Susan Finden - Casper the Commuting Cat - The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts

I hope you enjoy my tales of how I managed to navigate this strange place – the conventions I needed to understand (and sometimes avoid), as well as the various tricks I used to ensure humans realized just how important it was for me to go about my daily business as effortlessly as possible. I may no longer be with you physically, but I’m still around. I’m still here to help and guide you. I am, after all, rather fond of you.

So now it’s time to enter my world . . . with a little help from my mum.

Casper

CHAPTER 1

Finding Casper

There was a time before Casper, but I can barely remember it. When I look back on my life, it’s full of cats and cat memories, but Casper was so special and so unforgettable that he is the one who seems to colour so much of what I recall.

It will surprise no one when I say that I love cats. I’ve had so many over the years that you may think I must have lost count, but that’s far from true. I remember every one, every name, every character.

They all have their individual traits – in this they are no different from their human companions – and they all give so much in return for the love and care we offer them When we cry, they come to us. When we laugh, they suddenly appear to see what all the fuss is about. When we need a break or a distraction, they decide that it’s time they had some attention or some food. When we feel stress, that’s often when they drop a toy at our feet, or start chasing their own tail, or decide to sit on our desk. They are the most intuitive creatures imaginable, always aware of what would help us.

That’s not to say they are selfless – far from it. In fact, if you want your cat to be particularly responsive to what may help you, it’s a good idea to make sure kitty has everything he or she needs first. I’ve found that once they have all that is deemed necessary in their little world, they’re a lot more conscientious about what mum or dad may want too. When that happens, you’ll find no more loyal a friend.

There has been many an occasion when I’ve had bad news or felt rather down, and before I knew it, a cat would be beside me, purring contentedly as if to reassure me someone would always be there when needed. Cats recognize happiness too, and can always be relied upon to respond to a joyful atmosphere, as if their little paws would happily dance around in joy to mirror your own.

Over the years, my cats have given me so much. They all contributed something to my life, and they all had their own special traits and idiosyncrasies. Something about Casper was different, however. I’ve adored the feline family I’ve accumulated over the years, but something about that little chap touched me the moment I saw him, and it continues to affect me every single day. Maybe there is someone for everyone. We all hope to find another person whom we can love and share our life with, and perhaps that applies to pets too. So often there is simply a connection that can’t be explained; it’s one of the luckiest coincidences in the world. To find another creature we connect with is a precious thing. I’ve experienced that connection with all of my cats, but especially so with Casper.

There was nothing particularly momentous about the day I went to collect him My husband Chris has the patience of a saint and is used to me deciding on a whim to get another cat. To his great credit, he’s always supportive and gets the car ready for us to set off at the right time. The practical aspects are left to him, and I appreciate that hugely. I’m the one who makes the emotional, almost instantaneous, decision that another bundle of fur is coming to live with us.

I’ve had all ages and types of cats over the years, but as I’ve grown older myself, I’ve gone for ‘geriatrics’ – they’re much harder to home because most people tend to want cute kittens. Older cats often have health problems, but I love the idea of giving everyone a chance and making sure that the last days of some poor animals’ lives are filled with comfort and love. Maybe, as the years pass, I hope that someone will care for me that way too.

I’ve had many jobs working with the elderly and with adults who have learning difficulties. These people all have special needs and they have as much right to be treated with respect as anyone else. That has, no doubt, rubbed off on me and affected how I view the world. Not only do I want humans to have some dignity in their final years, but I also want that to extend to animals.

I am as soppy as anyone else when faced with a six-week-old kitten looking up at me with huge eyes, and my heartstrings are tugged in just the same way but I know that kitten will find a home so much more easily than a ten-year-old cat with arthritis, or one that has only a year or so to live because of terminal cancer. By taking in the older waifs and strays I hope to be able to right some of the wrongs that have been done to them over the years. In giving them love and care during their final days, I get a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction myself. It isn’t an unhappy option: there are plenty of laughs and cuddles, and I feel blessed by every single paw that trots through my door.

One day, in December 2002, I did my usual thing of telling Chris, ‘It’s time to get another cat.’ I haven’t always had such a supportive husband, and there is part of me that is in awe every time Chris goes along with my plans. Patiently, yet again, he agreed – and didn’t bat an eyelid when I said that, actually, I thought two would be a good idea. Indeed, for most people, two may very well have been an excellent notion, but for us perhaps it wasn’t the best proposal. Getting sibling cats or two who have known each other from a rescue centre means that they always have a playmate, there’s always someone to keep them company, but that wasn’t going to be a problem in our house, as we had six cats already.

At the time, we were living in a beautiful three-storey Victorian villa in Weymouth, Dorset. The house was huge, with lots of space, a secluded garden and a cellar – plenty of places for inquisitive kitties to hide and explore. We tend to move house quite frequently and I am always on the lookout for a home that is cat-friendly. This one ticked most of the boxes. The property was big enough for the cats to roam freely, and to go out or stay in according to their temperament. I never felt that the place was overflowing.

When I had the desire to bring more cats into the family, it didn’t seem a problem. I love to be surrounded by cats, and I would happily take on more and more until they were everywhere. I have enough love to go around, but I will house another cat only if we have the financial capacity to feed and care for him or her. Older cats need a great deal of veterinary care, and those costs must always be taken into consideration by anyone who is expanding their family. Love is one of the main qualifications when acquiring any pet, but money helps too. If I had a bottomless pit of cash, I would have an endless troupe of cats; as it is, I must be practical and realize that these ill and old pets might often cause me to dip into my resources.

As well as giving a home to older cats, I always make sure I get them from rescue centres, usually ones affiliated with Cats Protection. I know charities face problems getting ‘forever homes’ for these feline pensioners, so I tend to keep in touch with them whenever we move into a new area. By the time I feel the need to get a new cat, I’ve usually built up a relationship with the organizer.

‘Come on then, Sue,’ called Chris on the morning we were heading off to get the cats. ‘Let’s go see what we’re getting this time.’ We had no idea who we were going to opt for, as I hadn’t chatted with the lady who housed them, and both Chris and I left with an open mind, telling the cats we left behind that we’d be coming home with some new playmates for them.