Lost and Found!

They say that things always happen in threes, and last weekend was no exception! The schools closed on Thursday for the Easter break and the weekend was a long one, so our little village was full of holidaymakers. Also, I think a few people from here went away to spend time inland, so there has been a fair number of comings and goings as you can imagine!

So, on Friday morning I was standing idly chatting to my neighbour and watching two little boys riding their bikes round the block, followed by a sort of Jack Russell mix female dog with a long tail. They were having great fun, and every now and then the dog plunged into the bushes to try and catch a francolin (no chance there!). As they rode past for about the fourth time, I said to them 'Gosh, your dog is fit, isn't she tired yet?' They stopped to chat and the younger boy said 'It's not our dog!' (I had a flashback moment to the Peter Sellers Pink Panther movie when he asked the chap 'Does your dog bite?' and the answer was 'no' but it did bite and then it turned out that it wasn't his dog!) Apparently this little dog had simply arrived at the boys house and played with them, spent the night and was more than happy to stay. 

Friday afternoon I happened to be in the garden (dodging housework), as Rob was industriously making his knockout beef and veggie soup, when I noticed my neighbour with some friends in her garden, and with them was a young ginger cat. I know they don't have a cat, so I asked them whose cat it was. The answer? They didn't know as it had literally appeared out of the green area near the main road and followed them. When it heard my voice it decided to investigate and hopped over the wall. Alfie was entranced and they made friends straight away. I called Rob to come and see and he immediately invited it into the house (not that it needed any invitation I might add) and gave it ('him' as we noticed) a bowl of crumblies and some milk. He was hungry and very thirsty and doubled his weight in ten minutes!

Getting tucked in.

Wanting to do the right thing, I immediately drove to the entrance to the village and wrote on the notice board 'FOUND Young male cat, very friendly, loves dogs' and put my phone number so the owners know that he is safe. (So safe that I asked Rob to go and rub off the notice! He refused and said that we must wait until today until people are home again.) I purposely didn't put his colour in case someone decided to take a chance. Actually that was Rob's idea, I wouldn't have thought of that.

Finally full!

Then, on Sunday morning we were in the garden and debating where to put the next kruiwa, (fifteen at the last count), when I saw a smallish long-haired dog with a tail like Alfie's, go into my neighbour's garden, same neighbour by the way! It was limping quite badly and I said to Rob that it probably had a thorn in its paw. He went off and came back carrying the dog that fortunately had a collar with its name, ‘Champ’, and contact number. Not only did it not have a thorn in its pad, it didn't have a pad, or a paw, or a leg! It only had three legs, but was running around and coping amazingly well! So, we phoned the owner who was very grateful, they were here for the weekend and it had wandered off to our side of the bay! That's quite a trek for a three legged dog. So, as was easier to take the dog to them than try to explain how to get here, Rob loaded Champ and Alfie into the car and drove to the hotel to meet a very relieved lady.

Basil with his hero!

In the meantime, the cat, Basil (chosen after a few days of ‘trying on’ different names), has made himself at home, treats Rob like royalty, has stopped hissing and growling at the other three, sleeps in bed with us, uses the litter tray, sat and watched the Stormers play and lose their rugby match, and has become part of the family! Next stop Aunty Vet for neutering!

Right at home!

And I don't have to rub my notice off the board either...........it rained overnight and the board is clean! 

Welcome home Number Four!