You are my companion more than you know

A story that all cat lovers can relate to.

The TARDIS lands on a mysterious planet that seems to have chased away winter but lets spring, summer, and autumn all happen at the same time. Upon opening the ship's doors, they find a feline-like creature sitting there, almost as if it was waiting for them. Zoe blurts out the traditional, "Oh, Doctor, can’t we keep it?"

They do and they name it Marmaduke because of its marmalade colored fur. The cuddly creature has the usual cat escapades like shredding all the cold weather clothing in the TARDIS wardrobe, using Jamie's bagpipes as a scratching toy, and opening roundels and ripping out the wires.

But the Doctor soon discovers another one of Marmaduke's behaviors: it broadcasts the thoughts of Jamie and Zoe into his head as it is telepathic. Hearing his companions' thoughts, especially just before they say them aloud, begins to drive the Doctor bonkers and he gets a little bit more than testy. And so it is agreed the cat-like creature has gotta go.

At first they attempt to drop it off on the planet where they found it but discover that it has mysteriously gone missing. And so they seek other options, including the Sisterhood of Karn, but each time the feline telepath returns to the TARDIS.

The Doctor then has a revelation. He can return the creature to its owner but he must land the TARDIS there at a different time than he tried previously. Doing so, he steps out onto the world and is greeted by an old woman. She admits that she is a telepath and created the lovable creature for companionship but that it just became all too much for her as she was forced to hear the thoughts of countless beings. So she used her powers to influence the Doctor and friends to abscond with her furry friend.

But she missed it and is glad the Doctor has returned the little bugger. Back in the TARDIS, the Time Lord sees marmalade out of the corner of his eye everywhere and realizes that now it is his turn to miss Marmaduke.

As someone who shares his home with two cats, the opening of this tale felt very familiar. You see a kitty who looks cute and lovable, has fur soft to the touch, and you bring it home. All seems well until it ignores the scratching post in front of it for your couch. Et cetera and so on. Cat owners know what I am talking about. I chuckled at the vision of Ohica pointing at the door as she gave Marmaduke the stink eye. While I hate to admit it, I smiled as the Doctor got more and more irritated with Jamie and Zoe while their thoughts flooded his mind.

A fun little story and one that all cat lovers can relate to.