BAGPUSS didn't come home for breakfast on Sunday, November 23. I searched the streets, with no luck.

After two days of hope and worry, a neighbour found Bagpuss in his back yard, where he'd hidden after being hit by a car on the back street.

Bagpuss is the third cat in three years that I've lost to a car. It seems that a cat is considered, by some, to be of no consequence.

While I waited to, literally, peel our work's cat off the road earlier this year, two cars actually ran right over her. I doubt I could persuade people who don't care about cats to care. But I ask that they think of the owners, for whom the cat is part of the family or even their only companion.

I'm sure we all know at least one person who remains petless because they can't bear the pain of loss again - and so, there are more strays.

FIONA REARDEN, Skipton Road, Colne.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.