Just thought that I would share the story of my "borrowed" cat, who I sadly lost to kidney failure almost 2 years ago now
One sunny morning 17 years ago I opened the patio door to my flat to let in the air and allow the dog out for a sniff about the garden, it was quite early and the children were still asleep in bed, so I was sat quietly reading a book, then out of the corner of my eye I saw something run across the floor, I thought that it looked like a white rat so wasn't sure what to do, in the end I knew I had to investigate.
Behind the chair sat the most gorgeous tiny white and ginger kitten, she looked up at me and mewed, my heart just melted, I didn't know who she belonged to so I kept her inside, the boys were so excited and of course wanted to keep her, but I said she had to go back to her owners and must be lost.
It turned out that she was owned by the couple next door, who already had a cat that lived outside, it seemed that this was also to be Trixies fate, I was sad and worried for her but let her go home.
I didn't see her again for about a month, then I started to notice her about the close, hanging about at the neighbours door, by now it was very cold around November time and rainy too, she looked miserable and thin, I felt so sorry for her and asked the neighbour about her, I was told that she didn't like their dog and wouldn't go in.
As time passed I saw her more and more, she began to shelter from the rain and wind on the stairwell outside of my window, the weather was now particularly bad and there had been rain for days, I kept an eye on her, for 3 days she never moved and the puddles were so deep I think she didn't dare try to go through them, I could stand it no longer, and brought her in, I made her a cosy bed under the worktop and fed her she was ravenous, for a week all she did was eat and sleep she was exhausted.
After a week she was feeling much better and began to play and act like a normal kitten, I didn't know what to do so I put her back outside but it was to late she had bonded with us and wanted to come back in... every night I let her in and fed her well, the next day she went out, this went on for a year, I had fallen in love with Trixie and she with us, I fed her, cared for her when she was ill with a terrible abcess , de flead her and did everything her owners should have done, I worried that she would soon have kittens.
I had bad news, my father was very ill I had to move quickly closer to home, I packed everything and Trixie was on my conscience, I didn't know what to do.... the day before moving day I couldn't bear it, I took Trixie and popping her into a cat basket I promised she was going to stay with me forever and never have to live outside again, she was smuggled out under a pile of curtains and spent the night at my mums house.
The next day she began her life with me as a proper part of the family, she was spayed right away and never had any kittens which was nothing much short of a miracle.
My "borrowed" cat lived with me for 15 years, in that time she gave so much love and absolute devotion to us, she was so faithful and never went far, when i went to the shops she would follow me so far and wait for me, she was always there on the return journey it used to make me smile
I think of her often, and never regret the day I brought my little friend in from the cold.

_________________