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Writer's pictureAndy Huxtable

Cats and Dogs... the life of an author

Updated: Jan 17, 2022






The joys of being an author........


Writing children’s books is very enjoyable but unfortunately lots of general day to day things are neglected, which creates it’s own problems...


Last Friday I was busy writing a new story, it was early evening and already dark but our little kitten (Gino D’Campo) was meowing to be let out into the garden! It was an interruption, but I do appreciate that cats like to go out and do whatever cats do!

Gino is only 4 months old and doesn’t know the neighbourhood yet, he only knows our garden! Gino is also a very good climber, he loves trees and fences and bushes and virtually anything that can be climbed.

After about 2 hours it had got really windy and started to rain so I called for Gino to come indoors, I was calling for another 2 hours but Gino did not come back which was very unusual? I picked up a torch and Milo (our Cocker Spaniel) and I set off into the darkness of the garden to find little Gino! We were out there for an hour looking but Gino had completely disappeared.

I decided that he would have to spend a night in the cold as I was very tired and went to bed, leaving a window open, so that if he returned, I would hear him meowing to come in........all was quiet all night long.

By Saturday I was concerned and went looking for Gino around the local roads but not a sign of him.

By Sunday I was really worried and the children and I went searching in the woods, it was wet, windy and we all got soaked including Milo the dog, who thought this was the best game ever!


The children printed up some ‘Lost Cat’ leaflets and off we went to deliver them into the houses nearby, after they had finished school for the day.

We arrived at a house in a ‘cul de sac’ where we saw a man who was just getting out of his car and about to go into his house, so Shiloh, one of my daughters, gave him a leaflet.

Suddenly we heard a distressed ‘miaowwwwww’..........

Shiloh and Lois looked at a house opposite to where the man’s car was, the miaowing was coming from that house?

‘That’s strange’ said the man ‘They haven’t got a cat, only a dog? And I think they’re out walking the dog at the moment.’

‘When did you last see them’ I asked

‘Saturday’ replied the man

‘But it’s now Monday’ I said ‘Could they be away on holiday?’

‘It’s possible’ said the man

The two girls and I went to investigate, we could hear the distressed miaows coming from inside the garage. We rang on the doorbell, but the house was empty and the garage was locked! We were sure it was Gino so we decided to wait around.

After 2 hours no one had arrived back at the house and the miaowing was getting louder and louder!! Fearing that the owners may have gone away on holiday, I decided to phone the police, who were extremely understanding and very concerned as they could hear the sad little cries of the cat in the background. They said they would try to contact the owners of the house on their phones and would call me back if they had any luck. All we could do was sit in our car and wait anxiously for them to call us back.....

Within 30 minutes I saw headlights coming from behind us, a ‘toot’ of a car horn asking us to move our car, which I did immediately......the owners of the house had returned, complete with dog!!

‘Oh thank goodness’ cried Lois full of hope ‘They’re back, now we can get Gino’

‘If it is Gino?’ I replied just in case it may have been another cat.

‘Of course it is Daddy, I saw his little nose through the crack in the garage door’ said Shiloh hopefully.


The owners of the house got out of their car and I explained exactly what had happened and that we needed to get our cat back before it starved to death, as it had probably been trapped there for 3 days!

We went into the garage and there was our little Gino up in the loft space in the garage, desperately waiting for us to get him down, which we did with the help of a ladder!

Gino was safe at last, Lois hugged him tightly as we went back to the car and made our way home!

When we arrived home the girls fed him and gave him milk, even Milo was happy that Gino was home again, Gino is Milo’s favourite toy, and the only thing he doesn’t chew.......


It is now Wednesday and Gino has been home for 2 days, safe and well and constantly eating! He is not allowed out until we receive a ‘tracking app’ which is coming soon! He is desperate to go out and it’s hard to say no, but I have to keep him safe!

Gino and Milo have been playing in the living room while I write, Gino has now decided to knock all the baubles off of the Xmas tree and Milo has decided to eat every bauble that falls.........

There are now bits of baubles all over the living room carpet......Shall I get the vacuum cleaner out or do I return Gino to the locked garage???


Oh, the joys of being an author............

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