Damien the Alley Cat

"Yo," he seemed to say. "I told you to follow me!"

Poor Damien, the adult in the photo, was stunned when his son, who looked a lot like him so he couldn't deny fatherhood, refused to obey.

I was delighted. Damien never obeyed me except when I put food in his bowl and even then his behavior had nothing to do with me.

I found him in an alley in Port Jefferson Station on New York's Long Island. He was skinny and dirty, and avoiding everyone . . . except me, of course.

Until then, Gerttie was an only cat. After he came around, he and Gerttie (below) increased the numbers as quickly as possible.