I was impressed to ring my girlfriend yesterday.
I discovered that the day before she had taken her cat to the Vet, concerned that he was failing as he was 17 years old.
She had to make the dreadful decision on the spot as he was too ill and would only suffer.
She was really hurting, and I was glad to have made the phonecall.
Our pets are very precious to us, given by God who knew just how much we would need them for comfort, friendship - that is all some people have or can trust in this life.
This story was in our local paper this week.
Rescue alert for cruising cat.
An international mercy mission has been launched to rescue a Taranaki cat who has stowed away on a methanol tanker. Taranaki is in the North Island of New Zealand
A crew member of the Tomiwhaka had taken the friendly tortoiseshell, called Colin's, on board two weeks ago. They fell asleep in his cabin and when they awoke the tanker had left port. The tanker is now somewhere north of Papua New Guinea on the way to Korea.
Colin's is resident puss at Port Taranaki's tanker terminal and staff there are organising a ship-to-ship transfer to another tanker heading to New Plymouth.
They fear that if she is taken ashore in Korea to wait for the next ship to New Plymouth, she may then have to be quarantined for several months before being allowed into New Zealand.
"We hear there are about three methanol tankers in the general area which are scheduled to sail to Port Taranaki," tanker terminal watch-house staff member Garth Stone said yesterday.
"There's all sorts of action going on regarding a possible transer. We hope it works - our cat's a lovely little thing."
Colin's, so named bedcause she was originally adopted by an employee called Colin and became known as Colin's Cat, has loved at the port for nine years.
"She thinks she runs the place," said Mr Stone.
