Written by Dezi Noppe
Photography by Matthew Mason
Four years ago, we were blessed with a feral kitty who came into our lives when we lived in an estate in Sir Lowry’s Pass. We named him Butterscotch.
All it took was a bowl of food and water, a cosy blanket on a chair in a safe space outside and, of course, gentle coercion with tasty kitty treats to make him more comfortable to come into the house.
He’d take off every morning, but soon he started coming back to the house a few times a day instead of just at night.
He adopted my mum as his human and, before we knew it, he was sleeping on her bed and sitting with her at night on the couch watching TV. She was, and still is, the only one he allows to touch him, and he even plays with her. He’s so gentle – no rough biting, etc. He’ll allow me close but won’t let me touch him.
At one stage, we were unable to keep him and he stayed with Paulette Bousfield at PlumPets Animal Shelter for a year. To our blessing, he was never adopted. My mum missed him so much and our new pet-friendly environment made it possible for us to adopt him.
Butterscotch has taken over our house. Our patio is now a catio which he happily shares with us. He’s an indoor kitty and a very happy one at that. My mum brushes him every day and he talks (meows) a lot to her. When he sees her his little eyes light up. He does this cute little skip-like action and then he’ll follow her around the house. He sleeps on my mum’s bed at night and snuggles right up against her. He also takes afternoon naps with her, using her arm as a pillow. When it’s his dinner time, he comes into the lounge from the patio, which he’s claimed as his catio, stretches his legs up next to her and taps her cheek gently with his paw, urging her to prepare his food; this happens at the same time every day.
When we get visitors, he does have a safe place in my mum’s bedroom where he stays until they’ve left. However, he’s slowly becoming used to other people.
He’s honestly a loving and adorable kitty. The “feral”, so to speak, is no longer. It’s very rewarding and a blessed feeling to adopt a kitty that the world seems to have given up on.
Give them a chance, and with lots of love and a little patience and understanding, they’ll love you unconditionally.
