Roving reporter Nicola interviewed Peculiar Pingu, the cat with a thick coat of many colours, from her game cupboard in London, England.
One of my earliest memories is being a tiny kitten in a large room, just me, my three siblings, a giant TV, and a dodgy-looking man. Then this girl Stella came in, picked me up, and took me home. She cried all the way because she was upset about taking me away from my siblings.
I like living in this house. I'm treated like a princess. You won’t meet another cat like me. People say I’m stunningly beautiful with bright green eyes and a fabulous thick coat of many colors. White, orange, black, mingled with a soft brown. My family thinks I'm forever young, even though I’m now 11 years old.
Right now it’s very hot and I’m looking for somewhere cool to sleep. I have to sleep during the day so I can have my playtime at night. I love catching big moths and bringing them into the house so I can play. I let them go, then catch them again. It's great fun. Sometimes the moths die and I don’t know why.
My main obsession
I’m a bit of a loner. I don’t have any cat friends and am generally scared of people. But I do like my own family, especially the man in the house called “dad.” I adore him and try to find ways to be with him. He's got a workshop in the garden, and if he's in there I'll tap on the window until he lets me in.
If he ever goes for a quick nap and shuts the door, I’ll wait outside till he wakes up. Then I’ll follow him all around the house. I even push my way in to sleep next to him, securing my place between him and “mum.”
Peculiar Pingu the cat speaks
The jumping game
My favourite game is to meow incessantly at this special cupboard until Stella opens the door. Then, I jump in and jump right back out. There’s nothing special in the cupboard, only a bunch of old dusty things, which I like to climb over before jumping out again. That’s my game. Jump in. Jump out. Then I turn my back and walk off like a princess. But if Stella closes the cupboard door, I’ll rush right back and start meowing again. I insist she opens the door so I can play this never-ending game.
Pingu was interpreted by
Stella Wharmby, a business and marketing coordinator, who also has a blast playing saxophone with well-known DJ’s at clubs in London and Brighton.
Stella says to Pingu
You’re independent and know what you want. Sometimes you’re in a cuddly mood and like being around me. Then you just walk off. It’s another little game that goes on between us.
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Stella was invited by Nicola Gale when they met at an outdoor café along with Stella’s friend Tom Goodinge and had a chat about what comes after surviving lockdown.
Cover photo edited. Original by Stella Wharmby.
