Silly was the life of my backyard. A stray, or feral cat, as it initially appeared, she was found napping under my plum tree. Being a cat fan (and ‘mom’ to indoor cat Cookie), I wanted her to stay. 

I enticed Silly with food. She stuck around, although she continually hissed, and attacked my hand if I put food in front of her. She was pretty wild, angry, stressed, and didn’t show much trust.

I soon had her trapped out of concern that she would have kittens. To my surprise, the veterinarian told me that she had been previously spayed. That told me that Silly was just an abandoned cat. Who knows, caregivers moved, or fell ill, or died... or simply didn't want to handle this cat any longer. Whatever the circumstances, they are sad and traumatic for a cat.

It took about two months of friendliness and patience on my part, and Silly finally started approaching me, hissed less, and ceased striking. She gradually started circling around me and rubbing against my legs. Soon she let me touch and caress her. Soon she was more interested in attention and affection than in food.

Silly became my backyard guard. She chased away other cats. She also kept the area free of rodents. Silly was tremendously useful; but she was also the life of my backyard. She was the perfect companion. A trusting friend, a joy to have around. She waited outside the back door for me to come home, followed me everywhere. She happily rolled on the ground, and I would tell her “you’re such a silly kitty”… thus the name Silly. She never liked the indoors – I tried many times, but she panicked if I closed the door and she had no exit.

Silly happily rolling on the ground. A tarp was set up for falling avocados. Not so much for the fruit, but rather for the cat; those things can be pretty heavy when they fall from the tall tree.

After almost 4 years living in my backyard, Silly fell terminally ill and we had to say goodbye. I grieved really hard... So I decided to do something in Silly’s honor.  I pledged I would become an advocate and always help stray and feral cats. I started a Facebook page, and called it The Silly Legacy - Caring for Stray and Feral Cats. On the Facebook page I document the life of Silly’s successors, Medo and Pupa, whom I got from the local animal shelter just before death row. Medo and Pupa were feral cats whose caregiver had died, and angry neighbors brought the duo to the shelter and didn’t want them back. As I had some experience with stray Silly, and the backyard was already suited for cats, it made perfect sense to give these two unfortunate adult cats a new home.

Medo and Pupa, two successfully relocated stray/feral cats.

It's one of the best, and most rewarding experiences: to gain trust from stray/feral cats.