“Love Is A Mystery” performed by Ludovico Einaudi (courtesy of R271172):
Here continues the story of the wild cat.
The pen would have to be installed in my study since it was the only room with enough floor space. Inside the pen I constructed two large compartments, one for sleeping and one for eating and the litter tray. The bed looked the same as the garden one. I brought one mink coat from the garden to warm up, and it became the new bed-cover. The litter tray and the food dishes were placed on newspapers to ensure easy cleaning. On top of the pen I intended to spread a large warm blanket that would cover the sides and the back of the bed to give the some privacy. I put some chicken with vegetables into the oven, and soon the warmth and the wholesome smell of food permeated all the downstairs rooms. There was only one more thing left for me to do – I had to catch the cat and bring him home.
“Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major”, K. 545 I. Allegro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Mitsuko Uchida:
Nothing to it really, I mumbled to myself, as I lugged the awkwardly long, heavy trap-cage into the garden. I placed the food in a strategic place, set the door in the right position and went back in. Oh, the blessed innocence of the trusting apricot cat; within two minutes he was in and eating when the door sprang behind him. I raced back and talking softly to him, I carried the cage inside. The end of the cage fitted into the pen and the cat jumped onto his new bed, reassured no doubt by the familiar mink cover. A dish of fresh chicken and liver completed the transition, and relieved that he was safe at long last, I closed the pen door.
Courtesy of The Dodo:
It wasn’t until night had fully set in that the cat became a real wild creature. As I attempted to sleep on the sofa in the study (to reassure him and to extend our bonding process one step further), he wailed ugly, strange cries and ran around the pen without a break, quite in tune, I thought, with the raging blizzard outside. On the second night I put in his food a sachet of deworming powder which would deal with all types of worms. Both our vet and kind Margaret from the Cats’ Protection League assured me that it would be a doddle, and that he wouldn’t even notice. Well, he did notice, he did mind, and so did his worms. They came out in one big tangled heap and his screams were probably heard half a mile down the road. I hovered by the pen all night, changing the litter tray, removing bodies and reassuring him that he wasn’t going to die just yet.
“Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns, performed by Eva Zavaro and Orchestre de Paris:
Twelve hours after the treatment and the cat was as good as new. To reward him for his pains, I let him out of the pen to lead a free and luxurious existence in the study. Pre-warned by Margaret, I fully expected the cat to start climbing everywhere, keep on spraying, and generally be a real nuisance, hopefully for a short time only. To save myself the bother, I decided it wouldn’t be sensible to give him indiscriminate access to the rest of the house. The wild cat didn’t let me down. He climbed all over my papers and the computer on my desk, sprayed thick, sticky gunge over the books, soaked the sofa and the window sill, upturned the plants by throwing them onto the floor, and in a final act of defiance, he hung upside-down from the curtains singing grimly like a Siamese cat who has been to a funeral.
Courtesy of Crowley:
But that was the wild cat at night. During the day he slept off the excesses of the previous night, right on top of the pen, tummy up, snuggled in the folds of the mink coat, which he would groom lovingly, cute and innocent, utterly enchanting to watch. There was also one truly magical moment when the cat let out of the pen, sat upright on top of the pen on the mink coat like an Egyptian cat-god, apricot-resplendent. He then stretched his thin neck up to its full length and solemnly, meticulously begin an inspection of the study. His quartz-coloured eyes and his head seemed to be pivoted in short, sharp turns by his neck, which moved round and round like clockwork. He took in the shelves upon shelves full of books. No matter where he looked, there were more books to be seen. He finally stopped and looked me fully in the face. There was only one possible question in his widely open eyes: “Tell me, you human creature, what on earth are those things for?”
After a week of sleepless nights on the sofa which by now stank like a sewer, I called Margaret and begged her to arrange for a little operation at the local vet’s. The next day she duly arrived with a special cage to collect Freddie. By then, I had named the apricot cat, Freddie, a name which would reflect the hidden softness in his character. Well, at least I was hoping… If I thought that he would go quietly, I soon found out the error of my presumption. Freddie, who at the time was relaxing happily in his bed, was invited to enter the cage whereupon he refused point-blank to get in. I placed a dish with diced chicken inside but he cunningly managed to eat the chicken without getting fully inside, and left me standing with both an empty plate and an empty cage. In the end, after an hour of futile attempts, I managed to corner Freddie by slowly manoeuvring the opening against him until, with his back to the wall of the pen and nowhere else to go, he had to surrender. That evening Margaret left him at the surgery to be neutered the next day. She was going to bring him back in the late afternoon after he had fully recovered from the anaesthetic .
Although my sympathy and thoughts were with Freddie, I was looking forward to my first night of proper sleep for a week. There was also the little matter of cleaning the study inside out, which would include wiping the covers of the books which had got sprayed, the window sill and the sofa, as well as the wooden floor, the desk and, short of paintings the walls and fumigating the room, everything else. I got up refreshed and in high spirits the next morning, hopeful for our future together. By late afternoon the room was back to normal and Freddie’s pen was ready. Margaret strolled in, all jolly and breezy, and gave me a quick account of the proceedings. “Everything went very well indeed. He is fine, apparently in ruddy good health. The vet thinks he may be older than you had thought on account of the stench. Apparently the build-up of hormones that comes with age corresponds with the intensity of the evil aroma. He will be groggy now for a while and sleep it off until tomorrow. As for the stench, well, it will take some time for his hormones to settle so in the meantime be prepared…”
She had to rush off, and so I was left with Freddie looking fed up with the entire human race. Offered food was grudgingly mopped up but he glared at me, and it was obvious that the trust between us had been broken. As far as Freddie was concerned, he had once already given me a second chance after magnanimously ignoring that incident with the trap-cage, but had I appreciated his kindness? Had I, heck! Instead, I had caged him by force again, and then sent him with a stranger (as I don’t drive) to some horrible, dreadful smelling place, full of deranged humans who wanted to kill him. Just by chance he had managed to survive, and now his head was hurting badly, as well as his bottom, and not to forget that part where the cruel monsters had stuck that needle in. His demeanour indicated: I will never ever trust you again.
Pavane, opus 50 (guitar & string quartet) by Gabriel Fauré, performed by Csaba Szabó & Accord Quartet:
I knew then that I would have to be understanding, patient, and much more beside, if I was going to overcome this crisis. After all, Freddie was quite right, everything was my doing. The next few hours were spent looking after a restless Freddie, who far from being tired, sleepy or groggy, was now working off the traumatic effects of his operation in a state of manic agitation. Howling like a banshee, he leapt up around the pen on his hind legs as if the floor of the pen was littered with red-hot burning coals. At the same time he tried to prise with his outstretched paws the top of the pen open. Since the pen was made of solid metal rods and could be opened at the top only after undoing the metal clasps that held the two halves together, I was convinced that it was surely cat-proof. Nevertheless, to be absolutely sure, I covered the top of the pen with a heavy folded blanket and an even heavier old coat. I left the room to start on dinner preparations, and when I came back a few minutes later to check up on Freddie, he was already out and busy marking afresh everything in the study which I had scrubbed down earlier. Perhaps his real name was Houdini.
Courtesy of The Brian Jones Channel:
I could hardly believe my eyes! For a small cat to reach the top of the pen from floor level (a span of some three feet), he would have to raise himself to a height which he could only have achieved by first stretching his body on a medieval torture rack. Then, with his feet mincing furiously in every direction and scattering his food and water dishes in the process, he had to force the two metal halves open just a tiny crack, with his head acting as a lever. This meant, of course, that the opening could have been no more than 2 inches wide since the combined weight of the blanket and the coat was quite considerable. That he managed to lift himself up and then squeeze his whole body through that tiny gap was incredible to imagine, but it clearly demonstrated two things that marked him out: he was born a survivor and he had an enviable strength of character. I could not help but feel admiration for him, and I resolved then and there to help him in every possible way. Just one thought niggled me – what about the garden birds?
