during the day - I wouldn't advise leaving it out at night or other critters will be drawn to it, and he might fight them to protect his turf - no need to set him up like that for a fight.       But let him watch you pour it up in a sturdy shallow bowl, along with clean water in another bowl, and he will be fine.  That will NOT remove any of his instincts to hunt, and his very presence will keep away lots of wildlife.   If your bird feeders are stationed high, he may try to catch them but won't succeed much.   The birds are no doubt already very aware of his presence and are watchful before they even swoop in.   I have 2 cats and watch the behavior around my feeders, and birds are quite wary.   

 But he is just a small kitten and needs the extra food and nutrition, and if you would like to have him calm down and not act wild, he needs a relationship with his people.   Feeding, talking, petting - cats are very, very sociable creatures and will respond to the attention.   But if you ignore him, he will ignore you, too.   Just don't blame the cat for being "wild" if he's not allowed inside.   Cats do very well indoors, and can go inside and out with no problems.   (I hate a litterbox as much as the next person, and prefer to have them be indoor/outdoor kitties.)    His fear of open spaces will gradually disappear and he will learn to appreciate the safety and security of being indoors with his people, and will curl up next to you and probably enjoy being petted, etc.   

If you really can't take him with you  please try to get him somewhere to give him a chance to become a fully integrated part of a family!   He is gorgeous and looks clean and healthy, too.   I hope you have a good outcome!


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## PixelRabbit (Jun 28, 2014)

You have quite the cutie there!  Those paws are big, he will likely be a good sized cat when he grows up.

Terri said exactly what I was going to say only better,  he is vulnerable right now and needs some people to give him a bit of a hand while he learns the ins and outs of this big big world.  I hope you can provide that for him, he's gorgeous!


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## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

Braineack said:


> love #3.
> youre the third person in a few days that said they found a kitten in their yard; wtf do i have to do to make this happen for me?!?!!??!!
> it wont survive very long if you don't take it in or give it to a rescue...or mail it to me.


Braineack, thanks for your input. I'm hoping that's not the case. I believe we have past the giving Felix to a good home stage.


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## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

Designer said:


> Well, right now it's quite young, but start cutting back (WAY BACK) on his food.  Don't feed him at all once he is adult size.  A hungry cat will do what he can to rid the premises of vermin, but a fed cat just won't bother.


Thanks, Designer. I'm leaning that way as well. Do you have personal experience? If I stop feeding him when he's an adult, will it affect his personality?


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## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

terri said:


> He is absolutely beautiful!         Maybe part Bengal, too.
> 
> Please, if at all possible do continue to negotiate with your daughter to take him, if you are leaving and you can't or won't take him along.   Did you mean to imply with the typed word that he is acting feral?   I don't know why that word would be questionable, but anyway - from the pictures, he looks to be a domestic shorthair breed, meaning he's only acting wild because that's all he knows.   He is cautious because he is alone out there, and possibly a bit traumatized from being abandoned.   Kitties like this, once rescued, will give the love back in spades if given half a chance.
> 
> ...


Terri,thanks for such a thorough insight. I don't think I would be able to direct not feeding him at all. The granddaughter who is a few miles away and her parents are both attached to Felix. He won't be ignored. I'm and outsider in a lot of places and don't wish to be one in my family. He thinks my wife is his mommy and she has taken to that.
He is very calm already. Just cautious. I think he had infantry training in his last life. 
I do believe I disagree with you on one point, however. I like the fact that he's wild and don't want to take that from him. Both my wife and I want him to be an outside cat and that's the way we are leaning. But... We will do what is right for Felix. Just want to see what that is. The name I typed was not feral. It's a warm, fuzzy name that Bugs Bunny would call a puddy tat.


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## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

PixelRabbit said:


> You have quite the cutie there!  Those paws are big, he will likely be a good sized cat when he grows up.


Yes, little bunny, that's what the vet told my wife.


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## Tee (Jun 28, 2014)

What Teri said.  

I'm extremely baffled at the do not feed comment.  It can still be an outdoor cat but goodness, give it some nutrition.


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## robbins.photo (Jun 28, 2014)

Mandolin said:


> We found a 2 week old kitten in our yard (he actually fell out of our tree) 2 years ago. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into!



At least your cat has a job.  All the dog does is lay around all day eating bon bon's and watching soap operas.


