“Once, in a little village just outside of London, a woman had me come to investigate a case with her cat. It was a long-haired white Persian with one of the most distinctive — and annoying — meows that I’ve ever heard. Anyway, she called me in tears because someone had dyed her cat a striking, electric blue color. 

"And this wasn’t the first time it had happened, either. Before it had been purple, a month before that it had been a ghastly green. The woman showed me her old (recycled) calendar to point out the dates, and begged me to help her, claiming that her heart couldn’t take it any more.

"So look into it I did, met the cat, spoke to the neighbors, took down information, snapped several photographs, and bid my farewell, saying that I would return in a handful of weeks. The woman, confused, told me that she was so disappointed in her hopeful Holmes, but ultimately decided to trust me. 

"During the three or so weeks that I was back in town, I consulted with local vets and animal behaviorists, and returned as promised to find the cat brilliant shade of crimson. With the woman’s permission (after a full disclosure, though she was reluctant to agree), I whisked the cat away to the veterinarian and had her fixed.

"It seems that the neighbors had grown tired of the cat’s calls while she was in heat, particularly as she would scale the walls and prowl through their gardens and howl. The woman, sweet old bag that she was, had lost a great deal of her hearing in her age, and hadn’t noticed… nor paid any mind to the complaints. They had, as it happened, fallen upon (nearly) deaf ears. 

"Once the cat recovered, the dyeing ceased, and the cat remained a brilliant white – and is still is to this day. They had only used flavor-aid packets for temporary color, anyway, and the cat was just fine, which is why the woman didn’t bother pressing charges. In fact, she apologized to everyone on the block and had me deliver cookies from the local bakery as an olive branch.

"Not one of the most dangerous cases, I must say, but very strange indeed. I almost felt like I was more a James Herriot than a Sherlock Holmes, which was a treat in and of itself!"