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I want to thank all those who congratulated me on our 52nd wedding anniversary on Monday. It was a very pleasant day.

As some of you know I’m ill and just waiting to board the final train. But in the meantime I’m enjoying life as much as possible.

One of the great joys of our lives is our cats. Despite what some will tell you, cats are great pets and will give you lots of love in return for your affection, food and shelter. We at present are blessed with two cats, and Oliver is providing much solace to my wife during my illness. Let me tell you about Oliver.

The story goes back many years when a large tabby cat arrived to live in our woodshed. He was wild, almost feral, but that didn’t stop Mrs Korau from feeding him and eventually taming him (she is a cat whisperer). Casper came to live with us and stayed many years, despite being infected with feline AIDS. Towards the end of his life we were told by the vet that he wouldn’t last more than 6 months, but Casper didn’t hear this and stayed healthy for 18 months. This in large part was because he made friends with a waif who started to hang around our house (we live at the end of a quiet cul de sac, convenient for people to discard unwanted pets). Oliver, as my wife named him, because he always wanted more food, made friends with Casper through the dining room windows, and to make a long story short, eventually took up residence on our bed once Casper moved to the great cattery in the sky.

One of the great regrets of my impending demise is that my wife will be left alone, but when I see her and Oliver I know she will be in good hands. He’s grown from a frightened waif and stray into a beautiful, faithful cat who comes and goes when he wants to, but is there when Mrs Korau needs him. He was great when I was in hospital several days, some while ago.

So don’t believe the rubbish sprouted by Gareth Morgan and his ilk. Cats, like dogs, are great companions, just different. Put in the work and they can repay to you in ways you may never believe. Like all of life, you tend to get out of things a return in direct proportion to the effort you put in, and our cats are no different.

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