Regular readers of my blog will know that I used to post about the cats and kittens a lot. After the death of Simba and Tykey and moving house, I haven't written anything about the rest of the family, Little Red and Baggy but they remain in my thoughts as they're pretty special cats.
I thought it time for Baggy to get his own post as he is quite a character and deserves the mention eventhough he's still living in Santa Agnes and I'm here in Cala Carbo.
When I arrived at the house, Little Red and Baggy (they're siblings) were about 6 months old. They still didn't have names, didn't really belong to the house but were fed there with the other 3 cats. I soon gave them names and got to know them a little better. Little Red was always a friendly little thing but Baggy (short for Bagherra, the black panther in The Jungle Book) was a really paranoid, jumpy kitten that you couldn't get anywhere near. It was impossible to touch him or stroke him, if you got to close, he'd have this panicked look and go hurtling off. Sometimes I'd walk into my bedroom and see Little Red curled up on the corner of the bed, with Baggy curled up next to her. The minute he saw me, he'd leap up in fright and hurtle off, usually skidding on the tiled floor. The closest I ever got to him was one time when I was in bed reading. Red had come into the room, jumped up on the bed and was snoozing on my lap. Baggy saw this, probably decided that it looked comfortable and joined him. So he sat on my lap for a while but at no point could I move or attempt to touch him. In some ways he reminded me of my nephew Adam, they have a similar highly-strung sort of personality and these little fangs that stick out a little.
One time when I was sat on the porch, he came close enough and hung around for long enough that I could stroke him. That lasted about 3 seconds before he took a swipe at me and skittled off. But those 3 seconds were enough to tell him that being stroked is a very nice thing and perhaps he'd like more of it. Little Red wandered over to where I was sat and purred for a bit of attention so I started stroking her. The next thing I knew, Baggy had come up and shouldered her out of the way and taken up her place so he got stroked instead. It was a comical moment and the point where Baggy and I really started to become friends.
After that moment, he was up for some loving whenever he could get it. If he saw any of the other cats getting any attention, he'd be straight over wanting some himself. He was still a bit skitty and nervous, prone to swipe so I refrained from picking him up or putting him on my lap. But one time when I was sat reading, he jumped up onto my lap and sat there being stroked. Then he started climbing closer and closer to my face until his cheek was right up against my cheek and he stayed there for ages. This became one of his favourite positions and if he ever came and sat on my lap, inevitably he'd be snuggling right up against my cheek. He'd come running over whenever he heard me arriving back home and then climb into the van through the open window. Once the kittens were born and got most of my attention, this was really the only time that he'd get some cuddling from me and he used to make the most of the opportunity.
Once the kittens were born, all the other cats kept well away from them and Little Red. Apart from Baggy. I don't know if it was a family thing as he was their uncle or if he was just after some extra food but he was always trying to get into their room. I was a bit nervous at first as I remember some Pakistani rumour about tom cats (and he still had his bits at this point) eating kittens and I didn't want to find out if it was true or not. So we kept him out of the room although he'd try and sneak in whenever he could. A few days after he was neutered, I walked into the kittens room to find him all snuggled up with Little Red and the kittens (see photo). It really was a heart-warming sight. Even when she got up and left, he stayed there looking after the babies and giving them a good clean - amazing!
Baggy never had a miaow until the kittens were born. Or maybe he had a miaow but never used it. Once they were here and were a little bit older, he'd miaow to call them - I soon got to know all the different cats and their miaows. He used to hunt for them, depositing mice and lizards in their room. Once Fluffy, Lady and Splodge had gone to their new homes and just Simba and Tyke were left, the four of them (Little Red, Baggy, Simba and Tyke) moved around like a little family unit. They'd all come on sunset walks with me and hurtle around the ploughed fields like crazy things. Simba and Baggy were particularly good friends and would often disappear together.
I don't think I've ever known a cat like Baggy. He's a funny little thing, he'd never miaow for food but would come after you for attention or a cuddle. He's completely greedy though and would gobble up anything that was going, I affectionately called him the hoover. He struck me as a cat who just really wanted to be loved. In all the photos above, he's with at least another cat, rarely did you find him on his own. He was a wild thing when we met but with love and patience, he became one of the most affectionate cats I've ever come across.
From time to time, I think of Little Red and Baggy. After the kittens died, the two of them would sneak into my bedroom each night and sleep at the end of my bed. I wanted to bring them with me but wasn't sure that it would be possible in the new place. I may be moving into a bigger flat just above the shop. If I'm allowed to have some pets here, I've decided that "Operation Cat-Nap' will be conducted. Basically this will involve going back to the house and secretly taking Little Red and Baggy. I know I should really tell Bea but I have no desire to have any contact with her. Plus she'd probably be happy if there were 2 less cats at the house. Stay tuned for updates on the mission - if it happens it won't be until January as I'm going to be travelling a lot over the next few months but once I'm back for at least a month, then it'll be time!
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