Twenty or so years ago it was a long summer quite hot doors were left open to the breeze, and to allow a newly adopted kitten to get out in the office yard. The kittens name was Tax she had the run of the place but it quickly became apparent that she was not without rivals for her territory and her home.
A stranger appeared. He was much older some might say he was in his prime. He looked so big and strong. He must have noticed the weeny, weakling kitten doing pretty much what she liked in an area where no cats had previously been allowed, and added to the open doors and frolicking kitten there must sometimes have been the smell and sound of food. The stranger looked upon this cat sanctuary decided he liked it and sneaked in, one day there was one rapidly growing and very adventurous kitten and the next there was kitten - and Big Black Cat.
That was what I called him, whatever anyone says I did not make any effort to befriend Big Black Cat. He arrived uninvited and he stayed, at no time did I offer him as much as a bowl of water. I may even have shooed him off a couple of times because I thought he was a threat to the baby and I thought the very young Herself had had to deal with enough threats.
Nevertheless Big Black Cat stayed, he would appear and lounge around sheds and roof tops. I did not feed him that is an outrageous exaggeration made by people who obviously don't like cats, anyway Tom said "No More Cats!" In a very firm and manly tone and as a mere book keeper, you should see my book keeping, anyone who thinks I can't write fiction doesn't know me...Anyway for once I did as I was told I did not feed or in any way encourage Big Black Cat.
Until one evening a couple of months later I was about to leave when Tom and I just happened to notice Big Black Cat. He was lying by the door. He was very unwell. Tom said "Poor thing he won't last the night". I went back to the office put some food in a dish and filled a bowl with water. I said "Let's give him a chance".
The next day he was slightly better he was also, for purely medicinal purposes, in the office the better to keep an eye on his recovery, and recover he did.
He was the most loving, gorgeous Big Black Cat you can imagine. He would come and go as he pleased, It was a warm summer I may have forgotten to lock all the windows properly. It was twenty years ago who remembers.
He and Tax maintained a dignified distance neither as far as I know ever did anything to upset the other. Big Black Cat would come into the office and curl up on the floor behind my chair.
After a while a relative of mine came to do some accounts work for one of Toms other companies, we introduced her to Big Black Cat and they got along famously. So well that she offered to take him home. So off he went to a big house near Epping Forest, what could be better for a not so young Big Black Cat?
After a few months, not long at all, he became unwell again. This time he was taken straight to the vet and left there for tests. He had feline Aids. The vet didn't inform my relative they put Big Black Cat to sleep without permission and apparently without a seconds thought.
He had been given a new name but it meant nothing to me he was and still is Big Black Cat.
A stranger appeared. He was much older some might say he was in his prime. He looked so big and strong. He must have noticed the weeny, weakling kitten doing pretty much what she liked in an area where no cats had previously been allowed, and added to the open doors and frolicking kitten there must sometimes have been the smell and sound of food. The stranger looked upon this cat sanctuary decided he liked it and sneaked in, one day there was one rapidly growing and very adventurous kitten and the next there was kitten - and Big Black Cat.
That was what I called him, whatever anyone says I did not make any effort to befriend Big Black Cat. He arrived uninvited and he stayed, at no time did I offer him as much as a bowl of water. I may even have shooed him off a couple of times because I thought he was a threat to the baby and I thought the very young Herself had had to deal with enough threats.
Nevertheless Big Black Cat stayed, he would appear and lounge around sheds and roof tops. I did not feed him that is an outrageous exaggeration made by people who obviously don't like cats, anyway Tom said "No More Cats!" In a very firm and manly tone and as a mere book keeper, you should see my book keeping, anyone who thinks I can't write fiction doesn't know me...Anyway for once I did as I was told I did not feed or in any way encourage Big Black Cat.
Until one evening a couple of months later I was about to leave when Tom and I just happened to notice Big Black Cat. He was lying by the door. He was very unwell. Tom said "Poor thing he won't last the night". I went back to the office put some food in a dish and filled a bowl with water. I said "Let's give him a chance".
The next day he was slightly better he was also, for purely medicinal purposes, in the office the better to keep an eye on his recovery, and recover he did.
He was the most loving, gorgeous Big Black Cat you can imagine. He would come and go as he pleased, It was a warm summer I may have forgotten to lock all the windows properly. It was twenty years ago who remembers.
He and Tax maintained a dignified distance neither as far as I know ever did anything to upset the other. Big Black Cat would come into the office and curl up on the floor behind my chair.
After a while a relative of mine came to do some accounts work for one of Toms other companies, we introduced her to Big Black Cat and they got along famously. So well that she offered to take him home. So off he went to a big house near Epping Forest, what could be better for a not so young Big Black Cat?
After a few months, not long at all, he became unwell again. This time he was taken straight to the vet and left there for tests. He had feline Aids. The vet didn't inform my relative they put Big Black Cat to sleep without permission and apparently without a seconds thought.
He had been given a new name but it meant nothing to me he was and still is Big Black Cat.
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