Charlotte

Some cats come to our notice because someone has introduced them, some because they make a particular point of introducing themselves, and some by doing nothing at all except being exceptionally striking.

Charlotte is an example of the latter case. Long before I had any idea who she was, I was taken by this pretty little face.

She, unfortunately, was not quite so taken by me. While she bore my picture taking with relative grace, any attempt to touch her would result in her leaning as far away as possible while wearing a most offended expression. Still, she's never swatted me.
Which I appreciate.

Leslie says Charlotte is the tamest of 3 similar looking sisters living in the single wide. They were part of a colony trapped a decade ago at one of Carol's feeding sites.

From what Phaedra says, I'm lucky to have met Charlotte only recently as her former, less forgiving self would have swatted me for sure.

"I, like many people am attracted to the big cuddle puddle on top of the washer and dryer in the singlewide and initially when I met Charlotte in the middle of it, she would give me a good smack and run away if I attempted to pet her. The trick is to get her to think it's Duffy or some other kitty she is snuggling with and then when she notices she's too embarrassed to get upset."

It never ceases to get me bemusedly shaking my head how some of the more shy cats can only be given a little love through some sort of subterfuge! The distribution of treats is another good one. Phaedra says Charlotte now "seems to look forward to the pets and treats [she] dole[s] out when [she's] there."

Although she may never become a cuddle-bunny, Charlotte seems like she's come to be at peace with the fact of the monkey clan moving around her space.

"I often see people coming in to dump off laundry giving her a pat and getting away with it nowadays. She's a success story of sorts, quite content with her feline buddies and resigned to her role with us as her caretakers."