The Return of a Curious Visitor

Today I saw a familiar face that I hadn’t seen in quite some time. Not a person, but a cat. One of those neighbourhood characters that quietly comes and goes without explanation, as if operating on a schedule known only to itself. I was at home when I noticed it sitting just outside the glass door, staring in. Not casually either. It was fully engaged. Focused. Watching. The kind of stare that makes you feel like you’re the one being observed rather than the other way around.

It took me a moment to recognise it, but then it clicked. This was the same cat that used to wander around here as a kitten. Back then it had that restless, playful energy that kittens tend to have. Always poking its nose where it probably shouldn’t. Always testing boundaries. Windows, doors, gaps in fences. If there was a possible way in, it would at least try to find it.

Apparently not much has changed 😂

The only real difference now is size. It’s fully grown, a bit more composed perhaps, but the curiosity is still very much intact. It sat there for a while, peering through the glass as if trying to figure something out. Every now and than it would shift slightly, looking for a better angle, almost like it expected the door to magically open if it studied it long enough.

It didn't notice me taking this photo. I hid behind the curtains until it thought I was gone then I slowly pointed the lens at it and snapped. Cats are so quick though. Microseconds after taking the shot, it made eye contact with me. It seems they can also hear though glass.

At one point it moved along the side of the house, no doubt checking the usual spots. Windows first, then back again to the door. There was a clear sense of purpose about it. Not frantic or desperate, just quietly determined. As if it remembered something about this place and was trying to reconnect with it. I opened the door briefly, just to see what it would do. It didn’t rush in. It didn’t even seem surprised. It just stood there, looked up, and then looked past me into the house. Taking it all in. Almost like it was checking whether things were still the same.

It didn’t stay long. After a few moments it turned and wandered off, just as calmly as it had arrived. No fuss. No dramatic exit. Just gone again.

There’s something about cats that makes you wonder sometimes. The way they move, the way they observe, the way they seem to remember places and people without ever really needing to interact with them directly. If I believed in such things, I might say this one had been here before in another life. That it knew something about this house, or about me, that I wasn’t quite aware of.

Of course, it’s probably just a curious cat doing what curious cats do. Checking in on familiar territory. Looking for warmth, or food, or simply something intresting to break up the day. It's probably been spoilt by the neighbours who likely feed it. Still, it felt like more than that for a moment.

Peace & Love,

Adé