Free Casper the Commuting Cat: The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts by Linda Watson-Brown, Susan Finden

who would all clap him as he lay in the sun. His accident had me worried though, and I printed lots of posters to hand round the local offices, asking people to look out for him and make sure that he wasn’t locked in overnight. I also wanted to make sure that everyone knew that he had a loving home, so they weren’t tempted to take him away – that was one of my biggest fears, as he was such a friendly cat. The poster read:
    PLEASE HELP!
You may have noticed a black and white
cat in the car park or in the offices.
He is called Casper and he is wearing
a collar with two tags on it.
Casper is very friendly and as quick as lightning.
Can I ask you to be vigilant for him and check
that he is not locked in overnight? He comes from
a loving home and we would really appreciate
whatever little you can do to help us keep him safe.
Thank you.
     
    Wherever we’ve lived, Casper has caused trouble and I’ve always had to appeal to people’s good nature, asking them to be vigilant. Sometimes they have been more than happy to help; on other occasions, as I would later find out, they would take offence and suggest that I was trying to get others to look after my cat, which was never my intention.
    Casper didn’t have to be out and about to be naughty. I remember one Christmas Day when I thought I’d be terribly prepared and get the food for Boxing Day ready in advance. I took out pork chops and sausages to defrost for the next day’s dinner, but I must have been full of Christmas spirit to think for a second Casper wouldn’t help himself. I didn’t hear a thing, but somehow he managed to knock the top plate off and help himself to a few mouthfuls. All I could think about was that he might get food poisoning, so I quickly cooked all the meat for the cats to have as their Christmas Day treat. I suspect the others put him up to it.
    Any time I was frying sausages, he’d appear from nowhere when he heard the sizzle to sit beside me, almost on tenterhooks, looking as if he hadn’t been fed for a year. It always worked, and he always got his way. There were other times when Chris was away that I would treat myself to dinner in front of the television. As I sat there paying more attention to what was on the box than what was on my plate, I’d often see a paw reach up, quietly and swiftly, and grab something.
    Casper would eat anything that wasn’t his. One day, after a long road trip, Chris and his friend Martin decided that they would have fish and chips. We were both in the kitchen, and while Martin popped to the loo, Casper helped himself. Martin came back to find a cat sitting in the middle of his chips, licking his lips happily.
    I wonder whether his need to eat anything, any time, was a product of his past? Maybe he never knew where his next meal was coming from; that’s why we indulged him so much. It wasn’t just me – whenever Chris came home, he would do so with a package of blue cheese for Casper. We never begrudged him anything and I’d do anything to be able to buy him his little treats again.
    Apart from food, Casper’s other great love was gadgets – a typical boy! I used to tease him with the DVD remote control. I’d press the button as he sat there staring at the machine, and he would catch the little tray that holds the DVD as it popped out. Just as he got his paw on it, I’d press the button again and slide it in as he sat there with his head to one side, looking confused. He’d sit there for ages, watching as it went in and out, in and out. Sometimes he would realize that the VCR was close by too, so he would give up his reconnaissance mission for a few moments to stick his paw into the videotape slot, then trot back to the DVD player again. Perhaps we should all spend more time getting such pleasure from simple things – it certainly worked for Casper.

CHAPTER 11
     
Trying to Help, Trying to Love
     
    Like all pet owners, I loved all of Casper’s little idiosyncrasies. I’ve often