Alexcat grew while I was away. I wasn't sure it was him for a few seconds when he came bounding over the neighbour's wall. He's not kittenish any more, apart from when you rub his belly and he briefly forgets that he's the terror of the neighbourhood and becomes a mewing ball of fur and teeth and claws. It's not clear whether he remembered me or just isn't picky about food apes, but it took about six seconds before he was all purring and love.

Lucy hid for all of yesterday (this is her usual method of dealing with people she doesn't know, conflict, confusion, loud noises, changes of routine, mice, new furniture, etc) but this morning she was interested in the kind of pettings where everybody is quite formal and nobody makes any sudden movements. I suspect I got sniffed while I was asleep and was judged to be mostly ok.