PANIC

by Leo

It was a fine spring morning and I was sauntering down the garden on my own. My mother, Queenie was still in bed with my devoted slave, Josephine was eating her breakfast and Ginger asleep on the kitchen chair resting after a hard night's mousing. He told me he's caught three and was feeling too full to move. I was planning a nice snooze as I sat down on the lawn in the sunshine when to my great annoyance I saw a strange cat sitting in the branches of the apple tree above me. "Get down at once!" I mewed angrily. "This is my garden and you are sitting in my tree!" The cat sniggered. "I'm a cat and I go where I choose." He mewed." I'm sure you do the same. If you want me to move, come and get me!" Quick as a flash I leapt up the tree trunk but the strange cat had already jumped onto the hedge and ran across the neighbour's garden. Furiously I pursued him through several gardens only to see him vanish through an open gate in the far side of the garden wall. I continued the chase only to find he had taken advantage of the screening wall to vanish into a neighbouring garden. At least I've chased him away I thought and decided to go back home and resume my sunbathing but at that moment a women came out of the house and shut the gate muttering as she did so. "That stupid paper boy, how many times do I have to tell him to shut the gate?" Ignoring me, she vanished indoors, slamming the front door behind her. I looked for a place to jump over the wall now that the gate was closed and to my horror discovered the top of the wall and the gate were covered in sharp wire. If I tried to jump over the wall, I knew I could be badly heard or even killed. I was undaunted though as the front of the house was protected only by a low hedge and a gate with bars wide enough for me to squeeze through quite easily which I did. Then to my horror, I found myself on a busy main road. Even worse. I had no idea where I was! I looked up and down vainly hoping to see something familiar but it was all new to me. I'd never been to this place before. All I knew was that traffic is very dangerous as I'd heard my devoted slave tell her visitors time and time again to shut the front door as I could get hurt if I went out where the traffic was. But this wasn't even the road where I lived which although I'd never been out on it, I knew well from sitting on my devoted slave's windowsill and looking out watching the cars go past. This road was far worse as the traffic went by much faster and there was far more of it. Panicking I ran into the nearest garden, desperate to get away from the roaring monsters on the road. I sat there shivering wondering if they would come after me and eat me! I was just starting to feel better and having a refreshing wash when I was startled by a loud banging on the window of the house. I ignored it as it seemed less frightening than the traffic. Then the door opened and a woman emerged carrying a jug which without warning the contents of which she emptied all over me, drenching me from head to tail! "Shoo you nasty cat," she screamed." How dare you come in my garden to eat my birds and dig up my roses? Then to sit there washing yourself too as if you owned the place! The cheek of it!" I think she said more but didn't wait to hear it as I fled. Not only was I lost but now I was dripping wet too and I'd no idea why. My devoted slave has thrown water at me when I refused to stop fighting with my sister but I know I was being naughty then. Why should I be punished when I'd not done anything? I ran down an alleyway and into another garden, which seemed to be deserted but no sooner had I started to get my breath back when a voice from a tree overhead mewed "What are you doing here? This is my garden, I don't allow other cats here." "I'm sorry" I mewed". I'm lost and trying to find my way home." "That's not my problem." Growled the other cat as it climbed down from its perch. I should see it was a large striped tom cat with battered ears which suggested it was a veteran of many fights." Go away unless you want me to teach you a lesson!" he snarled. I fled. Scarcely knowing what I was doing I ran through several more gardens until I came to one which looked safe as four walls enclosed a bench and carefully tended lawn. I sat on the bench and tried to get my bearings but the harder I thought the more I knew that I was hopelessly lost. Just then, the gate in the wall was pushed open by a long nose. I stiffened, poised for flight, and only just in time as an enormous dog lunged at me, snapping at my paws with dripping jaws. If I'd not leapt up on the wall quickly. I'm sure it would have eaten me. I staying sitting on the wall knowing I was too high for the dog to reach and somewhat enjoying watching it leap vainly while at the same time feeling thankful that nature decreed that cats are far superior to dogs in their abilities. The clumsy creature eventually fell over backwards trying to jump. I was laughing to myself, my fears momentarily forgotten when a hand grabbed me from behind by the scruff of the neck! Vainly I tried to struggle but strong hands clasped tightly. I managed to scratch them but they didn't release their grip as they carried me inside a house and placed me on a table. The hands belonged to a man who stared at me and then grabbed my collar and cut it off with sharp scissors. I scratched his nose but he didn't let go until he'd lifted me down and placed me inside a cardboard box. He fastened down the edges leaving me trapped in a dark stuffy prison. Frantically I tried to claw my way out but the box was too thick. Out of all my adventures today, this was by far the most terrifying. I was sure I'd never see my devoted slave or my mother or Ginger again. At that moment, I'd even have been pleased to see my sister Josephine! I heard the man speaking." Yes, I've the cat here. I'll bring him." Where was he going to take me? Too late, I remembered my mother warning me about strangers who could hurt me Perhaps he was going to sell me for my beautiful orange fur? If only I'd been born less beautiful! I felt the box being lifted as I was carried. I guessed I was outside again as the air felt a little better but I still feared I would suffocate. I was jogged up and down with each step the man took. I struggled as hard as I could hoping he'd drop the box and I could escape as well as mewing loudly to tell everyone I was being kidnapped! After a short time, the man stopped moving and put the box down for a moment before lifting me again and carrying me up some steps. Then he opened the box .I hesitated unsure whether to jump out and flee or whether the inside of the box were safer. I was puzzled as somehow this place smelled familiar. I decided to risk venturing out and found myself in my own familiar hallway with my devoted slave looking at me with a mixture of joy and horror. "I rescued him from the neighbour's dog." The man was saying." I knew he couldn't be from round about. I'm afraid his collar is spoiled but you have your cat back." "I can soon buy a new collar," my devoted slave said." Thank you so much. I didn't even know he was missing as he likes to go out and sit on the lawn in the summer." She picked me up and hugged me tight. I purred happily. I was home safe at last.