At the beginning of December, someone abandonned this little grey and white cat on my doorstep. He was suffering from pneumonia, and was initially suspected to also have heart disease. For a few days, I didn't expect him to survive, but with a whole month of vet visits, rest and care, he pulled through. Almost immediately, he then got an eye infection and we are now battling an allergy! But despite the stress and the expense, I can't thank the scum who dumped him enough. He's the best Christmas present I've ever had, the most adorable, loving personality and full of fun and joy. With his flat head and large Roman nose, I sought a Latin name, and my friend came up with 'Pablo'. Somehow it suits him.
It's not the first time that I've found and saved a dying cat. St Patrick's Day 1996, I found an old stray in the snow behind the dustbin. I carried him inside, laid him in front of the fire and soon the room was filled with the loudest purrs and snores. At that time, we already had three cats but our next-door-but-one neighbours/friends only had two. We pooled resources for his vet bills and agreed that he would live with them. 'Bruiser' however had other ideas and has soon as he was well enough, marched straight back round to me. He was forever grateful that I had saved his life and always keen to please. He was rather like the Corporal Jones (Dad's Army) of the cat world. If I shouted, "anyone for a flea-spray?", he would be the first in the queue, even though he'd be trembling with fear.
I have reason to thank Bruiser for saving me too. I went through a phase of having blackouts, absences and seizures, and more than once, it was Bruiser persistently headbutting me in the face that brought me back to consciousness.
"Brogan's Good Turns" (unless someone comes up with a better title for me) will be loosely based on these experiences. It tells the story of a cat who vows to repay his young mistress for saving his life. But what a cat considers a good turn is not necessarily what its owners would wish for ....
