Tales of the Village - How much is that kitty in the window?
By Boingboing
@boiboing (13153)
Northampton, England
July 14, 2019 6:17am CST
Our cat Milo likes to spend a lot of time at the village's recycling shop. It's a great place and Nick, the guy who runs it, adores our boy. Milo gets himself into trouble and has already got himself locked in the toilet at the shop one afternoon and spent an overnighter when he wasn't spotted at closing time.
Yesterday, we got a loud knock at our door from one of our neighbours to say that there was a post on the village Facebook page about a cat being locked in the shop - and of course, it was pretty much sure to be Milo. I called his friend Nick who was off at his allotment playing with his vegetables. Whilst I waited for him to come back and free Milo, I asked on the Facebook group how the original poster had known he was inside. Had she heard him miaowing? No, she has seen him parading up and down in the front window.
So Milo did a pretty good job of asking for help and alerting passersby to his predicament. When the door was opened and I called him, he came running straight away. As it was a Saturday afternoon, his window antics and the goodwill of the lady who saw him, saved him being locked in until Monday morning.
11 people like this
10 responses
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
14 Jul 19
I'm inclined to say "Poor Milo!" but, on second thoughts, I'm not really sorry for him. Cats mostly behave with equanimity and resourcefulness when met with the vagaries of human behaviour, such as having doors which they shut and lock when they go away.
Fifty years ago, this story would have sounded very bizarre! "A post on the village Facebook page"? What could that possibly have been? Some sort of Parish Magazine, one might suppose, but they come out monthly and any 'news' in them would be at least a week old! And then you called Milo's friend, Nick! Unless the allotment were within shouting distance of your garden, that would have been completely impossible and anyway, you would have them said that you 'called out' to him (or something), whereas just 'calling' implies that you telephoned him!
Well, I be dur-gung perflummixed! What a murfickle world we do live in, to be sure!
4 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
15 Jul 19
@boiboing I don't suppose that the butcher would appreciate visiting cats much (though they might call in for a tidbit). The hairdresser sounds a good place, though. In the village I lived in as a child, there was a large and clearly well fed tabby cat who used to sleep peacefully amongst the packets of cornflakes and bottles of Robinsons Barley Water in the grocer's window display. That grocer wore a brown coat and the shop smelt of paraffin and soap and bacon and furniture polish, just like Ronnie Barker's establishment in the TV sitcom.
1 person likes this
@janethwayne (5191)
• Philippines
14 Jul 19
He is a smart cat to ask for a rescue.And then he is free.
2 people like this
@JESSY3236 (20039)
• United States
16 Jul 19
lol Lily has been getting almost in a cat fight with a grey cat. Saturday I had to break up two almost fights. Today again I had to break up two almost fights. Now she won't come in.
@Traceyjayne (1784)
• United Kingdom
29 Apr 20
Milo is a very popular name right now ….what a clever cat to search out help like that
