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We learned last night that Chubba - a giant gentle lion of a tabby - died in the night after a very short illness.
Chubba arrived furtively, peering over the window-ledge at the back of the house in Barkly Street in Carlton. After gentle beckoning, he finally made himself a fixture.
As I said, he was what we would call 'a big unit' if we were talking about a bloke. Like most big units, he was a lamb to go with it (although he tamed two labradors when they tried to change the pecking order - and he baled up a fox once).
I have often wondered why he arrived at our place - and how his previous 'owners' reacted to his disappearance. We never saw any signs indicating that he had been lost.
We re-settled him at The Lovely's parents' place, and he enjoyed it. Recently he had taken to going on the hour-long walks that The Lovely's Dad performs twice-daily to exercise the labradors - and often Chubba and the dogs could be seen hurtling downhill together.
It's a bit embarrassing trying to write this from an internet cafe - lip quivering, wet eyes and a snotty nose. Too bad for me, frankly.
He will be sorely missed (he was being missed already, but this seals it). A hundred kisses for Chubba... a big lug with a broken tooth. Once I have scanned the only photos I have of him, I will post them in a place dedicated to his memory.
