I was playing over at a friend's house the other day when all of a sudden a very handsome young stranger cat sat on the chair next to mine.

Oh! He was so gorgeous! His coat glistened in the sun and his purr was to die for... but I'm not too fond of skinny boy cats, so told him to go home and have a feed before I'd talk to him again.

I didn't see him for a few days until my friend rang me and told me to come and pick up the handsome stranger and bring him back to my place (um... hello? I'm NOT that kind of cat!)

But my friend insisted, so I bought "handsome" home with me... but I locked him in my bathroom for the day while I was away at work so none of the other cats in my house (5) would steal him away... or eat the gourmet meal I had prepared for him.

Once I got to work I waited until my boss was otherwise occupied and started making a few phone calls to local v-e-t-s to see if they knew where the stranger came from. Afterall, I didn't want to take this fine hunk of cat into my life if he already had a family elsewhere.

No luck with the phone calls, so after a gruelling day at work I returned home, unlocked the bathroom door and went for a drive with my new friend. Of course, I didn't tell him our destination was a local v-e-t... he might have reacted badly... but when we got there he was very understanding.

He was given a quick catscan which told me he DID have a family afterall.

As I sat, crumpled in a chair in the waiting room, my heart full of despair, he approached and snuggled with me on the chair during the time we had left together... his family were on their way.

I sat with him for about 10 minutes until I decided I really didn't want to meet his family, said my goodbyes with a tear in my eye, and walked back to my car.

As I was opening my car door, another car pulled into the parking lot and I just KNEW it was them! His family.

No quick escape for me. I had to listen to the details of how "handsome" had fallen asleep in his neighbour's trailer, and how he must have escaped near my friend's back door as trailerman went to the local tip.

*sigh*

They looked like such a nice family, so happy to have found him... and I knew I couldn't keep him with me against his will.

My heart is filled with sorrow because I know I'll never see my handsome stranger again – but it's also filled with joy that I was able to help reunite him with his true family.

One more thing... don't tell the other cats living at my place, but I've been searching the internet for very-definitely-homeless cats currently holidaying at the local animal rescue centre... because who knows? Maybe there will be another "handsome" waiting for me to find him and bring him home...
Unknown "Georgie Girl" Frisky - 16 years, 8 months, 27 days ago