We have a visitor - or to be accurate my nephew Joe, who lives next door, has a visitor.
Armchair Cat (1)
Sid is Liz and Ed's cat, but since they will be living in Dubai for the foreseeable future she is a long-term house-guest. Last summer Sid stayed here, but the relationship with Albert was not an easy one as Sid is very much a lone cat - all right for a short stay, but not comfortable as a permanency, which is why we all thought that she would be more comfortable next door where she can be sole pet and rule the household as she thinks fit. Sid is also a cat who likes her freedom to roam the outdoors.
Sid (1)
And therein lies the problem: Joe's neighbours on the other side. There is Nes, and Nes's spaniel Bram, and Nes's housemate Laurence. Bram is kept in the yard behind the house and is only let out when Nes is around to keep an eye on her - and, boy, is she a dog who needs an eye kept on her! At the moment Nes is working nights so it falls to Laurence to let Bram out and exercise her. Laurence hates cats and thinks it funny to set Bram on Sid, and Bram doesn't need much encouragement.

So we now have the complicated routine of Joe bringing Sid round here for the day and taking her home at night, which will work as long as the summer holidays last. Let us hope that by the time August ends Nes will be back on days, and Bram will be back under the control of someone who has some idea of responsible dog ownership.

In the meantime I am thinking irresponsible thoughts about rotweilers - to set on Laurence rather than Bram - or, since I understnd that Laurence is cat phobic (lots of people are, but it doesn't make them nasty), has anyone got a pet panther/lion/tiger etc. I can borrow?