Free-ranging kittens haven’t forgotten where home is

MY fellow ‘free range’ kitten owners will know the feeling of being shunned all too well.

Since recovering from their spaying operations and ditching the rather embarrassing (for them not us) medical suits, I barely see my once constant pint-sized office companions, Coco and Pixie.

It appears that the outside world and all of its sights, sounds and smells is now way more appealing than spending quality time with their owner. But saying that, I definitely don’t miss the stinky chore of having to clean out litter trays!

But while they try their best not to show it, there are times when the terrible twosome still do need their humans. At night, for example, they’re more than happy to slump in front of the wood burning fire, often staying in the same spreadeagled and very unladylike position for hours on end.

When it’s raining, the thunder of tiny paws can be heard once again as they bundle into the house for shelter. Strong winds and cold temperatures seem to have a similar effect. They’ll soon come to realise that when living in Cornwall, you can’t afford to be a ‘fair weather’ person.

And in typical cat fashion, they’ll always play the sweet and loving card when hunger strikes, especially as catching their own prey is not a skill they’ve quite got the hang of just yet - unless it’s a big juicy fly trapped inside the window! Or a bumblebee, which for obvious reasons isn’t the best insect to practice your pouncing skills on!

All in all, it’s lovely to see them enjoying life and doing all the things that cats should. That doesn’t mean I don’t worry every time a car goes down the road, or one of the neighbour’s much bigger cats is on the prowl. But now they’ve flown the nest, it’s time to stretch their wings.