Everyone who has ever lived – or stayed at – casa az has had to learn and live by the “stupid cat rules”. I only call them stupid because some of them might seem silly or even extreme to the casual observer, but as each one is about ensuring the safety and well-being of my cats, they are non-negotiable. It used to be more difficult when I had a the ever-changing flatmates next door, but even Nog will sometimes forget, which always drives me mental because the cats need to be kept safe. To me this is far more important than seeming reasonable or even sane.

Anyhow, the rules came to mind last night when I found Loki pushing around one of the brick doorstops with his nose. He was being quite obsessive about it and then it dawned on me – there must be something inside! So I first put on my sandals and then gingerly tipped the brick upwards so I could look through it…and there I saw the vile hulking shape of what could only be a massive cockroach. Calmly as could be I shook the brick a little until the hellish creature slipped part-way out…and then I smashed it to smithereens! And it was only after the beast had been flushed and I’d finished the clean up that I got a post-traumatic case of the heebie-jeebies. Luckily I was about to meet my twitter pal Anna for some free tapas and a BIG glass of wine so, with skin still crawling, I got dressed and headed out. Later on when I was telling the tale of my bravery and Loki’s fine hunting skills I felt I should explain why I have bricks in the door jambs, but Anna already knew…

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