It all started with a request I read, a couple of weeks back in Facebook, from a couple who had bought a farm near Montaltissimo, a village they described (and as many truly are) rather more peopled by cats than by humans. They already had two dogs and the cats didn’t really get on well with their canines. Could they find homes for them? Of the photographs shown of a kitten tom and a kitten queen (born end of June this year) I chose the tom. Our feline family had lacked a male since the death of Napoleon just before the Christmas of 2017. Perhaps this tom might fit the bill?
I met with the couple, a little daughter and the kitten tom last Tuesday at Fornoli’s bar Serra. We transferred the tom from one cat basket to another on one of the bar’s tables much to the delight of some customers. However, the morning’s weather looked ominous. Another day of incessant rain? Oh no!
Anyway, our new arrival (after a brief visit to our vet who has his practice close by, for a quick check-up) was securely strapped, in his basket, on the back of my scooter and we reached home without getting soaked.
Archie, as we have decided to call him (though maybe not what he calls himself – all cats have, as you know, their own secret names) quickly began to explore his new surroundings which, of course, includes the queenly trio Carlotta, Cheekie and Corneglia. Would he get on with them? Would they accept him?
Old (14) Corneglia took him into her care almost immediately.
She gave Archie a lesson on how to catch a (mechanical) mouse.
Archie was hypnotised by our fire’s flames (as cats inevitably are).
Then there was that special feline treat of playing with the christmas tree (though happily without too much bauble boxing).
And, last but not least, what Italian cat cannot resist dipping into a plate of spaghetti?
I’m sure we’ll have years of fun and games with our new tom, Archie, all thanks to that FB insert.
We have had a very amazing family of cats both in UK and Italy. Cats are wonderfully independant but also very endearing with their feline ways. They each have their unique characteristic traits. It surely is wonderful that Cornelia has refound her voice and is communicating well with Archie she so needed that companionship that she enjoyed and shared with Mr Napoleon that she missed as we all do so very much. I can see that sparkle and twinkle back in her eyes. The odd thing is that sometimes Archie is hauntingly like Mr Napoleon I have been told that cats too reincarnate so maybe that is the reason. Archie like his predecessor is proving to be a really good mouser so is earning his keep. Lets hope that Archie will enjoy his walks with us as did Mr Napoleon.
Lovely cute story. Archie looks like he has fitted very well.
I may be wrong, and often am, but wasn’t Archie the cockroach. Mehitabel was the cat. Let us hope, anyway, that your Archie doesn’t take to diving onto the typewriter keys, or, in modern parlance, walking over your keyboard as you type as ours, properly called, but never answering to, Mehitabel, used to do.
Thanks for putting me onto Don Marquis and crazy cats.
Thanks for putting me onto Don Marquis and crazy cats.
Well, it’s an awful long time ago, but as I remember, Mehitabel the cat was not especially crazy. ‘Toujours Gay’ or something like that was her motto as she purrsued (sorry) her pleasures. There was a little bio of Marquis on the radio the other day which brought it all back. But try and read some of Archy’s work. It was him that was crazy due to brain damage from diving onto the typewriter keys.
Let’s meet up if you’re here in the bel paese for Christmas?
Regret to advise that we have just returned to UK and will be spending Christmas here. Back late January. Will contact then.