Los Gatos Weekly-Times

The Prowler

Unlike many felines but like many readers, the Prowler is not particularly finicky and loves a good meal or a good snack. Searching for yummies leads this cat to the conclusion that a great deal of food is free for the asking.

Sometimes asking isn't even necessary. On some Sundays, the Prowler is known to breakfast at a certain cafe before filling the weekly produce quota at the Farmers' Market. Joining others waiting for seats at said cafe--along with the infrequent passing mooches--this cat snacks on complimentary fresh fruit and hot coffee or tea. A nice touch, not to mention a good appetizer!

The market itself is ripe with things to buy and things to try, and the Prowler does both. A few Sundays ago, this moveable feast included melon cubes, nippy pistachios, sweet peaches, chunky fruit spreads, hot ravioli and cooling raw milk to wash it all down. For those who may be thinking early about a perfect gift to get their pet feline for Christmas/Hanukkah/Winter Solstice/Kwanzaa, how about a delectable catnip or catmint plant to call our own? Check out the herb cart!

When the need for groceries other than produce brings this cat to the supermarket, incredible edibles pop up there, too. How often have you passed the bakery counter and gotten waylaid by a basket of baked goods? That's the kind of samples this cat notices most, although fruit juices/sodas, sausages and items dipped in unusual sauces are also pretty common.

Even the great outdoors is a good snacking venue when this cat's on the prowl. There's crispy miners' lettuce growing along more rural parts of the Los Gatos Creek Trail and spicy, colorful nasturtiums in yards and out-of-the-way places just about everywhere. Creeks and wooded areas are also great for finding juicy wild raspberry and blackberry vines. But please don't eat the flowers until you read a field guide or talk to someone knowledgeable, like a ranger, naturalist or nursery person.