Cat-Sitting

      I have been looking after a friend's three cats while she's busy with an unexpected thing.  For obvious reasons, I'm not going to say who or give too many details.  I go feed them once a day -- it's not a long drive -- change their litter as necessary, keep the water dish fresh and so on.

      They're shy.  At first, I only saw one and her rarely, perched atop a big  entertainment center where she can hide behind a trim section and look down at me, goggle-eyed with fear.  After a few days, I discovered another cat had taken up residence in the basement, behind the washer and dryer.  He feels safe there, and doesn't trust me a bit.  He's apparently coming out for food and water when I'm not around. But the third cat was a a mystery.

      Every so often, I'd hear a collar bell jingle,  Eventually, I followed the sound to an open closet and found a cat who was happy to sniff my hand and came out to smooth against my ankles before returning to his spot.  A day or two later, I heard the jingle from under a wing chair in a rec room mostly given over to the cats and their toys.  The third cat emerged from hiding when I said hello, wanted to be petted, and brought toys over while I did the litter.  He's lonely.  I spent as much time with him as I could and continue to do so whenever he decides to make himself visible.  He's as well-behaved and friendly a cat as I have met in a long time.

      They're good cats.  I don't know if the other two will ever decide to trust me but I hope they will.