THE TALES OF ZAK AND GEMMA...

Chapter one.. The Story Begins..

Where do I start? perhaps, you suggest, at the beginning. Very well I will start as follows:

My name is Zak, I am an Egyptian Mau Cat and for a while I wondered if I would ever be really lucky and find a home where I was treated with respect, kindness and affection. I am not a demanding cat but somehow I was shunted from place to place only to end up back in the SPCA for one reason or another.
Sufficient to say that when one day these two Humans appeared I was reluctant to show myself for I did not relish another disappointment, however somehow they decided that they wanted me and I was carted off along with my belongings, from a previous owner, and arrived at this strange house.

It took me some time to sniff my way about but it seemed reasonable and what is more the humans also seemed reasonable, although I did not think much of the food they were serving.

I will not go into that first week as we got to know each other, but gradually I came to realize that perhaps I had finally found a good home, so I started to relax and be a little more friendly, greeting them when they had been out for a while and sitting in the window and watching them when they left.

Towards the end of the first week they left one morning and I prowled about the house, as time passed I began to wonder what had happened, where they had gone to and if I was to be left all alone again, given my past experiences you can understand a little of how I felt.

Finally the car turned into the drive, I was so relieved when they walked in through the door that I made quite a fuss and 'Mom' said to 'Dad' "If we are going to leave him alone for hours when we go to the golf course,
perhaps we should get him a friend."
They had misinterpreted my 'fuss' of relief as a reprimand for leaving me alone. I tried to convey that I did not actually need a friend, if they had told me they were golfing then I would have curled up and gone to sleep for a few hours.

They left again after lunch, this time they said they would not be long, so I did not worry and was at the top of the stairs when they returned.... I should have worried, they returned with a tiny apology for a cat and told me that this was my new friend Gemma...
It seems that they had dropped in to the SPCA on the way back from the Golf Club to drop off the food they had bought, that I decided not to eat, and had seen this apology for a cat, and when I made my 'fuss of greeting' this was the deciding factor, so, in a way I inadvertently contributed to my own misfortune.... as follows...

New friend, Ha! this tiny little bundle of kitten would not leave me alone, if I curled up there it was, if I decided to go for a stroll in the woods back of the house she would be tagging along and I was expected to look out for her, here I was looking for a good home and nice folks to relax with and they had landed me with a small bundle of responsibility.

I will not dwell too long on those first few weeks, they were not carefree, if I clipped her with my paw to stop her trailing me about, I was yelled at... If she bit my tail when they were not looking and I retaliated, I was reprimanded. I did my best to stay out of her way to keep the peace but it was difficult.

Then 'Bailey' arrived next door. ..Bailey was a black Labrador pup, a large lolloping thing with no sense, all wag, not just its tail, it wagged its whole body. It was not too hard for me to avoid it but Gemma had problems right
from the start.... I will let her tell you the story....

My Story...

Hello, my name is Gemma and I have a tale to tell
it started on a Sunday end of May

I wandered outside after Zak, who's he? you want to know
I'll leave that story for another day

Well, Bailey, she was outside too, no, please don't interrupt
but as it was I ended up a tree

And darn it all there I was stuck I couldn't get back down
now what, I wondered, will become of me

I heard my Mom and Dad out there a-calling me back home
and though I howled and yowled with all my might

They didn't hear me 'cos a squirrel chattered far too loud
I thought I'd be up there the whole darned night

I might ad here I'm only nine that's months not years and so
apart from hungry I was scared as well

I've never been out overnight I heard there's things out there
that on small cats and animals they dwell

"How to get home" I cried out loud when much to my surprise
a friendly Owl descended on my tree

He picked me up quite tenderly and placed me on the ground
instead of making supper out of me

I streaked for home and as I raced up to the kitchen door
it opened, and I shot inside so fast

Boy, was it good to be back home with water, food and Zak
and Mom and Dad a-fussing, safe at last

So, now that I've recovered some I thought I'd let you know
there is a cruel world out there it's true

But there are friendly folk about who'll help in troubled times
I hope they're there to help look after you..

GEMMA.