This series of stories will be titled 'I'm surprised I turned out as well as I did, given my childhood ...' 49

Our ironing-board has been in the family for years. It’s quite robust and although it’s a bit tatty now, a new cover on it and it’s good to go.

I was ironing and watching television one evening, the ironing-board positioned at 90 degrees to the end of the sofa.

Trev sat on the sofa, next to the ironing-board, almost underneath it and he could see the lever that drops it down so you can fold it up and put it away flat.

Not my ironing-board, I got this from Google Free to use Images

Trev leaned back a little to see under the ironing-board and he studied the frame and the mechanisms, because he’s an engineer, I suppose and engineers want to know how everything works…

“What does this lever do?” he said, pressing the lever.

The ironing-board collapsed, folded down on itself, almost pulling Trev over the sofa arm with how sudden it all buckled.

I was left holding the iron in the air with nothing to iron anymore, it was all in a heap at my feet.

“That. The lever does that,” I said. “Stop touching things.”

The next amusing story about the ironing-board involved ‘Piper’, my first cat.

She sat on the very end of the ironing-board, looking at the dogs, Rom and Ninus. They sat looking at her.

I have no idea what Piper said to Rom, but suddenly, he stood up and put his front paws on the end of the ironing-board, at Piper’s feet.

Rom at the front, Ninus behind, looking away

The ironing-board bowed down with his weight and I was worried he’d hurt himself or Piper when the ironing-board collapsed.

“Get down!” I told him and he did exactly as he was told. The problem was, as he removed the weight from the end, the ironing-board sprung back to its original position and flipped poor Piper up into the air. Luckily, she’s a cat and landed OK.

Piper was a rescue cat. I got her from a horrible house and I was gutted that I couldn’t rescue the other cats there too.

I contacted the Cats’ Protection League and asked if they had any kittens. Unfortunately, everyone wants a kitten and they had none. The lady did tell me she was expecting some in because she was talking to a woman who couldn’t cope with the ones she had. She was hoping to get her cats neutered and wanted the kittens gone.

The problem was, the woman that owned all the cats wanted £30 for each kitten and the CPL didn’t want to pay her for them.

I organised to go and buy one, have it neutered and effectively ‘rescue’ it on behalf of the CPL.

The house was awful. The woman didn’t seem like she actually wanted to get rid of any of the kittens and she seemed to resent the fact that the CPL had sent me. She finally fetched down two kittens from a bedroom and the poor little things were pitiful.

Trev said I was only allowed one (at £30 each, I can’t blame him) and we agreed on Piper.

Another Google Free to use image, I can't find the pics of Piper... yet

There was a terrible commotion from upstairs and the bloke ran up to see what had happened. He started yelling that the father of the kittens had escaped, the mother of the kittens was running riot and the place stank of piss!

I could have told him that from downstairs. I didn’t realise the stench had passed through doors and walls to get to us first!

I took Piper home and we bathed her gently. She died three years ago, at the age of around 17 (we believe).

We had a bad scare three years previously and I took a very poorly Piper to the vet, expecting to have to make the decision to have her put to sleep. She was lethargic and full of cold that she couldn’t seem to shake. Because she was so old and frail, we expected the worst.

I wrapped her in a fluffy blanket and off we went to the vet. I had steeled myself to make the decision for her best interests, not mine and was prepared for the vet’s advice to ‘let her go’.

The vet gave Piper an injection of steroids and medicine to counter the cold.

Piper perked right up as soon as she got the injection. I couldn’t believe the transformation!

The vet said that sometimes happens because of the adrenaline, the stress of the vet visit, combined with the injection gave Piper another three years or so. A miracle in anyone’s book!

Because I had prepared myself to say a final goodbye to her, once the news came that she would be OK, I started crying. It must have looked horrible to the vet.

“Your cat is going to be fine!”

Owner starts blubbing…

Trev took me to Scotland for my 50th birthday. We knew Piper was poorly and Dani came in to look after the animals.

A few days after we got there, Dani phoned.

Piper had died the previous evening.

Dani said she knew something was wrong all day. Piper had tried to hide in a few cold places and Dani fetched her out, wrapped her up and snuggled her, stroking her, talking to her until she knew it was time.

Dani placed Piper in front of the fire where she could be warm.

The cats took it in turns to visit Piper. Stripes came first and touched noses with the old lady. Garfield came next. He touched noses and went away. The two Bengals came over, touched noses with Piper and left her alone.

Minutes later, Piper took her last breath, peaceful, quiet and loved.

If ever you get chance to rescue an animal, please do. It may not make much of a difference in the world, but to that one animal, it makes a world of difference.