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Monday, January 7, 2013

Comfort for traumatised cats

As you may or may not know, the Christchurch earthquakes keep on a-coming

It's tough enough for people, but really taxing for pets.

Today, Jane Bowron, who sends us messages from the quaky zone down there, posted a lovely story to the DominionPost.


Don't you hate it (she said) when friends colonise your other friends?
 
A pal with a small child was visiting and asked, when her little girl became scratchy, if she could put her down to sleep in the spare room. To make the room more child friendly I dug out my old bear and his life-long companion, Lambie, who has a turnkey in his under-carriage which plays Mary Had a Little Lamb, when you wind him up.

I've had those stuffed toys ever since I can remember, so they are beyond tatty, the bear with different buttons for eyes, stuffing oozing out and bald patches all over his ravaged carcass.

After the visit the bear and the lamb stayed put as it seemed cruel to return them to the gloom of the bottom of the sewing basket.

After all those years of faithful service, a room with a view was the least I could do for them. To my astonishment the cat has taken a passionate interest in them, sequestering himself in the spare room cuddling up to them, only coming out to feed and give me a piteous "Hey, No Fur, you're so last year" glance before rushing back to his new friends.

"Excuse me," I told him in no uncertain terms.

"Thems and mes go way back long before Benecio Johnny Come Lately came on the scene."
It fell on deaf ears. Yes, it appears the motley crew has become, to use a hackneyed expression, a tight-knit community."

Read the rest of Jane's meditations on tight-knit communities and earthquakes by hitting the link above.




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