As we went down the garden at the cat establishment I felt a twinge of embarrassment.
One of the things
which had built up my happy relationship with Mrs. Bond was my tender concern for her charges. Even with the wildest and the fiercest I exhibited only gentleness, patience and solicitude; it wasnt really an act, it came quite naturally to me.
However, I couldnt help wondering what Tristan would think of my cat bedside manner.
Mrs. Bond in the doorway had summed up the situation in a flash and had two pairs of gauntlets waiting. Tristan looked a little surprised as he received his pair but thanked the lady with typical charm. He looked still more surprised when he entered the kitchen, sniffed the rich atmosphere and surveyed the masses of furry creatures occupying almost every available inch of space.
Mr. Herriot, Im afraid its Boris who has the bone in his teeth, Mrs. Bond said.
Boris! My stomach lurched.
How on earth are we going to catch him?
Oh, Ive been rather clever, she replied.
Ive managed to entice him with some of his favourite food into a cat basket.
Tristan put his hand on a big wicker cage on the table.
In here, is he? he asked casually.
He slipped back the catch and opened the lid. For something like a third of a second the coiled creature within and Tristan regarded each other tensely, then a sleek black body exploded silently from the basket past the young mans left ear on to the top of a tall cupboard.
Holy Moses! said Tristan. What the hell was that?
That, I said, was Boris, and now weve got to get hold of him again.
I climbed on to a chair, reached slowly on to the cupboard top and started puss-pusspussing in my most beguiling tone.
After about a minute Tristan appeared to think he had a better idea; he made a sudden leap and grabbed Boriss tail. But only briefly, because the big cat freed himself in an instant and set off on a whirlwind circuit of the room; along the tops of cupboards and dressers, across the curtains, careering round and round like a wall-of-death rider. Tristan stationed himself at a strategic point and as Boris shot past he swiped at him with one of the gauntlets.
Missed the bloody thing!he shouted in chagrin.
But here he comes again take that, you black devil! Damn it, I cant nail him!
The docile little inside cats, startled by the scattering of plates and tins and pans and by Tristans cries and arm wavings, began to run around in their turn, knocking over whatever Boris had missed. The noise and confusion even got through to Mr. Bond because, just for a moment, he raised his head and looked around him in mild surprise at the hurtling bodies before returning to his newspaper. Tristan, flushed with the excitement of the chase, had really begun to enjoy himself.
I cringed inwardly as he shouted over to me happily, Send him on, Jim, Ill get the blighter next time round!
We never did catch Boris. We just had to leave the piece of bone to work its own way out, so it wasnt a successful veterinary visit. But Tristan smiled contentedly as we got back into the car.
That was great, Jim. I didnt realise you had such fun with your pussies.
Mrs. Bond, on the other hand, when I next saw her, was rather tight-lipped over the whole thing.
Mr. Herriot, she said, I hope you arent going to bring that young man with you again.
Ollie and Ginny: The Two Kittens Who Came to Stay
Look at that, Jim! Surely thats a stray cat. Ive never seen it before.
Helen was at the kitchen sink, washing dishes, and she pointed through the window. Our new house in Hannerly had been built into a sloping field. There was a low retaining wall, chest high, just outside the window and, behind, the grassy bank led from the wall top up to some bushes and an open log shed perched about twenty yards away. A lean little cat was peering warily from the bushes.
Two tiny kittens crouched by her side.
I think youre right, I said. Thats a stray with her family and shes looking for food.
Helen put out a bowl of meat scraps and some milk on the flat top of the wall and retired to the kitchen. The mother cat did not move for a few minutes, then she advanced with the utmost caution, took up some of the food in her mouth and carried it back to her kittens.
Several times she crept down the bank, but when the kittens tried to follow her, she gave them a quick get back tap with her paw. We watched, fascinated, as the scraggy, half-starved creature made sure that her family had eaten before she herself took anything from the bowl. Then, when the food was finished, we quietly opened the back door. But as soon as they saw us, cat and kittens flitted
away into the field.
I wonder where they came from, Helen said.
I shrugged.
Heaven knows. Theres a lot of open country round here. They could have come from miles away. And that mother cat doesnt look like an ordinary stray. Theres a real wild look about her.
Helen nodded.
Yes, she looks as though shes never been in a house, never had anything to do with people. Ive heard of wild cats like that who live outside. Maybe she only came looking for food because of her kittens.