Why does Mrs Sensible buy cat food, when we don’t have a cat?

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cat food

Cat food in the cupboard.

During the summer, I managed to lock a skinny, mangy looking cat into one of our garages. It wasn’t my fault, honest; it was raining and the cat had hid in the garage. Three days later I opened the garage to find a cat meowing and winding itself in and out of my legs. I was impressed that the cat had not peed or messed in the garage and I instantly named the cat Blacky.

Mrs Sensible didn’t think the name was appropriate, so she asked Luigina, if she knew who the scrawny cat belonged to. Luigina keeps her finger on the pulse of village life and was able to tell Mrs Sensible that the cat lives across the road with the woman who has the wolf that Gilda torments.

We carried the cat across the road and as we handed it back to its owner, one of her dogs jumped up and tried to eat one of the cat’s legs. While the cat meowed and tried to escape the dog, the lady told us that the cat was called Scooby Doo!!! Now I think naming a cat after a dog is even less appropriate than naming a white cat Blacky.

Blacky AKA Scooby Doo tucking into my salami piccanti

Blacky AKA Scooby Doo tucking into my salame piccante

Since the summer, Scooby Doo has decided to use our house as the local takeaway and we have fattened him up. He arrives at our house at 6.30 in the morning and then after 7.00 pm in the evening. He sits and meows outside our window until one of us gets up and finds him some left over scraps of meat. Last week the cat arrived and started meowing, but the cupboards were bare. We couldn’t find any left-overs that the cat could eat. We couldn’t get the cat to shut up, so we threw it some of my precious salame piccante.

The decision was made: we don’t own a cat but as he prefers to come here and eat our left-overs than share a house with a dog that wants to eat him, we decided to buy some cat food. The problem now is, Scooby Doo likes the cat food so much he wants to eat three square meals a day.

The time of day that Scooby Doo arrives is important and proves this cat is not stupid. From 7.00 pm until 7.00 am both Gilda and Lilla are under house arrest; they are both securely locked up and although it drives them mad to see and hear a cat meowing outside our window, there is nothing they can do.

This lunchtime, Scooby Doo came asking to be fed, but the take away was closed, so Scobby Doo decided to sit on my car and wait for opening time. And then trouble arrived in the shape of Gilda and Lilla. They often wander over from Luigina’s house to say hello. The cat froze. I ran in search of my camera.

Gilda and Lila arrive to say hello

Gilda and Lilla arrive to say hello

From my bedroom window, I was taking photos and laughing at the two dogs. Scooby Doo was watching the two dogs and  Mrs Sensible and Donna (who became famous following the Vicious snake attacks defenceless woman in Italy post) were trying to distract the two dogs from the lounge window.

Lilla smelled a rat, or more likely a cat and wandered off in search of it.

Lila scouts the area while Gilda begs for food
Lilla scouts the area while Gilda begs for food

The cat never moved.

Dun dun dun...Gilda sees the cat

Dun dun dun…Gilda spots Scooby Doo

The cat looked at the short legged but extremely fat dog with utter contempt. And then Lilla arrived…

Lila arrives and Gilda tries to reach the cat.

Lilla arrives while Gilda inspects whether there is sufficient tread on my tyres .

It was at this point that Scooby Doo decided it was time to take a leisurely walk home.

Scooby Doo tests the water.

Scooby Doo tests the water.

And then Scooby Doo launched himself into the air and Lilla did a back flip and attempted to catch the flying cat.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it superman? No Its Scoooobbbbyyyyy DOOOO

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it superman? No Its Scoooobbbbyyyyy DOOOO

And then the chase was on. “GOOOOO Scooooby”… shouted Mrs Sensible and Donna.

Run rabbit run erh cat

Run, rabbit, run erh cat

Despite the fact that Gilda has short stumpy legs and is carrying several excess pounds and was also late at setting off, she soon overtook the trim Lilla. The only sound was the crowd shouting encouragement to Scooby as he ran for home.

Gilda the short legged and incredibly fat dog overtakes the Lilla

Gilda, the short legged and incredibly fat dog, overtakes Lilla (These photos are not photo-shopped: Scooby Doo is so confident he is only using one leg)

As I precariously hung out the bedroom window, capturing the race for posterity and Mrs Sensible and Donna cheered the cat on. I did wonder if the high protein diet we are feeding Scooby Doo helped him in his escape from the terrible twosome.

Scooby Doo widens the gap and heads for the garden fence.

Scooby Doo widens the gap and heads for the garden fence. But just look at the fat dog fly…

The excitement was almost too much to bear; even the Grand National or Formula One is never as exciting as this.

The final furlong

Gilda who realises the race is all but over, decides to show off by imitating a kangaroo

Scooby Doo raced around the corner of the house, while Gilda who couldn’t corner as fast (due to her short legs and excess weight) ran directly in front of Lilla. The race was starting to resemble an episode from the Keystone Cops.

