Category Archives: Cats, dogs & other rare beasts

The peculiarly deceptive tendencies of ordinary household objects

Posted on January 23, 2011 by

The cat was strangely uncommunicative this morning. I was chattering away in my usual inane fashion (I think I was talking about apartheid, from memory) and she wasn’t saying a thing. I mean, she’s not exactly chatty most mornings, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

A Return to Form: Erasing the Cat

Posted on November 22, 2010 by

The other day a friend told me that my blog had become rather boring lately. He said all my posts seemed to be about books and crosswords and stupid things, when what everyone really wanted to know about was the cat. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, Cats, dogs & other rare beasts | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

An exchange of cross words (or, why there is no book review this week either)

Posted on November 16, 2010 by

I found the cat doing anagrams when I came home today. At least I assume that’s what she was doing: the scrabble tiles were scattered about her on the rug and she had a look of fierce concentration on her face. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews & other bookish things, Cats, Other bookish things | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

The Ruckus Birds

Posted on October 4, 2010 by

The ruckus-birds were back this morning at 4am, screeching and shrilling and jabbering and splitting the darkness apart. They’re like something out of Lewis Carroll’s strange garden: the car alarm bird, with its insistent sonic cheep; the typewriter bird, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, dogs & other rare beasts | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Of curious cats and krinkletoys, cabbages and kings..

Posted on September 13, 2010 by

My last post about Fina’s shameful behaviour during an otherwise civilised dinner with friends has generated quite a few enquiries: ‘What a shocking cat – why do you keep her?’, ‘Do you not fear for your own safety?’, ‘Have you … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, Cats, dogs & other rare beasts | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Friday night dinner with friends: leek and lemon risotto accompanied by general carnage

Posted on August 30, 2010 by

It’s an embarrassing thing when you invite friends over for dinner and the cat spends the entire evening mauling everything in sight. This was the first time Darrell, Sandra and family had met Seraphina Nightingale and they were initially very impressed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, Posts I'm proudest of | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Defending the Black Dog*

Posted on August 16, 2010 by

I really feel sorry for black dogs. They get such a hard time of it. People are always going on about how difficult it is to be a Muslim or a working mother or a shareholder in a lucrative WA … Continue reading →

Posted in Dogs | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

No cats for old men…

Posted on August 10, 2010 by

Why pets are good for depression… Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, dogs & other rare beasts | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

All Cats are from La-La Land (or A Feline Perspective on Multi Personality Disorder)

Posted on July 21, 2010 by

Cats are capricious creatures. I realise this is a tautology –  that cats are renowned for being contradictory and I may as well just say, ‘cats are cats.’ So why do I make this rather obvious point, you ask?  Around … Continue reading →

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Why I refuse to get excited about Paul the ‘Psychic’ Octopus

Posted on July 14, 2010 by

For once Wikipedia gets it right: ‘Paul (purportedly hatched January 2008) is a common octopus living in a tank at a Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany.’ I draw your attention to the word ‘common’ – that’s right, people! Paul … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, dogs & other rare beasts | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments