The First Tom

When I saw this photo, I felt a chill down my back.

You see, there was the original church cat, Tom who arrived at St. Mary's Redcliffe, Bristol in England so many years ago. 

One day, just for the heck of it, I Googled church cats to see if I could find myself and I came across his little grave. I couldn't wait to find out more and once I began reading, I forgot all about me. I could only imagine how cute he must have been.

You see, I never came to Temptation as a kitten. I wandered here after becoming a full-grown cat. For that reason, I was very lucky to have caught the eye of animal lovers, particularly those in the parish. What if Mary Lou or Jack hated cats? I don't even want to think about it.

Anyway, back to little Tom. It's so sad. It was said that he used to listen to the organist play and always attended services. He also liked the taste of pigeon! 

There are quite a few church cats around, can you believe it? I think you'll enjoy all the sites I've added to my address book which include Purr-n-fur, Church of the Advent friends and those in Richard Surman's photos.

And..to St. Mary's Church Cat Tom, rest in peace. Give me a sign sometime, like blow out a candle or something. I'll make sure the organist plays a sweet hymn just for you.

                                                                                                                 --Tom