Update on the kitties

Mango Kitty and Mr Bigglesworth have now passed their first birthday. It's hard to believe that they used to sit on my shoulder and cuddle into my neck. They haven't grown into particularly big cats and retain a sleek feline outline. I attribute this to their disdain for human food - a roast chicken idly left on the counter will be left untouched as they meow for supper! Plenty of time spent playing together at night (a time when all good cats should be outside, but not ours!), play-fighting, rolling up and down the passage in a tight wrestling hold, fearsome growls and hisses - all this keeps the metabolism going and strengthens the close bond between these siblings.
They like to be close to us, and particularly when we are sitting at the table playing Scrabble during loadshedding - Biggles gets in on the action by rolling on the board, or else the two of them curl up close by to make sure we are all behaving. He is a most affectionate and soppy cat, enjoying a good cuddle at any opportunity - definitely the softest cat we have ever had. Mango is slightly more aloof, but requires immediate attention by way of vigorous stroking when she wakes up. Her favourite position is under a rug, where she thinks no one can see her.
Unfortunately their favourite pastime is catching the local wildlife, most notably sunbirds, lizards and geckos, and today Mango was in bad odour after bringing in a beautiful Cape Robin Chat. Fortunately we managed to catch and release it before too many feathers flew, and it should be none the worse for wear.
The baby sunbird that hatched out in the vicinity this summer was caught twice, each time losing more tail feathers, and I'm pleased to report that it has now matured into a slightly smaller version of its dad and the two of them were gathering nectar in the hibiscus today.
Despite their hunting activities, they remain a delight and we are very happy to have been able to give them a home.