Her lady in the chair with wheels thought it might be cystitis at first so Little Black Cat had to have some scrunched up pills in her food. It wasn’t too bad, really, and it was just for a few days. The thing was that her Calling drove mummy 'cat' crazy as well as the not-nice lady. Little Black Cat tried not to Call but a cat has to do what a cat has to do!
After a few days of this mummy 'cat' took her to a different doctor who confirmed what mummy 'cat' and the next lady thought – that she wanted a Tom. Mummy 'cat' didn’t want her to have babies, and after hearing tails from other cats about the humans taking away their babies, Little Black Cat agreed. So mummy 'cat' made an appointment for her to have an operation the next week and they went home.
That afternoon, Little Black Cat was rolling all over the settee inviting mummy 'cat' to tickle her tummy.
“Purrrr, that’s niccccccccce, purrrrrrrrrr,” she said as she was tickled and stroked and tickled.
Then she wriggled so much that she landed on the floor! Little Black Cat looked sourly up at mummy 'cat' and the lady with long, long fur on her head. SHE couldn’t see what there was to laugh at – after all, she’d fallen off and could have hurt herself.
“Oh Little Black Cat, you are so funny,” she heard mummy 'cat' say as she walked out of the sitting room to sit by the window to sulk.
Before her operation, Little Black Cat also managed to sneak out to look around outside, or that is what she told herself. There was a Tom next door, a big, fat one, called Mask. Little Black Cat walked round his garden, sizing up the situation. Mask watched, not sure at all about this new little Madam invading his territory – the territory he’d adopted a few years earlier. Getting up, he ambled over to her but Little Black Cat ran away and sat under the hedge, smirking.
Despite all Little Black Cat’s invitations he ignored her. Completely. Little Black Cat decided he must be gay. She knew he wanted to chase her but he was too lazy to run after her. ‘A big wuss’ his human lady had called him, and this was one time when she was right. She walked a bit further, exploring and looking. However she was careful not to go too far from home, and she was out in daylight which helped too.
The day of her operation came and the lady with the long, long fur brought out her Box. Little Black Cat didn’t really want to get into it as she had convinced herself that she got carsick as well as carry-sick. The lady persisted and Little Black Cat found herself at the doctors fairly quickly. Mummy 'cat' didn’t get out of the car, and the lady took her in and left her there.
She was hungry as mummy 'cat' hadn't let her have breakfast, and while she waited for her operation, she chatted to the other cats waiting for surgery.
“I’m hungry! So very hungry. Mummy 'cat' had her breakfast but I wasn’t allowed even a drop of water!” she wailed.
“I know what you mean,” purred a mixed-up cat, “mine did the same. Not fair. Not fair AT ALL!”
“Me too,” shouted a little kitten. “I want my food! I want my food!”
They all moaned at the unfairness of it all as they sat in waiting cabins and the humans working there smiled. They knew what the noise meant.
Finally it was Little Black Cat’s turn to see the doctor. She mewed as they shaved her tummy and a little bit on her right foreleg. Then they gave her something in her leg. . . .
The next thing she knew, Little Black Cat was awake and feeling as if she had been at sea (if she knew what ‘the sea’ was) and felt so tired and sore. It was an effort to look up at the human nurse, but she did and was rewarded with a little behind-the-ear tickle.
She dozed off again and woke a lot later to hear mummy 'cat'’s voice! She had come for her! Little Black Cat wasn’t going to be left here! Mummy 'cat' bought her a lovely purple collar, which the lady put on when they got home. Poor Little Black Cat was feeling so tired and to add to the insult to her person they put a horrid white cone on her neck! Not only did her side hurt but also she couldn’t lick it or nibble at it.
Then she tried to walk. The cone pulled her head down towards the floor. Instinct kicked in as she walked backwards trying to lose the cone. She paused when she heard mummy 'cat' and the lady laughing so loudly! She couldn’t see what was so funny about the problem. Eventually she made it into the bedroom and clambered somehow up onto the bed where she nestled against the pillow and went to sleep smelling mummy 'cat' all round her, loving her.
Little Black Cat slept most of the afternoon, not worrying when the lady carried her back to the settee in the evening so mummy 'cat' could sit next to her while she watched that funny box that had pictures and sounds sometimes but at other times it was silent.
