Just spent a week deleting loads of pictures and came across this lovely cat.
This is Wilton (or was) We had a renter and one day he came wondering round - I saw him go along side of my car and called him but he ignored me so went along the other side to him and he jumped out of his skin - That was when I realised he was stone deaf.
So he made himself at home although he only lived three doors away - two days later a knock on door -Have you seen a long haired grey cat - Come in to kitchen and pointed down garden is that him. - I waved my arms and he came running - The owner took him home and 20 min later he was back.
I found out then that this bloke had grandkids and when they came they played with the cat but unfortunately when cat was asleep they jumped on him(not literally) so he shot up and lashed out so the guy kicked the cat out.
We kept feeding him and let him come in and he slept on top step of stairs but we put him out at night.
There was one big problem though - He had very long fur and it was knotted and I mean knotted and they never took him in to be groomed - it was so bad the fur on his left front leg was knotted with fur on his left back leg and it forced him to walk curved.
So one day after evening meal the wife picked him up I started to cut the huge balls of fur off him - only did a bit each day until he looked like the picture - Poor thing looked scraggy but he was a softie - When we moved we did contemplate asking if we could take him but our new place was on a small road but had tractors most of the day.
Months after the estate agent kept ringing me to ask if it was our cat and kept telling her it was owned by house three doors down,
We have always felt guilty leaving him behind but he was safe on the little cul-d -sac he was in.
PS - We named him Wilton because he looked like a shaggy rug