a gentle place

Posted By Harry on December 29, 2010

Animals, particularly those of Avondale, regularly amaze me with their displays of unadulterated love and friendship. Sure, it’s a two-way street, and no doubt when they chat to each other they do offer some acknowledgement of the friendship efforts I exert. But while on a buddy scale of 1-10 I’d probable muddle somewhere around the middle (I believe it’s somewhat lower with humans), Avondale’s animals would be off the top end. Take Thomas for example.

Born a feral kitten in Avondale’s shed before we had tamed and desexed Tobi, Thomas was the first of our 3 cats (number 3 is his sister Jerry) to realise the benefits of domesticated life. Not his domesticated life  - he’s always been able to come and go as he pleases – but ours. He was quick to realise that warm fireplaces in winter, soft laps, comfy doonahs and food whenever you uttered a meeow were good reasons to drop the feral thing with Usain Bolt rapidity. Despite Avondale’s 4o plus acres, you’ll almost always find he and his mum snoozing on the feline-heated couch, the human-heated bed or in the solar-heated cottage garden just north of our kitchen door. Provided Harry or Sue are around …

Thomas enjoying domestic life in front of the fire

Sunday night found me sauntering up the laneway, chilled bottle of sauvignon blanc in hand, about to head through the bottom of our immediate neighbour’s property (Vines with The Grapeyard) to reach Adrian & Uli’s home for their annual Boxing Day barbecue. Having eaten first at home (easier and always more comfortable when others are to have a traditional meat barbecue) it was just before 9 pm with the sunset palette changing from one of shadowed colours to grayscale. With Sue away I had left Chelsea, Abbey, Tobi and Tom (all with full bellies) in a warm house with a promise that I wouldn’t be gone long. Halfway up the laneway I heard the first plaintive meeow. Wait for me. I’m coming.

The laneway - a long walk for a small cat

Tommy, please go back inside.  I won’t be long.

Meeow. But I want to come.

You can’t come Tom.  I’m just going to Adrian and Uli’s.  I won’t be there long.

Meeow. But there’s nobody at home.

Your mum and your sisters, Chelsea and Abbey, are all inside.  Stay with them and I’ll be back soon.

Meeow. (As he continues trotting towards me.) I’m coming with you.

I stop. Bend down. Look him in the eye. Tommy, you can’t come with. It’s a long way for a small cat to walk and remember they’ve got cats too. They might not want you there. I’ll be about 2 hours. Now please go back and I’ll see you later.

Finally Thomas sat down in the middle of the laneway and allowed me to continue my journey unaccompanied. Through the Avondale/ Grapeyard gate, along the river, up the short stretch of road. To the BBQ for which I was now very late.

The rusty Avondale/ Grapeyard gate (the smaller one to the river)

It was 11 pm when my weathered MagLite shone again on the rusty Avondale/ Grapeyard gate. And on a grey-and-white cat with a blue collar and multiple bells who was patiently waiting for me just inside Avondale. Tom’s ringing bells broke the evening silence as he rushed up to greet me. Wet from the downpour we’d had a half hour earlier, Tom’s delight in being picked up and carried along the laneway was evident by his rasping purring which resonated through me as, smiling, I headed inside. The purring stopped when I put him down to brush my teeth but recommenced the moment I was tucked in bed and he was able to hop up and claim his usual spot – on the doonah between my legs just below groin level. When Sue’s not away this tends to be just his starting spot; after getting one or two unintentional knees in the belly as Sue rolls over he hops onto my right side (Sue on left) and there he proceeds to gradually stretch out across the bed, as if trying to span the Sydney Harbour bridge, so that by morning Sue and I are clinging to the left edge of the queen-size bed while he commands the rest. (It gets worse – as some sort of compensation Sue takes the entire doonah with her leaving my left half covered with doonah but my right only by the two outstretched paws of a cat!) But Sue was away so there he stayed for the night, reluctantly getting up and following me to the shower when morning broke.

Meeow. Meeow. You normally give me breakfast before you have a shower!

Thomas sleeping on the bed with Sue as I write this

Thomas covering his eyes from the flash as I take a second photo!

Wait in the dark, in the rain, for a friend who’s gone out drinking.  Mmmmm … I’m not sure I would do that. But then I still have a lot to learn from those I live with.

Categories: Animals & us
Tags: Cats, Friendship, Love, Neighbours