Thermal Undercurrents

Well, that's it then, isn't it? I am OFFICIALLY OLD. Two days after my birthday, and what arrives in the post? A Damart catalogue, that's what. Did I request a Damart catalogue? No, I most certainly did not. And its arrival has more than convinced me there is some Big Brother data base somewhere which, when it flagged up I was 45, automatically sent out the thermal undie 'n' polyester skirts with elasticated waistbands booklet because now I am clearly entrenched in middle age I must be in need of a different fashion approach. I'm just waiting to hear from Saga, Stannah Stairlift and the company who sells those tall sit-up baths with the door in the side and then I'm calling it a day and taking to my bed like Grandma Josephine in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I have no need of thermal undies because a) I have gas central heating and the wherewithal to pay the bills due to my recently acquired and very lucrative part-time tutoring job b) I have a coal-effect electric fire in the living room ditto a) and c) I have my own personal summer heating system called Hot Lady Flushes Galore. And if I am still chilly I shall put on an extra jumper and get the cats to sit on me in a big furry pile-on.

Damart catalogue indeed! Pah!!

And talking of cats, we have brought them a new toy. Well, more a piece of equipment vital to their health actually. We have got them a drinking fountain! An indoor water feature! It's in the kitchen now just waiting to be kicked over because we had to stand it in a hitherto unoccupied area of floor space in order to plug it into a spare socket. I am guessing it is only a matter of time before someone kicks it over when taking the corner a bit quickly but I expect we'll get used to it being there eventually. and our feet shall remain dry.

The instructions said 'Your cat may take a day or two to get used to the free-flowing movement of the water.' Various websites suggested the same timescale but reviewers all said their cats got used to it and really love it as a water source. Andy the Vet said it was a good idea, especially for Phoebe aged 14 and a quarter and Tybalt aged 8 and a half who both need to keep their water intake up as they are getting on a bit.

Once installed it took Phoebe about 2 minutes to drink from it, Tybalt 4 minutes and Pandora 4 and a half minutes but that was probably because she didn't like to think they were getting something she wasn't. So they all conquered the water fountain in under five minutes. In fact, Phoebe especially loves the water fountain, so much so that I half expect to come downstairs tomorrow morning and find her sitting in it wearing a spangly swimming cossie and drinking champagne whilst the bubbles tickle her fancy.

As I suspected, we clearly have very intelligent cats who knew exactly what the fountain was for and weren't going to embarrass the feline populace by skirting around it in a suspicious manner for a day or two like a bunch of weirdos.