My cat was missing for four days. I think he's living a double life – Hayley Matthews

Joey the cat wandered in for a fish supper while smelling of another woman’s perfume, writes Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews' cat Joey stayed away for four days, then wandered in smelling of another woman's perfume for the remains of a fish supper (Picture: Hayley Matthews)

My little Joey tabby cat has had some adventures over the years and he’s incredibly well known to the locals.

He’s a regular in the area and is a very friendly wee chap, often hangs about Morrison’s at night and has even ventured as far as Holyrood Place and Earthy Foods in Portobello.

I’m not quite sure what happens but sometimes he just gets very wide-eyed, goes a bit wild and stays outside for a few days.

The moods of Joey the cat seem to be influenced by the phases of the Moon (Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

So I’d last seen him on Monday morning when he looked right at me and sprayed at the back door.

I’d just put it down to a dirty protest because cats can express unhappiness at the slightest thing ie change of food, too much noise in the house etc. But the thing that sends them loopy the most is definitely the Moon.

So I checked back to the Moon situation on Monday and would you believe me if I told you it was a new Moon?! It’s strange that Joey’s booked himself a few last-minute days off since the start of the week – maybe our chat’s been terrible or maybe he just needed some peace and quiet.

However, just as I sit writing this preparing for full-blown panic because he’s been away for four days, he walks right in and helps himself to the rest of the fish supper left over from the boys’ tea. We’d had a supper from the famous Giovannis and I guess the lure of leftover fish and chips was too much to turn down.

He’s all fed and watered and seems very happy but he’s not fooling me. I can smell another woman’s perfume on him so I think he’s been cheating on me these last few days and living a double life.

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