More adventures of the feral cat to come in the next post.
Another happy story courtesy of The Dodo:
naturetails 
i love your animal stories, and learn a lot from you about compassion & caring🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼
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Such an engrossing read. I love your musical selection as well as the videos.
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Thank you, dear Punam, for your wonderful comments! All greatly appreciated! Much more to come about the interesting
adventures of Freddie!
Joanna
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Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! Your kind words are greatly appreciated!
Joanna x
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You are welcome, Joanna. I am excited about Freddie’s next adventure
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Thank you,, Punam, there will be plenty!
Joanna x
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Cats are amazing, what they can do. Incredible, you are extremely loving. This was certainly a lot of work, especially with the spraying and cleaning. We await the next adventures. 😉💕
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Joanna,
You are certainly meticulous with your projects and that shows what a loving and compassionate person you are. 🙏🏼 That is so heartfelt. The Piano Sonata is a nice serenade for this afternoon. You have the heart and soul of gold my friend. Thank you for sharing your various acts of love and compassion. Have a delightful weekend! 🌞💖🤗
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That is quite the cat tail, er, cat tale, Joanna. Bless you for persevering. It seems like an awful lot of work and trouble and you are a saint for sticking with it when others would not. Enjoying the story Joanna, but glad it was not me. Happy weekend. Allan
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What a wonderful account. Freddie was certainly very resourceful, and who wouldn’t be a little bit upset at being grabbed, locked up and then assaulted with all sorts of indignities. I eagerly await further tales!
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Thank you, Peter, for your wonderfully insightful comments! Your understanding of Freddie’s displeasure is heartwarming! There will be more of his adventures, and they will astonish you!
Joanna
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Thank you, Allan, for your wonderfully witty comments! Some people devote their lives to helping animals and giving up their comfort, I am nothing special compared to those who save elephants, orangutans, and other endangered species. But I try to help here whoever needs help!
Thank you again, Allan!
Joanna
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Thank you, Monica, for your wonderful comments! There will be more astonishing adventures coming!
Joanna xx
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One thing I know for sure is that no human ever got the better of a cat. If it might occasionally appear so, it would have been only because it was in the cat’s interest to allow the human such a delusion. Any item that is not waterproof, should it be of value, should never be left in the presence of a cat. Yes, cat’s can get themselves into, out of and under the most microscopic space. I had one get out of a window that was opened a crack and then through 3 screens, to jump 15 feet to the patio below. I do admire your determination with Freddie. Sleepless nights can make one’s patience wear thin and then…there were the birds. That would have been the greatest problem but I suspect you worked it out. I loved seeing the siamese cats again. I’ve never forgotten that song! I love your story and the music. Look forward to the next chapter1
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Ah! So now we know his name is Freddie. Quite an appropriate name because all the Freddies I’ve known have been characters, and your Freddie appears to be no different. I’m amazed at how patient you are with all his idiosyncrasies, but I should never have doubted it. It goes without saying that I’m already waiting to see what he and you get up to next. Thanks for another great read Joanna.
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Thank you so much, Carolyn, for your wonderfully insightful comments! Of course, you are right cats are clever and intelligent beyond our understanding! Also, cats are better than many humans at showing gratitude, and not all humans are capable of that.
More astonishing adventures of Freddie to follow!
Joanna x
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💕🌺
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Joanna , you have a heart full of love & compassion to befriend even small creatures to whom you devote your entire self so meticulously.You very well know that these living beings understand the language of love in which you correspond with them on continuous basis.Nice videos & Piano/Guitar musical audios.Thanks for sharing such a lovely post, Joanna .NAMASTE.
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Thank you, Dhirendra, for your wonderful comments! As you know from Hinduism, god resides in every living thing on this planet, and I follow the divine instructions to help anyone in need!
Thank you again, Dhirendra, your thoughts are deeply appreciated!
