Uncle Ernie
Ernie was one of the first feral cats we saw on our property, but for the first several months we only saw him in passing. He patrolled the grounds at the top of the hill and spooked whenever he thought we were paying attention. Over time, Ernie became tolerant of our presence but he was feral at heart and always very cautious when we were nearby.
Ernie became the patriarch of the cat colony we tended. He was responsible for bringing new colony members out of the woods and led the youngsters on what we came to think of as scout hikes. We would look out the window and see Ernie leading a crowd down the driveway and into the trees, only to return with the troop intact after what must have been a few hours of playtime and education on how to be a responsible colony citizen. The 2 photos show Ernie playing and napping with Shadow, the first youngster he escorted back to the colony.
You can read more about our experiences with the Cats of Dry Creek Hill in this book, available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.
