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Won’t anyone think of Wellington’s balls?

I think we’ve settled on Wellington. He’s down on the vet’s register as that, so it’s a done deal. We took him in late this afternoon for a neutering early tomorrow morning.

I hate to think how scared he must be tonight, in the dark in a cage with the bad smells and the scary sounds.

You may remember I sought him out as company for our two-year-old cat, who’s a sociable little chap. Of course, being a kitten, Wellington has driven Boo nuts. Playfighting too hard, giving him no peace. It will settle down when he grows up a little, but he’s driven Boo out of the house many’s a time.

And now that Wellington has inexplicably vanished, Boo is beside himself. He’s gone all around the house to the places the little one liked to hide. I’ve never seen a cat do this.

Now he’s gone outside. I hope he isn’t looking for Welly out there in the dark.

Virus update: as predicted, now they’re taking testing seriously in the US, the confirmed cases are swelling. From under 200 a week ago to almost 800 tonight. Still too lackadaisical in the UK, though – including my employer, who was shocked when I suggested cancelling a large gathering later this week.

Comments


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: March 10, 2020, 9:24 pm

I hate having a cat neutered – especially a male. It seems like such a mutilation.


Comment from weasel again
Time: March 10, 2020, 9:28 pm

Ha! Since I hit ‘post’, US cases have gone up to 950.


Comment from DurnedYankee
Time: March 10, 2020, 9:41 pm

Mrs D’s office is cancelling eveahthing. Her Anglo boss has got a sick, she has 3 or 4 of mostly Indian heritage. I can hardly keep track how many bosses there are. All are jet setters actually living the fantasy I have of traveling to interesting places besides the Northern Tool store in Lewisville Texas.

But they won’t test him for Corona virus because…reasons! Near as I can tell it appears they’re saving the tests for people they absolutely know have the virus so they can confirm they indeed absolutely have the virus.

He says he doesn’t have Covid 19, he has Nordic virus because he got it from his wife when they returned from Cancun (I’m assuming she’s…Nordic)

Now Mrs D says no one wants to meet with him, or see him, or be near him, so he’s self quarantining. Meanwhile she’s dashing around in an evil thunderish mood because she has to re-arrange (cancel) meetings, travel and gatherings of all sorts.

I nod a lot and say “ah, I see, yes, yes, I see”. My father would have left it at “yes dear”, but Mrs D has seen that strategy in action and is wise to it.

Wellington, is, an excellent name!


Comment from Skandia Recluse
Time: March 10, 2020, 9:57 pm

Wellington, the Cat. But of course, when you call him, it will be ‘Wellie.’


Comment from The Neon Madman
Time: March 10, 2020, 11:30 pm

Wellington, after the Iron Duke, I would presume. A good English name.


Comment from Uncle Badger
Time: March 11, 2020, 12:01 am

And Skandia Recluse = get tonight’s star prize!

Which is.. er… um…

He’s right, anyway:)


Comment from tomfrompv
Time: March 11, 2020, 12:58 am

If you don’t test for the Wuhan Flu, there are no cases to be reported. Perhaps that is the NHS strategy?

I took the wife in for an eye checkup. In the waiting room was a very old woman, in a wheelchair, coughing up her good lung. Her son, the caretaker, was assuring people she’d been this way for a while, so not to worry. The lady was parked in the middle, everyone else was around the perimeter.

The nurse eventually came out with a mask and put it on the hacker. Hmmm. Seems every time she had to cough, she lifted the mask. It was both very funny and disturbing.


Comment from OldFert
Time: March 11, 2020, 2:50 am

Went to get a lesion check and bandage change at the local VA clinic today.
On the way in they were giving out COVID-19 handouts. They want folks to be sure to let them know if they have any fever, cough or other cold symptoms when calling for an appointment. Also, the nice nurse handing out the flyer asked if I’ve been overseas in the past two weeks or so, or did I have any flu-like symptoms. So I think they’re taking it sincerely.
Nonetheless, the nurse handling my bandage change (and another nurse I think was her boss) teased me a bunch when I coughed.
They both said they thought it was being blown out of proportion, at least currently. I kinda feel the same way.


Comment from OldFert
Time: March 11, 2020, 2:51 am

Oh, Wellington’s nickname could be Boots.


Comment from Mitch
Time: March 11, 2020, 6:00 am

Alas poor Wellington’s Balls! We hardly knew ye!
*Pours one out*


Comment from Timothy S. Carlson
Time: March 11, 2020, 8:30 am

I hate to touch on a potentially sore subject … I’ve searched your posts to see if I could find the answer, but no luck … what happened to Jack? I feel I must have gone awol and missed an important update.


Comment from DurnedYankee
Time: March 11, 2020, 1:45 pm

And now we wait for word on the status of the “Iron Duke”.


Comment from Syracuse1989
Time: March 11, 2020, 5:33 pm

Please don’t feel bad about the neutering. Female cat next door is pregnant with her FOURTH litter in 2 years. I’m afraid to ask the eastern european neighbors what they do with all the kittens as I expect that the answer is not one that I want to hear. I’ve recovered two of the kittens that were left to wander and captured another that turned stray and had her neutered so as not to produce even MORE kittens. I do love my kitties, but hate to see the never ending reproduction of unwanted, unloved kittens.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: March 11, 2020, 8:19 pm

I only mentioned it briefly once because it’s a downer, Timothy: road accident. We live within easy cat distance of a bad road. We actually debated whether getting another cat was ethically right, but we came to the conclusion not many people DON’T live within easy cat distance of a busy road.


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: March 11, 2020, 9:16 pm

Yes, neutering a male cat is by its very nature a mutilation. There’s really no other word for it. It is, though, a one-time cruelty. All the “fixed” (shouldn’t that be “broken”?) toms I’ve been around, some my own, were clearly happy and well-adjusted guys. The alternative of leaving them intact invites episodic trouble for the rest of their nine lives. In balance, orchidectomy is in my book the better choice.

Wellington is a great name. I was sort of hoping you’d pick my suggestion of William III but I’m not complaining even a little bit. I’m reminded of my sister’s late cat, Winston.


Comment from DurnedYankee
Time: March 12, 2020, 1:51 pm

Depending on your ancestry though – William the 3rd for which the flower is named “Sweet William” might be known to you as

“Stinking Billy”


Comment from BJM
Time: March 12, 2020, 7:37 pm

Our most agricultural county has two confirmed today both in a nearby small city of approx 150k, and 12 possibles. Both middle aged men, of whom was on the Princess cruise ship stranded in Japan.

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