Pick Me Up! Special – September 2019

Hewas

very

luckyto

be alive

WORDS

BY

HATTIE

BISHOP

PHOTOS:

SWNS

W

alkingacrosstheAldi

carparkto domy

weeklyfoodshop,I

spotteda greycat.

‘Smokey?’I shouted.

Surelythatcouldn’tbehim, I

thoughtto myself.

He’dbeengonea year!

In October2012,ourone-year-

oldkittenSmokeydisappeared.

Hewasa troublesomekitty,

alwaysoffonadventures.

Butthistime,hedidn’treturn.

I wasdistraught,knockingon

doorsandputtingpostersuparound

thecommunitywithmyhusband

Jason,43.

Buthenevercamehome.

I wasconcernedaboutourother

kitten,Tux,beingledastrayand

followingin thepawsof Smokey.

‘I miss your little boy and all of

hismischief,’I’dtoldLulu,

Smokey’smother.

After 12 months,I’dlearntto

acceptwe’dneverseehimagain...

Butnow,herehewas, outside my

localAldi!

AsI shoutedhisname,he

sprintedoverandjumpedin thecar.

Hewasskinnyandflearidden.

‘Whereonearthhaveyoubeen?’

I asked,gobsmacked.

I pulledupat homeandSmokey

creptupstairsto hisbed.

Heclimbedin fora kipas if he’d

neverbeengone.

A coupleof yearslater,wemoved

houseandI joinedthecommunity

Facebookpage.

Scrollingthroughmynewsfeed,I

stoppedat animageof a greycat.

Hasanyoneseenthiscathanging

aroundAldi?someonehadwritten,

witha picof Smokey.

I readthroughthecomments

d giggled– so manypeople

d spottedhimoutandabout.

ThenewAldiwasa mile

omourhouse.

Howdidhefindit?

‘Canyoubelievethis?’I

howedJason.

‘Hemustlovea budget

supermarket,’we

agreed,laughing.

Thenewsof

Smokey’smischiefsoongotout.

I couldn’tevengoto Pilates

withoutsomeonementioninghis

latestmisadventure.

Who’sshe– thecat’smother?

Soon,thelocalshadnicknamed

me‘Smokey’smother’.

Smokeythinkshe’sthemayorof

thetown– andhe’sgettinga little

toobigforhisboots.

I wascaughtupin a trafficjam

oneday,andas I peeredoutof the

window,huffingandpuffing, I saw

theculpritof thehalt.

Smokeywascrossing

theroad,andallthecars

werestoppingforhim!

Hewasbraveand

luckyto bealive.

Hemustreallyhave

ninelives.

‘He’sjumpedoutin

frontof carsbefore,’

Jasonadmitted.

Hewasworriedto tellmein case

I panicked,buttherewasnothing

wecoulddo.

Smokeywasa freespirit,andwe

couldn’texactlylockhimindoorsor

rollhimin bubblewrap.

d to trackhiswhereabouts,

d to setupa Facebookpage

peoplecouldsharetheir

tingsof Smokey.

It’slikehisown

eighbourhoodWatch!

It wastheonlywayto

makesurehewassafe.

Hewassoonfound

umpingintocustomers’

trolleysandcarboots.

Hewasalsosnapped

unging happily on the

palletsoutsideAldi.

It’shisfavouritespot.

‘You’reso luckyto havehim,’

oneladysaidto me,whenshesaw

Smokeyclimbingintothe

passengerseatof mycarforhis

dailylifthome.

Hereallydidlooklikethecatthat

stolethecream.

He’sa creditto you, someone

wroteontheFacebookpage.

Otherscommentthathiscute

littlefacelightsuptheirday.

That’smySmokey!

TheFacebookpage

spottedhimstopping

trafficoften.

Hewassnapped

hangingoutwiththe

fishermenat a local

lake,andevenat the

showhomeonournew-

buildestate.

Onedayhegotinto

troubleafterbeinglockedin the

showhome– he’dbeensittingso

stillonthewindowthatpeople

thoughthewasanornament!

I regularlyreceivecallsfromthe

Aldimanagerto comeandcontrol

mycat.

‘Yourcatis sittingonthetill,’he

moans,unamused.

Smokeydefinitelywasn’tgoing

to beemployeeof themonth!

Butdespitehistroubles,hemust

boostAldi’sprofits,as so many

peoplestopbytheshopjustto say

helloto him.

I thinkit’sabouttimeAldigot

hima catflap.

Smokey’stheshop’sbestgreeter,

and he’sthepurr-fect pet for me.

LindsayEynon,41,

fromMerseyside,

really is the cat’s mother...

Smokeygoes

offonhis

adventures!

Igetcallsfromall

overaskingmeto

collect my cat

Weevenlost

him for a year!

REAL LIFE