Cat Rescue

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Last Tuesday I got an email from Hannah, who moors a bit further up river on Jesus Green and who is a fellow Camboaters committee member. She and Frank the Bike Doctor have a tabby kitten called Chiquiti (sp?) who is a cute, playful little girl about 11 months old, but the email said that she had gone missing. They put up posters and left a message on the Camboaters Yahoo group messageboards, but to no avail.

Skip forwards to Sunday afternoon, and I was walking back from having re-rigged Dawntreader, our women's VIII, after the race on Saturday. James was out in the tub training some rowing novices so I was in no hurry and was dawdling along the river, since it was nice weather. I was walking towards the Fort St George bridge on the non-towpath side when I saw a flash of tabby. Now, we walk along this bit of river all the time, so I was surprised to see a cat I'd not seen in the area before. This bridge has spaces underneath, barred in to stop tramps sleeping under there, but not such that cats can't get in. The house next to bridge store things under there and the flash of tabby scuttled behind some wood so I lost sight of her.

At this point I decided I had to get in touch with Frank and Hannah, to find out if they'd found their lost tabby kitty. I texted both, and stayed around the area calling for the cat, and occasionally I swore I could hear miaows. I figured there was no point barging in speaking to the house owners unless Chiquiti was definitely still missing. Then I got a call from Frank, saying that no, she had not turned up and he was on his way over to see if it was her. So I went over to the house and saw a man in the garden mowing the lawn. I called out to ask if he had a little tabby cat, and he replied that he didn't but he had spotted one in the area recently. At this point Frank showed up and I pointed under the bridge to where I thought I'd seen her. She must have recognised his voice because she ran towards him, miaowing continuously, and he picked her up. It was most certainly Chiquiti! She was skinny and a bit distressed, but otherwise OK. Frank zipped her into his jacket and took her home. I was delighted to have been able to help find her, and they are so glad to have her back. Hopefully she'll not go wandering too far and get lost again soon!