New garden, new cat!

Garden Transformation Part 2 – Story of an orphaned cat

When we came to view the property, eight years ago. We knew the minute we saw the garden, that this was the one for us! A blank canvas, big enough for what we had planned. With a long south facing boundary, that I could already imagine fruit growing along.

Whilst we were exploring the garden, we saw a cat fast asleep in one of the borders. As it was the next door neighbour showing us around, so we asked who the cat belonged to. The neighbour told us, that sadly the occupant of the house had died, leaving her cat without an owner. He had continued to feed her, and had now found her a new home in a neighbouring village.

As cat lovers with two of our own, we said we would have happily taken her on if we moved in. We felt quite sad that we’d missed out on allowing her to stay at home. We said that if we bought the house, and it didn’t work out with her new home, we’d be only too happy to have a new cat.

A few months later, the day finally came for us to move in. We were thrilled when we spotted her in the garden.

The neighbour told us what a job he’d had, trying to catch her. He’d finally managed to, and had taken her, to her new home. She’d stayed for a while, then just one week before we moved in, he’d spotted her back in her garden.

Remembering what we’d said, he started to feed her again until we arrived. Waiting to see if we’d meant it about taking her on.

As she didn’t respond to her old name, we immediately renamed her Sidi.

Sidi’s History

Sidi had originally been a stray, and so had apparently always been very skittish. We initially tried to get her to come inside, but she wasn’t having any of it. The saddest thing about her, was that she wouldn’t make any eye contact. If an animal can look sad, she certainly did. We knew we had to be super patient and wait for her to trust us.

Building the trust

As she wasn’t for coming in, we rigged her up a bed in the log store we’d brought with us. She spent all of the first winter sleeping in there. Luckily it was reasonably mild, but we still hated her being out there.

We put her food in the open, but under cover porch. She’d wait until we were well out of the way, before eating every scrap of her food.

In the early part of the following year, she actually came into the kitchen to eat her food. She only did this though, if the door was left open.

A few weeks later, she started to venture out of the kitchen, into the rest of the house. As long as all doors were left open for a speedy escape, if necessary.

Meeting the other cats

We already had two mainly indoor cats. The one is called Elise, she is quite small, super curious, and super friendly, so she came to greet Sidi as soon as she started coming inside.

Our other cat is Imola, she is very relaxed (we won’t say lazy). Since moving here she had taken to spending the majority of her time upstairs asleep. As a result she didn’t bother to come and investigate the newcomer for a few days. Imola is a big girl in every way, she has a large frame and shall we say “she likes her food!”

Sidi had come through to the lounge, and was sitting in a very slouched position, when Imola walked into the room. Sidi suddenly sat bolt upright, as if trying to make herself as big as she could, it was hilarious to watch. She needn’t have worried though as Imola is a gentle giant. After she’d had a quick sniff, she just wandered off completely uninterested.

They took a while to get close, but once they did they were never far apart in the garden. I think Sidi thought she’d got a protector.

Settling In

She gradually got used to us and started sleeping inside. When the second winter came she discovered the log burner. This meant, we now had three cats stretched out in front of it every night. A lovely sight.

We still weren’t permitted to touch her yet, but she would brush around our legs and she started making eye contact. She finally looked like a happy cat. We often wondered what Sidi’s view of us moving in had been.

Sidi’s Story – From her point of view

Who are these strangers, and why have they dumped all this stuff in my garden?

This is my territory! I claimed it five years ago when I came across a lovely human that started feeding me. I’d never had a proper home, having been a stray all my life. But when I came across this lovey space with food every day, I knew this was home.

The lady human that lives in the big brick box is kind to me, and I now sleep inside it every night with her, it’s very warm. There’s a particular hotspot in one of the inner boxes, and I lie by it until I get too hot, then saunter off to my bed.

Things start to go wrong

After a few years of this happy arrangement my human has disappeared, I don’t know where she has gone. I can’t get into the brick box anymore, but luckily the human next door is still supplying my food. I quite like him.

Scrap that! I don’t like him anymore, as he’s been trying to grab me for a few days. He’s now put me into a little box, and is taking me away from my garden.

It appears that I have a new human and a new garden, its ok but it’s not a patch on my old one.

I am able to sleep in their warm brick box every night, and there’s plenty of food. I might stay awhile, just until my human gets back.

Heading back home

It’s been a few weeks now, so I think I’ll trek off back home.
Gosh it’s further than I thought, it didn’t take long in the noisy metal box on wheels.

Here we are back in my garden, just the way I remember it, but my humans still not here. The one that lives next door has spotted me and has started bringing me food. I suppose I do like him really, but I’ll be sure not to get too close to him again!

Meeting the new humans

Who are these strangers and why are they dumping all this stuff in my garden?

Wow, they’ve just put down a large bowl of food, and it seems to be for me. I suppose if they’re going to feed me I can tolerate all their stuff around, and actually this swinging chair is quite comfy.

The day after they arrived, they made me a very cosy den to sleep in at night. They seem to want me to come into the big brick box, but I’m smart and I know they might take me away again.

I finally decide to risk going into the brick box, but only when I have an escape route planned.

Making new friends

I’m sure I can smell other cats? Yes here’s one, she seems friendly and she’s quite small like me. I’ve never had a friend before, I think I’ll start coming in more often.

After a few days, I was sure I could smell another cat. I was sitting quite happily when, OMG she’s huge, I’ve never seen such a big cat. I puff myself up and sit up very straight, but it’s no good she’s still double my size. Gosh she’s coming over, I sit motionless, she sniffs me then turns away. That was a close one!

I start going in regularly and the humans don’t seem to be trying to chase me. I’m allowed to wander where I want and come and go as I please through the flap.
Both cats seem to like me, and there’s a fire box that gets really hot, so we all sleep in front of it.

When I go out and about the huge cat comes with me now, this is great as I know that no other cat is ever going to dare come into our garden again. It’s good to be home.

Stay safe & happy gardening.

If you want to give a home to a deserving cat. Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity. They help around 200,000 cats and kittens every year through their network of 210 volunteer-run branches and 37 centres. Or you could just make a donation to help them continue to help cats in need.

Part 1 – Let’s get stuck into the garden makeover! Part 3 – Building the raised vegetable beds Part 4 – Lady bricklayer? Part 5 – Creating a walled garden from scratch – The Shady Wall Part 6 – Creating a walled garden from scratch – The Great Wall Part 7 – Bamboo and Hosta raised beds Part 8 – The Majestic Walnut Tree Part 9 – The Holly and The Ivy Part 10 – Greenhouse, take two Part 11 – The Fruit trees Part 12 – Dreaming of a Pond Part 13 – The White Garden Part 14 – Gardening on an Ice-Age Glacier Part 15 – Creating the Pathways Part 16 – Creating a Woodland border Part 17 – Digging up the lawn