by Mark Murton
Original Air Date: January 17, 1985
Directed by: Gareth Gwenlan
Synopsis: Florist shop owner Maxine (Felicity Kendal) is having an affair with married man Luke (Jack Galloway). Their plans for a weekend away don’t just involve Luke finding an excuse to be away from his wife Helen (Jane Asher) but also Maxine’s need to have someone feed her assortment of pets — a cat, several rabbits, and a singing finch.
Kitty Cameo: The episode opens with Maxine in her small backyard feeding her rabbits while her longhair ginger tabby cat watches from atop one of the hutches. It isn’t long before Luke arrives.
Maxine picks up the cat and carries him inside with them.
Later in the episode, Maxine’s best friend Jenny (Jenny McCraken) is sitting on the sofa with the cat at her feet. The kitty looks up towards Maxine as she comes down the stairs.
Maxine runs through the detailed feeding instructions for all the pets while she is away with Luke, all the while the cat sits passively beside Jenny.
Jenny then, mockingly, repeats all the instructions back to Maxine in exaggerated fashion to prove she has understood.
The cat continues to appear occasionally throughout the series, although the rabbit definitely gets more screen time.
Final Mewsings: Cats prefer a servant to a mistress.
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