Cat families

Now that I'm back in town, there's no sign of the teenage stray kittens who were hanging around our porch before we left. It's been a few days now, so I guess they must have moved on.

However, someone else showed up when I started putting kitten chow out again: their mother.

She's a skinny, gorgeous tortoiseshell who never did get comfortable with humans. I call her the queen because she sits right outside the back door on her hindquarters, all thin and regal, staring directly at you through the glass. Doesn't ask, doesn't move, just sits and stares as if by force of will she can compel you to walk out the door. When the handle clicks, she's gone in a flash back to her spot under the porch, but as soon as you set out the food and disappear, she'll creep back out, startling at every person-noise, and grab what she needs.

( More, with pictures )