Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Busy, busy time


I have been helping out in the local community, feeding the cats of an unfortunate old woman who lives in a container down in our village. She had many cats once upon a time, but now she's down to three. She may have to go into a nursing home soon, and then we will have to find homes for the cats, because my house is full. Also, one of her cats has cat flu, so I can't bring him into the house or all of ours will get it.

I tell you what, though. I have seen my future here, and it's not pretty. Maybe I should have had a child when I was younger, so I could guilt it into taking care of me when I'm old. I'm certainly getting rid of all my cats by the time I'm 60. For some reason an older woman living on her own with cats seems tragic. An older woman living on her own with a dog seems less so.

It is hard work trying to help someone like this, who is used to being on her own and is perhaps not as in possession of all her faculties as you would like to hope. I'm not really sure of what I'm doing, even, or if I am actually helping at all. I wonder if I shouldn't just let her see how bad it is when she tries to do it on her own, so that she will go into the nursing home sooner. I don't want her to depend on me. I am not a dependable person.

We've also had a short-term foster dog. He is a setter cross called Jack, and is the most beautiful dog I've ever seen anyone throw away. Neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, trained, and beautifully behaved. I can only imagine how much it must have hurt his owners to leave him into the pound to be put down, because someone obviously loved him. He's off to Sweden in the morning. Maybe he'll meet up with Woody and they'll be best friends.

By the end of this week we should have another dog.

Man, my life has just not panned out the way I thought it would. Not at all. But let's hope the animal thing is as weird as it gets.

5 comments:

Queenie said...

I will look after you when the time comes, of course.

But if Himself is still around, no cats. He's allergic to cats apparently. Plus I don't like cats.

Dogs are fine. Rabbit hounds are best of course. But other dogs are good too.

Ammonite said...

Wow, you're helping my mother. Thanks!

By the time we're old enought for this to be a problem we will have digitally uploaded.
With our cats.

mylescorcoran said...

Digitally uploaded? Not with my metadata I'll bet.

I still think we need to work on a retirement community for boardgamers, musos and Theoheads.

Or a cruise ship! We could go whale watching whenever we wanted.

Queenie said...

We nearly had Mr. and Mrs Monkey talked into buying a big sailing ship (such a big task that) last time they were over.

Ammonite said...

inmydotage!