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Sweet Pea was rescued by DH. She was crying at the door of his local club and was hungry and lost. We advertised her as FOUND in the local paper and put her name on the list at the SPCA. No response. Sweet Pea is a full pedigree blue persian with deep amber eyes - it was amazing that no one wanted to claim such a beautiful cat. But then the rot set in. We are going to be away for two and a half months and what would we do with her? Fees at the local catteries ranged frfom $500 on for a ten week stay!
Then I made an awful discovery. Sweet Pea is an escape artiste. She had been in the house for a week and seemed quiet and settled (she has a beautiful nature and is afraid of nothing). I put her on the back yard step so that she could sniff around the back yard. Yikes. A glazed and wicked look swept over her pug nosed face. She leapt in the air and catapulted down the driveway. Over the road she raced and down the street, with 'you know who' puffing after her. Would she ever stop. Several houses down she decided to turn into a driveway. She raced into the backyard of a house with me in pursuit. The woman in the dressing gown was most surprised to find a mad woman and a persian cat speeding around amongst her flowers. I made a lunge and caught her. Explanations and apologies to the woman, who seemed unconvinced that I was crazy.
My sister has an enclosed back yard where she had kept the Burmese kittens. She said she would take Sweet Pea until we came home from holiday.
All went well for a couple of days although Sweet Pea daily investigated every possible escape hole in the six foot fence. Fortunately Persians are very poor climbers. Then it happened. Some fool left the front door open in the house. To my sister Myra's horror Sweet Pea got the glazed look back on her face. She shot out the door like a rocket and aross the road. Myra is elderly and not very fast but she could see disaster unfolding before her eyes. Over the road Myra went, dodging cars. Sweet Pea was already up a neighbour's drive and heading for a walkway between some properties. Myra put on a spurt and fell face forward - but in her hands she held Sweet Pea.
Two days passed and Sweet Pea had charmed everyone. Gentle and loving she sat on knees and exposed her tum for combing and tickling. The burmese was already smitten by her and the other two cats were won over. I visited daily and Sweet Pea rewarded me by leaping on my knee and purring loudly with face under chin.
Some fool left the back gate a centimetre ajar. Myra was sitting peacefully on the front step when Sweet Pea streaked past. Over the road, off down the street. This time it was harder as Sweet Pea went right down the street to the corner. Myra puffed after her. They ended up on the verge of a surprised man's swimming pool. Sweet Pea isn't partial to water and was caught easily.
I don't know what will happen to Sweet Pea. I suspect her escapist tendencies will be her downfall. More as the saga unfolds.
Editor's note:
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