"... and so I called 999..."

What's orange, stripey, has four legs, a long tail, pointy ears, and has a terrible case of man flu? Yep, you got it. Pippin. No one told us male cats are just as pathetic as male people when they're sick, but this one's been moping about all day, mewing faintly at us occasionally, and generally just lapping up the sympathy (the only thing he's been lapping up, despite our trying to get him to drink something).

He had a couple of jabs yesterday, for various feline ailments, and today he's just poorly. He's oozing pathos out of every paw, but even while we mock his pain, we cuddle him and pat him, and tell him everything will be alright, and keep an eye on him to make sure he's not actually dying.

Poor little poppet. And we have to take him back for more in a month. At least he's been quiet all day. Mum even got some knitting done.

In other news, we got a new televisual device today. One of those modern contraptions that disappear if you look at the sideways, and yet are strangely enormous front on. Dad's been hankering for years, everyone else has been resisting (largely just a battle of principle), but it was inevitable when our old set carked it. And so he has been appeased. The only thing it doesn't seem to do is make a cup of tea. Slightly disappointing, but I guess you can't have everything. We can hear assemblage happening upstairs, but the irony is that it's Earth Hour tonight, so we're supposed to turn all electric items off this evening.

And so today, instead of writing half an essay, I've nursed a cat, attended some competition presentations by men dressed in black skivvies, jackets, trousers and shoes (if you can guess the profession, I'll give you a cyber high five, clue: that's pretty much their international uniform, they're not pathologists, and are involved in construction) and done the rounds of the electronic shops. I've baked, photographed, patted, shopped and sat, and apparently have still failed to comprehend the truth: my essay will just not write itself. Ah well. It can wait.



I should also mention that Pippin has now perked up considerably, has eaten and drunk something, and has a little more spring in his step.