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## keyseddie (Jun 28, 2014)

Tee said:


> What Teri said.
> 
> I'm extremely baffled at the do not feed comment.  It can still be an outdoor cat but goodness, give it some nutrition.


Thanks for the comment and advice. Felix actually came in the conservatory, which is almost in the house. We had happy hour hanging out with him and he was happy to return outside. We are both a little perplexed by how much this critter has entered our lives.


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## terri (Jun 28, 2014)

> The name I typed was not feral. It's a warm, fuzzy name that Bugs Bunny would call a puddy tat.



Oh.  Right.   

   Yeah, that word can be abused, so it makes the special list.   

Honestly, having read your further comments, I think we're on the same page.       There is nothing wrong with letting Felix enjoy the outdoors as much as he likes.   I'm sure he believes he is the king of his little domain!   When he can actually fit those big paws, he will be!    As long as he knows he is occasionally welcome indoors, in the event of bad weather or illness/surgery, he should be comfortable with the idea of 4 walls - but the conservatory sounds like it's fitting the bill in that regard.   



> We are both a little perplexed by how much this critter has entered our lives.



The special ones have a way of doing that.   They kinda sneak up on you, don't they?    :heart:   People who claim not to be cat people usually have just never had the opportunity to hang around a cat - and when they do, it's easy to appreciate how cool they are.   A little extra attention/food/love, and he will otherwise take care of himself.

hee hee, signed,
cat person, destined to becoming weird old cat lady


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## Tee (Jun 28, 2014)

keyseddie said:


> Tee said:
> 
> 
> > What Teri said.
> ...



I fully admit I'm a big ole teddy bear when it comes to cats.  I became that way when a kitten entered my life unexpectedly many years ago.  They are great to have around.  I hope Felix brings you and the wife many smiles.


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## Eclectix (Jun 28, 2014)

My last cat was a big bruiser, dumb as an ox but so sweet and a lethal hunter by instinct. We never had a mouse around with him in the house. Our dog would catch and kill them in the yard (a Jack Russel terrier) and our cat would get them if they found their way inside. We fed him all the food he wanted and he was still a lethal killer always on the prowl. Except for the times when he was a massive purring ball of fluff.


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## CAP (Jun 28, 2014)

keyseddie said:


> I typed *****cat. Not allowed??



You have to type it like &#929;ussycat


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## snerd (Jun 28, 2014)

KeeKat says howdy to Felix!!


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## CAP (Jun 28, 2014)

Meaw to u too.


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## keyseddie (Jun 29, 2014)

Thanks to all for the advice. Looks like we have a cat. He was chasing one of these critters this morning. First one I've seen since Felix has arrived.





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## mrs.hankIII (Jun 29, 2014)

Cats will either hunt, or they won't. No matter how much you feed them, hunting doesn't come down to being hungry. It comes down to instinct.


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## manaheim (Jun 29, 2014)

Cute cat.

Animals need fresh water daily. A drink fountain type thing helps this a little.

Cats can generally be left with a large bowl of food for a few days, but never as long as a week or more.

Sounds like you need to find the little guy a home or come up with some better arrangements.


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## keyseddie (Jul 9, 2014)

Felix had a virus last week. The vet said it's common because he was so young. But 4 days of medicine and rest and he's good. He's growing and displaying his instincts.

He likes to sit here in the bush on this railing.





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Has his own chair for happy hour. Prefers wicker.





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        Sits in the tree above a bird feeder honing his skills.





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## Overread (Jul 9, 2014)

Awws he's a little little kitty! Reminds me of one we lost not so long ago, she had a similar colour patterning and a trick of if you picked her up she'd tug her way up onto your shoulders where she'd either laze or, more normally, spend ages trying to headbutt your ear for attention whilst purring and dribbling (because she was that happy).

We also had some wicker chairs, the footstool (which was all wicker and no cushion) was always a favoured haunt for the cats. Not only could they lay atop it - but they could claw the sides and and and best thing you could get underneath it and hide up inside it!


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## keyseddie (Jul 14, 2014)

Sorry, here's more Felix. Followed the critter around for awhile this morn. 
Felix and the baby frog fishin' instead of just wishin'
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





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Felix and the mermaid.





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        Felix on a garden path.





