If you subscribe to my newsletter, you know I run a contest once or twice a month in which fans answer a question and I give away a signed paperback. Last month, my witchy little black cat Shadow reappeared after a three-month hiatus (wearing a strange collar, no less!). Naturally, I had to ask fans for their best pet stories and Terry G. in Quebec, my random winner, sent this one. Read and laugh. :)
“My silliest pet story involved Mikey, rest his soul, a handsome and muscular tuxedo cat who was an expert hunter of inanimate objects. We were living at the top of a triplex in Montreal that sort of wrapped around in the back (so our back balcony & fire escape stairs directly faced those of other renters in the same building). This gave Mikey plenty of easy-access balconies with all manner of treasures left outside by my neighbours. Woe to anyone who hung anything out to dry on a folding clothes rack. If I recall correctly, in a quite short space of time (approx. one summer), he brought me: a half dozen gardening gloves; a dozen or more socks (we lost count); another cat’s collar; a head lamp with rubber strap; a baby’s bib; one pair of men’s black canvas slippers (one at a time, he couldn’t carry both); clothes pegs; cleaning and/or dusting rags; and an impeccable white bra, which was quickly followed by a knock at my door, the owner of said bra having seen Mikey make off with her underwear. I apologized, but not with a straight face!
I have an enlarged photo of Mikey on my fridge, looking at me with those big, bright eyes (he always looked so innocent but his personality was anything but!) and I stop and stroke his nose and say his name now and then. It’s been years and still I miss him.”
