Written by Mariette du Toit
Professional photography by Moonshadow Fine Art Dog Photographer
Noble arrived from nowhere one day. Dirty, hungry, no manners, and with a lot of attitude.
I feed seven feral cats at the block of flats where I live. He fought with all the other cats to a point where they were afraid to eat when he was around. My husband called him “Balls”.
I contacted an animal organisation that assists in trapping, neutering and releasing feral cats back into society to assist me. The lady arrived and my words were: “Take him away – I don’t care what you do with him as long as you don’t bring him back!” She patiently looked at me and replied that she could only have him neutered and return him as he was already about two years old. No one would adopt him and I had to give him a month to adapt. I didn’t have much hope.
He returned, and as he was now neutered, we called him “No Balls”, but that didn’t sound good, so we decided on Noble.
Noble was given his month. Needless to say, after a month his attitude towards the other cats changed completely. He became more sociable. And my attitude towards him also changed to such an extent that, if he didn’t arrive for breakfast or supper, I went in search of him to check that nothing had happened to him.
A couple of months turned into a year and we just grew fonder of him. This “unwanted cat” turned into the most lovable cat who just wants to be picked up and cuddled. Some evenings in bad weather he sits by the front door, and if let in he makes himself comfortable on the bathroom mat, sleeps for the entire night, and in the morning stands at the front door to be let out again.
This is just proof that sometimes it only takes a little bit of patience and love to transform a “feral” cat into a much-loved pet.
