I’ve been seeing my neighbour’s cat getting around in the cold and feeling a bit sorry for it, despite the fact that I know it has a cat flap and is out in the elements by choice. Then, I noticed that it kept disappearing into and old esky on the back porch, and not coming out for hours on end. I finally mentioned this to the neighbour, wondering if perhaps the motion sensor on the cat flap was broken and thinking the cat might be desperate for shelter.
Turns out, old mate has fashioned the esky into a DIY insulated cat shelter, complete with a fully lined and cushioned interior and a hot water bottle. It seems that this is warmer and more comfortable than being inside the house. I have to say, I’m a little bit jelly – I wish I had somewhere like that to turn in to when I’m feeling done with my day. As it stands, I have to contend my heating system being on the blink.
Turns out, it’s harder than I thought to find someone with the skills to conduct central heating repairs near Melbourne who’s willing to traipse out to where I am. It’s just that little bit too far out of town to be considered part of the city, but not far enough to have its own local air conditioning business. This means I have to wait a few days until someone can get out here, so I’m bunkered down in layers of clothing and knee-deep in cups of tea. I could stand to take a leaf out of next door’s cat-warming book.
It’s typical that, just as I’m due for heating unit maintenance, Melbourne has turned on the cold snap. Seriously, why couldn’t this have happened a week ago, when it was unseasonably mild? I suppose it makes me appreciate the luxury of ducted heating, or any heating system for that matter, and it’s good to be reminded of how useless one would be in a zombie apocalypse.
Old mate next door, in that event, will be just fine, what with his DIY shenanigans and metal-looking cat.