Some months back we started receiving visits from what we thought was a stray cat. She was tiny, had striking blue-green eyes, was very friendly, and obviously pregnant. So we started leaving food out for her and I started calling her Doll Face (we had just watched "Chicken Run") which we eventually shortened to Dolly.
Some time later, apparently after her kittens were born, a little boy came around calling "Tiva! Tiva!" Then he spotted Dolly and came up to our porch and got her. I asked if she was his cat and he said yes. I said "Her name's Tiva?" and he said yes. I asked where he lived and he said, "Down there," pointing to the southern end of the street. I asked if she had had her kittens and he said yes. I asked how many and he said three. Kid's are not the best conversationalists. He left with Dolly/Tiva under his arm.
Anyway, she continued coming back, eventually with two of her kittens - I guess the third didn't make it. Then one day about a month ago, a man came up on our porch and got her - he got into a van and drove away. Since we knew she belonged to someone else we didn't think much about it, just hoped he was her owner taking her to be spayed.
We haven't seen her - or him - since.
Meanwhile, the kittens keep coming around, and have apparently adopted us. They don't seem to stray far from the house so we keep food and water out for them - except I try to remember to bring it in at night, otherwise the local raccoon gets it.
I named them Frick and Frack, Frick being the larger one on the right - the picture doesn't show it but he's almost twice the size of his brother. He is a purr machine, while Frack tends to be a bit more aloof and hardly purrs at all. He tends to grumble if you pick him up, though he nonetheless seems to like it.
Siiiigh. Just what we needed - two more cats. At least we can leave them outside.