Charlie Cat: slowly slowly catchy monkey

I answered the front door to an unfamiliar woman in her late forties with a sad look about her, ‘Hello’ she said ‘my name is Julie, I am Paul’s sister opposite’. I invited her in but she was en-route somewhere so politely refused.  Julie started to tell me in brief, the tale of the events leading up to the day. It seems not only had they lost their mother and father over the last few years but their younger brother had been killed in a motoring accident earlier that year too. Paul’s marriage had broken down some years ago and he was caught up in drugs. It must have all got too much for Paul as he had calculated his own demise three days ago by taking an over dose.

He had planned it meticulously, there was no remorse in his note just instruction and money for his funeral. He had left fresh food and water for the cat and the back door ajar for him to come and go and for Paul’s mate to find him dead.

   

   The reason for Julie’s visit started to become clear: ‘The cat has been missing for three days and we are worried about him, I understand you are good with animals, have you seen him around?’ Julie asked. I had not but said I would look out for him and took her phone number to let her know. ‘What is his name?’ I asked …..’Puss Puss’ she replied! So there I am for the next couple of days wandering around the area with cat food in hand calling Puss Puss for every cat in the neighbour hood to come except the one I wanted!

   One quiet afternoon as I was doing my rounds of the area calling for the ginger and white tom I found him sleeping in his front garden. Placing a bowl of food near, I retreated to a distance where he did not feel threatened, watched him finish it off in seconds and then dash down an alley way. Puss Puss had lost a lot of weight and was obviously stressed and frightened but the only way to approach him was ‘slowly, slowly catchy monkey’ so for the next few days I visited the same spot morning and evening with food and fresh water, sometimes he was there waiting and sometimes he was nowhere to be seen. Julie brought a supply of his favourite food and set about ringing around animal shelters to re-home him. She had two dogs at home so living with her was out of the question and though it would be more traumatic for him to leave his domain, he was a well known bully and I could not see him integrating with our own dear Harry cat so a new home was the way forward once we could catch him.

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Spirit the Hungarian Circus Pony: Jack-in-the-box!

Spirit and Blacky have been coping surprisingly well with the loss of Banker. On several occasions, instead of Spirit walking straight home from the field with Jessica he dragged her over towards the trees and just stood and stared. ‘I know Banker is there’, Jessica remarked, ‘I ask him to walk us home as he always used to, and that is when Spirit is happy to go with me.’ Spirit has been on such good form that he and Blacky have been staying out till dusk…. Even if Jessica wanted them in.
Jessica placed Banker’s ashes at the top end of the field late one evening whilst everyone slept, yet the following morning as Spirit was led to the field, he did his usual roll around in the dust before jumping and running directly to that spot. He came to a complete standstill directly on top of it then with the jump of a Jack-in-the-box exploding from its house he sprang from it looking shocked and surprised, just as if Banker had told him to get off!
As you can imagine, Jessica has not wanted to disturb Banker’s stable since he has been gone, people have been lovely placing flowers there and little notes of sadness for them. The other evening Jessica and her cat walked to the yard as they always did, to put the boys to bed. Spirit was roaming about in his usual manner when Jessica felt strong enough for the first time to sit in Banker’s stable for a while (with cat for protection against the mice). All felt calm and peaceful in there, she noticed Spirit nosing in too, not sure if he should or even could visit the old boy’s house so Jessica spoke softly to him letting him know it was okay if he wanted to enter. He tentatively tip-toed through the door and over to the far corner when all of a sudden he sprang into the air like a Jack-in-the-box exploding from its house. In an instant he was outside looking in with shock and surprise written over his face!
Instead of Banker looking towards his mum for help as he used to do when Spirit would constantly sneak into his quarters he had told Spirit in no uncertain terms to ‘Get out!’ Jessica could almost hear Banker laughing at the little stunned boy as he kept him on his toes - in the nicest possible way of course.

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Charlie Cat: Crime Scene Do Not Cross!

I was driving home from my Potters Bar clinic one afternoon in the summer, the closer I came to home the stronger a feeling of uneasiness crept upon me that I could not work out. I drove extra carefully in case my intuition was warning me of an imminent car accident yet there were none.  As I drew near home my awareness became heightened, I scanned the small road and houses: Cars were parked in their usual places, a neighbour was walking her dog, there was no smoke bellowing from the dwellings…. I thought my senses must be miss-firing as all seemed well but as I rounded the last curve to our house the first signs of trouble glared at me.

There were police vehicles and the chilling image of yellow crime scene tape stretched across the back gate of our neighbour’s house opposite.

The house in question had seen a few changes since I have moved into the road; originally it had an elderly couple living there with their two kittens, one ginger and white and the other a tabby, sadly the tabby cat died following an incident with a car. The other cat became quite a stocky menace in the street over the years that followed, he terrorised all the other cats in the area including our own Harry cat. I rarely saw him except for when he did a wobbly tight-rope walk along the top of their garden fence, trying to keep his oversized round stomach from toppling him one side or the other.

      Four years ago their middle-aged son came back to live with them, although very skinny and poorly looking he would often be seen heading in and out of the property on his bicycle and if I spoke first, he would politely reply with the niceties of the day. Three years ago the lady of the house passed away, leaving the ‘old boy’ as we called him, the bully cat and the old boys son, who by now was looking almost as old as his father. One year ago the old boy passed away in hospital leaving his son, Paul and the bully cat at the house. Sadly during this time alone in the house Paul’s health appeared to deteriorate more, there was some unsavoury characters coming and going from his property and he became quite well known as being a drug user.

As I looked through my kitchen window, across to the events unfolding opposite, thoughts ran through my head of assault or burglary and though my nose wanted to interfere my instinct was telling me to stay well out of the way so I went about my own business..... until the doorbell rang:

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