Member-only story
Death-wish Cat
69. 26 August 2021
Whispers was black and white and quite handsome,
Though he had lost a fang to tooth decay and dribbled.
When he came he was fat at 5.9 kilos
And slept even more than most cats.
He had lived at a care-home as resident cuddler –
An important job he was good at.
I think the old ladies at the care-home
Loved him too much with custard creams and bourbons
And teaspoons of hot sugary tea at teatime –
Certainly he was very good at lapping from a teaspoon.
When he came to us he was totally confident of our love;
A little less confident in the back garden
A wilderness with small fierce tigers patrolling;
He preferred to go in the front and watch the gulls.
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As time passed he spent more and more time outside
And got slimmer. He jumped up to walls;
He ran up steps and down, he greeted people
With a singing ‘prrrrrt’ and insisted on being stroked.
He accepted food when it was offered even though
