The dedication at the beginning of this books says - Wild animals should be in wild places. The Staircase Cat was published by Hodder Headline Australia in July 1998. It is beautifully illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Oskar the cat has lived with the caretaker and his family for as long as he can remember. Then one day war comes to the city where they live.
Bombs fall, tanks rumble along the streets, and everyone begins to disappear.
Surrounded by ghosts, Oskar waits in the deserted building for the people to return. Many years pass and the town gradually returns to life, but there is no sign of Oskar's family. Until one day, a young woman walks into the old building . . . The Puzzle Duck was published by Random House Australia in 1999. It is illustrated by Emma Quay who like me is from England, married to an Australian and now living in Australia.