Gato sin Nombre - The Cat with No Name

For about two years, this fluffy feral cat has managed to live in the garden.  Originally it slept in the flower pots but when flowers were added, it found another place.  Sometimes on top of the chaise, in the sun when it is cold.  Other times, mostly at night, it sleeps under the chaise.  The one farthest from my bedroom door.

It is gray in the flower pot to the right of the white bourganvilla.  Looking at this photo from two years ago, it has grown quite a bit.  The black cat is a feral cat who passes through from time to time, but I have not seen him in quite a while. ( You can click on the photo to see it enlarged)

He won't let me get near him ( I presume it is a him based on size) that is, until this past weekend.  Then it got within two feet of me when he went to drink out of a large bowl of water that I keep on the ground for
the butterflies  and birds .........and whoever else wants water.

I was surprised and watched Gato sin nombre without moving.  The minute I turned the page of a book, it was gone like a flash.

In the meantime, Javier, the gardener, regaled me with the story of him finding a HUGE raton (rat) in the garden that was dead, thankfully, and getting rid of it.  He knew it was something bigger! then a rat, but he
did not know its name.

This caused me to wonder if the cotamundi was back, or the skunk, or the possum or a squirrel.....I've wondered it daily since he told me. With dread.   My thought, "If there was one, could there be two?? totally creeped me out.

Then yesterday was the ultimate "creep out".  Most of the day, off and on, I had been downstairs using the computer to do some reading on various topics.  Then I trooped upstairs and came down about an hour later for something.

WHAT to my wondering eyes should appear?  A DEAD animal.  To me, a BIG dead animal.  OMgosh.

From the angle of my bedroom door looking out to the lower patio, it looked like its head was gone.  No, I was not getting any closer.  Ewwwww.

So, I did what any smart thinking woman would do, I called Javier to come and get rid of it.  His phone was not working. OMgosh.  By now, flies were descending on this creature.  I was freaking out.

In desperation, I called my son who came with Matilda and Sebastian to "dispose" of whatever it had been.

My first words, he told me, was I said, "It's an emergency!"  So, he was here in ten minutes!  He scooped up the dead possum while Matilda and Sebastian were fascinated by its claws, its teeth and its size.

Me, I was staying far back.  It had to be one of the ugliest creatures I've ever seen.  We had one in Texas eons ago, but it was all white and had babies.  I don't remember it being ugly.  This one was UGLY.

Matilda, the sweet sensitive child was so distressed about disposing of the creature over the cliff, but my son, the former wildlife biologist, was telling her as he was slinging it, that it was the "Circle of Life" and would be food for the coyotes.

They left.  I came downstairs.  There on the very spot where the possum had been lay the cat with no name.
It reminded me that my former cat, Velcro, used to bring me little presents like dead birds or dead field mice.
She would meow in a different voice then her normal meow.  Instantly, when seeing this new feral cat laying there, I wondered if it had brought me a "present".  If so, I sincerely hope it is the only one - ever again.

As you can see, life is always an adventure!