The bony hand stroked the counterpane and his lips moved again.
I bent closer to hear. Frisk he was saying, Frisk
Then his eyes closed and I saw that he was sleeping. I heard next day that Dick Fawcett had died, and it was possible that I was the last person to hear him speak.
And it was strange, yet fitting, that those last words were about his cat.
Frisk Frisk
Olly and Ginny: The Greatest Triumph
Months passed without any thawing of relations between me and our two wild cats and I noticed with growing apprehension that Ollys long coat was reverting to its previous disreputable state. The familiar knots and tangles were reappearing and within a year it was as bad as ever. It became
more obvious every day that I had to do something about it. But could I trick him again? I had to try. I made the same preparations, with Helen placing the nembutal-laden food on the wall, but this time Olly sniffed, licked, then walked away. We tried at his next meal time but he examined the food with deep suspicion and turned away from it. It was very clear that he sensed there was something afoot. Hovering in my usual position at the kitchen window I turned to Helen.
Im going to have to try to catch him.
Catch him? With your net, do you mean?
No, no. That was all right when he was a kitten. Id never get near him now.
How, then? I looked out at the scruffy black creature on the wall.
Well, maybe I can hide behind you when you feed him and grab him and bung him into the cage. I could take him down to the surgery then, give him a general anaesthetic and make a proper job of him.
Grab him? And then fasten him in the cage? Helen said incredulously. It sounds impossible to me.
Yes, I know, but Ive grabbed a few cats in my time and I can move fast. If only I can keep hidden. Well try tomorrow.
My wife looked at me, wide-eyed. I could see that she had little faith.
Next morning she placed some delicious fresh chopped raw haddock on the wall. It was the cats' favourite. They were not particularly partial to cooked fish but this was irresistible. The open cage lay hidden from sight. The cats stalked along the wall, Ginny sleek and shining, Olly a pathetic sight with his ravelled hair and ugly knotted appendages dangling from his neck and body. Helen made her usual fuss of the two of them, then, as they descended happily on the food, she returned to the kitchen where I was lurking.
Right, now, I said. I want you to walk out very slowly again and I am going to be tucked in behind you. When you go up to Olly hell be concentrating on the fish and maybe wont notice me.
Helen made no reply as I pressed myself into her back, in close contact from head to toe.
Okay, off we go. I nudged her left leg with mine and we shuffled off through the door, moving as one.
This is ridiculous, Helen wailed. Its like a music hall act.
Nuzzling the back of her neck, I hissed into her ear, Quiet, just keep going.
As we advanced on the wall, double-bodied, Helen reached out and stroked Ollys head, but he was too busy with the haddock to look up. He was there, chest-high, within a couple of feet of me. Id never have a better chance. Shooting my hand round Helen, I seized him by the scruff of his neck, held him, a flurry of flailing black limbs, for a couple of seconds, then pushed him into the cage. As I crashed the lid down, a desperate paw appeared at one end but I thrust it back and slotted home the steel rod. There was no escape now. I lifted the cage on to the wall with Olly and me at eye level and I flinched as I met his accusing stare through the bars.
Oh no, not again! I dont believe this! it said. Is there no end to your treachery?
In truth, I felt pretty bad. The poor cat, terrified as he was by my assault, had not tried to scratch or bite.
It was like the other occasionshis only thought was to get away. I couldnt blame him for thinking the worst of me. However, I told myself, the end result was going to be a fine handsome animal again.
You wont know yourself, old chap, I said to the petrified little creature, crouched in his cage on the car seat by my side as we drove to the surgery. Im going to fix you up properly, this time. Youre going to look great and feel great.
Siegfried had offered to help me and when we got him on the table, a trembling Olly submitted to being handled and to the intravenous anaesthetic.
As he lay sleeping peacefully, I started on the awful tangled fur with a fierce pleasure, snipping and trimming and then going over him with the electric clippers followed by a long combing until the last tiny knot was removed. I had only given him a makeshift hair-do before, but this was the full treatment.
Siegfried laughed when I held him up after I had finished. Looks ready to win any cat show, he said.
I thought of his words next morning when the cats came to the wall for their breakfast. Ginny was always beautiful, but she was almost outshone by her brother as he strutted along, his smooth, lustrous fur gleaming in the sunshine. Helen was enchanted at his appearance and kept running her hand along his back as though she couldnt believe the transformation. I, of course, was in my usual position, peeking furtively from the kitchen window. It was going to be a long time before I even dared to show myself to Olly.