Those of you who have been following this blog for quite some time now will most probably remember my fruitless efforts to adopt an abandoned kitten in my yard after rigidly having walked past six other kitten-cases that all ended tragically.

Nefertiti DanMusa 2008

Despite the fact that I have never been a cat person, beautiful queen-like little Nefertiti won my heart. In doing so, however, she also aroused the ultimate rivalry of our eight-year-old adopted Azawakh-cross Dennis Mugu, who in a fit of jealousy killed the little kitten and left me heartbroken. Wanting to comfort me, my little niece Tabita asked me if “Mother Cat” had not been back to visit me again (assuming that a visit from Mother Cat would instantly result in her leaving behind new kittens). When I told her that I didn’t except Mother Cat to come back to Isthar’s Ark again, she looked sad for moment, then lit up. “But what about Father Cat? Hasn’t HE been to visit you?”

In any case, for nearly, neither Mother Cat nor Father Cat appeared in our garden. Then about a week ago, I saw Nefertiti’s mother licking her paws in our car port, and I had my doubts.

A few days later, Ali happily informed us that we had new dan’musas (sons of the cat) in the car port. Tabita has been right to assume that Mother Cat would be back, for there she was with a new litter of three.

Nefertiti’s mother with her new kittens who were still in the process of opening their eyes

“Little babies!!” Anette was in awe, and even though I was reluctant to know them after the Nefertiti incident, I had to admit that they were very, very cute - as little ones always are!

Mother Cat however was not so happy about our presence, but I was glad to discover that she is in fact not a stray, but the household cat of our neighbours (sharing the concession with Sheba’s friends the Brandy Family). Although I cannot fathom why she would rather keep her litter in a carport next to a Dennis Mugu who does not wish them well, rather than a pack of Azawakhs who actually tolerate the presence of cats, she and her litter of three were there nevertheless.

Anette with the black&white Swedish cow-patterned kitten

The mother of course needed to have name, so I googled Nefertiti the ancient Egyptian queen and read about her mother/stepmother Tey. Hence our neighbours’ cat now even has a name too: Teya!

Anette with a possible Tigris, Kleo and… Thebes? 

Thebes and Kleo

Thebes, Tigris & Kleo

Holding up my favourite (Kleo), I could hear Dennis whining in the background. Don’t you even think about it, Dennis! By the time these ones are in risk of being caught by our sight hound, we will bring them over to their mother’s owner.

Poor Sheba could not understand what all the fuss was about and was distraught to actually have been excluded from an activity, but we will introduce her to the kittens as soon as possible, as she is the kind of dog who wants to be included in all things. And what would be better for the kittens than to form an alliance with the one creature of Ishtar’s ark who loves keeping Dennis Mugu in check? If not, we can at least dream about it!

Greetings from the Nefertiti siblings who will soon be looking for new homes!