Guarding the Hedge

A couple of years after we moved here (a bit over ten years ago)
our Ishmael started disappearing. He'd come back for food, but
other than that we wouldn't see him for days or even weeks at a
time.

It took some time before we found out what he was doing. We're
on an intersection, and diagonally across from us there is a
hedge separating the gable end of the terrace from the lane.
Ishmael was spending most of his time in there.

The reason seemed to be the arrival of a nighbour across the
stret who had four cats, including Pip, a magnificent young
golden Somali male with a huge fluffy tail. He had in common
with Ishmael that he was absolutely convinced that he was the
handsomest cat in the known universe.

The two of them would sit a few yards apart in that hedge,
discussing this matter all night long. "MeeeeEEEEE!" ...
"MEEEeee!"... "MeeeEEEEEeeee!!" It never came to scratches,
but the yowling must have been horrendous for the neighbour
(though he never mentioned it).

Pip and his human moved away, Ishmael died. The hedge stayed
unoccupied for a few years. A new neighbour moved in over
there. Then our little curly-tailed ginger Ollie started
disappearing for days at a time and only appearing for meals...

I saw the competition a few days ago; a huge old tuxedo cat who
dominates most of the neighbourhood. But NO WAY is he getting
Ollie's hedge.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === http://www.campin.me.uk ====
Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557
CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts
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