Purrfect end to a near cat-astrophy

Almost a month ago Alderman Mary Hamilton made an appeal through the Londonderry Sentinel for the return of a much-loved moggy, which had been borrowed for a church play in December and not returned.

The appeal worked and this week, what had been a near cat-astrophe instead had a purrfect ending, as Mary was able to return the life-like black and white cat to it’s owner, Isobel Brown, a resident of Daleview.

Mrs Hamilton said she was “feline elated” now that the cat had been returned as she had feared it had been packed in a box and stored in an attic or garage somewhere and forgotten about since Christmas.

Mary had asked people to take a ‘mewment’ and try and recall if they remember seeing it, or maybe have been involved in packing up after the show and remember what happened to the much-loved kitty.

“I met the woman who loaned it to me when I was at the Somme Service on July 1. She approached me and said she had the cat for me and I have to tell you I was delighted to hear those words.

“Isobel was given the cat after her brother died. It was his and she is very attached to it so I was very keen to get it back because Isobel has a huge sentimental attachment to it. It is just brilliant to get the toy back for Isobel’s sake.

“It is one of those non-replaceable belongings that people have and I am totally relieved I can now return it to it’s rightful owner.

“I had made the appeal in mid-June, hoping that I might have heard from the women to whom I had lent it, but as the days and weeks passed, my hopes dwindled and I thought I’d never get it back to Isobel.

“People have been asking me if I had found it and now I can say I have.”