Jason and I kind of have a history with Nuisance.

We returned home one night and saw a crying shadow in mom’s animal trap.  I was a bit surprised.  We knew it was out there, but it played with the trap and mom’s nerves.   It would play on top of the trap.   It would play inside, eat the food, and not set off the trap.  It was either too smart, to lucky, or just to small to be caught.    But yet, here it was, near midnight, crying.

Nuisance is the youngest of three and is suspected to be the runt since his mother and siblings were caught and shipped to a farm (as so my mom said) to live with a friendly family who was in the need of mousers for the coming harvest.    Forgive me for my suspicions, but ‘taking an animal to a farm’ is akin to the animal’s death.    But, farms do not equate an animal’s death – – especially around here where there are several farms.

It’s quite likely that a farm would need some mousers.  Besides, I’m certain that there would be no reason for mom to lie.    It’s just all my suspicions.

Jason, I knew, wouldn’t be able to rest with the midnight kitten alone meowing in the cage and so I opened the door and the feline shadow joined the other shadows under the porch.  I went inside thinking that since mom caught the kitten once, she’s more than likely to catch it again.   The babe would be reunited with his family and have a home of plentiful food and soft hay.

But, it did not go that way.   Quite the opposite.   Try as mom might, the kitten refused to become trapped again.  Canned food and catnip held no interest for the little thing anymore.  After catching a raccoon and the neighbor’s cat, the trap disappeared.  Mom had given up on the capture momentarily.

So, each day, we were greeted by lonely meows.   They were constant, hidden, but we knew the shadow culprit.  Eyes watched our ankles when we went up and down the stairs.   Eventually, two ear tips could be seen on the left edge of the porch.  After a couple of days, this was followed by eyes until, finally, shadow kitten was content to watch and complain from a safe corner of the porch.

That is where the picture was taken.  Watching, complaining, occasionally inflicting guilt for opening the cage door, it would not allow anyone to approach.

But, that was false as I learned this morning.

I eventually awoke for an apple and greek yogurt after sleeping late.   Late being 9am in this case.   Unlike my usual routine of waiting until everyone had left the kitchen, I boldly entered the room with mom and Bill.   The elusive black shadow ran.

For the last week, mom had observed the shadow kitten staring through the glass door in the morning and evening hours.  So, she had started opening the door… just a little… and the kitten would actually come inside.   It was just a little inside – a few feet – because little sister has an allergy to cats and mom wasn’t looking for a new pet.   But, there’s no harm to being friendly with all animals.

The shadow kitten curled around her feet and insisted on being petted.   It purred and rolled over.  It played with the newspaper and took care not to scratch, although I saw sharp white claws.  Upon closer observation, I saw that he wasn’t so shadowy.   There’s a telling white tuff of hair on his belly and just under his chin.   His body seems black, but it’s really a deep deep brown past his shoulders.  His blending from black to near-black isn’t something I remember observing in a cat before.

The elusive and orphaned kitten had made friends and even acquired a name – Nuisance – in honor of it’s commitment to meowing for hours under the porch.

I sat by mom and, within a few minutes, Nuisance was trying to chew on my toes and arching towards me when I reached to stroke his back.  A couple of times, he attempted to enter the house further, but I gently lifted and turned him around, making sure the paws didn’t leave the floor as I didn’t want to panic the kitten further.

Nuisance is an odd creature.
With a tap on the door, he’ll come to play and to be petted… as long as it’s inside the house.    However, I sat outside today for about an hour watching storm clouds drift overhead.   Nuisance kept me company by occasionally vocalizing his opinion of the light rain, which wasn’t favorable.

But, no matter how much I called or tapped, Nuisance wouldn’t approach me.  Actually, I think my requests were irritating as, eventually, he disappeared under the porch and just occasionally reminded me of his presence.

Eventually, I became bored and went to the kitchen, leaving the door open maybe one or two inches.  I sat at the table, opened the newspaper to read the local drivel, and lo’ and behold, Nuisance joined me.

He was only inches from the door but looked at me, expectantly, for cheek rubs and treats.

I’ve lived with cats for multiple years.   I grew up with a family of black strays as a girl.   When I moved to Florida, I was somewhat dominated by three more.   (I only say somewhat as Jason belongs to the cats.   I was just an add-on.)

Each of them really had unique personalities and were intelligent in different ways.  But never ever has a feral kitten enter a house where it could surly be trapped — but avoided us outside where it knew it could run and hide.

It waits for mom and Bill to play with it in the mornings before eating.  Typically, it’s the opposite.   Maslow’s pyramid and all that.. but not with this one or at least not yet.  As long as I’m in the house, I’m accepted.. people are accepted.  However, we become fearsome beasts the moment we step outside despite nothing has changed besides location.

I’m a bit smitten by the kitten.   I can’t quite understand it.  His looks and behavior go against stereotypes.

I just he gets adopted before winter.
He’s just a little thing.   I don’t think hiding under the porch would be enough shelter and he can’t come inside.  Mom prefers my sister and her allergies over any animal.

But, that’s several months off.    Right now, I have a new (sort of) friend.

Welcome, Nuisance.