3316. In the feline alley © Bruce Goodman 2 September 2025

Gwendoline was Queen of the Cats. She wasn’t a cat herself; she was the old lady from down the back street that would bring a dish of food every day to feed about a dozen feral cats. The wild cats weren’t afraid of her. They realized her kindness. One day a new cat arrived. It was a large male ginger cat and clearly from a well-to-do domestic home. Gwendoline could tell that because it wasn’t in a mood to share. It barged in and scattered the feral cats and ate all the food. This happened for several days. Gwendoline didn’t react. She didn’t say “You naughty cat, you must share.” Instead she started to bring two dishes of food – one for the ginger tom and one for the feral cats. The ginger cat continued to eat alone; the feral cats continued to share. One day the ginger tom didn’t appear. It disappeared for several weeks. When it did return it was thin and emaciated. It had been abandoned by its well-to-do domestic household. It was very hungry and the feral cats didn’t mind sharing their dish. From then on Gwendoline needed to bring only the one dish. All shared and things were peaceful once again in the back street feline alley. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story