The Life and Times of Tiberius Ticklemouse

There was a special bridge that animals were supposed to cross, when their souls left their bodies.

The mortal form of an old grey cat known by the slightly odd name of Tiberius Ticklemouse could see the bridge, could even sometimes see what was on the other side, but he hadn't crossed it, not yet.

He simply wasn't ready.

Tiberius didn't want to leave his people.

Didn't want to leave the sandy-haired woman who had plucked him out of a cage, held him close and made him feel safe and warm, falling in love with his little white bib and tiny white toes, letting him sleep on her hip for most of his nineteen years on Earth.

He didn't want to leave the dark-haired little girl who had given up her teddy bear to him when she was small and he was just a kitten, letting him suckle at it in place of his Mother, whom he had been taken from far too young. Of course, she was hardly a girl anymore when it was Tiberius's time to go, but she would always be the Girl with the Bear to him.

Tiberius couldn't possibly leave the boy who, though he had been small when Tiberius arrived, once he was older, began a habit of coming home smelling strange and coughing hair-balls into the odd white bowl the humans used for a litter box.

He didn't want to leave the little girl born later, who liked to pet him but was afraid of his claws, or the curly-haired man who always shared his food.

Though he was somewhat reluctant to admit it, it was not only his people that Tiberius Ticklemouse would miss. He would also, he supposed, miss Boo, the young long-haired tabby cat who belonged to the Girl with the Bear.

The Sandy-haired Woman had brought Boo home as a gift for the Girl when Tiberius was eleven years old, fearing that he may have been nearing the end of his life, and a new kitten in the house would soften the blow.. This was true, although came much later than expected.

When Boo had first arrived, Tiberius Ticklemouse was not at all pleased to be sharing his home with another cat. Dogs he could deal with, there had been plenty of those both before and after his time, but a cat? No!

And not just a cat, but a kitten? Boo was loud and mischevous and much too full of energy, she wanted to play when Tiberius would have much rathered uninterrupted sleep.

However, as she grew bigger, and calmed, just a little, Boo grew on Tiberius too. He supposed it was good for him to play, sometimes. And it was wonderful when Boo became big enough to jump and climb, and knocked down food and treats for Tiberius from the shelves that his old bones no longer allowed him to reach.

Besides, the Girl with the Bear loved Boo, and Tiberius loved the Girl with the Bear.

The People seemed to think Boo's presence had given Tiberius a new lease on life, and this was probably true.

Eventually though, nearly ten years later, Tiberius's body grew old and weary. His soul left its worn-out vessel, and the Rainbow Bridge called.

But Tiberius didn’t cross it. Not yet.

In death, the old cat’s spirit remained exactly where he had been in life. Watching over his people, watching over Boo.

Every now and then, he would let someone catch a glimpse of him in the corner of their eye, or let out a small meow, to let them know he was still around.

Sometimes, Tiberius helped guide other souls across the bridge, like a trio of baby birds whom the Girl with the bear had cared for for nearly a month, but sadly been unable to save.

When he wasn’t close by, he would patrol the area around where his humans lived. Wandered the crowded backyard, the old fence, beginning to creak and lean to one side, looking as though it might fall over in a strong enough wind.

Tiberius was engaged in such a patrol when he noticed a tiny, scrawny, tortoiseshell kitten race through his humans’ garden. It was so small, too small to be away from its Mother, just as Tiberius himself had been, when the Sandy-haired woman plucked him from the cage.

His people had spotted the kitten too, but it fled from the garden, startled, crawling through a gap in the creaky old fence. The humans mounted a search. Only Tiberius saw the little Tortoiseshell hide beneath the Sandy-haired woman’s car.

Tiberius peeked underneath, letting the kitten see him, though no-one else could. The poor little thing was hungry, and frightened, and one of its ears had been damaged by frostbite.

He purred, to put the kitten at ease. His people were good people. They would keep the kitten safe, and warm, and fed, just as they had always done for him. But they were heading inside, discouraged, ready to give up the search.

Tiberius couldn’t have that. He let out a meow.

The Girl with the Bear froze. She followed the sound. Peeked under the car, smiling, cooing and fawning over the kitten.

Tiberius nodded, and the little Tortoiseshell crept forward. The Girl with the bear gently scooped it up and held it close, keeping it warm and safe, and carried it inside.

For the first time in a long while, Tiberius glanced towards the ever-present Rainbow Bridge.

No, not yet.

He had to get the little one settled in. She had a lot to learn about taking care of his people.