The cat that covered 50 miles and two rivers to return to the Wye Cottage, "Lucky" has trained me to open my French bedroom doors whenever he knocks. That can be at 1AM, 3 AM, it doesn't matter, it's when he wants to come in, my job is to get up and obey. Because of this nightly interruption, a few days ago I started opening the window in the living room for him and I noticed many nights he was sitting guard at the window as if to keep things out rather than to go out.

Last night I was way out in the ethers enjoying a deep sleep when I was awakened by a frantic knocking at the door. Being his humble servant, I opened the door and waited, but I didn't see Lucky come in. Since it was 1:30Am and I didn't put on the lights, I thought I missed his entrance and after calling him for some time, I closed the door and thought since I was up I would take a trip to the bath room and headed down the hall when I saw an outline of a cat and forgetting about the open window I asked him, "how the heck did you get through the door when I didn't see you?" As I approached he lumbered into the bath room ahead of me making a lot of noise. I thought Lucky must be on some "heavy" cat nip went into the bathroom and just as I was about to sit down, this now cornered animal panicked and like a cat-on-steroids sped past me sounding like a freight train.

That's when I realized two things:

1. That's not Lucky and
2. That's not a cat…

At this point I am still in the bath room, in shock, holding on to the basin when I hear noises coming from the living room, tingling glasses, papers flying, doors being hit and furniture falling over. "Now it's time to turn on the light" I thought and as I went to the dining room and hit the light switch, this "thing" freaked out more than me, it ran into furniture and made frantic dashes from place to place. With the lights on I got a closer look at it. It was built like a cat with a high rear end, one that was going down hill all the time and when it was coming towards you it made you freak out because you felt it was just getting up steam and heaven help you when it got to full speed.

I couldn't see the face, it was moving so fast and it kept its head down. If cats wore shoes this one would take a size 13 from the sound of its feet. Most cats walk like ballerinas tip towing across the room but this one sounded like an overweight, out-of-shape-rap-star stomping across the floor.

I headed for the kitchen to open the back door as an exit route for both of us and as I did, this now frantic animal dove out Lucky's open window and that's where Lucky was, he was waiting to chase it off the property.

What was it? I have no idea. It could be New Zealand's version of a possum or the neighbors are growing some wild pets out here in the country.

The best part is realizing that Lucky did not want me to get up in the middle of the night and find a strange animal in the house, that's why he knocked on the door, he didn't want to come in, he wanted help to get rid of it!

There is still some mystery to this event, but one thing I am sure of, I closed the window at 1:30 last night and I may never open it again.

Carole Dean
Wye Cottage Jan 08
New Zealand