Bullpuss is to accompany his Young Mistress when she returns for her second year at University. He is a young Norwegian Forest cat just leaving kittenhood. Samantha, his Young Mistress, is facing a difficult time with the breakdown of her parents' family life. She copes very badly with everything and lets her cat down. She abandons her course and her pet cat.

The majority of her fellow students in the shared private accommodation are too selfish to take any responsibility. Bullpuss seeks friends and allies from the local pet population together with selected wild animals.

His special friends from the pet contingent are Tigger and Simpkin, two ginger cat brothers. Bullpuss learns how to make his way in the neighbourhood, under their tutelage. Bullpuss learns of the appetite appeasing merit of certain wild prey species, but is warned by Tigger that the wild birds must not be on the menu.

Bullpuss is introduced to the hedgehog that is Tigger's special wildlife friend. He is also advised of the dangers of Vulpo the local fox, but rather warily forms a compact with him which through an arduous winter proves to be an effective survival technique.

With advice and co-operation from both these creatures, Bullpuss survives his first winter and growing in confidence almost becomes a feral cat. Over the ensuing summer he becomes known in the neighbourhood as a joker and prankster and nearly forgets the bond of friendship offered by Tigger and Simpkin.

The second winter living in the wilds of the gardens almost proves his undoing. It is a very long and cold one. Little is seen of the fox who has left the district to cope with a new family of his own.

Bullpuss makes a tactical mistake and ends up many miles away in unknown territory but with a driving idea to find his way home to familiar surroundings. This takes several months and he becomes hungry and injured on the way. Upon his eventual return, a sad, neglected figure, he is taken in hand by Tigger and Simpkin who plan his rehabilitation and arrange things to encourage their family to add another cat to the family.

A much needed trip to their Vets, for medical guidance and a little operation, complete Bullpuss' readmission back into respectable society.

Barbara Hallam de Lema

@KikiTichipuss

Anglesey, North Wales

Barbara Hallam de Lema has not written a story.