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        And chillin' on the deck





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## limr (Jul 14, 2014)

Aw, there's no need to ever apologize for pictures of Felix  Such a beautiful little tabby!


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## keyseddie (Jul 14, 2014)

limr said:


> Aw, there's no need to ever apologize for pictures of Felix  Such a beautiful little tabby!


Thanks. Is that what he is, a tabby?


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## limr (Jul 14, 2014)

keyseddie said:


> limr said:
> 
> 
> > Aw, there's no need to ever apologize for pictures of Felix  Such a beautiful little tabby!
> ...



Yup. If I have this right, two colors with stripes/some spots are typical markers that signify tabby. They also often have that "M" on their foreheads and the lines that come out of their eyes, kind of like eyeliner, both of which are quite clearly seen in this picture you posted:







And if I remember correctly, there are different types of tabbies depending on the colors (grey and black, brown and black, tan and black...) and the pattern of their markings (predominantly stripes are Mackerel tabbies, but some have more swirly markings, and a lot of have spotted bellies, like leopards.) 

Oh yeah, internet! Tabby cat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Three colors (usually black, orange, and white) is a calico and they often have a more patched look rather than stripes or more regular spots. And a cat with three colors but with more tabby-like stripes/dots is often called a calico tabby, or a calitabby. I've got one of those, actually. Black, tan, and orange but with a more tabby-like pattern. Meet Mrs.Parker!




Day 313 - Mrs Parker by limrodrigues, on Flickr


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## limr (Jul 14, 2014)

Her sister Zelda is also technically a calitabby I think, although she has a gene that affects the color from appearing except on her head and tail, so she's got a little "calico" patch on her head but the rest of her is white:




Day 236 - Zelda sleeps by limrodrigues, on Flickr


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## snowbear (Jul 14, 2014)

He's adorable.

Oh, and by the way - dogs have owners; cats have staff.


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## BillM (Jul 14, 2014)

snowbear said:


> He's adorable.
> 
> Oh, and by the way - dogs have owners; cats have staff.



You've obviously never met my dog's. :Joker:


Nice pictures of Felix, he's a real looker  :thumbup:


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## Derrel (Jul 14, 2014)

keyseddie said:


> Tee said:
> 
> 
> > What Teri said.
> ...



This little fellow was part of my life for about 18 years!!! His name was Little Man. A tabby. Here he is in 2003, at age 11. A shot from the ancient Nikon D1, the 2.7 MP d-slr of the era.






[    5336_LMf5.3180.JPG photo - Derrel photos at pbase.com    ]

Yeah, the good ones reallllly do get ahold of you. In his dotage, Little Man liked to sleep on my desktop, where the tower's hot air exhaust and the heat from stacked external drives was high. When I would go into dinner he would "sneak" big, long drinks of my espresso and half and half, cold, right from the cup where I always left it on my desk. he loved cantaloupe and asparagus stems, as do many cats. He detested brie cheese, but liked its rhind...he loved peanut butter, as well as salmon eggs, and peas.


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## lambertpix (Jul 14, 2014)

Looks like a great little cat.  I've got two brothers from a litter that was found under the steps of my son's school.  One is a hunter, and the other is afraid of his own shadow.  Go figure.  A year or so ago, I wound up with another one that was rapidly running out of lives at my ex's place.  All three of them love it outside when it's nice.

This has only happened once -- ever:



IMG_3414.jpg by lambertpix, on Flickr

Lol.  Cats know what ice pellets splatting on the windows sound like, too.  ;-)


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## keyseddie (Jul 15, 2014)

Thanks for the detailed post, limr. 18 years, Derrel?? How long to cats live? Yours looks to have much the same coloring as Felix. Felix has settled in and seems to enjoy being an outside cat. Fierce t-storms that we have had recently don't seem to bother him at all. Has no apparent interest in going near the road. Walks around the swimming pool and pond and holes up in the heat, always appearing for late afternoon happy hour on his chair.


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## pesya.23 (Jul 21, 2014)

Felix is completely awesome!


As option you can feed him less, but please don't stop to feed him at all. If you try to feed him less, he will hunt on a small animals, but still will be supported by your side even if he doesn't catch anything. So you won't be worry about him, because you will know, that you give him some food and he will live


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## pesya.23 (Jul 21, 2014)

Felix looks like a tiger when he climbs on the tree! 
Has he caught someone already?


