Ebony The Cat - A Quest for Survival by Frances Ives
About the Book:
Enigmatic, quirky, moody, demanding, loving, amusing,
domineering and determined all apply to Ebony. Follow her life story from a
stray kitten to a mature feline, in her own words.
Ebony was just eight months old when she was left to fend
for herself on the streets, abandoned and alone. The black cat had to learn how
to hunt, find shelter, procure food and protect herself from predators. The
experience shaped her personality forever. She became a wily, capable little
cat before she was reported to a rescue charity and taken to live in a large
wooden hut. She was safe and well fed, but she longed for the freedom to be
roaming around in nature, practising the skills she had learnt.
Would she find a home and owners who loved her, not abandon
her once again? Could she settle down
and be a good domestic cat? This was the quandary for the people who took her
and within months she presented them with a bundle of surprises. A novella.
Extract from Ebony the Cat, Frances Ive
Teaching life skills
Intro: So often
kittens are taken away from their mothers before there is any chance of being
trained. It was a revelation to see
Ebony taking her job very seriously. Having lived on the streets from barely
eight months old, she had to learn how to survive. Therefore, the opportunity
to teach her baby the same skills that she was forced to learn must have been
ingrained in her.
There was a perfect structure to the way Ebony taught Mimi
to learn survival skills. First she brought in a dead mouse for her to play
with. She decided it was time Mimi went out, whatever the humans thought, and
held the cat flap open for her from outside (having worked out that it was
blocked from the inside). Who are we to say that her mother doesn’t know what’s
best for her?
So she showed her daughter how to kill mice, and then let
Mimi try for herself. All the time Ebony was by her kitten’s side teaching her
for hours the vital skills that had enabled her own survival.
(Ebony’s words): Mimi should go outside now. My lovely human
doesn’t agree., so I go outside and hold open cat hole for Mimi, and miaow at
her. She comes out. She would do anything for me, and I am going to look after
her. That is my job. She will not be hurt. I keep her safe in the garden, where
we climb trees, catch mice. She is excellent with trees, hopeless at mouse
catching.
I think the human carers have given up on keeping Mimi
inside and bowed to my perfect instinct.
She’s up at the top of a tree and a dog (not our dog) is
barking at the bottom. Mimi keeps crying. I can’t get her down. Miaow, miaow,
loudly for human’s ears. Human comes
running, sees Mimi, goes away. Comes back. Talking to thing in her hand.
That’s clever. Now the human in the dog’s garden calls out
and the dog goes away. My human mum puts hands up to Mimi and my little one
lets her take her down. My human is so pleased with me that I get extra food.
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ebony-Cat-survival-Frances-Ive-ebook/dp/B0C67F2HVW
https://www.amazon.com/Ebony-Cat-survival-Frances-Ive-ebook/dp/B0C67F2HVW
About the Author:
Frances Ive has been a writer throughout her life as a
journalist, health writer and author. Recent fiction includes Finding Jo, Brown
Eyes and now the novella, Ebony the Cat.
Keep in touch on
social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/healthysouluk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindingJoFrancesIve
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fivewrite/
Website for books: www.fivewrite.co.uk (Health website: www.healthysoul.co.uk)
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