Catz & Monitors

Dateline 21st March 2005
First the really bad news. Moriaty has been missing for a week. Our life with cats since we were married consisted of Holmes & Watson, a lilac point Siamese and blue Persian. Watson died via automobile tyre. We found Mrs Hudson (a lilac point Persian) a little later on. Holmes died a few years later from a sudden but unknown illness. His replacement was Moriaty.
Last September Mrs Hudson was laid at rest following kidney troubles. I am sure Moriaty has been on this planet before; he was (is?) a highly intelligent cat, very affectionate and personable. He used to play hiding & chasing with us. He’d hide; we’d find him and chase him. Then we’d do the opposite.
I suspect the cruel neighbours at the back of our property. They’re crass and cranky and plain old-style-mean. Their yard is full of junk, stacked high, rat city and cat heaven. They once took Moriaty to the local pound out of spite. He had a name tag with our phone number on it. But no, they decided to cart him off (which was at least an hour and a half round trip for them) and cost us a lot of worry & tears for the children. And $90 to get him back.
Later he had a trauma that paralyzed his tail (amputated) and caused him incontinence. His tail had been pulled away from his spine damaging the cord. As if some one had grabbed him by the tail and swung him round and presumably let him go. His paw pads where all scratched but he showed no other sign of injury…so it was unlikely to have been a car. Anyway, he’s not come home and we have resigned ourselves to the fact that he probably won’t.
Now for the really really bad news.
SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) has been bemoaning the loss of Mrs Hudson for quite a while now, and with the Royal Easter Show coming up she wanted to go see the cat pavilion and spy a replacement for Mrs Hudson. Then Moriaty disappears. SWMBO gets on the internet (shock horror) and searches out feline catus longafurryia. Google cat. She strikes it rich. Not only a replacement for Mrs Hudson, but two brothers no less. Fancy that a replacement for the barely cold Moriaty. And they’re only 20 minutes away. She and the Daughter visited the breeder on the weekend. The Daughter and SWMBO have talked of nothing else since.
I should explain that I do not like long hair cats. Especially of the Persian persuasion. They just look mean at you all the time, and when they’re not they just look dumb. Look at the two above and you’ll have to agree. It’s been a life of rivalry between my camp; the short hairs and her camp: the fur balls. I was out voted tonight 3-1. I have to discuss things with The Son. He sold out on me. Unfortunately, as some of you know, I am out of work at the moment (changing shortly, hopefully) and we are desperately short of cash. I mean, really short. But women, money, impulse and short legged long haired furry things are a bad combination. It’s like the lining up of the planets.
It looks like we’re in for two credit card cats. Now, I don’t mind so much, I will not stay poor for too long, certainly not long enough to fill the credit card up, however it pays to be prudent. And prudent this is not. The cats are…. $600.00 Each. The Daughter has her savings, some $340.00 that she was going to use to buy a ferret and cage etc. Looks like she sold out too. I’ve said as much to her. So the holy credit card won’t be up for the full amount.
So why am I crying? Well, here's the really really really bad news. I’ve wanted to buy dual LCD screens for my computer since this time last year. But things have been a bit rocky with my job and after four months of no-job I found restraint and not splurged.
So, the point of all this? I am sitting here surfing the hardware sites drooling over something I can’t have for even longer than I thought. I am not buying. It’s the love I have for my family and the happiness on their faces over a pair of white fluffy show kittens just waiting to turn into walking flea farms and balls of mischief.
But how long can I last. Will I order or not. Arrrgghhhhh enough to cause ulcers.