As we moved out of winter and into the spring of 2025, the grand mission experienced a bit of a rollercoaster. We had a mix of very quiet spells, and some brilliant local encounters.
March & April 2025: Shop Cats and the April Showers
March was a slow month, yielding exactly one feline encounter. However, it was a high-quality one: a beautiful calico cat hanging around the local shop. You can always count on a local shop cat to be friendly and accommodating for a quick head scratch whilst running errands.
April, unfortunately, brought another complete drought. Zero cats were logged. Perhaps the legendary April showers kept the local feline population firmly indoors, but it was a quiet month for the mission.
May 2025: Fence Sitters and Kittens
May finally saw the numbers pick back up with a respectable 4 cats. The neighbourhood patrols paid off when I encountered a lovely black-and-white kitty in the next street, who was accompanied by two fantastic black kittens. A triple encounter on a standard walk is always a massive win.
I also managed to log the cute kitty sitting on a fence. Cats who deliberately sit at perfect petting height on fences are the unsung heroes of this mission, making the job incredibly easy.
June 2025: The Local Shop Haul and the cat who looked just like Mr Kittenson!
Summer truly arrived in June, bringing 5 excellent cats to the tally.
The local shop proved to be a highly lucrative spot once again, delivering an impressive 4 kitties in one go. It seems this local haunt is becoming a reliable hotspot for feline encounters. I also encountered a big fluffy tabby who looked just like Mr Kittenson!
July 2025: A Seaside Feline Retreat
After the brilliant kitties in June, July arrived and brought with it some highly respectable numbers. We added a fantastic 16 cats to the tally, pushing the mission well and truly past the 300 milestone.
The Mad Catter Cat Café in Eastbourne
When you want bulk numbers, you have to stick to the strategy that works best: visiting the professionals. This month’s major highlight was a lovely summer trip down to the coast to visit the Mad Catter Cat Café in Eastbourne.
Combining a seaside holiday atmosphere with a room full of resident cats is an absolute dream scenario. The kitties there were incredibly friendly, and they provided the perfect boost to the summer stats. Cat cafés continue to be the absolute backbone of this grand endeavour. Without them, I think I would still be wandering around shaking bags of treats at empty fences!
The Tally So Far:
- Previous Total: 304
- March to June 2025: 10 cats
- July 2025: 16 cats
- New Total: 330 / 1,000
The summer is just getting started, and the march to 400 is officially on!