Neighbourhood Prowler

Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat.

Mark Twain

Mr Padge has been caught prowling by Zoe, who lives a couple of streets away from me. Here he is, on her neighbour's roof! Best Beloved's response to her Email of Proof today was 'No Mate.' But his casual retort hides an anxious soul. BB has been known to stand in the front yard in his underwear shaking a box of crunchies at weird hours of the night, trying to tempt the cats to come home. I, however, have faith in Padge as a creature of skill and loyalty. He always comes home when he's hungry.

He will kill mice, and he will be kind to babies when he is in the house, just as long as they do not pull his tail too hard. But when he has done that, and between times, and when the moon gets up and night comes, he is the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to him. Then he goes out to the Wet Wild Woods or up the Wet Wild Trees or on the Wet Wild Roofs, waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone.

Rudyard Kipling