Friday 25 November 2011

A Tale of Two Cats

I have a pink begonia on my kitchen windowsill. It’s starting to fade now but it has been beautiful all autumn. Lots of people have admired it, and when they do I tell them its story.

Back at the end of the summer, as I was waving my husband off to work, I spotted a badly injured cat dragging itself along on the opposite side of the road.

Well I couldn’t just leave it could I? But I did recognise it. This was a cat my children often saw, lying in the sunshine outside a row of houses in the lane opposite, who they would stop to pet.

So off I went knocking on doors.

Now it seems that everyone around here owns a black and white cat. (myself included). The people from the first door I knocked on went sprinting down the road in a panic – it wasn’t their beloved Skunky but they thought they knew which house it came from.

So I found his owner. He was called ‘Little’ (probably because he wasn’t) and we rushed back to where he lay being comforted by my kids. I fetched my cat basket and a blanket and we carefully lifted him in. And off she took him to the vets.

Later that afternoon her sons called round to return my basket. Inside she had put this lovely begonia to say thanks. Sadly Little had been put down. But every time I look at those lovely pink flowers I think of him.

And now Skunky has gone missing. His owners are putting up posters all round the village. I really hope he comes home soon.

Mimsy is curled up on my knee as I type. Today she will be getting extra big cuddles.

6 comments:

  1. One of my cats is black and white. I stole his identity as a matter of fact. I'm still known as Casper on my writing site! We lost him once, but he came back after we put flyers through neighbors doors. Let's hope the same is true for Skunky :)

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  2. I've been adopted by an adorable little cat, all a bit awkward as I was planning to go back to England before the summer. The problem is the front door opens straight onto the road; she is only five months and a bit too blasé about cars. So now I have gained the reputation as the strange Anglais that takes his cat for a walk!

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  3. Hi Ruth, that's very encouraging! Cats can be dreadful for getting locked in sheds!

    And Jourdemots - I love that image of the quirky Englishman walking his cat ;-)

    Cars can be a real worry - we think that was what had happened to Little. Let's hope Skunky hasn't suffered the same fate.

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  4. Sidney, my big orange tabby cat was apparently abandoned by someone who must have moved away. He wandered the neighborhood scrounging until one day I gave him a little of my dog's food and he moved in never to leave again. To my shock, my terrier Delia who goes crazy at the sight of a cat, accepted Sidney after seeing me feed an play with him for a week on the front porch. Neutered, cleaned up, ear mite infestation slaughtered, and vacinations updated, this extremely affectionate cat demands affection from anyone he meets.
    Too focused on death approaching sixty, I decided to give the gift of life and went off to the local animal shelter and adopted two girl cats on my birthday. What treasures they have all become. How rejuvenating to have such loving, spunky companions to keep focus on living life. I'm not sure who's helped whom the most in this company, but it's sure a win-win experience.
    I did have to tell the people at the shelter I'd never return. Now someone has posted a letter asking people to come 'socialize' cats at the shelter! Yeah, like I'd hold and love a cat there and be able to leave it! I see how unintentional hoarding seeps into one's life.

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  5. Hello (verylongname) :-) That's a lovely story about your cats. It's wonderful that you adopted two more. My own cats are also rescue cats. :-)

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  6. Brilliant news - our neighbours just called - Skunky has been found - locked in an outbuilding at a nearly garden nursery :-)

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