As Scooby Doo disappears around the house, Gilda deliberatey tries to hamper Lilas efforts

As Scooby Doo disappears around the house, Gilda, with flapping ears is unable to corner and runs in front of Lilla.

And with that, the race is over. The cat clears the fence and Gilda and Lilla screech to a stop.

Scooby Doo escapes

Scooby Doo escapes. The dogs sulk.

This evening at twelve minutes past seven, Scooby Doo came around for his evening meal.

Way to go Scooby

Way to go Scooby

83 thoughts on “Why does Mrs Sensible buy cat food, when we don’t have a cat?”

  6. Thank God the cat is still young. why is the woman allowing her beautiful cat roaming provileges when it appears that the local dogs are going to kill it. I think it is disgusting to let the poor/fat cat be a perfect target for cat killing dogs. I applaud your and Mrs Sensible for feeding the animal. It seems that it would be better off not living across the street. Well maybe that is a toss up about where it is the safest.

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    • Here in the countryside cats tend to be kept to keep the mice away and dogs to keep burglars away.

      Scooby Doo spends a lot of time outside my garage because the boiler is in there and the heat seeps under the door to the cat.

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  9. Oh my god, my heart was pounding reading that – I wanted Scooby to get away so much! 🙂 Fantastic photos! I love that all of you took time out from whatever it was you were doing to photograph, cheer etc 😉

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  10. 🙂 Great story. Much better than grand national and Formula One combined. Cloro heads for the nearest tree, alters the angle of attack and shoots straight up faster than an F-16 leaving a frustrated dog at the bottom.

    AV

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  14. Brilliant! Loved the photos and the running commentary and the fact that you ran for your camera while Mrs Sensible cheered Scooby Doo on! A cat once dared to meander in our garden and Mutley went crazy chasing it around until the cat turned on her, arched it’s back, hissed and went for her and then she ran off with her tail between her legs barking all high pitched because she was scared! She’s a big soft fraidy cat at heart… all bark and no bite! 🙂

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    • Mutley is a great name for a dog. When Scooby Doo arrives in the evening, Gilda goes mental, sometimes Scooby Doo and I take a little stroll over to the dogs pen and say hello to them. Scooby meows, purrs and winds in and out of my legs. Gilda on the other hand goes berserk, she runs up and down her pen barking at us. Poor dog.

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    • I wonder what the fat content of cat food is? Mrs Sensible says it is probably healthier than corn beef, spam or Mac Donalds. We were howling with laughter when we reviewed the photos on the laptop. Especially the one of Gilda in full flight. I was amazed at how fast she was considering her excessive body weight.

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  17. Haha this is an excellent set of shots. I was definitely rooting for Scooby, though fat dogs running are always winners in my heart.

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  19. Great action shots!! And great commentary! I think you have a bright future as a sports commentator! We always think of cats as the underdogs, but it’s really the other way around, isn’t it? They are so much smarter because of their cunning, but dogs are so loveable in their stupidity 🙂

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    • Thank you for your comment.

      I must search out a job for Commentator of cat / dog races, I would have so much fun… 🙂 🙂

      I loved the way Scooby thought her white fur was perfect camouflage against the blue of my Mini. We were giggling like mad, the dogs knew something was amiss. 🙂

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  21. go scooby! funny, i was thinking keystone cops too, or 3 stooges. really is like a scooby episode, with misfit bad guys who aren’t quite as dangerous as they appear to be )

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    • 🙂 🙂 My camera has a setting called IPP = idiot proof photos. I can point the camera in the general direction of the action and it does the rest. I have looked in the camera instruction booklet to see if it has a MACOT setting ‘make a cup of tea’ because I hate making them. 😉 Have a great weekend. Pecora Nera

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  25. Awww, you now have a cat, hahaha.
    I always feed the strays and one day I found the farmer’s cat sleeping on my bed! 🙂 he was a huge cuddle bug but full of ticks and fleas so he promptly got evicted from my fluffy pillows. When the farmer moved Fatcat never left the area so whenever I see him I always feed him. My cat is so jealous whenever he comes around because she is an indoor cat and she tries to attack Fatcat at the door. It is very entertaining . Good luck!

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  28. hello pecora nera its dennis the vizsla dog hay nice to meet yoo!!! and my dada sed i shud ask if their wuz benny hill myoozik playing in the bakgrownd wile this chayse wuz going on i hav no ideea wot he is tawking abowt as yoozhual!!! ok bye

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  29. Oh, no, I swear you did pack up Scooby and send him to Venice. There was a rather well fed white cat winding his way around my ankles the other day just down the calle from me. How did you get my address? Is Yvonne responsible? It was a lovely white cat anyway.

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