When Mr. Troutbend got here at the end of August, there was a cat that had claimed our back yard as her own. She spent a lot of time on the top of the cinderblock wall trying to catch birds, and stalking through the tall grass on the west side of the house.

She acted like a feral cat - ran when she saw us, hissed at us, and so on. Then, all of a sudden a couple days ago, she was friendly.



She'll come up to us in the yard and let us pet her. That first night she sat outside the patio door and meowed at us continually. I finally put out some food, but she wasn't interested in it. It's a relief to know she is getting enough food somwhere.

Look at her markings - she could be our Eloise's sister, but Eloise is prettier. The first time I saw Neighborhood Kitty, I thought she was very homely, but has grown on me, and she seems to have a sweet personality.



Neighborhood Kitty would love to come into the house, but Eloise has something to say about that, and we are afraid there will be biting and someone will end up with an abscess.

Here is our Christmas Day snowball - a light dusting of corn snow on the patio furniture.