He’s bigger, longer, heavier.
I noticed it one day last week–the change from kitten to cat.
Found myself feeling sad–never gave much thought to him growing up.
His kittenish-ness was who he was–day to day.
What I noticed last week was a physical change.
His behaviour, though, is still kittenish.
I just saw him doing his whirling dervish routine; lying at ease full length on the kitchen floor, he suddenly launches into a wild circular dance chasing of his tail.
Then just as suddenly he straightens up–head turned in the direction of a noise, another distraction–and is perfectly still.
He’s now a “teenager” I suppose.
But he still does childlike tricks, like flashing passed you and re-appearing on an overhanging branch of a tree–showing off.
Look at me!
Or lurking behind the rubbish bin, preparing to jump out and scare the living daylights–he hopes–out of another cat minding its business.
BOO!!
We should have called him Tyler–he loves the floor tiles in the house and immediately drops into a languid pose when he comes into a room, like a fop in a restoration play–“la-di-da’!
A habit he may have adopted in the canicule [very hot days] this summer–the coolness of the tiles giving his little fur-covered body some relief.
Rather less like a teenager, he keeps regular hours and is a homebody.
Walk into our bedroom about 11pm and he’s already nonchalantly stretched out fast asleep—his snowy white undercarriage in full view; his busy day–lounging about, patrolling the boundaries and teasing the chickens and anyone else–over.
He’s said to himself, like Pepys: …and so to bed!
He came to us through the cat-flap in the garage a year ago on the 7th of December–about five weeks old–a domestic kitten, not feral.
We have no idea who left him–clearly someone who knew we are a cat-friendly family.
He has a touch of Beauty’s natural hauteur. His sense of entitlement seems inborn in him.
He manages a look of surprise–indignation even, when one of our outdoor cats puts in an appearance–usually at mealtimes.
Who are you? This is my patch–these are my people!
Lily*, brave mother of the late and beloved Beauty, gives Beau an old fashioned look and carries on eating.
Pah!–who are you?
Robin Ellis 
warm and cuddly piece about a much loved pet. Makes lovely reading. P’haps you should consider writing ‘Beau’s Journal’ – a year in the life of …
Thanks for the suggestion–I’d have to consult him first though!
Robin – always a delight to be brought up to speed on your feline family’s antics – the lovely photos providing a bright spot indeed on this rainy day in upstate New York. What beautiful, soulful companions!
Qu’il est beau… and a lot like or Bertie by the sound of it
Beau is my BOY!!! He has a very intense facial expression- as if he were thinking hard about lord knows what! If I met him in person, I would give him LUVINS!!! I love your kitty stories. I have a teen cat myself, Lord Calvert. He doesn’t hold still very long. He pulled a plastic fork out of a bag last night and was playing with it. I guess that was practice for what was to come later. It has gotten chilly here at night and the field mice are coming in. He caught one last night! Cats are so amusing, unless they are ripping your furniture up. I swear they have the good life. Yours certainly do! Look at Beau just lounging on the ledge watching the cows!
Robin – I have a thing called Blogger Dashboard. Don’t know whether it is an Apple thing or a Firefox thing, but I can’t seem to move your blog out of email into it. Does your blog have a name of its own? Like Robinellis@blogspot.com or something?
Chris
Hi Chris–yes it does: robin-ellis.net
He is a “catolescent”…not a kitten but not yet grown up, but with all that goes with being adolescent!
Keep those cat stories coming! They add a lot of charm to your blog.
Hi Robin,
what a lovely Beau story! Our just grown up, one year old cat has got the same things, like looking like a big cat but behaving like a little kitten. She loves catching flies and playing with “play mice”, jumping in the sky with four legs from the ground and catching her “mouse”. So I think Beau is just like our Maupie! Enjoy it.
Please more cat stories!
Love from Caroline
What a lovely cat – just like my Sophie! He may be growing up but he’ll still give you plenty of laughs if he’s anything like mine.
Must be something in the genes, as my pair of ‘penguin’ cats behave in a very similar fashion, although they no longer qualify as teenagers! This is especially true of Pinga, the female of the species.
Our cat, Pumpkin, also wandered in to our lives (two summers ago). I recall coming home and hearing the mewing of a kitten outside our pet-less household.
Living off the beaten track, we assumed this cat was abandoned purposely and soon there was a name, vet visits, cat beds, toys, and food all for our darling who lives outside or in the garage. She loves to “help” with raking, weeding, and planting—a joy every day!
I love your photos of Beau! Continue with the stories and those marvelous recipes!
Lee Ellen
Thank you for this. There is something so, del something, about cats. Beau is a beauty, and looks to be very playful, when he’s not being regal.
