Why I don't go out anymore

I almost don’t remember the time I was allowed out without Mummikins, my human who rescued me, on my lead. There must have been times when I first came to Tom Cat Towers that I was trusted to go out alone. I remember getting run over.

I was stalking Evil Sydney, a large ginger intact tom, who lives over the road. I was taking over the mantle of defending the territory from Ginger Tompkins. Gingie was about 16 years old, podgy and well, to be honest, well past his best. Sydney ran over the road and Ginger Tompkins waddled after him, Sydney ran back across the road as Ginger Tompkins , panting, heaved his bulk back across the road  after him. Sydney turned tail and went back across the road with Ginger Tompkins, the aggressor, after him, albeit with great difficulty putting one porky paw in front of the other. This to-ing and fro-ing went on many times as the humans just stood and watched with tears in  their eyes laughing at the sight of two elderly cats running back and forth across the road until finally Ginger Tompkins collapsed breathless on one side of the road, and Sydney on the pavement opposite trying to out-glare each other. So I took up the challenge of keeping Tom Cat Towers boundaries and bushes free from Evil Sydney.

One day after a good fur flying scrap in Sydney’s front garden followed by a good glowering stand off. Sydney hissed, I spronked then ran hell for leather for my own garden not seeing the big white van speeding up the road.

 Boom!!!! The van hit me, there was such a bang, Mummikins heard it from the bedroom and saw what had happened. She ran out fully expecting me to be splatted across the tarmac, her heart in her mouth. The van driver had stopped and was quite shocked but I was nowhere to be seen. Gardens were searched and Mummikins was in tears.  Eventually I swaggered into the kitchen as if nothing had happened. If Mummikins and the van driver hadn’t seen and heard it with their own eyes and ears no-one would have thought anything untoward had happened.

Needless to say I was down at the vets before my pink bottom touched the carpet!!

The vet thought I may have had really bad internal injuries and may not last the night, but I pulled through and since then I can only go out on my lead. However, last Saturday night when it was cold and dark Daddicat went out to find my brother Wills and didn’t see me sneak out of the door after him. I thought he may have appreciated the company as it was rather dark in the garden and he may have been scared to be out on his own. It was only when I was slurping water from the pond that he realised what had happened. More shouting from Daddicat as he tried to get me into the house before Mummikins found out then a load of grief from Mummikins about being careful with the most precious thing in the house (me!!) and if it happens again it won’t just be his crisps that get crushed!!

Since the crash I only go out on a harness, and have a static harness in the garden which lets me go everywhere I want to under the trees and bushes. My brother, Willi Whizkas, says it’s a bit undignified to go out with a human attached to the end of a lead, but I love having company. Someone to talk to, share adventures, someone to protect from fierce dogs and someone to look the other way whilst I spray up bushes, but best of all someone to hold an umbrella over me when it’s larruping down with rain so I don’t get wet!