A cat adrift

                                                A cat adrift

One of the great places to walk in London is along the regent's canal. This is place that was very bound up with transport in the days past. Now no barges work their way up the canal only houseboats stand where people live their lives in the ways close to nature. Now it is a glorious place to walk ad watch life go by almost an oasis of something natural in London's streets. Coots and moorhen swim there in addition to Canada geese and mallard in a small natural oasis.

Walking along the canal today I came upon quite a scene. A cat belonging to one of the barge owners had contrived to crawl along the side of the canal being interested in the coots that were swimming in the water below. All of a sudden being a rather plump and well cared for cat she lost her footing. The next thing she was in the canal. Suddenly she was frantically swimming about loudly mewing. She seemed to get the direction wrong and started swimming towards the opposite bank. I noticed a passerby stop and watch the drama. Round and round she swam veering towards the centre.

I wondered myself about getting a mobile phone out only to find that I did not have mine on me. I was about to ask the other passerby if he could call the fire brigade as the cat was obviously very frightened and was suffering.

Just then the owner appeared round the barge

“Have you seen my cat anywhere?” He called out

“She is in the water “we replied. He took one glance and saw the cat frantically mewing while trying to swim in the water. The barge was on the opposite bank to us which was a problem. Immediately her owner jumped in fully clothed and swam up to her. He got hold off her and pushed her forward to the bank before helping her up the steep step out on to the bank The cat proceeded to get out and shoot onto the barge while he climbed up after her

She won't be trying that again” He joked with us.

All order having been restored, the other passerby departed.”Rather him than me” was his parting shot. It was actually very strange to see this as I have rarely seen a cat lose its footing in this sort of environment. Of course I wonder if she will learn her lesson and stop the interest in the local birds. That remains to be seen.