‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  At the very crack of dawn when the panther and the tiger slink through the jungle after prey; when the great cats of the African plain stir to make a predawn kill, that is the time that the alley and back- yard cats, too, stir and begin their wanderings.’  Their nature was formed millenniums before man cultured the smaller of the species to keep his home free of vermin and as a playmate of sorts.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Heredity pulses strong in their veins, and their nature, indelibly stamped within their indoctrinated genes from prehistoric times, is too strong a force to be denied.
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‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  So it was that a certain nondescript black and white male, walking the council pavement in that predawn time, came across a barred gate that he had always been careful to avoid.’ ‘  It was not the bars that were a’  hindrance to Tom’™s lithe limbs, no they were there just to keep the human’  out.’  To Tom, it had been’  the’  great brown and white tabby that had kept him away.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  This time he hesitated, stopped, then decided that the time had come to ascertain whether this particular territory was still out of bounds. Perhaps, just perhaps it had become vacated.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  He slid easily between the bars and was soon strolling’  leisurely across the sweet smelling lawn, his widened pupils taking in every detail as it came into his line of vision; his nose analyzing the slightest scent.’  The smell of dog was very faint.’  ‘œPerhaps two moons ago,’’  he estimated.’  He wandered on, now padding gently through the plants on the freshly turned soil. There was barely any trace of cat aroma.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œIt looks as if that tabby is not around,’ he thought as he approached the rear of the building all his senses alert. The asphalt’  he was now crossing was not so pleasant to the touch as the turf or the raw earth’  had been, but he was making his way to the far corner of the yard.’  So far he had encountered no interference.’  The’  corner’  of the yard was very special. A place where a cat was protected from two sides and where there was a small patch of green.’  There was also a shade into which one could retreat when the midday sun’™s rays caused discomfort.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Here and there Tom came across the faintest traces of the tabby, but their very faintness seemed to confirm that, for some strange reason, the place had been vacated. Strange, indeed, for the place had the makings of a small Eden.’  Here was a perfect alternative to the cramped corner he protected and shared with three others.’  Three of the lowest breeding.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œWas I not brought up in a home as good as one can be?’. The thought gave him a sense of pride.’  ‘œI grew up in style. Why, I lived in the lap of luxury for’  almost fourteen moons. Those were, indeed, the good times. I had padded seats, warm beds and even a fire when winter blew cold.’  I knew what it is to be spoken to kindly and enjoyed two good meals a day. That was real living!’ ‘  I was free to go and come just as I’  pleased. I am not to be counted with the likes of those backyard tramps. Why, I even have a name.’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  He remembered running toward the sound when called: ‘œTom! Tom! Where are you?’ Then he had been always rewarded with a tidbit, a meal or a playful hug. True, sometimes he had been squeezed too hard and had bitten the hand that squeezed, but those humans should have realised that a cat, unlike a boot- licking dog, has his pride and limits.’  He never did understand why he had been turned out of home and heart. ‘œLife is just not fair,’ he concluded with a sigh.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Tom lay contentedly for a while in his luxurious territory.’  Here he found himself recalling those good times that seemed now a thousand moons ago.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Having impressed his aroma into the spot, he rose,’  urinated nearby, carefully covering the spot with sand to preserve the scent there as long as possible.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  As the days passed and his visits to his new- found haven became more frequent, his spirits and confidence began to soar. The other day he had brazenly basked in the soft afternoon sun for an hour, if not more. But best of all, it appeared that he had the place to himself.’  ‘œIt just doesn’™t make sense,’ he thought.’  It even worried him just a little. ‘œWhy, in the name of heaven was such a enchanting place unoccupied?’’  The scent of other felines came only feebly to his keen senses.’  Finally, a solution lacking, Tom set this thought aside.’  He became more confident with the passing of the days and had begun to spend most of his time in his new territory.