Little Black Cat slowly looked round the big space, and went nosing round, looking for a way out. She smelled smells of food where some boxes had been stacked but there wasn’t any food. There was a tiny pool of water though, and she lapped cautiously at it. It didn’t taste very nice but she was thirsty so she took a few laps with her tongue. Now if she could only find some food. But there wasn’t anything anywhere. Little Black Cat sat on one of the rags because it was better than sitting on the hard, cold floor and tried to forget she was hungry.
Time passed. Little Black Cat didn’t know how much, but it was enough for her to have lapped up nearly all the water. She was so hungry that she had even tried nibbling at the rags but they were horrid. So she just sat, waiting for that door to open.
She waited and waited and waited. Sometimes she would mew in the hope someone would hear her. Nobody did though. It got cold and damp and Little Black Cat would squirm her way under one piece of rag and sit on another.
More time went by and Little Black Cat was so hungry that she lost interest in food. The water had gone. She lay on the oily rags, waiting for something to happen. The car house was dark all the time and she knew she was going to die because there was no way out.
Little Black Cat didn’t have any energy to mew so she just lay there, head on her paws; waiting.
Waiting.
Then, just as Little Black Cat had drifted off to sleep once more, the door opened and a human lady came in.
“Hmm, it’s a bit damp in here to put all our magazines here. Let’s see where we can …”
Her voice trailed off as she walked round the inside of the walls. She was coming closer to where Little Black Cat lay, half hidden by the rags. Little Black Cat looked up silently. That movement told the human lady someone was there, so, moving slowly, she came to where Little Black Cat lay.
“Oh you poor little thing, I wont hurt you,” she gave Little Black Cat her hand to smell as she came closer. “You’re all skin and bones! How long have you been here, I wonder?”
Little Black Cat was gently picked up. She felt the warmth of the lady and very slowly licked her wrist.
“Oh you are a sweet one aren't you? Lets take you inside and get you some food. I’d love to keep you, my darling, but my husband is allergic to cats. Besides your owner must be looking for you. I’ll take you to the refuge tomorrow, but right now you need food.”
Little Black Cat was picked up gently and taken to the house and tenderly put on the floor while the lady put some food and water into bowls. She didn’t know whether she was hungrier or thirstier so she took mouthfuls of each in turn. When she had finished eating, Little Black Cat sat grooming herself, licking her soft ruff down her chest, then her paws and her sides, moving as only a cat can.
The lady stood watching with affection, and gently tickled Little Black Cat’s head.
“You sweetie, I wish I could keep you. You are so beautiful, a princess among cats, but it wouldn’t be fair to either you or my husband. I’ll keep you in my utility room till tomorrow and then take you to the refuge.”
The Little Black Cat sat looking upwards, trustingly. She was full for the first time for weeks, and a soft purr started deep in her, building up in volume as the lady stroked her and made a fuss of her.
Slowly the lady moved away and closed a door between them. Little Black Cat shrugged. It was typical human behaviour, to play for a while then leave one high and dry. She moved round the room, examining it for places to hide or sit. It had a large cold box that purred constantly and two cupboards with very interesting smells. She nuzzled one cupboard open and found tins and the kind of packets that were really hard to tear. There was a space at the bottom of the cupboard that she decided to use as a hidey-hole for now; it was dry, warm and full of smells but she could still see the door the lady had gone through.
Little Black Cat slept and slept. She was warm and safe and had had a very nice meal. Much later the lady brought more food, which Little Black Cat devoured at speed before retreating to her hidey-hole to cat-snooze all night.
The next morning the lady came to give her more food. Once Little Black Cat had finished eating and licking her whiskers clean, the lady brought in a Box!
Little Black Cat knew about Boxes, her old human had used one when she took her the doctor. However Little Black Cat didn’t really know what she thought about Boxes so she didn’t struggle too much when the lady picked up and put her into the Box.
The lady carried her as carefully as possible to the car but Little Black Cat felt queasy by the time the Box was put in the car. The drive seemed to last forever to poor Little Black Cat who crouched in one spot in the Box but finally the car stopped, after going over so many bumps and round so many more turns. The lady left the Box with Little Black Cat in it while she talked to other humans.
Little Black Cat could smell cats – lots of them! Her whiskers were quivering by the time the lady came back and took the Box out of the car.
Was she going to like it here?
What happened here?
Where was ‘here’?
