A cat rests in some tall grass, ready to take off if danger threatens, or pounce if some bird is unwise enough to come too close.

This is Papa, looking rather regal in the dappled light beneath a slatted bench.

This is Sunshine, once a feral cat, now somewhat domesticated. Her right ear has been clipped to show she’s been spayed. She’s also been chipped and had her shots. And while she can be affectionate, especially when she’d like to be fed, she’s not above slashing wrists if she feels like it. A cat to handle with care, perhaps.

While out walking, I saw three, probably feral, kittens by the side of the road. When they saw me, they promptly rushed into the tall grasses bordering the road. I waited a while and this ghostly kitten duly reemerged, sat down, and fixed me in its icy blue stare.

I took a few photos and went to turn off my camera, but it wouldn’t respond. Instead, the screen broke into a display of blue flashes. I had to pop the battery out to end the show. When I put the battery in again and turned the camera on, it worked fine. I looked back at the kitten. It hadn’t moved, still staring.

A glitch in the electronics? Or something more sinister? Hmm.

These cats look cute, but they’re wild and feral cats are something of an issue on the island. Besides the usual problems, their feces can carry Toxoplasma gondii, a microscopic protozoan parasite, which can be washed into the water in runoff. This parasite is potentially fatal to monk seals with several deaths attributed to it.