TWIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES - THE DOCTOR'S ROAMIN' PUSSY

Roamin' Cat Prints

A paw print made by a cat in Roman times has been discovered on a 2,000 year old roof tile in Gloucester.

It was dug up in Berkeley Street in 1969 but the footprint has only just been discovered.

The print was found by an archaeologist at Gloucester City Museum who was examining thousands of fragments of Roman roof tile.

The cat is thought to have snuck across the wet tiles which were drying in the sun in about 100 AD.

The tile, a type called tegula, was used on the roof of a building in what became the Berkeley Street area of modern Gloucester, a spokesman said.

Councillor Lise Noakes, from Gloucester City Council, said it was a "fascinating discovery".

"Dog paw prints, people's boot prints and even a piglet's trotter print have all been found on tiles from Roman Gloucester, but cat prints are very rare," she said.

What was a cat doing up on that roof back in the year 100?  

According to one History of Cats Timeline, "They were introduced to Britain around 100 AD and were protected by Law by the King of Wales, Hywel Dda as sacred and valuable animals. Killing a cat could again be punishable by death."

But according to an unfortunately entitled blog - "The Cuddlywump Cat Chronicles" - there is an interesting article about when the cats were first introduced in England and who might have been responsible for their arrival. 

"If the Romans did not deliver Britain’s first domestic cats, who did? Well, no one knows for sure."

What if it was the Doctor?

We know the Tenth Incarnation of the Doctor disliked cats, although he did have a soft spot for the hybrid children of Brannigan and his human wife Valerie.  His aversion to cats may have come from an earlier, unseen encounter with the Sisters of Plenitude who were members of the Catkind.

With the personality quirk revision in his next regeneration, the Eleventh Incarnation not only tolerated them, but was able to speak to them in their language.  (When we saw this on-screen, it could be that the Doctor was talking to a transformed warlock, a common fate for malfeasant magickers.)

The Doctor returns home at the end of the day and happens upon a cat that he sent upstairs; he learns from the cat that there are many people up there who have never come back down. Craig, who is playing darts, overhears the Doctor and looks out the peephole to see the Doctor speaking to the cat. This being the final straw with all his oddness, Craig opens the door and asks the Doctor to leave.
[TARDIS DATA CORE]

Craig: 

I can’t take this anymore. I want you to go. 

You can have this back in whole.

The Doctor: 

What have I done?

Craig: 

For a start, talking to a cat.

The Doctor: 

Lots of people talk to cats.

~~~~

The Doctor: 

I’ve worked it out with psychic help from the cat.

Amy: 

Cat?

The Doctor: 

Yes. I know.

The Ninth Incarnation of the Doctor also had no problem with talking to cats......

And it's likely the Sixth Incarnation of the Doctor liked cats.  After all, he wore a cat pin on the lapel of his hideous jacket.  (Although it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that you never noticed because there were.... distractions.  Nudge nudge wink wink!)

Maybe one of the incarnations of the Doctor had a sentient cat as his Companion?  One that used to be a warlock.)  And when the TARDIS landed on that roof (those tiles which could have had impressions of the TARDIS base were probably destroyed), the cat may have leapt out to begin exploring.  

Maybe... maybe not.  Everything's pozz'ble in Toobworld.

Allons-y!