… but may animal rescue shelters continue forever.

Yesterday after 11.5 years I concluded my time as a Cat Pens Sunday volunteer. The final cats I cared for were as ever lovely each in their own unique way. Meaw, grey puss with mysterious eyes, vortexes speaking of other worlds … Fudge, tortie and white delight, ready for some affection. Oscar, a black and white being of joy and playfulness. Dill, grey giant of dignified gait, enjoying a leisurely stroll in the outer corridor. Kaikee, quirky and exuding character, a black beauty with a home lined up already. Finally Leon and Khan, two pretty females who adore (head kissing) each other.

An end of a feline era, and the beginning of new ventures on a Sunday morning: writing my feline inspired children’s novel, progress now to be charted each week.

And more cat pen musings to come: as over the next few weeks I embrace nostalgia and remember some of the more colourful or just simply adorable previous Cat Pen residents.

Christmas is a time of caring and festive fun, so let’s not forget our feline friends at this special time. Their hearts are of honey, sweet souls who crave affection. So a very special hug filled Christmas to Mum’s cats Edgar, Julius and the dignified Rose, who have turned today in to a miaew medley of musical magic, a cat’s guide to harmonic companionship. To all cats everywhere, a very happy feline festive period, may your purrs fade in to forever.

Peace has painted a pattern of quiet joy around the pens, an invisible web of delicious destiny, a future to yearn for.

For homeless cats are being homed! For the first time ever in my 11.5 years of volunteering, the cat pens were half empty on Sunday. The vacant pens were full of the promise of a better tomorrow for all.

The cats who were there: Libby is as adventurous (and still a litte bit hissy) as ever, a handsome dark dilute tortie who needs a large garden if not fields to enliven with her frisky presence. Molly (pure white cat straight from a painting of feline perfection) and Milly (gorgeous tabby) enjoyed a stroll in the outer corridor. Newbies Twinkle, Star and Comet played to their heart’s sweet content for as long as I could let them in the corridor; they are all tabbies of various description, one fluffy, one short-haired with some white, and the youngest (still a kitten) complete with stripes and spots.

I look forward to next week when we undoubtedly will have a full house again!

… sleeps with the finality of feline abandon, a state of infinite relaxation beyond many humans.

She is deep in this tranquil paradise of feline cares: one day, I dare to join her, and forgot this earthly strife.

But for today, I will just watch, and smile.