Kamala lived outside for many years before coming into our home.
We did what we could to take care of her — she wasn’t feral,
but was uncomfortable with us because we told her to go home
when we first moved into the house.
We assumed she had a home.

In spring we’d see her tail hooked above the tall green-gold grasses
before she pounced on her dinner.
Tail wandering across the property,
she’d jump straight into the air,
and soon she would be dragging something into the oak tree…

Summer she would sometimes sit on the deck.
We stopped seeing her hunt during the days in summer.
Maybe we missed it, but I always thought she might be hunting
in the early morning or at dusk, when the light was dim,
and the creatures unsuspecting.

She was always fast, and even now with her pudgy tummy, she is fast as a whip!
Year round we had water in a metal drum out for critters, and a special bowl for Kamala.

Winter we really worried about her.
Raccoons are crafty thieves.
We had to watch and devise ways to keep food and water for her separately
in a difficult place for the raccoons to reach, even with their excellent climbing skills.
We made a toasty wool bed for her in the carport,
and we saw evidence that at least some of the time she slept there.

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I’m happy she decided to come with us when we moved.
She’s the smartest cat I’ve ever met!

Pentalic Nature Sketch Journal with a Pentalic 2B woodless pencil, Platinum Carbon pen, Lamy Al-Star pen; Noodler’s and Super5 inks,
and Greenleaf & Blueberry, Daniel Smith , Holbien, and QoR watercolors.

©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.