Cat Presents take a new twist

By John Freeman on July 7, 2006

One of the perils of working from home is that I never know what our hunter-killer cat will bring in as a ‘present’ (usually in the hope that she will be rewarded with biscuits, I suspect).

Usually, thankfully, she has a predeliction for large leaves, although we do suffer the inevitable dead birds, much to our dismay. (Never common birds, either — the worst was a beautiful wren (survived), and a robin (had to put out of misery).

This morning, I’m working on some news gathering and Star Trek proof reading (the first US/UK issue of STAR TREK Magazine, out next month is looking great!), when Hunter-Killer Cat races upstairs and starts hissing and growling at one of the other cats.

At first, I can’t see what she’s got in her mouth but it’s big… and it looks furry.

Oh god, I think. Has she managed to get our neighbour’s rabbit out of its cage?

No — this time it’s an entire bird’s nest, carefully woven by unknown birds, one broken egg in it. I suspect — or hope — that this is a deserted nest, its residents fully fledged, although I did have a very young (permature?) bird dumped at my feet earlier in the week…

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.