Lola is in disgrace

Lola is a three-month old very black kitten that Jean-Pierre and Babette took as a replacement for their beloved Max, a very serious and stalwart cat that died at the age of three from kidney failure. Winde from the cheese shop gave the kitten to them.

Jean-Pierre and Babette live in the three floors over their green grocers at the end of my street. Each window is flower-laden. Lola spends her days in the window box directly over the shop complaining to every one of the injustices of being left alone. No matter that the shop closes for three hours at lunch each day where the kitten is no longer “abandoned”.

Cats in window boxes aren’t uncommon. Ptah II, a pure white cat, sits in Barbara’s window box over her shop, contrasting to her red and pink flowers. What he thinks of his small, noisy counterpart, kitty corner to his place, he doesn’t say. He is the wise man of the street.

Babette, tired of hearing the meows that cast doubt on her cat kindness, although she is known to take store inventory to feed strays, decided that Lola could spend the day in their bedroom at the top of the stairs. With the canicule forcing temperatures up, up, up and the room being air conditioned, no animal humane society official would declare her an unfit cat mother.

Their bedroom is at the top of a staircase. At the bottom is a folding door. To give Lola more room, Babette chose to close the door at the bottom of the stairs.

Lola was not going to take this lying down. Or rather she was going to take it lying down. She tried to slither under the door trapping her head.

When Jean-Pierre returned home for dinner, the cat’s head was wedged under the door, her tongue was hanging out, but she was breathing. Afraid that by opening the door, they would behead the kitten, they cut her out.

Within a very short time, she was back to her tricks.

Jean-Pierre and Babette are looking for a new door.

“And a new kitten?” I asked.

“Non,” Babette said. The voice was firm. The expression was of a mother who loved their bad child.