The day our cat came home *

I never thought I’d be writing this post though I have longed to be able to for months.  Up to last Friday our little cat in Italy, Grigio, had not being seen since Christmas by Mario who feeds her in our absence, we asked him to keep putting food out. We searched for her when we returned in April, calling her every day from the house and whenever we went out for walks until we left in June but there was no trace of her.  

Last Friday Mario messaged us to say he’d been to the house, everything was fine, the irrigation was working and Grigio was there.  We couldn’t believe it assuming it was mistaken identity, we’d seen a cat that looked rather like Grigio on the security camera earlier that week but it’s wasn’t so clear and we dismissed it as yet another stray.

Mario suggested we check that evening’s recording, there was a small grey cat fussing round his legs and mewing, he picked it up and held it to the camera, this was no stray and it definitely looked like Grigio.  Mario gave her food from the stock we’d provided just in case and left the feeder out by the back door where we could monitor it.  Grigio was back next morning for breakfast.

We told Giovanni who is already feeding at his house Vincenzo the young ginger who appeared this year and the cat he thinks is his mother. Giovanni is so kind he said Grigio would be welcome at his house too and there is enough food for them all, I’d dropped off a couple of bags and some treats before we left.

It was hard to sleep that night but lovely to wake up knowing our girl was home and safe.   Saturday afternoon we received a photo of Vincenzo and Grigio dining side by side whilst being stroked by Giovanni’s grandchildren. Sunday they were having a birthday party, Giovanni said for the whole family including the cats.   It’s a dream come true, for us all because apparently Vincenzo enjoys 3 meals a day and Grigio won’t stray far from that routine. 

We plan to return to Italy in September, if we can wait that long.  I suppose we will never know where Grigio has been or how a little cat, the runt of the litter, who was born in our garden 7 years go, had never strayed from our property and never had to fend for herself has survived 7 months in an area of mainly unoccupied houses.  We are so happy that she has, bless her heart and yes it’s definitely her because we recognise the kink in her tail.

* sorry the football didn’t