Update on Daisy

I have kept Daisy for two weeks. I wish I had better facilities for her. Right now she is sharing a room with Bigwig, the lame older cat I rescued 4 weeks ago. And since it has got so hot this summer, they spend most of their time in the only cool place in the empty house where they are--under the shower/bath unit, in a crawlspace that stays cool in the relentless heat. Thankfully Bigwig is a very nice-natured, neutered tom. I remember when Bigwig was still out on the street how nice he was to the kittens near the tennis court and on campus. He used to sit watchfully behind Tiger Baby and let him eat before he himself ate, and Bigwig would always 'shoo' Tiger Baby away from the road when a car came. He is being sweet like that to Daisy now.

 

Collage of Babe

Babe is still in my office, my constant companion.

Shaun said, "That's not how you mark a tree."

"Here. Let me show you. This is how you mark a tree. Other cats will think a leopard lives in this territory."

OB and Shaun sunbathing

This was earlier this summer, before it got really hot. Wish Caramel (OB's brother) was around to enjoy such times as well, but Caramel has been missing since about 1 April. OB is on the left; Shaun is on the right.

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Sebastien

Here is a photo of Sebastien, on campus, near the No. 3 building of the College of Science. He is taking refuge from the sun and the heat. It's the first time I had ever seen Sebastien relax while the campus cats were near him. Perhaps he will get accepted by the Swimming Pool Gang afterall.

Babe pops his head out of his lair

This box is on top of a locker, near the window. He looks out at birds from here all the time. It's one of his favorite places to sleep and relax.

Babe is the computer's desktop image

Babe likes to sit next to the computer and feel the warm air coming out of it. He also likes to play with the keyboard.

Sheba looks 'ghostly' in this rainy season pic

Something about the lighting of the rainy season, it makes Sheba look very strange. She is a stunningly beautiful cat actually. And boss of the Swimming Pool Gang!

Meet Sebastien

Sebastien lives just off the southern edge of campus, but he is frequently on campus as well. I think he might be the father of one of my favorite cats of all time--Pongo (now named 'Tama'). I rescued Pongo near the gym, and Sebastien lives on that side of campus, just outside. His voice is very similar, as is his patchwork of black and white, including a little moustache.

I'm hoping he becomes a full-fledged member of the Swimming Pool Gang. He was ill this spring, and I kept him inside for about a week. But he escaped! Fortunately, it wasn't too far from his territory and he got back in a few days. Now he and Tonio (a large white-and-grey cat similar to Babe and Pancho in color) live on the east and south side of campus.

 

Tiger Baby posed for a nice portrait

He has such nice green eyes. He's a friendly little fellow. If I find a home for Babe soon, I would like to bring Tiger Baby inside and see if he can adapt to indoor living. He's very affectionate and naturally curious. For a complete feral, he is amazingly friendly to people once he knows that they are not cat haters. TB's nicknames include: Tiger Bubby, Tiger Booby, Tiger Bubski,  and Lil Weasel.

Another look at Buddy

Maybe this is a better photo than the previous one. He is a friendly little fellow. I like the way he has been able to make friends with Sheba and Gus and become part of the Swimming Pool Gang. He really helps them hold the territory around the swimming pool.

Finally a look at Buddy

Buddy, an all-black cat of less than two years age, is the newest (fully accepted) member of the Swimming Pool Gang. That is a trio of cats right now--Sheba, Gus (her brother), and Buddy. Buddy has a lookalike brother, Richie, who is also black, but he doesn't usually stay on campus with the Swimming Pool Gang. He lives just off campus in the neighborhood near the swimming pool.

Interestingly enough, Sheba and Gus give every indication that they would accept Richie as a member too. When he visits the campus, they treat him like he belongs. However, they seem to be against Sebastien (a black-and-white male) and Tonio (a grey-and-white male) joining. I'm hoping they will relent before this winter so that everyone can stay out of the bad weather.

Someone dumped little Daisy on campus

I'm fairly sure that she has been dumped because a cat this sick doesn't usually take refuge under a car in the middle of a large parking lot on a scorching hot summer day. When I found her, she could barely move. Once she got out of the heat, she tried to sit up a little bit. She was severely dehydrated and couldn't drink water on her own, so I took her to the hospital right away--something that is hard to do in Japan on a Sunday. She is on IV drips and I await news. Anyway, I'm hoping she pulls through and her name is 'Daisy' now.

 

Let's meet the campus cats

Those pictured spend most of their time on campus. Ragi-mama seems to spend her days to the north of the campus, but all night on campus. The rest sleep and hide on campus or university property near the campus most of the time.

Bootsie-mama (Ragi-mama's sister), her son Pancho, and her son Tiger Baby live on the premises of the tennis courts, not the actual campus. Willie (not pictured--I promise to get a photo of him this summer vacation though!) is part of that family too, but he spends most of his time near or on the soccer grounds, east of the tennis court but also north of the campus.

The cats listed after the pictures come onto campus to eat, hoping that a niche has opened up for them or that they can join Sheba's Swimming Pool Gang. Only Richie is allowed sometimes (he is Buddy's brother). The rest have to spend most of their time to the south and east of campus because of the 'policing efforts' of Sheba, Gus and Buddy.