Joanna
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You are absolutely right that God resides in all living beings who helps one & all !Thanks Joanna,for propagating the divine message through your nature tales !Whenever you find time, Pl go through my latest blog on “Virtues of physical activities in life’🙏
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Thank you, Dhirendra, and I will!
Joanna
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🙏
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Joanna, you are a special lady! How do you do it? It seems that you are blessed with boundless compassion, and energy! A great read and a wonderful way to start my week. 🐈😺😻💓
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Thank you, Ashley, for your wonderful comments! It is easy when you love nature and animals as I do; for that reason, nothing is ever too much trouble! Thank you again, Ashley, your kind words are much appreciated!
Joanna
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😻😻😻
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Thank you!
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I’m absolutely invested in Freddie’s stories now, Joanna. This made me laugh – “he hung upside-down from the curtains singing grimly like a Siamese cat who has been to a funeral”. Kudos to you for taking care of him so kindly!
We have two cats ourselves, and it’s amazing how agile and stubborn they can be, although they bring a certain kind of charm along with it. Can’t wait to read more about him!
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Thank you so much, D, for your wonderful comments! You made my day! There is more about Freddie’s change into my and the birds’ friend.
Thank you again, D, your kind words are deeply appreciated!
Joanna
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Thank you, Joanna, for the second part of the cat’s story, which is just as captivating as the first. You’ve provided intricate details on how you made Freddie comfortable by setting up a suitable bed, litter tray, and food dishes for him, along with a blanket to keep him warm. He must have loved his pen under your compassionate care. The story about the cage was truly fascinating.
You treated Freddie as if he were your own child. There is something divine in you. Despite being a vegetarian, you ensured his comfort by providing non-vegetarian items. This reminds me of my mom, who was also a vegetarian but never discouraged any of us from eating non-veg food.
Your post, as usual, is filled with interesting pictures and videos. I especially enjoyed the music and also the videos by Dodo and Crowley. Thank you, Joanna, for another fascinating post. Although I read it quite late, you know I never like to rush through your posts.
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Thank you, Kaushal, for your wonderfully thoughtful comments! As I mentioned before God resides in all creatures and helping a needy feral cat is a divine inspiration! Also, the great satisfaction in seeing the results and gaining a friend for life! Thank you again, Kaushal,, for your time and kind words, much appreciated!
Joanna
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It’s my pleasure, Joanna. You’re always welcome!
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Thank you, Kaushal, please don’t miss part 3!
Joanna
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Never, Joanna. I don’t miss any post of yours. Thank you!
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Thank you, dear Kaushal, you are so kind!
Joanna
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I’m exhausted just reading about Freddie’s antics. You’ve got a real Houdini on your hands, that’s for sure. This cat is definitely one of a kind. I can’t imagine the chaos and sleepless nights you went through. I’m loving the music references, by the way – nice touch ❤️🙏
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Thank you, Ritish, for your thoughtful comments! I don’t mind the effort in helping Freddie because, in the end, it was well worth it as you will see in the following posts. Thank you again, Ritish, for your time and thoughts, all much appreciated! I am glad that you liked the music and video!
Namaste!
Joanna x
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Oh my goodness! Freddie, Freddie, Freddie! He’s too much! I am enjoying the illustrations of music & cartoons you’ve included, Joanna. Looking forward to part 3. ☀️
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You are as cat soul sister Joanna and your love and care of Freddy is so loving and I totally understand as I too love my cats!!! I love all of the videos you included as well! 💗
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Thank you, Lisa, for your wonderful comments! There is more to Freddie that will surprise you! Pat 3 is waiting for your
Joanna xx
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Thank you, Cindy, for your wonderfully eloquent comments! You will be astonished by Freddie’s adventures in the coming posts!
Joanna xx
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It’s a pleasure always💓
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You really are devoted, given all the travails you describe in such detail.
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It goes without saying, Steve, and why!
Joanna
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Love ittt
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Thank you so much, Saania, for your wonderful comment! It will get even more interesting when I teach Freddie to love and protect the birds!t
Joanna
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