What a cutie pie! Perhaps “Tyler” could be his surname. Was he named Beau in tribute to Beauty who left you too soon? My Owen is 6 months old, but 10 lbs. already (he’s a Maine Coon). Definitely another “catolescent” (love that word!).
Yes, just like human children, they grow up way too fast. Emma was 10 months old when we brought her home and now she is almost 9 1/2! Like all the previous posters I love hearing about – and seeing pictures of – your kitties!
Robin he is just lovely, you are very lucky to have him and he you.
There is nothing so confident as a well-loved cat.
I’ve been lurking awhile but I feel compelled to add a little to this lovely story about my favorite topic. I am not much for kittens, really, but I adore cats. I don’t mind raising ours when they come as littles, but I am so glad that the majority of our time together is when they are adults. There are nine of them in the house at present – not that we ever meant to have so many but there it is – ranging in age from just-turned-seventeen to eighteen months.
Your Beau is gorgeous, and he has wonderful whiskers. Over the years we have had a number of black-and-white boys, but these days we also have our first b&w girl, the beautiful and good-natured Niamh.
Thank you for this delightful update on your beautiful Beau. He’s a different colour to my Jimmy but all the same photogenic poses! It is amazing how long they can be when stretched out to cool down or curled up so compact when it is cooler. Take heart, Beau may be physically turning into an adult cat but if he is anything like my Jimmy he won’t lose his inner kitten for many years yet. When I open the post Jimmy waits for the envelope screwed up into a ball and he will dribble it all around the house at high speed with perfect ball control – I reckon he could play for England! Have you tried that one with Beau? Lovely to see Beau so clearly confident and happy in his new home.
Awwww…that picture of him lounging languidly on the tiles makes him look a lot like our Scamper (who, at 6 or 7, still acts like Beau)! But when you said he chases his tail around–gosh, that makes me think of our little Pepper. He was a beautiful Maine coon with the longest whiskers & longest fur in his ears–everyone said what a gorgeous boy he was. We were practically attached at the hip: he’d wake me up in the middle of the night with his loud purr as he slept on my chest (all 12 pounds of him), or he’d pat my cheek gently until I awoke. Still miss him terribly. Here he is:
He looks beautiful–I can understand you miss him. On s’attache as they say here!
Lovely piece, as always, about your wonderful family… Meredith’s tribute to Marmalade was wonderful too… May we have some of the photos of Beauty on the website, please?
This kitty blog reminds me of the poem by Frances Witham:
Stray Cat
Oh, what unhappy twist of fate
Has brought you homeless to my gate?
The gate where once another stood
To beg for shelter, warmth, and food
For from that day I ceased to be
The master of my destiny.
While he, with purr and velvet paw
Became within my house the law.
He scratched the furniture and shed
And claimed the middle of my bed.
He ruled in arrogance and pride
And broke my heart the day he died.
So if you really think, oh Cat,
I’d willingly relive all that
Because you stand forlorn and thin
Well…don’t just stand there…Come on in!
…Francis Witham
Lovely and how true. Claimed the middle of “our” bed–oh yes!
Meredith writing: Lovely poem, Ruby! Thanks for sharing it.
Just a cute kitty. You really should do a book. The captions you put with the pictures are precious.
Ruby I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT POEM! I am printing it out! It is so true!
Karen- I concur- Robin should do a book. My favourite line of this entire blog is: “he loves the floor tiles in the house and immediately drops into a languid pose when he comes into a room, like a fop in a restoration play–”la-di-da’!” But, alas, I am a fellow THESPIAN! Thanks for making me laugh, Robin!
Emma is in the middle of my bed right now! 🙂 We have an “agreement” though. She gets the bed from the time I get up in the morning, till when I go to bed at night. It’s a full size mattress and she doesn’t like to share!
Hi Robin, pussycats leave footprints on our hearts someone said………..
I had my pretty little Red Siamese Saffron put to sleep 12 days ago……….
God how I miss her voice when I get home from work, always demanding food!
Her ashes will be scattered with mine when the day comes, along with my other little friends. :-((
Regards,Shirley Lane
{hugs} to you Shirley. My mom still misses are first kitty, Mieze, and she’s been gone over 9 years.
Meredith writing: Oh Shirley. Sad to hear about Saffron. It’s such a painful life event. We miss our absent cats: Marmalade, Butterscotch and Beauty. They are all buried in the same shady corner of the garden. Hope you have other cats–otherwise the void would be too terrible.
