I tried to become a local hero by rescuing a cat. I failed comprehensively | Arwa Mahdawi

I thought finding Karma - yes, that is the cat's name - would make me beloved and cherished by my neighbourhood. Unfortunately, not so much

A couple of weeks ago I went to go see a woman about a cat. The woman was my neighbour (we'll call her L) and she had lost her tabby, Karma. (That's the cat's name - I'm not saying L had it coming.) Karma had been gone for weeks and her family was distraught. The entire neighbourhood had been trying, without luck, to look for her.

And then, one day, when I was looking out of the window, I saw Karma peeking out from the dilapidated shed at the bottom of my garden, just a couple of doors down from her official home. I was thrilled. Not just because I'd get to reunite the pet with her family but - rather more selfishly - I thought this might elevate me to local hero" status in my Philadelphia neighbourhood.