Characters:
There’s me, Lee, a lady cat. I’m the one
telling the story.
Mom and dad, my human parents.
Tom and Sukie, my best feline friends.
Woof, a visiting Persian kitten with a
daft name.
CAT SHOW? NO
THANKS!
Mom bought me some new toys yesterday, a small giraffe and a highly
coloured snake. I don’t go a bundle on the snake because it has no extra bits
to chew but the giraffe is soft enough to take to bed. Funnily enough I seem to
fall asleep quicker when I have a new cuddly toy as well as my earless mouse. I play with it for a while, and have a bit of
a chew on an ear, if it has one, and then I feel myself drifting off. Dad said
I’m spoiled rotten. What do you think?
Well, last night, I had a deep sleep which I can only think was induced
by the new giraffe’s presence. Not a thing disturbed me until I woke to hear mom
going on about a cat show. I’d spent hours dreaming of victoriously catching rodents
and now it looked like I was entering a really bad nightmare. I pricked my ears
up, heard something about a charity fete. So much for feeling happy! Mom is
always raising money for something, and the show might be a good way to doing
it, but she’s not getting me there. I had enough the last time. All that
grooming and pampering isn’t for me. And then, horrors above horrors, I heard
another word. Bath. That did it. When
she wasn’t looking I slunk out, heading for the open kitchen door.
Once in the garden I belted towards the plum tree. She’d never find me
up there, and there I would stay until the heat was off. I’ve never
circumnavigated the pond so fast, though why I went round twice I’ll never
know. Even so, I reached the forsythia in record time, scooted up the apple
tree and jumped across to my private haven. Only I missed my aim. The forepaws
made it to the big bough but I couldn’t get a grip with the hind legs. I
struggled to swing them into position but it was no good. For some reason I had
fleeting visions of the male chaffinch trying to get into the bird feeder; our
positions were identical. He failed as well. I remember screeching a few times
as the claws gave up the ghost. Down I crashed, hitting the dirt deck with a
terrific thud, twigs and leaves tumbling with me. Even the birds scarpered. It
struck me then that I was too old for climbing trees.
I’m not sure how mom knew where I was but I’m glad she found me. The
pain in my back leg was excruciating. Honestly, I whimpered like a human while
she bellowed into the telephone. Even in my state of shock I thought it was a
strange thing to do. I mean, the telephone hadn’t done anything to upset her.
And she was truly upset. Tears rolled down her face; she had to keep dabbing
them with a tissue. You’d think she was the one with a painful leg. Humans are comical
at times.
The journey to the vets was fast. Dad drove while mom nursed me on her
lap. She’d wrapped me in a patchwork blanket and kept stroking me between the
ears. I would have enjoyed it but for the pain in the leg. I whimpered a lot to
remind her that I was in agony and that made her cry even more.
When we got there a nurse took me from mom, placed me on the cold steel
table and started to examine me. Then Mr Vet came in, had a quiet conversation
with the nurse before uttering the word operation.
It meant nothing to me but I sensed that it was something unpleasant. It
was bad enough having to endure the smell in that place, a smell that would
have put me off having treatment at all if I wasn’t in so much pain. Mom was in
a bad way, sobbing on dad’s shoulder while he tried to console her with words
like she’ll be fine and the operation will soon be over. Me, I wasn’t so sure. I’ve heard of cat’s going in
there and never coming out.
When the needle went in I felt the hatred rising and decided to show
the nurse how I felt. It was just a little nip but she didn’t half squeal. I
didn’t care; it made me feel a bit better.
Next thing I knew I was lying on a blanket in a cot, with my leg
wrapped in something white. Me... in a cot. I knew I’d never live that down. I admit I felt
better, the leg was sore but not as painful. Mom was there, uttering words I
didn’t understand. Diddums den meant
nothing to me but from the look on her face I knew I wasn’t in trouble. The
fall from the plum tree was like a distant memory. I tried to remember every
detail though, just so I could brag about the experience to Tom and Sukie.
After a short stay at Mr Vet’s place, I was taken home. It was good to
get back to mom and dad, and my giraffe, the earless mouse, and the grey
elephant, and all the other toys that live in a box next to my bed. Even the
snake looked good. I licked his skin a
few times to show there were no hard feelings, after all it wasn’t his fault
he’d been bought to share the life of a cat.
Needless to say it was a fair while before I was able to get out into
the wide world again and since there was no further mention of a cat show I
felt secure. I’d have to embellish the
incident when I told Tom and Sukie about it; it wouldn’t do to be thought of as
a coward by my best friends.
Must be off now, I’ve a bit more mental mouse hunting to do.
Meow!
