Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Stepping Out
by Russell Turner - 16:46 on 07 February 2026
Getting older is no fun for people: dodgy hips (Matchgirl), arthritic thumbs (me), and general aches and pains (both). It’s also no fun for cats. Willow seems as spritely as ever, although it’s a long time since we’ve seen her climb to the top of the scratching post, but Pandora shows increasing signs of being a senior citizen. She can only look with longing at the shelf behind the sofa, previously one of her favourite snoozing spots, and spends increasing amounts of time on Matchgirl’s lap.
Even climbing on to the sofa is sometimes a struggle, so Matchgirl, as she often does, did lots of online research and found the perfect set of steps, designed especially for elderly felines (The Tabby Terror is now 13), and contributed more money to the Jeff Bezos Space Rocket Programme.
At first sight, Pandora was suspicious (of course) and had to be shown up the three steps to the sofa. Then back again. However, within a day she’d got the hang of it and was up and down as though the steps had been there for years. Happy cat; happy Matchgirl.
The success was such that a second set of steps now helps the creaky cat reach the comfort to be found on the bed. She’s still a fussy eater but we can’t have everything.
As for me, after three days on the First Defence, unsure if another cold was brewing, today I ventured out on a restrained 60min virtual run/walk with Squirrel James, who’s trying to revive his running mojo. We both set off at 10am, he in Clydebank, me at home, and both declared ourselves happy with the result, even though he ran almost a mile further. This could be the future for running buddies.
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