Cat conundrum

In the street that leads to Churchill College’s car park, I said hello to a white cat with a tabby tail that was stalking a squirrel; the squirrel used the cat’s distraction to escape.

I crossed the road and got in the car. I left the door open so I could take a photo of a parhelion (a sun dog) without having the windscreen in the way (see extra). Next thing I know, the cat had fully explored the inside of the car and was settled in for a snooze against my bag on the passenger seat.

Well.

I went through the many things I could do to resolve the situation. My first idea was to drive off, but, sadly, that wasn’t a good idea.

After ten minutes absolutely not spent stroking the cat under the chin and making it purr, I got out the car thinking it would follow me. It lifted its head, then had a wash while I wondered about asking a passerby if they knew where it lived.

The cat finished washing and followed me outside. Then it sat in front of the car, which blocked me; it moved after a couple of minutes – to under the car.

T’riffic.

A woman happened along.

‘I’m the worst person to ask.’

She wasn’t a cat person, but she was definitely not the worst person to ask. That would’ve been the man that preceded her who was walking with his face parallel to the ground reciting or chanting stuff out loud. This made her only the second-worst person to ask.

Nevertheless, she joined my attempt to persuade the cat to come out from under the car. Everything we tried was a game to the cat. Then the woman whistled.

Whistling worked. I should’ve thought of that myself – I whistle for Mr Perkins when he’s being a dirty stop-out. Last time I whistled for him, he came trotting home from halfway down the road. Took his time about it, too.

With the cat back in squirrel territory, I was finally free to leave, so, after thanking the woman and making sure the cat wasn’t following her, I hustled.

I turned into my street, onto my drive; what should be awaiting me but another in-the-way cat (see extra).

Aargh.