The Cat Problem

The cat didn't realise it was lost, nor did it realise it was perching precariously on the edge of a cliff. If it had, it might have panicked, but as it were it was grooming itself quite contentedly. 

Not far away a young girl was clinging to her mother.

"Where is she?" She wailed.

"We'll find her, Daddy's looking."

The little girl was afraid that the cat would never come home. She loved the small cat with black fur. 

"Can we go looking?"

"We need to be here in case she comes back."

The girl moped. The cat had to come back, she was meant to be the guest of honour at the garden party with her dolls.

Quite far away a man was searching. He had been out for a while now and still hadn’t found a hint of the lost cat. He had been getting closer to the cliff that overlooked the beach where people often walked. Someone had once mentioned that some cats liked to hide in high places.

He reached the fence that separated the edge from the people. It was high enough to stop the tallest person falling.

As he walked along it he resolved to return home if he didn’t find her soon.

The he saw the cat. It surprised him that she wasn’t clinging on with claws out but instead smoothing the fur of her paws.

“Daisy.” He knelt down to the black cat. It looked up, meowed and went back to its preening.

The cat must have climbed over the fence he realised.

“Come on Daisy, come back over.” It paid him no attention.

He pulled out a treat and waved it in front of the wire.

The cat looked up, pawed the fence, but made no attempt to climb back over. He held it higher and whilst she stood, she did nothing more.

When he moved higher still the cat went back to her grooming.

“Trying to get the cat are you?” A young woman was standing nearby watching.

“Yeah.”

She came forward. “Hey kitty.”

The cat was appearing as rather an unsociable one.

“If it can get over it can get back.” She stuck her finger through to try and pet it.

“Maybe you need more treats.”

The man poured a bunch into his hand.

“Come on Daisy.”

The cat was not impressed.

“That’s a pretty cat.” An old man had stopped to peer at them,

“Pity she’s stuck.”

“She’s not stuck, she just not moving.” The man said. He was getting rather worried, what if he couldn’t get the cat back.

“Here kitty kitty, here kitty kitty.”

The cat maintained her nonchalant composure.

 By now the man was wondering if he could somehow climb over the fence but he was a bit annoyed at the cat and didn’t want to risk his life to save it.

“I’m going to call my wife,” he muttered.

He pulled the phone from the pocket of treats and dialled.

“Did you find the cat?”

He sighed as he didn’t even get a hello.

“Yeah, she’s up on the cliff, on the other side of the fence.

There was a pause. “We’re coming.”

“You don’t-“But the call had already been disconnected.

"Maybe we could get some rope and she could grab on." A young couple had turned up, and the woman was peering intensively at the cat.

"Anyone got some rope?" The old man asked.

Unsurprisingly no one did.

"Look," said the man. "At the very least when she gets cold and hungry she'll jump back over. We just need to wait."

Everyone looked at the cat, no one really wanted to wait.

"Anyone want a mint?" The old man asked. He held up a clear plastic bag.

Everyone shook their head.

"Maybe we should get a cat," the young woman said to her partner.

"I'm allergic honey."

Her face fell, then rose in a second.

"We can get a guinea pig then."

Then mad wished he had gotten a guinea pig instead of the cat. But his wife had always wanted one and his daughter had begged. So he had succumbed to the black cat at the pound and after even more begging it had been named Daisy.

"Get a rock," he advised the couple.

At that moment his wife and daughter came running to the scene. Whereas he had been on foot they had they had rested their legs and driven.

"Daisy." The little girl squealed and ran up to the cat.

The cat looked up at her and meowed.

"Oh Daisy look how pretty you are, you've groomed yourself spotless."

The cat stood on its legs and pawed the fence.

"Come on Daisy, the team’s all ready, it will get cold soon."

And just like that, the cat pulled itself up at the fence, dropped over the other side and right into the girls arms.

"Let's go home Daisy."

So everyone went home, the woman, the old man, the couple and the family, complete with the cat.