“Another Bill or have you had enough?” the barman asked. “I can keep going a lot longer. One of those beers with the two elephants on the label please", came the old man's reply. The younger man looked towards the taps where the barman had stepped. A row of logos containing a bear, a hawk and two elephants mixed in among the usual names. "So on the day she was due in I put her in her box and drove her out", the old man continued, "the surgery to have it done is a bit further than my vets you see. She was quiet but fine and was straight out of her box to play with people when we got to the surgery. She was always like that. I was told I could pick her up late that evening or leave her overnight, if I didn’t want to go through the after work traffic. Well I was worried she’d be scared I gave her away if I left her overnight so I said I’d pick her up.” “So did she not like you afterwards or something? Cats are always a bit off for a while but come around you know?” the man asked, glancing at his unblinking phone on the counter. “No, no, nothing like that. I don’t think she’s ever been off with someone for a day in her life. She was still fine, a bit sleepy I suppose, and I was fine too for a few days. But, the more I thought about the more I felt upset. I mean I’d cut something out of her and I’m not sure why I did.” “Well the vet told you to.” “I know, I know, but she doesn’t know that. She doesn’t even know what we took away from her. We deprived her, deprived is the word alright, of something that could have meant something to her. The innocence of her gets to me. I did that to her and she goes on purring on my chest when we’re both half asleep. I don’t think it was right to do it anyway.” “But that’s just the way it is, you couldn’t change that.” “I could have, I could have said no. We all have choices and consequences.”