*Sketch by Fiver Löcker.

Greetings, friends. It’s the Melville Cat. It’s been such a long time since I’ve posted; many of you might not even know who I am. Others may have feared I went away. Not to worry though — I’ve been here all along. I’ve just been very busy and haven’t had a chance to write.

Here are some images illustrating what I’ve been up to over the last several months:

Sleeping on the porch.

Sleeping on a bed on the porch.

Laying sullenly on the bed as Heather packs for a trip. I do this often, as Heather travels often and it displeases me greatly. Despite my valiant efforts to make her feel guilty, she continues to travel. Hmph.

Sitting in the garden with a blasted cone on my head. I also do this often, as I like to fight with other cats and injure myself while Heather is away.

As I said, I’ve been busy. Heather has been busy too, which is why she asked me to write this post. She wants me to explain to you why she hasn’t blogged for so long.

Last week Heather was in Zimbabwe, a fact that I’m well aware of. Lucky took good care of me while Heather was gone but I was still quite angry with her. I didn’t get into any cat fights, but I did contract an unpleasant rash around my ears during Heather’s absence. The rash cost me an unpleasant visit to that horrid place called the vet, and it cost Heather R635 (about $60). Fortunately I avoided the blasted cone and the rash has healed.

Anyway, Heather enjoyed her time in Zimbabwe but there was no internet so she couldn’t blog. Here are some photos that she wants me to show you.

Heather and her new gentleman friend Ray atop Mount Nyangani, the highest mountain in Zimbabwe. I personally don’t see why this is significant but I’m sure Heather will tell you all about it. (Photo: Sarah Charnaud)

Sunset in Nyanga, Zimbabwe. Heather loves African sunsets, as I’m sure you know.

Ray stands on a rock in Nyanga. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Ray at first — he is tall and takes up an excessive amount of space on my furniture. But I must confess that I have grown fond of him. 

Heather returned from Zimbabwe a few days ago, but she says she has been having problems with internet and power outages. This is hardly my concern. I care nothing for internet or electricity, as long as I receive a saucer of milk each morning.

Apparently there are also some challenges with this blog, which is being “migrated” somewhere. I find this issue fairly uninteresting, but Heather asked me to tell you. My only concern was about the posts I’ve written and all the beautiful photographs of me that appear on this blog. But Heather assures me everything is safe and my fans will be able to access my content both during and after the migration. So, whatever.

Lastly, Heather also informed me this evening that she is going on another trip tomorrow. Just a weekend visit to the Eastern Free State, but nonetheless she is abandoning me again and won’t be able to blog until she returns. Hmph.

This is my angry face.

There you have it. A long-awaited update from me and my human. Until next time.