Hi Robin and Beau. How lovely, he is a star cat, along with all the others!!! Of course! Good luck with your course, which I think is next week? Hope you got a sixth person. Should be fun. Pam xxx
Thank you Pam–I’m as nervous as if it were a first night!–which it is in a way.
Beautiful photos! I love cats. In the first picture, he looks like he is posing for the camera.
Thank you!! Looks like I wasn’t alone! Superbeau hits the scene again but who was that striding determinedly through the doorway?
Talking about boys growing up. When I was watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics, Danny Boyle had included a bit of the film “kes” written by Colin Welland. Then I remembered you all in the “Blue Remembered Hills”. How did you all revert back to childhood so well? I can still see Colin welland with his short pants.
All my family was amazed at your performances.
Strangely in an early draft of the post I thought to include a reference to Blue Remembered Hills!
Doing research for the film we discovered how quickly children’s focus can change and Beau reminded me of that. Glad you enjoyed it.
Adorable…they are just adorable!
Wonderful Robin! What a cheery story and pics to see on a blustery Shetland autumnal day. What beautiful moggies! Our furry family members likewise grab our love, devotion and attention – it’s great! Our Goldies dominating our household in the most gentle and adorable way – just like your puss cats methinks 🙂
Just one more: An amazing thing happened this morning–a first! I half-awoke at dawn to loud purring & thought it was Sassy. But then I realized Scamper had snuck up onto the bed, and she hadn’t chased him off (she doesn’t like to share!) Then suddenly 16-pound Scamper launched himself from my pillow to the tall dresser nearby–a frightening prospect, considering his likeness to a bull in a china shop!–and I figured little Sassy had given him a dirty look. A few hours later, I awoke to find myself unable to move, pinned to the bed by the sheets, with Sassy by my legs, and Scamper by my arms. I was amazed that Scamper had stayed all that time; he’s never done so in 7 years! “What’s up with him?” I asked Gene. “He wants to be fed!” (Although they’d had a snack at dawn.) I couldn’t help but laugh & think of you, Robin, saying “cupboard love!”
Cheers & hugs!
They rule over us!
Dawn snacking–a bridge too far, as yet!
He is handsome. In the UK black and white moggies are the hardest to rehome – i dont know why they are lovely. A new one has adopted our garden to play in much to our ginger toms disgust. He’s similar to Beau with a white stripe down his nose. very cute.
Dear Robin,
What a beautiful cat! That first picture is just beautiful. This is my first visit to your site, which I found it after visiting the Facebook Poldark page. My husband and I love the series – we re-watch it every few years and savor every episode. I love the recipes and look forward to getting your book. I was greatly pleased to find out you are a cat lover too! I run an organization that advocates for better nutrition for cats (feline-nutrition.org), specifically, we educate people on the benefits of raw meat diets for felines (one of which is: raw fed cats don’t get diabetes). What do your little carnivores get to eat?
Well, Margaret, we buy reasonably upmarket food–wet and dry.
Reading your comment though reminded me that my mother fed our cat Mary(!) in the fifties with cooked fish bits from the fishmonger and other fresh morsels.
You have made us pause–thank you.
Yesterday I noticed that The Observer Review was running a special offer of all the Poldark DVDs – the only actor named was yourself. The series will no doubt spread its timeless charm to a new generation.
Thanks, Sheila–I hadn’t seen it. I like “timeless charm”!!
I loved this story. I concur with another commenter that a book should be the next step. The pictures are gorgeous – he’s such a charmer, but the captions are beautiful. It looks like France – those tiles. Somewhere in Europe. I grew up in southern Spain and lived there for years. My cats, all now long since crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, spread themselves out just so on the tiles, which were some kinds of stone aggregate, to soak up the coolness. Sometimes, I joined them when it was 120 degrees F and airless. I’m glad he found the perfect cat door to wander through. It was no accident. He was sent to you – fate – kismet – you pick. And it was very surreal just now when I saw the little picture of the author – I’d not noticed the name, but I instantly recognized that picture and clicked on it in shock thinking I was mistaken. But I wasn’t, as I had just seen you yesterday on a BBC documentary and thought how splendid you looked after so many years. And now to find out you’re a cat lover, writer of beautiful prose and taker of true-to-life cat photos, was simply lovely to discover. Thank you. I will look for more of this remarkable work.
Thank you Linny for those very kind words! I’m lucky–Meredith takes most of the photos and you are right they are stunning. Yes SW France–lucky again!
Being a cat lover myself, I have two, I really enjoy reading about yours. My male, a beautiful 4 year old Russian Blue named Sasha, has just had a tooth out. I also have a pretty little black cat called Luna, she might be small but she definitely rules the house. Just like all women, my husband says.