Many moons ago we had four cats, Smokey, Eley-May, Tiger, and Dobin.
All four slept with us on our bed, Eley-May on my head, and the other three around my wife, I awoke in the middle of the night holding the rear end of a cat but I still had my eyes closed, then it dawned on me, this was not one of ours because it had no tail, I opened my eyes and turned on my bedside light and woo and behold a strange cat was enjoying the affection that I gave it.
It must have ventured in through the cat flap but all my own cats did not bother.
I believe it belonged to the house opposite to us, they were newcomers.
The cat did visit us from time to time.
As time has passed by, we now have no cats but one dog that is more expensive and trouble than four cats plus one.

Great tale. That's how we ended up taking in a stray many years ago.

We had a black and white cat called Skittles. One evening I saw a black and white cat curled up on the freezer in the utility room, which is where the cat flap was (there used to be a window between utility room and kitchen). I asked my wife if Skittles was in. She said yes, so I asked "what's this then?" And that was that. Another stray took up residence.

We did make enquiries as to if the stray belonged to someone, but his condition meant that he was either a stray or owned but neglected.

When I was a kid, we used to have a ginger and white cat - she had very distinctive markings, with bits of black in her fur on her sides.
She would spend most of every day out of the house and return home for tea and stay home all night.

When I was 11, I was starting a new school and only one other girl on our estate was going to the same school as me.
She lived at the other end of our long residential road and we agreed that I would call for her each morning, so we could continue our 2 mile walk to school together.

On the first morning of my new school term, I fed our cat breakfast, as usual, then she went out.
I got ready for school and walked down to call for my new schoolfriend.
I arrived at her house a bit early and knocked on the back door. Her Mum invited me in to the kitchen to wait while my friend finished tying up her hair.
I noticed they had a ginger and white cat too, who was crouched over a saucer of food, busy wolfing down her breakfast. Then I noticed the distinctive markings in her fur - she was my cat!
On the way to school, my friend and I talked about “our cat” - My friend said she used to go out every evening after tea and stay out all night, but always turned up the next morning ready for breakfast and spent the day sleeping by the fire - they assumed she was hungry and tired because she had been out all night - but she must have been coming straight up to our house for a second tea and to sleep the night through on my bed and have breakfast, before going back to her other home for a 2nd breakfast and another long sleep!

Eira wrote: When I was a kid, we used to have a ginger and white cat - she had very distinctive markings, with bits of black in her fur on her sides.
She would spend most of every day out of the house and return home for tea and stay home all night.

When I was 11, I was starting a new school and only one other girl on our estate was going to the same school as me.
She lived at the other end of our long residential road and we agreed that I would call for her each morning, so we could continue our 2 mile walk to school together.

On the first morning of my new school term, I fed our cat breakfast, as usual, then she went out.
I got ready for school and walked down to call for my new schoolfriend.
I arrived at her house a bit early and knocked on the back door. Her Mum invited me in to the kitchen to wait while my friend finished tying up her hair.
I noticed they had a ginger and white cat too, who was crouched over a saucer of food, busy wolfing down her breakfast. Then I noticed the distinctive markings in her fur - she was my cat!
On the way to school, my friend and I talked about “our cat” - My friend said she used to go out every evening after tea and stay out all night, but always turned up the next morning ready for breakfast and spent the day sleeping by the fire - they assumed she was hungry and tired because she had been out all night - but she must have been coming straight up to our house for a second tea and to sleep the night through on my bed and have breakfast, before going back to her other home for a 2nd breakfast and another long sleep!

That sounds like an awfully clever and well fed cat!
And you had shared custody.
We should extend this practice and it would reduce headaches such as '' what to do with my pet when I go on holiday?".

what breed of cat has just a mad look and a flat face I can't find it
thanks to all

Dennis 2 wrote: what breed of cat has just a mad look and a flat face I can't find it
thanks to all

Persian - flat face, looks grumpy

Persian at

No wonder this Persian looks mad…being made to wear that hat who wouldn’t be.