Cat Daddy is furious because someone or something has been into the Forbidden Greenhouse and trashed his precious chilli plant seedlings. I asked if the motive for this heinous crime had been toilet use, but this just made Cat Daddy more angry as the garden provides more than adequate cat toileting areas. He snapped that he didn’t know and wasn’t prepared to dig in and find out, but that I was welcome to do so myself if I wanted to. (I didn’t.)
The sliding door of the Forbidden Greenhouse had been left open the tiniest amount, which means that the culprit was either a largish rat or Louis Catorze (although Cat Daddy has just muttered that there isn’t much difference between the two). This, along with Catorze’s penchant for sneaking unnoticed into places that he has no business being, makes him a highly likely suspect for this crime.
The other piece of evidence in the case of Cat Daddy versus The Crown is the curious set of pawprints seen in the picture. Bizarrely, they lead INTO the scene of the crime but there are no prints leading out. This would appear to vindicate the defendant, as it’s not possible to cavort about in soil and leave with clean feet, but unfortunately Catorze has previous when it comes to this; in the past I have found muddy paw prints in the centre of our bathroom floor but none leading into, nor away from, that point. The only way of doing this would have been to levitate in, gad about on the floor with dirty paws and then levitate out again.
Cat Daddy: “If I ever catch him doing anything like this again, he’ll be levitating for sure: right off the end of my foot after I kick his arse.”
Oh dear. No further questions, Your Honour. It’s not looking too hopeful for the defendant, is it?
Anyway, Cat Daddy is now on a mission to protect the rest of his plants from further destruction: the seedlings in the Forbidden Greenhouse are now under much better protection with the door fully closed, and the outdoor salad leaves are secure behind a mesh barrier.
So, what say you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury? Do you find the little sod guilty or not guilty?
jesuisleroisoleil 
Oh, not guilty at all. Has the Ginger Impinger been by? The circumstantial evidence doesn’t make sense if one considers “beyond a reasonable doubt.” 😺
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We haven’t seen him in our garden since he lost his ballons d’or, which is sad as he was Le Roi’s only friend! 😢
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And I love how you have placed the blame on someone who 1) has no prior record, & 2) hasn’t been seen anywhere near the crime scene for over a year! Maybe next time you could be Le Roi’s defence counsel? 🌞👑
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Ha! Well, I love Le Roi, so it’s natural that I would think about taking his side, especially with regard to the untenable necessity for levitation to convict him.
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I’m with Cat Daddy on this one. I learned repeatedly that seedlings and kitties don’t mix – cat carnage destroyed all of my tomatoes and squashes a few days before transportation to my allotment in previous years. This year, running a bit late, I purchased a strip or two of seedlings, dropped into the flat to grab a drink, and turned around to find Floki and a flipped over set of plants! 🤬
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Oh my, naughty Floki! 😟
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Hmm maybe the little sod has a sidekick to help him get out with no prints? I’m sure it wouldn’t be beyond his majesty to find a patsy to ride as an unwilling steed! 😉
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Ooh, how lovely to see you here! I am doubled over with laughter at the image of Sa Maj riding piggyback on another creature, leaping off to commit carnage and then piggybacking out again! Who is the accomplice, though? Another cat? A fox? A hedgehog? 🐈 🦊 🦔
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erm 50 5t0 but would a rat eat chilli? on further reflexion not guilty m’lady. give him a chance. after all he is royalty. ?????
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I don’t think anything was eaten, just stirred up and flicked around. Your response means so far we have 2 members of the jury finding him guilty, & 2 finding him not guilty. We have a hung jury. Oh my! 😳
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No matter how cute they are they do tend to get into trouble. Then walk away with this “who me?” look. I am leaning towards guilty, all though I do like the idea of him riding in and out on someone else’s back.
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Me too! He’s so small that a large rat or a small badger could easily have carried him!
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Purely circumstantial evidence. Purrs, Quicksilver et al
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Is that verdict unanimous among all your 7 jurors, learned colleague?
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Not guilty! All circumstantial. We have far more damage from squirrels and chipmunks here. There could be another critter that got in.
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Cat Daddy: “No other critters come here because Louis is just too boring.” 😆
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Guilty. They are catprints. He did it. J’accuse!
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I hate to say this, but I suspect Louis Catorze is indeed guilty as charged. However, I think whoever left the sliding open even the teeniest big has to take the blame for the ruined chilli seeds.
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Objection: victim-blaming! 😆
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