Bandit

This is my little friend at the Nairobi Guesthouse.  One of my fellow housemates, Anneke, has named him Bandit.  Others here think that he might have previously had a different name - like Button - but I definitely think Bandit suits him much better.  He has way too much attitude for a cutesy name like Button...

Bandit is one of two kittens that have claimed territory over the Guesthouse.  Judging by the greater size and strength of the other one - Bandit is tiny - my guess is that Bandit fell to number 2 in the pecking order.  But to make up for it, he has wormed his way in with the humans.  I need only sit on the front porch with food for a few seconds and Bandit will faithfully appear and wait patiently for his share.  He approaches by stalking - crouched, very low and very slow - so that the first time I thought  there was either a mouse nearby that I hadn't noticed, or he was about to pounce on my bowl of muesli!  Bandit only eats human food.  Beans, carrots, pasta - yes please.  Tuna, beef - bring it on!  Cat food? Sniff...

Bandit won't let you touch him, and he won't come in the house (Anneke and I have secretly tried to encourage him in).  But for a cat that plays so hard to get, he is very demanding!  And if I am late with his tuna, he'll sit at the front door eyeballing me down the hall in the kitchen.  Bandit will eat pasta from my hand, sort of.  If I dangle it from my finger, he'll swipe it off with his paw.  He employs that same strategy when I serve him tuna with a fork.  I have to make sure I get it out of the can and on to the ground quick smart, if I dilly dally on the way down Bandit will take a swipe and tuna goes everywhere!

Usually I would worry about what will happen to a stray animal I'm feeding when I go.  But in this case I'm not too worried.  The night guards feed Bandit their chapatis, other housemates feed him their pizza.  Even my driver, George, knows Bandit - 'that cat will eat anything!'  Well, yes, except cat food. Something tells me that Bandit has both the charm and the smarts to make it just fine.