Papa's forever home

 Dear Blogger friends. This is a story with a happy ending. 

Once upon a time a Black-footed African Wildcat arrived at a lifestyle complex in the Central Drakensberg. One of the shopkeepers fed him and of course, he kept returning to her shop. His original name is Mr "Lifestyle center" which name I'll omit and Mr xx lived 15 years in this center. He was loved by all the shop owners and visitors to the center would look for him when they returned to the shops. 

By the time he was 15, many people knew him as Papa. And every time I visited my friend, Mary at her upmarket retail  shop, I would bend down and stroke Papa.

In February, when I popped in to see Mary, she was distraught. For reasons unknown, the owner of the complex had decided Papa has to go. Immediately I thought of my brother, Philip who lives on a farm outside Estcourt and told Mary to fret no more. 

I duly spoke to my brother and he agreed to give Papa a forever home. Two days before my birthday in February, I took one of my travel cages to Mary. We loaded Papa into the box and I carried him to Mary's car. Papa set to yowling from the time we left the 'Berg until we drove into my brother's yard.

I carried the cage into Phillip's spare room and we let Papa out. He sniffed at the counterpane and jumped up onto the double bed and settled down to sleep. Quite unusual as Papa had never slept indoors at the center.

Mmm.

Six weeks down the road and Papa has settled in like he has never lived anywhere else. My brother has a huge Calico cat, called Cat and two elderly dogs, Sissy and Tombi (Zulu for little girl). Although it took a few weeks for Cat to accept the newbie, the dogs continued as if Papa had always lived there. 

Phillip regularly sends me photos of Papa and I share them with Mary and dozens of people in the area who were horrified that this gentle old cat was unceremoniously evicted from the center.

However,  everyone at Phillip's Pet Hotel is living happily ever after. 

THE END

Papa, the well read cat 

Papa on HIS bed in the spare room 

Apparently Papa pulled the cushion off the chair seen in the photo and proceeded to lie on it

Happy families

My favorite image of dear Papa! Contentment  is...

I said it was a story with a happy ending! Mary and I are ever grateful to Phillip for taking Papa in. 

HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY!