Kitten hideouts

Saw this news report this morning and it reminded me of the places Pepper gets to at night time. At 7 1/2 months, he's clinging onto kittenhood but has grown into a fine feline and no doubt will continue to grow (but hopefully not as much as Allie!) and develop his charming character.

Being black furred, he has a distinct disadvantage (or maybe advantage) at night when I'm trying to hunt him down before turning in. He is certainly a night time puss. After breakfast he'll wander outside, usually when I'm waking up the rabbit and hens, but then he'll come back in to settle on someone's lap, or on one of the desks, while we're all working. This morning nap will go on until lunch time, by which time he feels a need for a stretch and will wander into the kitchen and settle there while we're finding some much needed grub. Another long nap in the afternoon (for one so young?) and then, come darkness (and not usually before), he's begging to go outside to mooch around. The other night he and another local moggy were fighting tooth and claw outside the kitchen door - it was quite a spine chilling sound.

So, when I close up the rabbit hutch and make sure the hens are snug in their coop for the night, I usually have to find Pepper. It's not always hard, he has a habit of sprinting under my feet as I wander from hutch to coop, trying, probably, to catch me out and make me trip over my own two feet! It hasn't happened yet! He will chase the torch light and bound around onto the trampoline, half way up a tree and quite often I lose track of him because he's black against black I guess.

Before now, he's managed to slip inside the car or the boot (when checking for something or sorting stuff for the next morning), and has ended up locked in! Paul and I, not so long ago, were wandering round the village in wellies and dressing gowns calling out for his return. A sudden brainwave (doesn't happen that often) made me remember opening the car up a few hours before. Low and behold he'd been in there - quick dash for the warmth of the house at 11 p.m.!

A couple of nights ago, it was bitterly cold and I'd done my "putting to bed" routine outside and once again it got to putting ourselves to bed when we realised Pepper was not in the house. I went outside (yes, in my dressing gown again), calling him and calling him. I could hear a faint meow, and followed the sound up to the chicken run. He'd got shut in there - silly fella - sitting all huntched up by the door looking sorry for himself.

So, reading this article about the lorry adventures of this particularly cat made me think of Pepper and his night time escapades. I've heard of cats travelling miles and miles by car, truck or what-have-you to get to a certain place (often their previous homes). One of my favourite films is "The Incredible Journey" which tells this very story. Let's hope Pepper won't get any ideas!