Ron E Buckpitt – Old Tomcat

As a 10 year old kid I lived two doors up from two male cousins of about my own age.

They had large aviaries with finches, canaries and budgerigars, all petrified of stray cats.

Aunty Alma would look out her kitchen sink window and whisper loudly …”Barry”, there’s a cat on the paling fence , quick, quick ,quick …”. The cats used to walk along the fence with their tails up.

It was 12 year old Barry’s job to sneak around behind the cat and fire a slug gun. “Bulls Eye“ was the cry , then a very loud cackle, the rest is imagination.

The cats never died, but never came back to prey the pretty birds either.