A Cat Named Magic.

Amy lived by herself with her black cat. She had received the cat from the RSPCA Shelter just after Halloween. She had researched Halloween and discovered that black cats were believed to be the witches magical companions linking them to witchcraft. In the Middle Ages Halloween was associated with spirits, fairies and ghosts linking the spiritual world to the real world. Amy had also read the Magic and Mystery books written by CJ Archer featuring magical fantasy. She decided to name he cat Magic believing it would give her a new life filled with pleasure.

Amy had grown up on a farm with cows. sheep and a pet dog and a cat. This had led to a love of animals and her desire to own a pet that could fit into her small unit. On the first day she played with Magic and cuddled up to her on the lounge. At dinner time she fed Magic some cat food in a small cat bowl. Magic was very happy and ran around the unit climbing on the furniture including on the high cabinets.

One day Amy found a broken ornament on the floor in the loungeroom. Her late mother had given it to her before she passed, and Amy was devastated and angry. Magic had knocked it off a cabinet when she was climbing. A week later she heard Magic come through the back door, and she went to find her. Magic had a dead rat in her mouth and Amy found more dead rats in a corner in the kitchen. Again, she felt angry as Magic had made a smelly mess in her unit.

Amy decided she would try to train Magic and she used a strict voice to correct her when she did the wrong thing. Eventually Magic became calmer and stopped creating havoc in the unit. She learned to climb on the frame Amy had bought her and Amy was happy with the overall result.

Amy started taking Magic to the park near her unit and the children in the playground loved to see Magic. The parents told Amy that their children always connected positively to pets, and many had their own pet at home. This was either a dog, a cat or a bird and one boy told Amy that he had goldfish in a fish tank. All the parents agreed that their pets provided their children with positive interactions, and they were committed to looking after them. A young girl told Amy she loved taking her Cocker Spaniel for a walk every day with her parents. This kept the dog happy and free of boredom.

One of Amy's friends, Julie came to visit and agreed that Magic had settled down. She suggested that Amy might like to take Magic to a local Nursing Home where her mother was a resident. She told Amy that seeing pets provided the elderly residents with beneficial therapy. Amy decided to pay a visit to the Nursing Home with Magic.

The staff greeted Amy as she walked through the front door and directed her to the residents' lounge. The elderly residents were sitting in comfortable chairs, and they looked towards the door as Amy and Magic entered. The staff introduced Amy and Magic to them and immediately Magic ran towards a lady called Anne who immediately started patting her. They both enjoyed the experience and the other residents looked on with smiles on their faces. A worker explained to Amy that pets could assist the residents with communication, fulfillment and contentment. She told Amy that Magic was a good name for her pet cat as she had created positive magic in the room. Amy agreed to return each week with Magic.

When Amy arrived home, she thought about the positive connection Magic had given the residents. She decided to get another cat from the RSPCA Shelter to give Magic a companion when she had left the unit. Tom from the Shelter brought the cat the next week and the two animals immediately created a bond. Remembering the Magic and Mystery Book title Amy decided to call her new pet Mystery.

When Amy saw the two happy cats in the following weeks, she thought about the pets that were abused and neglected and ended up at the Shelter injured and food deprived. She decided that she would like to volunteer at the Shelter and support the staff in their often confronting work. Amy immediately contacted the Shelter, and she was invited to come the next day. She saw the neglected animals when she arrived and also saw animals that were recovering with the workers' assistance. Her weekly work involved feeding, washing and playing with the animals and it was very rewarding. Eventually she helped to find secure homes for them.

Magic and Mystery's arrival had led to Amy's involvement in the Community, and she gained a positive fulfillment from the voluntary work she had undertaken with animals that she loved. Her experience had moved from turmoil to contentment and fulfillment. She continued her work at the Shelter and the Nursing Home and started to write a memoir of her experiences. The memoir covered her life as a child on the farm, her subsequent education and work experiences, and her voluntary work in later life. She mentioned her love of animals and her two companion cats with names connected to a magical fantasy.

Eventually Amy had health issues and as she aged she had to go into care at the Nursing Home she had visited with Magic. Losing her independence was challenging and she missed Magic and Mystery. Fortunately, a couple were bringing their pet dog in regularly and Amy went back to the times she shared her pets with the residents at the time. This helped her remember that she had had a good productive life which had turned out to be more than she expected. She had had many good friends both human and animal. This helped her accept the upheavals in her life and the need for care. Friends visited her regularly and she connected positively with the staff and some other residents.