My Friend, Amma the Nearly-Feral Cat

I have a cat friend named Amma who was found as a small kitten under our shed along with a very feral, spitting mother cat. They both eventually became tamer, but the "feral" will always be there. I'm glad. Feral in a cat means the cat belongs to itself, not us. I named her Amma for Amma, the hugging Saint. (I was reading her biography at the time and Amma, the cat, is very loving when she chooses to be around us.)

Amma is still skittish around us, but when she wants attention, she will come right up and rub rub rub, then head butt, all the while talking a blue streak. And this can go on for a good half hour. I try to make sure I give her that focus when she asks for it because when she has had enough, she's gone. She prefers to be outside when it isn't freezing.

Amma has blue eyes and short hair, looks like a Siamese, but is big and heavy like a Ragdoll. She's a beautiful girl. And she is the inspiration for several of my cat drawings, like the one below, that is a refrigerator magnet.

Amma is one example of what Alley Cat Allies and Coronadocats.org in Phoenix describe as cats who happily live outdoors, with a little help in the way of spaying or neutering, and vaccinating. When Amma wants human contact, she comes and asks for it, clearly, and when she wants a treat or a little cat food, she lets you know. Trying to pick her up to hug is like chasing mercury across the floor.

Here is a link to a great article on feral cat communities.