Rumpelstiltskin’s Story.
Once upon a time Rumpel (which is what we call him for short), lived with a family. A mum, dad, several boys and other cats. Rumpel wasn’t happy. Forever being shooed away by cats & family, always being picked on he wanted to find some peace. Now Rumpel is a very hansome black cat so he thought he could make it on the streets. He waited for right time to leave his family. The family, who, as far as he was concerned, didn’t really want him. They were already full to the rafters, why did they need him. The point was proved to him when they went on holiday.
Rumpel stood in the hallway and saw the large bags. He looked to his mum who patted him on his head and said “You’re a big boy now, you can take care of yourself for a few weeks, can’t you.” He looked at her again, and thought I don’t think I’ll be here when you come back. So off the family went.
After they left, he looked out the window of his home. The big wide world was waiting for him. He could see across the road a park. In that park stood a house, a little white cottage. Rumpel thought to himself, that space looks big - no children, and maybe no other cats. I think I’ll go and have a look.
Across the road he went. He found his way into the park and made his way to the little cottage. He padded up the pathway, he heard voices and stopped. “oh look a black cat” he heard. “Aint he sweet”. This tall, blonde woman bent down and patted him on the head saying as she did “Watch out sweetie, we got a dog”. This was when the sweetest relationship began.
Rumpel took to the woman at the cottage, especially when she started to put food out for him too. He had started to get hungry. He returned home every evening but when he got there the other cats had already eaten the food put out. He had started to look scrawny and was starving. The woman had spotted this, hence the food being left. Rumpel decided the dog was worth the risk. He didn’t seem that threatening and only chased him if he ran.
The family returned from the holiday, but Rumpel didn’t care. He was getting loadsa fuss from the woman in the cottage. He’d go home at night, after the kids had gone to bed. But he spent the day roaming the big park the cottage sat in. He liked it there. No hassle from other cats, and certainly no hassle from any of the kids.
Then one night, he saw an opportunity to go into the cottage. Rumpel had wandered over to the cottage. He heard voices out in the garden and saw two women standing round a fire. Odd, he thought. Its late at night and its heading towards winter. (Actually, it is was Samhain and the woman was out celebrating with her like-minded friend). The women made a fuss of him and he wondered around the fire. In the distance the village church began to chime midnight on Samhain. At this point Rumpel noticed that the front door was open. Well he thought, she appears to like me, I wonder what the cottage looks like on the inside.
So on the stroke of midnight on Samhain 2003 Rumpelstiltskin entered the house. And there he stayed. He loved it here. No kids to pester him, no other cats to bother him and so much ground to wonder over. Several times Rumpel took his new friend a gift or two. A mouse on several occasions. It was funny watching the woman chasing the mouse, she obviously enjoyed it. Then he decided to bring a very special gift, a living bird. It flew around the kitchen and he was so proud of himself. The woman in the cottage was laughing but she opened a window and out flew the bird.
Rumpel spent the next five years in this happy household. He rubbed along with the dog. Had to punch him a couple of times to put him in his place. Afterall, the dog did keep sniffing his arse, how indignit!
Its Rumpel’s final months now. He’d gone off his food for a couple of weeks. The woman in the cottage got worried and took him off to the vets. Rumpel knew he needed to do that, he needed to see that man who insists on sticking things up his bum! Nearly as bad the bloody dog. But he was feeling so unwell. The vet spoke to the woman and there were tears in her eyes, Rumpel didn’t know why. He was horrified when the following day he was taken to the vets again. This time the woman left him. What now he thought. The vet came in and shaved his tummy, then put some jelly stuff on it. After which a thing was rubbed across his bald belly, ohh he thought that’s bloody cold. The woman from the cottage came and picked him again. This time she really did cry, she held him tight to her chest and kept saying sorry.
That evening, she had to give Rumpel a pill. He really didn’t like it but the following morning he was hungry again. So he now puts up with the pills in the evening. He doesn’t do much now but then again it is winter. It is time to slow down and sleep lots. Rumpel wont be bringing any more gifts for his woman, he’s had his last hunting season. But he is comfortable for now. He may do the long walk, although, if the pain gets too bad, a final visit to the vets. He’s resting place will be the place he loved best. So much love to a very special cat, Rumpelstiltskin!