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## DevC (Jul 21, 2014)

I had a kitten pop up in my yard a few days ago. It was fat and it ran away.

Cute cats although In this thread.


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## froggy1 (Jul 21, 2014)

Hi everyone,

A newbie to photography but a lifelong rescuer and the founder/administrator of a cat rescue so I can definitely chime in on this one from years of experience. Sorry for butting in but one of the responses just made my blood boil from the lack of sense and compassion. Not feeding an outside cat so he gets hungry enough to catch rodents?* BAD* idea! On so many levels. First off, the hunter instinct varies from cat to cat. That has nothing to do with the amount they eat every day. Not feeding it will NOT make him go after the rodents. What it will do is either make him leave to go find food somewhere else or he will slowly starve and be prone to illnesses. One of these will eventually kill him. Other animals will feel that and will try to move in on his territory. To be an effective hunter, a cat has to be healthy and have the energy to hunt. Hence the regular proper nutrition. This kitten looks to be 8 to 10 weeks in the pictures and is definitely not feral. All you have to do is look in his eyes. Feral cats have a blank stare. There is no active connection with the person they look at. This guy is skittish and unsure of people but not feral. Just look at his body language. He hasn't decided yet if humans are a creature he should trust completely but, without a mom there to teach him dos and donts, he can go either way. If you leave him all winter and "water him' twice a week, you will come back to a completely feral cat by spring. If he has already bonded with your wife, then there is a good chance he can become a wonderful companion for your family or someone else while retaining his natural instincts. The average lifespan of an outside cat who has to scrounge around for food is 5 years. The one of an inside cat is 20 years. If your family wants him to be around for a long time and not go die off somewhere, I would suggest making him an inside/outside cat so he retains his hunting drive without becoming feral. A final point if I may. If your family has already named, vaccinated and fixed Felix, this means they have already formed a bond and are attached to him. If you don't nurture that bond, how will you manage to get him to the vet if anything ever happens to him? Do you really want your granddaughter to watch a pet she cares about, slowly waste away simply because he won't let anyone touch him or catch him? Just something to think of.


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## gsgary (Jul 21, 2014)

Only way i would find a cat in my garden would be dead my dogs would rip it to pieces, one cat lost some of it's tail last year


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## keyseddie (Jul 21, 2014)

Thanks for your input, froggy person. Not to worry, I'm pretty much learning what you are saying. And thanks to all who are concerned with Felix's welfare. We WILL do what's best for him come winter. Just not sure yet what that will be. He is doing his job by keeping the bunnies, chippymonks and mice away. He's not catching anything yet, but he chases them out of the garden areas. We currently feed him well twice a day. When we overnite somewhere we just leave him lots of food and water. We let him in the conservatory if my grand daughter is here but he seems happy outside. My wife's lap is his fave place when we are out there.


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## terri (Jul 21, 2014)

Felix is getting more beautiful the bigger he gets!   I think he has some Bengal in him, too - very distinctive stripes/markings.   What a beauty!

My last tabby lived to be 19 years old.   She was deaf, but still full of fun and personality right up to the end.   Cats really do become part of the family! 


  I made a lith print out of one of my last shots of her (Jinx):


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## keyseddie (Jul 26, 2014)

Felix is growing and getting older. I'm thinking he's almost a teenager. When it's hot and humid, he holes up in the bush or under the conservatory. When the golden hour brings in the sweet light he fancies happy hour with the servants. Here he is prowling the garden.






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        Below, his tiger personna.





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        And enjoying happy hour on his wicker. He's too young for sangria.





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        Felix is studying Italian. Ciao.


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## limr (Jul 26, 2014)

Felix is growing up gorgeous!  And I'm loving the latest pictures of him, especially the dappled light and his sweet little face on that last one.


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## keyseddie (Jul 26, 2014)

limr said:


> Felix is growing up gorgeous!  And I'm loving the latest pictures of him, especially the dappled light and his sweet little face on that last one.


Leonore, i was actually going for the "Dan Ostergren" dappled light look but Felix wouldn't have it.


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## keyseddie (Aug 18, 2014)

Felix update. Felix likes to hang on the railing outside the conservatory. Below, his "let me in keyseddie" look.





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A couple more, through the glass. Felix profile.





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## limr (Aug 18, 2014)

Aw, he's getting big! Such a beautiful cat.


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