Another snakebite …

 Our two rescue cats, Honey and Jaz, were - we were told - sisters. But after eight years it is obvious that Jaz is Honey’s daughter, and that Honey must have been very young when Jaz was born. They have lived with us for over eight years and we wouldn’t be without them. But Jaz has now diced with death three times and it is never easy when a beloved pet is ill.

On Monday morning she came in distress and making an almost continuous mewling sound. She was limping and obviously in pain. The obvious conclusion was that she had encountered a snake (again) and had come off worst. After a struggle we got her into the car carrier and raced off to Yiaanis (our vet in Polis). He came to the same conclusion and two injections later, and a squirt of antibiotics into her mouth, and we proceeded slightly more sedately back home. All she wanted to do was snuggle down and sleep, and so that was what she did. Further antibiotics and an early night followed.

Tuesday morning and she was no longer limping and was quite lively so no need to go back to the vets. We had bought a new cat carrier on Monday afternoon, as the old one was falling to bits.

This followed on from Daisy’s two vet visits (one with a sharp piece of grass up the nose, and then later an ear infection (when I was in hospital). Ann, as always, coped admirably. But, within the space of a few weeks, our beloved girls had cost us more than €400. Of course they are worth every cent, but perhaps they might have a more considerate summer to avoid more damage to our bank account.

Tomorrow I am ordering an integral Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad. We have already rearranged the study, and there is a beautiful Edwardian captain’s chair, a new desktop fan and soon a semi-permanent iPad station for the writing of my magnum opus. All sorts of ideas and plots and characters are swirling around and I am looking forward to my writing. I’ll keep you up to date with the progress, or lack of it. I am told a cold Keo is the perfect antidote to writer’s block.