A LONG DAY FOR MOTH

Last night at around 3 -O -clock were disturbed by loud hammering and banging on the front door interspersed with shouts of “Open up it's the Police.”

Dragged from sleep by this raucous chorus my fuddled brain sought a reason for this ill timed visit from the law and came up with ...nothing.

The loud hammering continued along with the shouting as I made my way down stairs,being disabled this took some time and I yelled my irritation to those outside the door instructing them to “Have a little patience for Gods sake.”

On reaching the door I informed the noise makers that unless they could give me some proof that they were indeed bona fide coppers the door would remain firmly closed. By now Pa was awake and having a good view of the path from his bed he opened the curtains a crack, my instincts were right,outside the door stood four teenagers two of them girls and none of them more than fourteen!

I instructed them to ,how shall put it, “remove themselves from my premises.” Realising that they were sprung they took themselves off P.D.Q!

I called the real police who took my details and promised to send some one to see us,needless to say no one came My son had ,thankfully slept through the disturbance,Pa and I, not so lucky had a hot chocolate drink before returning to our neglected beds.

I awoke this morning to discover the cat Moth had gone in to labour. Anguished little cries and gasps coupled with heaving side told the tale. She took herself off to her maternity basket and the long day began.

Breakfast was eaten in haste ,after which my son went off to write, Pa went back to bed, and I spent the rest of the day preparing dinner and dealing with the cat. It took all afternoon to peel a few veggies and make a beef stew as Moth needed much reassurance,well it is he first time .Shortly before dinner she began to prowl around stopping dead in her tracks from time to time as her contractions came. She sat on her usual chair by the dining table as we got ready to serve and throughout our meal poor puss continued to whimper quietly,poor little soul.

By the time our meal was over and the kitchen tidied puss was back in her maternity basket which has a canopy for privacy and peace.

At the time of publishing there has been no further progress,cats can take 24 hours and more to deliver and strangely a cat can stop giving birth half way through a litter and retain her other kittens for up to three days if she feels it necessary.

Pa,who sleeps down stairs has the watching brief an he moment anything unusual occurs he is to call me to deal with the matter.

Twiggy poses a problem as she is sleeping upstairs all day and down stairs all night,quite what will happen we do not know but as there is no way to keep them apart things must take their course and we shall hope for peace.

It's going to be a long night, for all of us.