A couple months after I moved to this apartment, my next door neighbor moved away. They took their cat with them, but it kept returning. Eventually they asked me to put some food out to feed their cat, and thus it began.

You cannot put food out without attracting many other cats, birds, and an occasional dog. Eventually the system reaches a point of stability. In my neighborhood, stability seems to be 4.5 cats. Sometimes there are more, but not for long. Sometimes there are fewer, but new ones quickly appear.

This is the situation. If I put food outside, then there will be either four or five cats contending for their turn at the bowl. Sometimes they pair up. Sometimes they work out a sequence. Sometimes they squabble.

They lack faith. They naturally believe that food is scarce and must be protected. I wish I could help them understand that the bowl will always be refilled. They can share and not go hungry.