ValenciaIn Valencia there is a little area, a bit off the tourist route called Calle del Sagrario del Salvador near the entrance to the city by Trinidad Bridge.

The yellow buildings on the street have sheets hanging outside their windows, draped across the balconies detailing that the area below them, fenced off with metal shuttering contains important archaeological ruins. I believe that they are Roman ruins.

Being terminally nosey as I couldn't see over the fence, I stood on a metal post, poked my camera over the top and took a picture.  It looked just the sort of place that feral cats would live, away from human interference.

Victor from ValenciaI was right. I placed a sample of ham down and within seconds a rather handsome tabby appeared and gulped it down. I called him Victor of Valencia. He wolfed down a large dollop of meat and cheese, then when I put more down, he scooped it up in his mouth and slid under the fence, appearing a moment later. I presume he had taken it to give to another cat.

He sat and looked at me, it was clear he didn't want to interact with humans. As I walked away, he took it upon himself to be my tourist guide!! He trotted along, a few paces in front of me as if he knew where I was going. He did this for a couple of streets, stopping now and again to see if I was following him. I had rubber soled shoes on which meant I walked along with him in silence, so he didn't realise I'd caught up with him till I reached down and touched him. It was as if an electric shock had bolted through him, all four paws left the pavement as he jumped. He looked at me, and then carried on with me for two more streets before melting away into a broken gap in a door of an abandoned building which had been boarded up.

I carried on walking, looking back now and again, but he didn't reappear! Looking at his picture, he seems healthy and not short of a meal or two!

 

A Cats Purr

"Cats make one of the most satisfying sounds in the world: they purr ...

A purring cat is a form of high praise, like a gold star on a test paper. It is reinforcement of something we would all like to believe about ourselves - that we are nice."

Roger A Caras