The Holmes Brothers

 

Mycroft  (BC)

Many of the Neko blog readers will remember that when a cat finds its way to the Sanctuary, we call it “a detective cat” – previous detective cats have included Magnum, Kojak, Cagney, Horatio – and more recently, Rico, Steele, Munch, Cassidy and Rollins – all named for TV detectives (our med staff watch a lot of Law and Order!)  For our most recent detective-cat newcomers, somebody has reverted to the classics, and Conan Doyle’s wonderful stories.

Sherlock joins the ferals who meet on the Waldi's Hut rooftop  (KN)

Everyone knows about Sherlock Holmes, but you need to be a Conan Doyle aficionado to know that Mycroft was the older brother of Sherlock Holmes, and is a government official who has abilities of deduction and knowledge exceeding even those of his brother, though their practical use is limited by his dislike of fieldwork. 

Sherlock backed up to the boundary netting  (KN)

Our feline Sherlock and Mycroft were spotted on the perimeter cams, trapped, and brought into the DoubleWide trailer late last year. We think they're about two years old.  Like Munch and Cassidy, they are obviously brothers;  unlike Munch and Cassidy they did not rush to share a cage when it was offered. The two of them were initially caged separately so the med-staff could make sure each had the right care with vaccines and neuter surgery. Both cages carried the warning “Med staff only” label, and both boys resisted gentle approach, hissing in fear. There is a limit to how long we will leave ferals caged, and the staff decided to open both cages and see if they would get comfort from being together.

Mycroft hiding  (BC)

Mycroft resolutely stayed behind his drape. Sherlock wanted out, didn’t want to take time with his brother, and made first for the cage-tops, and then for the door – probably via the back deck and the ferals’ exit. He has largely joined the colony that hangs around Pen 8; there are a number of good places to hide in that pen, and behind Waldi’s Hut.  Initially we were concerned that like Munch, Sherlock had escape forefront in his mind – he certainly did a lot of prowling, investigating every possible place there might be a gap. But Karen and Ken have been doing a lot of checking since Munch’s breakouts, and Sherlock couldn’t detect his way out.

Sherlock enjoying the outdoor life - but very human-suspicious!  (KN)

In the end, he decided that he really had the best of all worlds – no cage, regular food, places to hide and similarly wary-minded cats to hang out with. We see him fairly regularly, but he doesn’t want to be approached by humans, and will probably remain one of the many felines that lives a feral life inside our boundaries – safe from the eagles and the coyotes and human machinery.

Mycroft also remained suspicious
- the ears say it all!  (BC)

His brother Mycroft, obviously takes after his human model and dislikes fieldwork!  He remained in his open cage for some time, gradually allowing staff and Kitty Comforters to spend more time with him. Like a lot of ferals, he was wary of hands, but if he could be distracted while petting was started, he came to realise that he actually liked it!  It was not long before his bum came up and his head went down, and then he was rolling around and enjoying contact (though you still needed to be careful of the exposed belly.

Pet me, pet me!   (BC)

Gradually he became more confident, and started to explore, enjoying the cage-tops and the cat-trees in the middle of the room. And then suddenly his cage was needed for another cat (Cornelius needed eye-drops) and he had to relocate more permanently. Those central cat-trees and shelves are now where he is most often found, and he just loves having the people he knows stopping and giving him attention. To a newcomer he can appear a little scary; he has a forbidding stare and tends to sport flat airplane ears. But how he looks and how he behaves are two different things.

Mycroft in the mouth of a mouse  (KN)

We don’t know if Mycroft will ever choose to venture outside, or whether he and Sherlock will meet up again. It would be nice to think he could convince his brother that we’re the good guys – but don’t hold your breath!  To go from two really feral boys to one that has accepted the confines of the Sanctuary, and one that actually enjoys human touch is enough of a gift for us all.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson