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The set was really quite lovely, a fake fire glowed in the hearth, a mantelpiece with stockings hung, and in front of the fire sat a mince pie and a glass of milk. There was a big tree, sparkling with lights and decorations and presents– which were fake and had been rescued a number of times from Pickles’ trying to eat them, and an armchair.

Harold was relishing his role as Santa. He mounted the stage saying‘Ho, Ho, Ho,’ and swung his sack around to put it down. Then he made a fuss of the mince pie and milk and if he was surprised we were there he didn’t show it. Maybe he’d had acting lessons from his new friend Barbara, I thought. He sat down in the chair, and he started snoring, which sounded real and a bit like a freight train. There were some giggles from the audience.

Toby, Henry, Martha, and Summer came on stage in their pyjamas all yawning and stretching, as if they had just woken up.

‘Let’s see if he’s been,’ Henry said.

‘He has, he has,’ Martha said.

‘But look, he’s still here,’ Summer exclaimed.

‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ Toby finished. However, as it turned out. Harold had actually fallen asleep and he kept snoring as Toby and Henry prodded him. The audience laughed as if it was part of the show. I looked at George.

‘Let’s go wake him,’ I suggested. We got up and jumped onto Harold – Santa’s – lap, mewing with all our might.

‘What the hell?’ he shouted, startling awake. The audience laughed again. ‘I mean, Ho, Ho, Ho, I’ve been rumbled.’

As the children and Santa walked to the front of the stage to sing the final song, George and I joined them, and as Harold threw sweets into the audience, I felt quite emotional. Yes, we would be doing it again for the Sunday Lunch Club, but not with everyone, and so, really, this was our last full show. And it had been wonderful. As the audience clapped and cheered, George and I took our bows– which we still couldn’t quite master. But, we really were showbiz cats right at that moment.

Aleksy, Connie, and Claire climbed on stage and Greg from the shelter came up with them.

‘We haven’t got the final figure yet as money was still being donated, but we have raised at least three times as much as we set out to do,’ Aleksy said and everyone clapped.

‘Thank you for coming to our show, it has been a real pleasure to work on and thank you to the cast who worked so hard, the backstage crew for all their amazing work, and, well, just thank you to everyone for making it such a success,’ Connie said. Aleksy and Connie held hands. Their confidencehad grown amazingly since doing this. Smiles were so bright and everyone radiated happiness. It was a moment I never wanted to forget.

‘I would like to say, on behalf of Helen Street Shelter, that we cannot thank you enough. Not only did we get to enjoy your wonderful show ourselves, but the money you have raised will make a real difference. This is a wonderful community, and I think this show has proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt,’ Greg said. There were more cheers and photos taken. Apparently we would be in the papers again. Honestly, I hope all this fame didn’t go to our heads! It probably would though.

‘We came to see you,’ Nellie said after the final show. The humans all still chatted inside and we had managed to get out for some fresh air and a bit of space.

‘You did?’ I was touched.

‘What a fine show and what fine sheep you were, not that I’ve ever really seen a sheep,’ Elvis said.

‘Oh the singing though, that was something else. I loved it. My owners were in the audience but we hid,’ Rocky added.

‘Because you didn’t buy tickets, did you?’ George grinned.

‘How can we, we’re cats?’

‘It’s thanks to you that this show made it, and now it’s finished.’ I felt quite emotional.

‘We didn’t do much, Alfie,’ Rocky said.

‘You did, you helped us save the show. And Salmon, is he here?’

‘Yes but he went straight home, just in case his owners check his camera collar.’ We still hadn’t figured out how to get that thing off him, so it looked as if he was stuck with it. Thankfully, Salmon was always on his best behaviour anyway. ‘Also, he said his owners were talking about bringing him here on Christmas Day when you do your last performance.’

‘I’m sad that that’s going to be our last show,’ George said. ‘I’ll miss it.’

‘Actually, so will I,’ Hana said. ‘It’s been a real experience being a sheep.’

‘There’s always next year,’ Nellie said and I wasn’t sure if she was joking.

‘I’m not sure I would be able to cope with this every year,’ I said.

‘Not if we have all the drama as well,’ Snowball finished.

I felt reflective as we headed back to our own homes.

‘Oh my goodness, Alfie,’ Snowball said. ‘I think it’s snowing.’ We looked up as a soft cold snowflake landed on my nose.

‘It is, it’s snowing! How magical,’ I said, running around in circles. It was only a light dusting but it still made me feel even more like Alfie the Christmas cat.

Chapter Thirty-Four

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