The cat with no name

Last winter the two ginger cats who lived in our byre and exchanged food for rodent control services, decided that they by far preferred the option of living at our neighbours warm and comfortable house. Where they could spend their days watching telly in front of the fire and eating deluxe cat food. Took them a few months to abandon us completely and our neighbour did apologise for nicking our cats but off they went.

So after a summer of pesky rabbits eating all our plants and having the opportunity to admire the splendid examples of brown rat that have moved in under the hen house we requested of a couple of barn cats from Cats Protection. Surplus farm cats are a bit of a problem in Orkney so they usually have a few looking for a home.

We've had them for a few weeks now, a mother and her kitten. Very, very timid and we've not let them out of the byre yet as we'd like them to be at least slightly used to us before we set them loose. Taking a lot longer for them to get used to us than the other two did, especially the mother but at least they've stopped hissing at us.

So far we've not been able to decide on names for them... kinda hard to give a cat a name when all you've seen of her is a couple eyes shining in the dark behind their basket! At least this wee chap has let us get a good look at him and very dapper he is too, I think he'll be a lovely cat when he's bigger.