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Then an untoward thing happened. An event that at its conclusion turned his’  whole world upside down. Nor could anything that he could recollect explain the events of that night and’  of the next morning.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  It began an hour after sunset when the appetites of’  felines are aroused.’  To his nostrils had come the delicious aroma of fish in oil. Only once before had he smelled the likes of it.’  That had been when he had been living with the humans in the lap of luxury. The wonderful aroma was coming from a box that had been placed not far from what was now, ‘˜his corner’™.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Tom’™s curiosity was aroused. This was irresistible!’  He first walked around the box nonchalantly as if it were the last thing he was interested in. After all, he had his pride and’  had to keep up appearances. Then cautiously, he approached the opening which was level with the ground. The smell of fish was heady to his senses, but his catty caution made him step back to look once again if the coast was clear. There was nothing to arouse his suspicions. This time he entered the box his muscles tensed for any spurt he may have to make.’  The aroma that now came to his senses was enticing and strong. He rose up to partake of the fish from a hanging’  bowl.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œThis is just the most delightful nibble I have had in years.’’  His thoughts briefly turned to the miserable existence he eked out from reeking human dustbins. He began eating the tasty morsel his mouth watering as he did so.’  Then there came from behind him a sudden and sharp sound.’  He spun round in a flash. But as fast as he was it was too late. The entrance to the box was closed!
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  That night he spent in the limits of the box that held him.’ ‘  Cramped when compared to the freedom to which he had become so accustomed. He sighed and settling in a comfortable position eventually falling into a rather fitfull sleep.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  When dawn’™s light came through the small, round openings in his cell, he heard human footsteps approach.’  Then Tom felt himself being’  lifted, carried and finally placed in a vehicle which he at once recongnied by odour to be a part of his territory.’  In it he was transported to a place far from his newly found paradise. The exhaust fumes irritated his senses.’  When, finally, the box was placed on the ground the welocme, cool, fresh air brought to his sensitive nostrils scents of a strange location.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  He was startled when, without any warning the door of the box which held him was suddenly raised.’  He made out a plain patch of ground beyond which was a low stone wall both of which were strange to him’  He was free but for a moment he was loathe to leave,’  for the scents that were coming to him were foreign to his sensitive nostrils.’  He knew that he would have to start once again the whole process of proving that he could carve out a new place for himself.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œOh why,’ Tom moaned, ‘œdoes the life of a cat have to be such a tormented one?’. There were no means by which he could be told that it was his urge, this necessity for independence that placed him in such jeopardy with so many humans.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Then,’  his mind made up he pronounced,’  ‘œThis is it.’ and spurted out of the box.’  Tom’  ran just a few paces before stopping abruptly. He looked back at his trapper. The look was a long one. Sad and questioning. What’  surprised him was that the expression on his trappers face, too,’  was sad.’  He had been sure that it would be one of’  jeering triumph, but he had been wrong.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Tom would never know that when he had made that’  predawn entry into an unclaimed Eden, it had brought him to a place where, some sixteen moons previously, there had reigned supreme’  a great tabby cat and some thirteen other felines of all sorts and sizes. Theirs had grown to be a reign of terror for the humans.’  They had become lords and masters not only of the yard but of the gardens and the cars and had even begun to invade the houses that the humans occupied. This had become a Mafia of the cat world where the’  only rules were: ‘œTake what you can’ and ‘œMight is right.’.’  Their audacity had angered one of the humans to the point that he had sworn and taken oath to be rid of them, humanely but firmly.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  All this, of course, was again quite beyond Tom’™s grasp. Instead, he said to himself, ‘œCats will never really understand humans,’ and, turning, began making his way into the new housing estate cautiosly sniffing the scents, feline and other that came to him as he did so. ‘œHe would just have to begin again, that’™s all,’ he thought to himself. ‘œPerhaps this is what humans mean when they speak of the nine lives of a cat?’  Well, at least I had a wonderful last meal there,’ he added, remembering.