Stories of The Daily Cat's	The Daily Cat	( Up-Dated : November 2000 )
readers. ( Thats You )	Harry's Tail	by M. Riggs ( Harry's Owner ) Gateshead, U.K.
	The first time I saw him. Then, black and grey, cold and hungry.I looked down and said "Hello there little one, where did you come from?" He looked up at me with sad and lonely little green eyes and let out the most incredible ME-OO-OOOII I had ever heard. Opening the front door to the flat I looked down again and said : " Well are you . . . . . " that was as far as I got before my new friend ran in and started to investigate. After a bowl of milk and some corned beef, ( I had no animal food at that time ) he resumed his investigation of what may become his new home.The door bell rang about an hour later and he shot towards the door. A friend had popped around but, that was enough to scare my new-one into going back out.I remembered thinking at this time that he was probably just passing through but it had been nice to see him.
Four in the morning and something wakes me up. Sounds like the wind rattling my letter box, apart from one thing, letter boxes don't meow.I go to the door and as I opened it I am greeted by my little friend from earlier, but, this time all he wants is some attention and a nice warm bed. At first I did not want it give him a name in case someone out there had lost this frightened little cat, so I placed a few ads hoping the owners, would come for him.After about five days he hadn't come back, apart from being a little upset I figured he'd just moved on and was carrying on with his mission. Now a week had gone passed and the post man had just been, so, I went to the door to pick - up my post and who was there standing on the other side of the glass panelled door but my little friend from the week before.
	The next week was fantastic. He followed me around the flat like a lost sheep.After brushing him and giving him some pampering, I discovered that what I had here was not a black and grey cat, but the most beautiful pure white cat with little pink ears and paws. Suddenly and without warning he disappeared again. I was gutted, especially when I found out that he had been taken to a cat and dog shelter by one of my neighbours who believed he was a stray.This is when I found out that the same person had taken him away the first time he had disappeared.The first time he was taken to a cat and dog shelter in Newcastle, ( 7 Miles away from flat ) which means in order to get back he had to break out, travel through a busy city, over the river Tyne and then another three miles to the flat.I tracked him down to a cat and dog shelter after getting the information from the person who took him there.
When I rang up they told me they wanted £130:oo This was meant to cover a finders / re-homing fee plus the fact that he had been given the snip. ( Neutered )The simple answer was I didn't have the amount of money they wanted.After what he had already been through, with the fact he'd come back to me the first time he was taken.I felt as though I had let him down.Devastated is the only word to start and cover how I felt. One week later and I did not feel any better about what had happened but no-one could describe how I felt, as I walked down the path towards my flat, I was greeted at the front door by one small, white, green - eyed cat.He had managed to escape again, ( 4 Miles back to the flat ) and since then he still lives with me. I named him Harry, ( after the great escape artist ) and made sure everyone new where he lived, but things don't end here.In march of 1999, about one year after Harry first came to see me I had to move. . .
	I didn't want to leave Harry there but did not know how he would react becoming an indoor cat.For one, would he use a litter try ?To my surprise he adapted very well. No problems using the litter tray and quite happy to watch the outside world go by from the windowsill.Every now and then he would venture out into the rear garden, which has eight foot walls on each side.Unfortunately he got spooked by a dog a dog going crackers and ran away.Once again I was left with an emptiness that just could not be filled. Me, my girlfriend and fourteen month daughter combed the streets for two days without even a sighting. We contacted my old neighbours and the cat and dog shelters but to no avail.There was no space outside our house when I got back from a bit more searching, so, I decided to put the van in a side street across the road. ( from the flat )
I got out and locked up. Ready to figure out life without Harry, when I noticed something sitting in the middle of the back street opposite our house.I called out inquisitively. "Harry ?" The shape moves and I knelt down and called again.This time the shape rushed towards me and jumps into my arms, meowing and purring.Harry was in my arms.I didn't tell my girlfriend I had found he, I just walked into the house and put him on the floor.He meowed as he ran along the hall and as they met, I could see tears of joy in her eyes and running over her cheeks.He head butted her, as she stroked him.Now we are a family again and that is how we will stay.Harry the house cat ? well, we will see ! ( Everyone who has met Harry has been very surprised by him.Very few cats every attach themselves to a person as Harry has.From dirty, under-weight and a loner, to clean, well-fed and family cat. ) webmaster

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