The solution!

Hooray! Rejoice with me (and Ed and all the family) for Melchi (the cat) has a home!

While we were waiting for the Cat Protection people to ring (they didn’t) Rachel-next-door rang up. Melchi was now not only allowing her to stroke him, but even to comb him and he purred loudly while she did so.

We decided that there was nothing for it. He would have to be put down (“murder” kept ringing round in my brain.) I rang the family for support. Left youngest daughter in tears and son very stiff and short on the phone. Ed and I started rowing over nothing and we all felt like the proverbial manure.

Had coffee with Rachel-next-door and she offered to house Melchi in her empty but furnished granny flat. It has a magnetic cat flap so he would be able to go in and out as he pleased, she would keep him in for a month so that he knows where his food is, and then he could prowl his usual territory.

We are all thrilled and so thankful. Rachel rang up this evening to say that Melchi has already settled comfortably in his new home, is curled up asleep on his blanket and looking ultra contented.

Isn’t that fantastic?

And just to complete this feeling of pleasure, a friend emailed this story:

A local priest was being honoured at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish.

A leading local politician who is a member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and to give a little speech at the dinner.

However, he was delayed so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited:

“I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set and, when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had also stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his best friend’s wife, and taken illicit drugs. I was appalled!

Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies for being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and said: “I’ll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived. In fact, I had the honour of being the first person to go to him for confession!”